Montana State University-Northern head coach Mark Samson had never lost a night game as a Light. And after Friday night, he still hasn't as his Lights blanked Rocky Mountain College 24-0 on a chilly, but calm night at Blue Pony Stadium.
Northern's defense was completley dominant, holding Rocky to just eight first downs and 127 yards of total offense. The Lights' offense was almost as flawless. Northern had the ball for over 50 minutes and racked up 493 yards of offense against a Bears' defense that was rated second in the Frontier Conference.
Derek Lear threw second-half touchdowns to Kyle Johnston and Brandon O'Brien, while Northern built a 10-0 halftime lead on a Juan Garcia field goal and a Stephen Silva two-yard touchdown run. Lear finished the game with 292 yards on 22 completions, while Kyle Johnston caught seven balls for a whopping 138 yards. Silva rushed for 114 yards on a workman-like 30 carries as Northern improved to 5-4 and swept the Bears (4-5, 5-5) for the first time in four years.The Northern defense limited the normally pass-happy Bears to just 47 yards through the air and sophomore Tanner Varner picked off his second pass of the season.
MSU-N will wrap up the season next Saturday at home against rival Carroll College.
For full coverage, see Monday's Havre Daily News.
