The Eastern Oregon University football team returned to territory they have not been in for 204 weeks, the nation's top 25.

The Mountaineers cracked the NAIA top 25 Monday at No. 23 after defeating Montana Tech in Butte, Mont., 32-20, last Saturday. EOU rides a three-game win streak into this weekend's clash with Montana State- Northern. The Lights are two spots out of the top 25 after being upset by unranked Montana-Western at home. It marked the first poll this season MSUN was not in the top 25.

Eastern and Northern have played very close in the all-time series between the programs. The Lights hold a slight advantage winning five of the nine all-time meetings. MSUN has won four the past five meetings against the Mountaineers. Northern has won only once in its four trips to La Grande since 2000.

EOU is 3-0 in the Frontier Conference for the first time since joining the conference in 2006. The Mountaineers last won three straight games to end the 2006 season with victories over Rocky Mountain, Montana State-Northern and Montana-Western from Oct. 28 to Nov. 11. The last time Eastern Oregon football was ranked in the top 25 was Oct. 24, 2005 when the Mountaineers were No. 23 with a 4-2 record. That season climbed as high as No. 17 with a record of 3-1 and appeared in the top 25 five times.

The Lights are no stranger to success on the field after four straight winning seasons. Head coach Mark Samson turned a program that was 2-9 his first season in 2004 into a nationally elite team. Northern made its first trip to the postseason in 2006 and ended last season 7-3 and No. 22 in the country.

The 12-hour, 730-mile bus drive from La Grande to Havre, Mont., played a key factor in last year's games between EOU and MSUN. The Lights held Eastern to 280 yards of total offense in a 24-7 Northern victory on Sept. 13, 2008 in Havre. Eastern's Chris Ware was picked off three times and threw for 112 yards completing 13 of his 30 passes. Jordyn Jackson led the Mountaineers on the ground with 104 rushing yards on 15 carries.

Just a month later in La Grande, Eastern dominated No. 12 Montana State-Northern, 42-14. The Mountaineers scored 21 second quarter points and surrendered only 186 yards of total offense from the Lights. EOU's redeemed itself after the first meeting by gaining 523 yards of total offense. Ware was 24 of 34 for 344 yards with three touchdowns.

Montana State- Northern opened 2009 with a 30-19 win at the University of Calgary in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The Lights then traveled to No. 2 Carroll College in a battle of two top 20 teams. No. 18 MSUN trailed the Saints 13-6 at the half before being outscored 37-7 in the second half. The Lights bounced back with a 38-37 home victory over Rocky Mountain College after a 21-yard Jeff Van Nest touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining in the game was completed to Matt Stuart.

Last week Northern traded scores with Montana-Western for four quarters. Van Nest completed 13 of his 26 pass attempts for 210 yards with three touchdowns but threw three interceptions. Tyrell Cochrell ran for 118 yards on 20 carries to lead the Lights on the ground. Stuart caught six passes for 126 yards.

While Northern is in the bottom half of most the offensive statistical categories in the conference, the Lights' defense is third in total defense and scoring defense and second in pass defense. Cochrell leads the conference in rushing yards per game at 98.5. MSUN's Casey Varner is tied with Eastern's Jeff McNally atop the conference with two interceptions in four games.

Northern's Landry See and Eastern's Kasidy Gooch are tied at third in the conference averaging 9.5 tackles per game. EOU's Seath Kimball is first in the league averaging 1.1 sacks per game and the Mountaineers' Rick Copsey is the top punt returner in the conference averaging 12.4 yards per return.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday with pregame beginning at 12:40 p.m. locally on KCMB 104.7 FM and online at www.EOUSports.com. Game time temperature is forecasted at 84 degrees with no chance of rain.