Lights prepared for round two with Rocky

The Frontier Conference isn't easy. There's a reason it's considered the SEC of the NAIA. And one reason why it's not easy is the schedule, with teams playing each other twice a year.

Montana State University-Northern head coach Andrew Rolin is about to get his first taste of the unique Frontier schedule as his Lights (0-5, 1-5) travel to Billings to face the No. 16 Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears (3-2, 4-2) Saturday afternoon.

"It's something I'm excited about. It's the fun part about this conference," Rolin said, "you get to play teams twice. So we know who they (Bears) are, and they know who we are, so it's about going down there and executing."

Executing is something the Battlin' Bears did last week when they stunned then No. 2 Southern Oregon. And it's something they certainly did in a 51-7 win over Northern back on Sept. 1 in Havre. And Rocky's ability to execute certainly has Rolin's attention.

"They are a great defensive football team," Rolin said. "They have talent at every level on defense. And on offense, they're very strong, too. They're really well-coached and, obviously, they're playing well right now. They're a really good football team, and we understand that."

Rocky is indeed good. And even with having a forfeit on their resume, the Bears are still very much in the hunt for at least a share of the Frontier title, as well as an NAIA playoff berth, though they can't afford to lose another game at this point.

And while the Bears are playing with their backs against the wall, they have the talent to handle it. Jacob Bakken is having a big season at quarterback for a potent RMC offense, while the Rocky defense, led by defensive end Ryder Rice, who has 10 sacks and 10 tackles for loss, as well as safety Keenan Fagan, who has four interceptions, is one of the best in the NAIA and by far tops in the Frontier.

As good as the Bears are, though Northern is also focusing on itself right now.

"Really, it's about us and what we do," Rolin said. "I know I sound like a broken record, but it really is about how we execute, about how we play. I think we've evolved as a team since the first time we played Rocky. I think our offense has made a lot of progress. Defensively, we need to shore some things up, but it's a process, and we're going through it right now. So really, this game is going to come down to how well we execute, how well we all do our jobs."

Northern's offense will be a factor because the Lights have to be against a Rocky defense that allows just 17 points and 292 yards of offense per game. So quarterback Tommy Wilson, running back Jett Robertson, and Northern's stable of talented receivers will have to continue the strides they made in a 58-24 loss to Eastern Oregon last Saturday night. Wilson threw for 300 yards in that game, and so far in 2018 the senior has passed for 1,366 yards and six touchdowns, while also rushing for nearly 200 yards and a team-high four scores.

"Our quarterback is playing really well right now," Rolin said. "Tommy is throwing it well and running it well. And I think our passing game is getting much better. Our receivers are really stepping up."

No question, the Lights started to roll on offense last week, and they'll look for more of the same, while the young MSU-N defense hopes to slow down the Rocky rushing attack. The Bears average just under 200 yards on the ground and have been highly efficient throughout the season. Sam Sparks, Mason Melby, Cody McCombs and Bakken are all capable runners for the Bears.

Still, for Northern to have success in Billings, Rolin said, it's more about what his team does than what the Bears are capable of doing.

"We just have to continue to execute," Rolin said. "I thought last week, we executed really well in stretch. But we also had breakdowns, and against a really good team like Rocky, or really any team in this conference, you can't shoot yourself in the foot. You have to execute at a high level for 60 minutes to win football games in this league, and we're learning that.

"So we're going to go down there and continue to try and execute, offense, defense and special team," Rolin continued. "It's going to be a challenge. Rocky is really good. But we're also getting better and better every week, and we're going to stick to the process, and continue to focus on us and what we do."

Saturday's game between the Lights and Battlin' Bears kicks off at 1 p.m. at Herb Clint Field in Billings. Northern returns home to face UM-Western next Saturday.

Road Stretch

MSU-Northern Lights (0-5, 1-5) at #16 RMC Battlin' Bears (3-2, 4-2)

Saturday, 1 p.m.

in Billings

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