MSU-N Notebook: Lights make gains on the ground

Andrew Rolin has said, from literally the day he became head coach at Montana State University-Northern, that he wanted the Lights to be a dominant running team.

Of course, Rolin, who is certainly an offensive innovator, didn't mean that he wanted the Lights to be a three-yard-and-a-cloud-of dust program either. No, he just wanted Northern to be dynamic and dominant running the ball.

And while in his first year-and-half at the helm, it hasn't always been the case, for much of Saturday's 57-39 home loss to Rocky Mountain College, the Lights did resemble the kind of running team Rolin wants them to be.

"We definitely put an emphasis on running the football today," Rolin said. "I thought our offensive line did a great job, and our backs took advantage of that. I thought that was the best we've run the ball all season."

It was for the senior-freshman tandem of Jett Robertson and Cameron Taylor.

Robertson barreled his way to a season-high 98 yards on 12 carries, while also finding the endzone for just the second time this season.

Meanwhile, Taylor, who has had flashes this season, broke out with his 134 yards on 19 carries. He scored for 27 yards out on Northern's opening drive, and, averaged 8.2 yards per carry, while Robertson added a whopping 7.1 yards per tote.

Have a Day Hunter

Northern freshman Hunter Riley certainly has become the Light's Swiss Army Knife in his first season in Havre. But in Saturday's game that was really on full display.

Riley, a starting safety for the Lights intercepted two RMC passes Saturday, to up his season total to four. Riley also finished with four tackles, too.

Riley has also been Northern's punter all season long, but he only recently took over the place kicking duties, as well. And in those two roles, he came up huge for the Lights.

Riley executed a fake punt on a fourth-down play in the third quarter Saturday. On the play, he connected with Levi Keltner for over 50 yards and a first down.

"I just saw the guy who was covering him (Keltner) went out with him, so I threw it up and Levi made a great catch and run," Riley said.

Riley wasn't done, either. With the drive extended, but facing a fourth-and-goal from the two-yard-line, the Lights lined Riley up for a short field goal try, but instead, he took off with the snap around the right side, leaped forward and broke the plan to score his first career touchdown for Northern, and pull the Lights to within 10 points at 30-20.

"He made a heck of a play right there," Rolin said. "It was a tough run. But he's a tough kid. He did a little of everything for us today. Actually, he did a lot of everything for us today. He's a really tough football player."

Bear Kicks

Riley might have a shot at this week's Frontier Conference Special Team's Player of the Week - if it weren't for Rocky Mountain College kicker Riley Garrett.

Against the Lights, Garrett booted five field goals, including a 50-yard bomb in the fourth quarter. To this reporter's, knowledge, Garrett is only the third player to kick a 50-plus yard FG inside Blue Pony Stadium during the modern era of Northern football.

In all, Garrett was 5-of-7 on field goal tries, as he missed a 52-yarder at the end of the first half. He was also perfect on PATs, while his freshman teammate, Shelby's Wyatt Brusven, had 10 touchbacks on kickoffs.