Lights venture to Idaho for the first time

Frontier conference play has been an uphill struggle for the Montana State University-Northern football team this season. But after a week off to get healthy and refreshed, the Lights should have some pep in their step.

Fresh off a second consecutive home loss, Northern (0-4, 1-4) will hit the road this week to take on the College of Idaho (2-2, 3-2), which has played much better in its debut season in the Frontier than anticipated. The Yotes, who reside in Caldwell, Idaho, are unbeaten at home and will look to stay that way Saturday when they invite the Lights into Simplot Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The Yotes are still in their infancy and are playing their first season of NAIA football. However, they are not to be taken lightly. They have already knocked off Montana Western and Montana Tech in Frontier play by the scores of 31-28 and 41-25, respectively.

“It's tough to win anywhere on the road in this league," Northern interim head coach Jake Eldridge said. "Every team gets so much support and the (College of Idaho) is no different. I know they sold out for their first two games and have brought in extra bleachers. This is their first year of playing football and everyone down there is really excited about it."

A big reason for the success of C of I has been a devastating running game that is sparked by quarterback Teejay Gordon (5-11, 185), who is second in the conference in rushing yards with 630. He averages 6.2 yards per carry and has 10 rushing touchdowns. He leads an offense that gains an average of 266 rushing yards per game, which is tops in the Frontier and is fifth in the NAIA.

    If Gordon was the only rusher the Lights had to worry about, stopping the Yotes might be more manageable, but C of I also boasts Zach Garzoli (5-7, 175) who lacks in size but has plenty of quickness. He has gained 439 yards on the ground this season and scored six touchdowns. The Yotes also rely on Kyle Merrit (5-10, 215), who is a bigger, more physical runner. He has rushed for 213 yards this season and scored twice.

"They have some athletes," Eldridge said. "Just because they started playing football this season doesn't mean they are all freshman. They practiced last year and they do a good job with their scheme and run it very well. It starts with the quarterback. He is a very good football player. He is very athletic and can hurt you with his legs but he has hurt teams with his arm as well when they load the box. But they also have two very good backs. They do not have a ton of size but they are scat backs and they do a good job. They have some dynamic players on offense."

One thing Northern has going for it in this matchup is the fact that then it comes to defending the run, no one in the conference has done it better than the Lights. The Lights currently lead the Frontier in rushing yards allowed per game at just 105. Opposing runners also average just 3.5 yards per carry against Northern, which is the best in the Frontier.  Led by Tyler Craig, who leads the Frontier with 6.5 sacks, and Jordan Brusio, who has three sacks, Northern possesses one of the toughest defensive fronts in the conference.

"The number one goal first off is stopping the run," Eldridge said. "We have to shut down their running game and make them one dimensional. We want to take them out of what they want to do."

The Lights also defend the pass well and are tops in the Frontier in total defense. However, a low third-down conversion rate on defense has hurt the Lights, and it’s a big reason why they’re last in the league in scoring defense, at 39.5 points per game.

As far as the Lights are concerned, their defense is strong, but so is their offense. Unlike the Yotes, who rely more on their running game than the pass, Northern offers a balanced attack that is centered around quarterback Travis Dean, running back Zach McKinley and prolific wide receiver Trevor Baum. Baum leads the NAIA in receiving.

But the Lights offense is not just centered around Baum. The running game is equally impressive led by running McKlinley. The sophomore racked up 172 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Northern's last outing against Southern Oregon and currently leads the Frontier in rushing yards with 676, which is also good enough for sixth in the NAIA.

Behind McKliney, who averages 5.8 yards per rush and Baum, who averages 16.1 yards per catch, the Northern offense is a big play waiting to happen and the trigger man is Dean, who is second in the Frontier with an average of 304.6 passing yards per game. The senior quarterback has completed an impressive 61 percent of his passes this season. He has also thrown eight touchdowns and six interceptions. He heads an attack that is second in the Frontier in total offense per game with 494 yards.

"Our offense has been great outside the 20 but when we have gotten in the red zone we haven't been able to execute," Eldridge said. "I don't think that there is anything that we need to do any differently. We just have to make sure that when we get in those certain situations, we execute."

The Lights may have struggled at times this season but Saturday's game against C of I represents a chance to get the second half of the season off to a positive start and even though the Yotes have proven difficult to beat at home, the matchup is a favorable one for Northern and the school's first win in Frontier play is definitely possible.

"A win would just validate all the hard work and everything that these guys have put in," Eldridge said. "Everyone has told us that we are a good football team and we know that we are a good football team, it would be nice to get validation and that proof."

Northern and the C of I will kick off on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Simplot Stadium. The Lights return home to face Montana Tech Oct. 17.

First Meeting

MSU-Northern Lights (1-4, 0-4) at College of Idaho Yotes

(3-2, 2-2)

Saturday 1 p.m.

Caldwell, Idaho

Streaming: www.msun.edu/athletics

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