Lights take one last shot in 2019

On a hot August night in Phoenix, the Montana State University-Northern Lights opened 2019 season with a win. It was the second straight year in which the young Lights, under head coach Andrew Rolin have done so.

However, for the second straight season, the Lights are also still in search of a first Frontier Conference victory on the last weekend of the year - and for yet another year, they'll have to try and do it against the College of Idaho Yotes, Only this Saturday, the Lights will be playing at the already crowned Frontier champion Yotes.

Northern (0-9, 1-9) faces the No. 6 Yotes (9-0, 9-0) Saturday afternoon in Caldwell, Idaho, with a 1 p.m. kickoff set for Simplot Stadium.

Saturday's game will be the fourth straight year the Lights and Yotes meet in the regular season finale. C of I beat Northern 59-28 last November at Blue Pony Stadium, and since the Yotes joined the Frontier six years ago, the Lights are 1-4 and have never won in Caldwell.

And this year's task will be as difficult as it's ever been because C of I has already clinched their first Frontier title, and are on their way to their first NAIA playoff appearance. It will also be senior day for a special C of I class, that has done so much in five years, including help the program reach heights no one could have imagined when the Yotes played their first season of collegiate football back in the fall of 2014.

Under head coach Mike Moroksi, the Yotes have quickly gone from a program building from the ground up, to a dangerous option offensive team, to now, a balanced and powerful machine in all three phases of the game.

On offense, the Yotes average 36 points per game, and have star dual-threat quarterback Darius-James Peterson at the helm, along with the Frontier's leading rusher, Nick Calzaretta. C of I is also not just a run-only attack anymore either. No, the Yotes are hurting teams with their legs, and the arm of Peterson.

Defensively, C of I is stingy, allowing just 16 ppg per outing. And with the likes of Forrest Rivers at linebacker and defensive end Landon Grammel, the Yotes are just as good on that side of the ball.

And that's what Northern's up against Saturday. But, for the Lights, it's more about who they are rather than who they play.

At times this season, Northern has looked like a team that is really moving up the Frontier ranks, including last Saturday when the Lights nearly came back to beat Southern Oregon. And in the last two weeks, Northern has put together two of its best defensive performances in years.

But, at other times, the Lights still look like the young team trying to find their way, especially when it comes to taking care of the football, where the Lights have given the ball away 33 times this season. Those kinds of miscues, against a loaded Frontier, are certainly going to hinder Northern's chances, and, against the best team, C of I, the Lights can certainly ill-afford to make those mistakes.

And yet, Rolin remains steadfast about his program's progress. The Lights have indeed gotten better, and it's been especially obvious in their last two home games. And while Rolin admits winning is the ultimate goal, he and his Lights aren't losing sight of the process itself.

"We're building this thing the right way," Rolin said. "It's a process, and one of the first steps was to get these guys all-in, and they are. The seniors have led us every step of the way. And you can see it, you can feel it. We're getting there. We're not there yet, and we aren't making any excuses, because the goal is to win, but I truly believe we're going to get there."

The Lights wrap up the 2019 season Saturday at 1 p.m. against the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho.