Lights take on Mounties in primetime

The Montana State University-Northern Lights began their season-long grind, the first under head coach Andrew Rolin, all the way back on Aug. 5. So last week's bye week was a welcome site for the young Lights.

Now however, Northern begins the second half of the Frontier Conference season, and to snap a four-game losing skid, the Lights (0-4, 1-4) will have to do it against the red-hot Eastern Oregon Mounties.

But while the Mounties (2-2, 2-2) come to Havre riding some strong momentum, they will also be walking into what should be a hostile environment as they meet the Lights under the lights of Blue Pony Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Saturday.

"They're fired up for this game," Rolin said of his Lights. "The bye week was our best week of practice all season. And they're excited to get back out there. Saturday night should be a lot of fun with a great atmosphere."

Night games always add a little something extra to college football and Saturday night's battle in Havre should be no different. However, Northern also knows it must be better in several areas than it was in the last couple of games leading into the bye week.

Offensively, MSU-N comes into Saturday night's game averaging just 16 points per outing, and the Lights haven't been able to run the football as effectively as they did earlier in the season. The Lights are averaging just 103 yards per game on the ground, led by Jett Robertson, who is third in the Frontier at 82 ypg.

On the defensive side, the Lights have struggled to stop the run. They allow 249 yards per on the ground, and are also giving up 42 points per contest, putting them last in the league in both categories.

"We've got to be better at stopping the run," Rolin said. "That's pretty simple. That's an area we need to get better at. Same offensively. We've got to put points on the board. We have to finish drives and put the ball in the endzone."

Points are something the Lights are going to need Saturday night, too. EOU comes in averaging 441 yards of offense and is one of the top passing teams in the NAIA, led by quarterback Kai Quinn, who throws for more than 300 yards per game. Quinn is also leading the Frontier in total offense, with over 2,000 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Quinn has a pair of explosive receivers to throw to as well, led by Brendan Kelly, who leads the NAIA with his 160 receiving yards per game.

So to put it bluntly, the MSU-N defense, led by linebackers Jaren Maki, Chase Gilbert and Jake Norby, as well as corners Caymus Thomas and Devariej Criss, will have its hands full with the EOU offense.

"It's a very explosive offense," Rolin said of the Mounties. "They have a very talented quarterback and several really good wide receivers. It's a bit of a high-risk, high-reward offense, but they execute it very, very well. They hit on a lot of big plays, and that's what we're going to have to do very well, is try and stop their passing game, and stop those explosive plays. We're going to have to keep everything in front of us, and play very smart football because their offense is very good."

EOU is going to try and do the same to Northern - limit the Lights' explosive plays. Northern has shown flashes of being explosive this season with Robertson, and QB Tommy Wilson leading the way. Bryce Bumgardner is having a strong stretch of late at WR, as well, while Marvin Williams and tight end Jordan Pugh are also big threats in the passing game. The EOU defense, led by Zach Lacey up front and some talented linebackers, have shown some vulnerabilities this season, as the Mounties allow more than 30 points per game and give up more than 400 yards of offense per outing. A Northern offense that has the talent, and scheme to succeed, is hoping to exploit the Mountie defense.

"We need to be efficient in the run game," Rolin said. "We need to stay on the field and convert third downs. The last few games, I think we've done a better job of that, but when we do create those opportunities, we also have to capitalize on them. We need to make sure we put the ball in the endzone and not shoot ourselves in the foot when we have chances to score."

Again, with EOU coming in having beaten UM-Western 54-51 before the bye week, the Mounties look to be riding high, and the Lights will need to be ready to go blow-for-blow with EOU's potent offense. And being ready is something Rolin said his team certainly is. Even with Northern's recent struggles, the Lights have stayed the course, and they know with each passing week they're getting better.

There's no better time to showcase that than in prime time Saturday night.

"Spirits are high on this team," Rolin said. "The attitude and focus of this team has been great from day one. These guys come to work every single day, they want to get better, and they are getting better. They're excited for this game. I know they're going to show up and compete. They want to rise to the occasion, and they're fired up to get out there and do that against a really good football team Saturday night."

Saturday night's game between Northern and Eastern Oregon kicks off at 6 p.m. inside Blue Pony Stadium. The Lights travel to Billings to face Rocky Mountain College next Saturday afternoon.

Legends Weekend

MSU-Northern Lights (0-4, 1-4) vs EOU Mounties (2-2, 2-2)

Saturday, 6 p.m.

at Blue Pony Stadium

Streaming: www.golightsgo.com

Radio: 92.5 KPQX FM

Twitter: Twitter/Havredaily