Frontier Notebook: Dawgs comes to Havre with a lot on the line

Just when you thought the Frontier Conference couldn't get any crazier, a weekend like this last one happens.

That's right, now, more than at any point this season, the Frontier has become an absolute crap shoot, as the UM-Western Bulldogs, who were picked to finish seventh in the league in the preseason, now stand alone atop the Frontier standings and have their destiny completely in their hands.

That's right, win out, and the Dawgs will be Frontier champions and headed to the playoffs. Heck, at this point, Western could afford to drop one more game, and still share the Frontier title, and likely reach the playoffs as an at-large team at worst.

In fact, the way things are going, with Southern Oregon losing to Eastern Oregon, the Raiders' second straight loss, with Montana Tech falling off the pace, and with EOU and College of Idaho suddenly surging, Western could lose again this season, and perhaps still end up winning the Frontier title outright.

Yes, that's how wild things are getting in the league right now.

Here's a quick review. While no one picked the Bulldogs to be 5-1 right now, just two weeks ago, everybody was picking SOU to run the table in the Frontier for the second straight season. Now, one more loss and SOU is out of playoff contention, let alone winning the league championship.

It wasn't long ago people were perhaps leaving Rocky Mountain College for dead, too. Now however, the Battlin' Bears are tied for second in the Frontier, and with a home game against Western in two weeks, as well as a visit to EOU still to come, RMC also has its destiny in its hands. If the Bears win out, they will be league champions regardless if they tie Western or not at season's end.

Then there's EOU. The Mounties have quietly crept up on the Frontier. They started 1-2, but have now won three straight, including last Saturday's huge win over SOU. Tied with Rocky and SOU for second in the Frontier right now, EOU, too, could win the Frontier title, and the Mounties are done playing the Raiders this season.

Again, things in the Frontier are indeed up for grabs, and let's face it, in August, few pundits thought Western would be trying to hold off Rocky and EOU for its first league crown n more than two decades.

Familiar Face

Things certainly have been a struggle of late for the Montana State University-Northern Lights, and while Saturday the Lights can play spoiler with a win over Western at Blue Pony Stadium, to do it, Northern will have to slow down a familiar face,

Once upon a time, Jake Messerly was a budding star wide receiver at Northern. A gifted athlete with height, strength and speed, Messerly was looking like a can't-miss prospect for the MSU-N offense. In 2014, Messerly caught 58 passes for 862 yards and nine scores, while he and teammate Trevor Baum were perhaps the top WR tandem in all of the Frontier. Messerly would go on to play a third year for the Lights in 2015, but after that, he decided to leave Northern.

Now, four years later, Messerly has resurfaced, as he is a starting WR for head coach Ryan Nourse and the Bulldogs. Messerly is playing one last season of college football, and once again, he's part of a prolific group of wide receivers that include Melvin Walser and Nate Simkins. So far, in his return to football, Messerly has 13 passes for 159 yards and a score for the first-place and nationally ranked Dawgs.

While Messerly played with very few of the current Lights before he left Northern, his return to Blue Pony Stadium should certainly bring back memories for him.

Big-Time Numbers

Speaking of prolific, there are several Frontier players who are gaining attention on the national stage.

At the top of that list is Rocky's Ryder Rice, who leads the NAIA in sacks with 9.5. In his last two seasons, Rice has 17.5 sacks, and he still has four games left in his senior season.

EOU quarterback Kai Quinn is climbing the charts, too. The junior signal caller is third in the nation in total offense, while he sits fifth in passing. Quinn's favorite target, Brendan Kelly is also third in the NAIA in receiving yards per game at 136 and is sixth in the country in receptions per outing. Montana Tech's Jed Fike is having a big followup to last year as well. Like is fifth in the NAIA in rushing at 127 yards per game, while his 8.1 yards per carry ranks him second in the country.

EOU's Zach Jacobs also leads the country in interceptions with six, while Western linebacker Jason Ferris is fourth in the nation with his 13 tackles per game. Ferris, who will be lined up against Northern's offense Saturday, also has 77 tackles on the season. EOU's Nathan Harden is also tied for first in the country in field goals, while SOU kicker Marcus Montano is second.

NAIA Coaches Poll

1. Morningside (15) 7-0 366 1

2. Marian (Ind) (1) 6-0 351 2

3. Northwestern (Iowa) 6-0 339 3

4. Lindsey-Wilson (Ky) 5-1 314 4

5. Reinhardt (Ga) 6-1 311 4

6. Evangel (Mo) 8-0 302 6

7. Grand View (Iowa) 5-1 275 8

8. Bethel (Tenn) 7-0 255 9

9. Kansas Wesleyn 7-0 243 10

10. Concordia (Mich) 6-1 233 11

11. Benedictine (Kan) 6-1 220 12

12. Saint Francis (Ind) 5-2 210 13

13. Langston (Okla) 5-1 193 14

14. Southern Oregon 4-2 176 7

15. Rocky Mountain 5-2 171 16

16. Baker (Kan) 5-2 165 17

17. Cumberlands (Ky) 7-1 156 18

18. UM-Western 5-1 135 19

19. Eastern Oregon 4-2 117 24

20. Dickinson State 5-2 93 21

21. Georgetown (Ky) 4-3 85 15

22. Ottawa (Kan) 6-1 78 22

23. Siena Heights (Mich) 5-1 52 20

24. Saint Xavier (Ill) 5-3 41 NR

25. Avila (Mo) 5-1 31 NR

Others Receiving Votes: Keiser (Fla.) 11, Midland (Neb.) 7, Montana Tech 3.