2015 MSU-N football preview: Lights offense led by the ground game

The Montana State University-Northern Lights have a new head coach. And Aaron Christensen brought with him a new offense for 2015.

However, as the old saying goes, the more things change, the more they'll stay the same.

Christensen was the offensive coordinator at Missouri Valley College the last several years, a perennial NAIA playoff contender, and under his direction, was one of the top offenses in the country. And, he brings that no-huddle, up-tempo offense that was highly successful during his stint at MVC to Northern.

Still, Northern isn't going to stray too far from what has made it a successful offense the last couple of seasons, and that's being a physical team capable of running the football. And the Lights won't stray from that philosophy because they have the best running back in the Frontier Conference in junior Zach McKinley (5-10, 205) and perhaps the most talented backup RB in the league in fellow junior Mario Gabboto (5-8, 185).

McKinley, on his way to First-Team All-Conference honors, rushed for an MSU-N single-season record 1,425 yards a season ago. He averaged 130 yards per game and scored 14 touchdowns, while also catching nearly 300 yards worth of passes out of the backfield. Together with Gabboto, who rushed for just over 300 yards and three scores last season, the Lights have as solid a running game as there is in the NAIA heading into the fall, and that's where the offenses success begins for Christensen.

"To be successful offensively, we have to run the football well," Christensen said. "Our running game has to be good. I think we have a really good group of returning guys in our running game, and it starts with our running backs.

"Zach and Mario are both very good running backs," he continued. "But what's just is important is what they do off the field. Yes, they're both really good athletes and really good football players, but they are also just really good kids. They are good students and they are leaders, and that's really important. It would be hard to find any football team out there that has two running backs like those two."

Of course, the key to a good running game isn't just turning around and handing off to talents like McKinley, who already holds 10 different Northern rushing records, and who is on track to break Stephen Silva's all-time rushing record of 2,856 yards. No, to be great in the running game, the offensive line must be good too, and Christensen thinks he has a good one this season.

Led by returners Pete Morales (6-2, 295) and Matt McKeen (6-2, 290), the Lights are big up front. Northern's starting five on the line, which also includes newcomers Jeremy Eisenmann (6-3, 250), Clint Willis (6-6, 280) and Jacob Folk (6-4, 335) averages 290 pounds, and though the Lights are starting four new players up front, they look to have the pieces in place to have an outstanding season running the football.

"If you look at what's the strength of our offense right now, it's certainly the running game and our offensive line," Christensen said. "Pete Morales is a really good football player, and we have Matt McKeen back. Jeremy Eisenmann has also really stepped up and is playing well right now. So I think the line is going to do a really good job for us, and that's important because one of the things we talk about a lot is wanting to be a very physical football team."

While Christensen inherited plenty of stability in the running game, the same might not be said for Northern's passing game.

With senior Travis Dean at the helm, the Lights were a big-play passing team a season ago, especially with the emergence of wide receivers Trevor Baum and Jake Messerly, as well as tight end John Jansen. However, Dean's season was cut short and that forced true freshman Jess Krahn into action for the final three games of the 2014 season. Krahn wound up throwing for 756 yards and eight scores, and he helped engineer a last-second win over Rocky Mountain College to close this season.

Now however, Krahn (6-3, 220) will get to command Northern's new offense as the full time starting quarterback. In spring and fall camp, he battled with freshman Holden Maki and transfer Herman Smith for the starting job, and now that camp is over, he's emerged as Northern's starter. And while he is still young, and MSU-N is very young and inexperienced in the passing game, Christensen sees plenty of upside in his sophomore signal caller.

"Even from when I got here, he's come a long way," Christensen said of Krahn. "He's a talented kid. He's intelligent, he's got a good arm and he's accurate. But like all young quarterbacks, they have to learn to play college football, and I think he's learning quickly. He's come a long way since having to play as a true freshman."

While Krahn has always been seen as a quarterback with a big upside, he needs targets to throw to. And he has two strong ones coming from the tight end position in Kagen Khameneh (6-3, 225) and Bowe McKay (6-3, 225). Khameneh emerged late last season to catch three passes for 48 yards, and he will figure into the passing game much more extensively this season.

Still, the Lights lost four of their top six receivers from a season ago. Baum, who caught 85 passes for 1,323 yards and Jansen are gone to graduation, while talented freshman Sam Mix won't be back after suffering injuries in the horrific Havre stabbing that took place back in May.

"That's probably where we're the most inexperienced on the entire team," Christensen said of the wide receiver position. "We're going to be very young there, and we'll play a lot of guys who just don't have a lot of experience. I do think we have two really good tight ends, both of those guys are very good football players. But we are definitely inexperienced at the wide receiver position."

Messerly, a junior (6-1, 195) is the wildcard for Northern's receiving group. He's gone through some ups and downs with eligibility issues, but if he finds his way onto the field, Northern will have the threat they need at WR. As a sophomore, Messerly caught 58 passes for 862 yards and eight scores, and his speed and athleticism make him one of the best pass catchers in the entire Frontier Conference. Northern's depth chart at WR also includes three players who have yet to catch a pass for the Lights in Jake Day (5-10, 185), Quandre Yancy (5-7, 160) and Seth Roemmele (6-0, 190).

And while the Lights are young on offense, and young as a football team in general, boasting just four seniors on the entire roster, with McKinley leading the way, and Krahn already having taken snaps in meaningful Frontier games against the like of Carroll College and RMC, Northern's potential to be a good offensive football team is there. And with an experienced and stout defense backing the offense up, if the Lights can put points on the board this season, they will be a team that will surprise many around the league.

"We have a lot of really athletic kids," Christensen said. "We're just really young. And as is always the case with a young team, things aren't always going to be perfect. So offensively, we just need to continue to grow and learn. We need to make sure we're a physical team, we need to be smart and we need to be efficient. If we can do those things, we will be successful."

Countdown to Dickinson State

The MSU-Northern Lights are just five days from the start of the 2015 season. And fans can get all the Lights' coverage they need this week with the Havre Daily News. On Wednesday, there will be a complete look at the MSU-N defense and special teams. Thursday, we'll have a full season preview of the Lights and Friday's HDN will feature a preview of their season-opening game at Dickinson State University. Look for online and Twitter coverage of the game over the weekend and a complete wrapup of Northern's season-opener in Monday's HDN.