Well rested and perhaps with recharged batteries, two Frontier Conference football teams will take to the field looking for a fresh start.
    On Saturday, the Montana State University-Northern Lights and  UM-Western Bulldogs start the second half of the Frontier season when they meet up at Blue Pony Stadium at 12 p.m. The Lights and Bulldogs played in the season-opener back on Aug. 28 in Dillon. A 20-3 Northern win is the only victory for either team so far this season.
    Since that time MSU-N has lost four straight to fall to 1-4 on the season. But Northern head coach Mark Samson said his team is looking rejuvenated coming out of the Frontier bye week, and is anxious to get back on the field against the Bulldogs.
    “I think the bye week was good for us, it gave us a chance to step away from the Carroll game and really get that bad taste out of our mouths,” Samson said. “It also gave us a chance to get rested and healthy again. With the exception of a few guys, we’re back to full strength this week. So it was a good week off for us, and I think the guys are ready to go out and work towards having a strong second season.
    “I think the moral got boosted back up quite a bit this week,” added senior defensive end Travis Hjort. “Practices have been upbeat and we’re approaching this second half of the season as, we’re 0-0 and we have plenty to play for.”
    Both the Lights and Bulldogs do have plenty to play for on Saturday. Western comes in 0-6 on the season and 0-5 in conference play. But since Western played Northern almost two months ago, things have slowly started to change for third-year head coach Rich Ferris’ club. The Bulldogs averaged just three points per in their first four games, but their offense has picked up steam in the last three weeks, including a just a 10-point loss to rival Montana Tech two weeks ago in which the Bulldogs passed for over 300 yards.
    “They (Bulldogs) had some struggles on offense early on,” Samson said. “But it looks like they are starting to get some of those things corrected. Their offensive numbers are going up each week, and we know they are going to come in here and want to throw the ball all over the place. So as a defense, we have to be ready for that. We have to be ready to adjust to what they do and we just have to make plays.”
    The Bulldogs will start sophomore Jeff Logan at quarterback, the third starter of the year for Western. Logan has revitalized a Western offense which features great receivers, including slot receiver Colton Woods, who leads the Frontier in catches (8 cpg) and receiving yards (93 ypg). Fellow wideout Kahai Sevilla is Western’s deep threat, and he had over 100 yards in Northern’s win in Dillon. Western also has a capable running back in 6-2 bruiser Charlie Dotson.
    But Northern’s defense will be hungry to shut down the Bulldog attack Saturday. MSU-N has a very talented defensive unit, led by a great defensive line with Will Andrews, Jared Weigel and Hjort. Together, the trio has a combined 11 sacks on the season, while junior linebacker Landry See continues to have an all-american season. See is second in the Frontier in total tackles. Safety Casey Varner still leads the NAIA in interceptions with five.  But as talented as the Lights’ defense is, they still want to atone for giving up 58 points in a 65-13 loss to Carroll two weeks ago.
    Offensively, Northern also has plenty to make up for.
    While the MSU-N defense is second in the Frontier in takeaways, the Northern offense leads the league in turnovers, creating a very unbalanced turnover margin. Northern’s running game has been stout behind sophomore Stephen Silva and a solid offensive line, but the Lights have struggled with INT’s in the passing game.
    Still, MSU-N will look to get rejuvenated on offense this weekend. The Lights get back starting quarterback Derek Lear back from a concussion he suffered three weeks ago, as well as receiver Brandon O’Brien, who missed the Carroll game with a foot injury. Senior receiver Matt Stuart is having a strong season, and is third in the Frontier in catches and receiving yards. He also leads the league in yards per catch at 20.1.
    However, the Lights will attempt to get right on offense against a much-improved Western defense. The Bulldogs are strong against both run and pass, and they have playmakers all over the field. Linebacker Curtis Quigley leads the Frontier and the nation in total tackles, while rush end Trent Mallory is a challenge to block, as is nose tackle Penison Tuifua. Safety Michael Madsen has the most INT’s in the Frontier over the last two seasons.
    “They (Bulldogs) are very good defensive team,” Samson said. “They really get after you, and if you don’t pay attention to your assignments they can really get pressure in a hurry. They have a real good line, some quick linebackers and a pretty solid secondary.
    “So we have to be patient and really take what they give us,” he added. “But the challenge for us is still, we have to score some points. We have to go and put points on the board. It’s time for this offense to get going again, and hopefully, we’re ready to do that this weekend.”
    Saturday’s game is one of just two remaining home games for the Lights. They finish up their home schedule on Oct. 30 against Eastern Oregon. And with time winding down on another Frontier season, Samson said the Lights are looking at this Saturday’s game as the start of something new.
    “We have talked to the kids a lot about looking at this is 0-0 right now,” Samson said. “Of starting fresh. We know we’re not playing for playoffs our championships at this point, but we want to go out and finish on a positive note. We want our veteran guys to have a strong end to this season, and hopefully, with all of the young players we have, this last five games will be a building block towards next season and beyond.”
    Saturday’s game between the Lights and Bulldogs kicks off at 12 p.m. at Blue Pony Stadium. Northern travels to Montana Tech next week, while Western returns to Dillon to face Rocky Mountain College.