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LA GRANDE, Ore. -- The No. 16 Eastern Oregon University football team travels to Montana Tech Saturday in the first game of the regular season. The weekly notes are now available.
Date: Sept. 1
Time: 6 p.m. MT
Location: Butte, Mont.
Venue: Alumni Coliseum
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Series vs. EOU: 11-8 (Tech leads)
Live Stats: EOUSports.com
Live Video: EOUSports.com (PPV)
Live Radio: KCMB 104.7 FM
Forecast: Partly Cloudy, High-77/Low-40, 0% Rain, Wind S 12 MPH
GAME TIME
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Mountain Time at Alumni Coliseum with a live video stream on EOUSports.com. Tech charges fans $7 for purchase of the video stream. A live radio broadcast will also be available on KCMB 104.7 FM in La Grande and Baker City. Live stats will be available on EOUSports.com.
THE SERIES
* Montana Tech leads the all-time series 12-7.
* The Orediggers have a 7-3 advantage over Eastern in Butte.
* Eastern Oregon has only won three times at Tech, including last year's opener, 31-15.
* The last meeting between the teams was an epic finish as Eastern blocked to Tech field goal attempts in the closing seconds, returning one for a touchdown, to win 22-15.
* The last two meetings in La Grande have been on EOU's Homecoming.
* The winner in five of the last seven meetings has scored at least 28 points..
* Four of the last seven meetings have been decided by a seven points or less.
* EOU is currently on its longest in streak over the Diggers, winning the last three.
* The series is split 5-5 in the last 10 meetings.
QUICK HITS
- Eastern's No. 16 ranking is the highest preseason start in program history.
- The Mountaineers have been ranked in 13 straight polls, the longest in program history, climbing as high as No. 9 in 2011.
- EOU is 5-5 in its last 10 season openers, including a win last year at Tech.
- Before last year's season opening win, the Mountaineers lost the previous three season openers.
- Eastern Oregon is looking for its sixth straight conference road win.
- EOU's 105-player roster is the largest in the
Tim Camp era.
SWEET 16 START FOR THE MOUNTAINEERS
The Eastern Oregon University football team begins its 2012 season ranked No. 16 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll. The No. 16 ranking marks the school's highest preseason rating. The Mountaineers' 91 votes were the most votes Eastern has received in the preseason poll since the 2009 team earned 74 votes and a preseason rating of No. 21. The 2005 team received 24 votes and was in the receiving votes' column. The Mountaineers have been ranked in 13 consecutive polls, the longest streak in school history. Eastern climbed as high as No. 9 last season and ended the year at No. 19. EOU was No. 17 in the spring poll. The Mountaineers opened last season with one vote in the preseason poll.
EOU TABBED THIRD IN CONFERENCE POLL
Eastern was selected third in the Frontier Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Defending conference champion and NAIA national runner-up, Carroll College, is the preseason favorite of the league's football coaches to repeat as champions for the 2012 season. The Saints have won 12 straight Frontier Conference titles. Montana State-Northern received one first place vote and finished second in the balloting. Eastern Oregon is picked to finished third followed by Rocky Mountain College, Southern Oregon, Montana Tech, Dickinson State and Montana Western.
TROUBLE IN THE COLISEUM
In Butte, the Mountaineers have won in 2005, 2009, and last year's season opener 31-15. Alumni Coliseum has been home of Montana Tech football since 1966. Now in its 43rd season the home field to the OreDiggers has become one of the toughest places to play in the Frontier Conference. From the long trip, to the raucous fans, to the talented football played at Tech, Alumni Coliseum is a formidable place for opposing teams. Recent renovations include 486 reserved seats and a 18x24 foot video replay board.
A NEW FRONTIER
College football has seen it's fair share of conference expansion, and the Frontier Conference is no different. One of the toughest conferences in the NAIA, the Frontier moves from six members to eight this season, split in two divisions. With newcomers Southern Oregon and Dickinson State (N.D.) the conference's footprint is one of the largest in small college athletics. The College of Idaho announced it will bring back it's football team in 2014, and the Yotes will compete in the Frontier as well.
NOT A BAD START
The No. 2 Carroll College Saints opened their season with a 31-6 win at Montana State-Northern last weekend. Carroll dominated a matchup of the top two preseason picks by the conference's coaches. The Saints rolled out to a 31-0 lead in the fourth quarter behind Chance Demarais' 142 yards on the ground. Last year's NAIA Player of the Year started off right where he left off leading Carroll into a clash at NCAA FCS opponent, Portland State, this weekend.
ROCKY RUMBLES OVER JAMESTOWN
Rocky Mountain College opened the season with a 38-19 win against Jamestown College of North Dakota. The Bears had a 262-yard passing effort from quarterback Bryce Baker. Mickey Payne led Rocky on the ground with 94 rushing yards. He scored one touchdown. Rocky put up 31 points before the Jimmies were able to get on the board in Billings.
