Lights move into Top 25

Things are going well for the Montana State University-Lights right now.

After beating Montana Tech 23-12 Saturday in Butte, the Lights are back in the NAIA Top 25 for the first time since the 2009 Coaches Preseason Poll.

In the first regular season NAIA Coaches Poll released Monday night, the Lights moved up to No. 23. Northern is off to a 2-0 start and the Lights are one of four Frontier Conference teams ranked in the NAIA Top 25.

Carroll College dropped from the top spot to No. 5 this week after getting stunned by Eastern Oregon 41-33 last Saturday in Helena. The loss to the Mountaineers was Carroll's first in conference play since Northern beat the Saints in October of the 2006 season. EOU moved into the poll for the first time this season, climbing all the way to No. 12. Rocky Mountain College also debuts in the poll this week. The Battlin' Bears are ranked No. 20 after a 2-1 start to the season.

With Carroll falling out of the top spot, Saint Xavier of Illinois is the new No. 1 team in the NAIA. St. Francis of Indiana, Morningside of Iowa and Marian of Indiana round out the top four with the Saints coming in at No. 5.

Eastern Oregon and MSU-Northern's rise in this week's poll means Saturday's homecoming game between the Lights and Mounties at Blue Pony Stadium will be nationally-ranked showdown. Both teams are also tied atop the Frontier Conference standings heading into Saturday's game which kicks off at 1 p.m. in Havre.

NAIA Football Poll

The Associated Press

Rec. Pts Pv

1. Saint Xavier (15) 2-0 340 2

2. Saint Francis (Ind.) 1-0 324 4

3. Morningside (Iowa) 2-0 314 5

4. Marian (Ind.) 3-0 298 6

5. Carroll 1-1 279 1

6. William Penn ( 3-0 272 8

7. Missouri Valley 2-0 261 11

8. Georgetown (Ky.) 1-0 249 9

9. MidAmerica Naz. 1-1 230 3

10. Cumberlands (Ky.) 2-0 217 16

11. Midland (Neb.) 2-0 207 17

12. Eastern Oregon2-0 201 NR

13. Southern Naz. 2-0 195 19

14. Benedictine (Kan.) 2-0 157 t22

15. Azusa Pacific 1-1 149 15

16. Northwestern 1-1 124 16

17. Campbellsville 2-0 114 NR

18. Langston (Okla.) 2-0 99 NR

19. Bethany (Kan.) 2-0 69 NR

20. Rocky Mountain2-1 57 NR

21. Shorter (Ga.) 1-0 54 NR

21. Dakota Wesleyan 2-0 54 NR

23. MSU-Northern 2-0 42 NR

24. Ottawa (Kan.) 1-2 36 10

24. St. Francis (Ill. ) 1-1 36 24