WEEK 12 – EOU vs. No. 8 Southern Oregon

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University football team will be looking to repeat a little bit of history on Saturday afternoon, as the Navy and Gold will square off against No. 8 Southern Oregon (SOU) in its final game of the regular season for the second-consecutive year.

The Opponent
SOU enters Saturday's game with a 7-2 record overall. The Raiders are in second place of the Frontier Conference alongside Montana Western.

On Nov. 7, SOU saw its seven-game winning streak snapped in a 21-17 loss to Montana Tech in Ashland, Ore. Tanner Trosin threw 14-for-17 for 209 yards and one touchdown, and he also added a team-high 62 rushing yards on 13 carries in the losing effort.

The Raiders are sixth in the NAIA in scoring (42.6 points/game) and lead the Frontier Conference in total offense (482.6 yards/game). However, SOU yielded a season-high 352 rushing yards in its loss to Montana Tech.

Junior Tanner Trosin directs the squad with 164.1 passing yards per contest and has tossed nine touchdowns this year. Meanwhile, junior Melvin Mason is fifth in the league in rushing yards (64.8) per game.

Defensively, Julius Rucker has racked up a team-high 68 tackles, while Joseph Lealofi has 52 tackles and five sacks.

EOU's Last Time Out
The Navy and Gold (4-6, 4-5 Frontier) utilized a stifling defensive effort and an efficient offensive performance to take down College of Idaho, 21-10, on Nov. 7.

Junior quarterback Zach Bartlow went 15-for-27 for 179 passing yards, including three touchdowns.

C of I raced to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but a pair of sophomore wide receivers in Joshua Richards and Brenden Kelly caught touchdowns to put EOU on top. The Yotes got inside EOU's 30-yard line on six different occasions but were held to only one field goal on those tries.

Last Meeting
SOU used a 27-yard field goal with just four seconds left to take down then-ranked No. 13 EOU, 38-35, on Sept. 12 in Ashland. The Mountaineers led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, but the Raiders scored 24 unanswered to steal the win.

Bartlow completed 17 passes for 218 yards, including a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions, while senior wide receiver Jace Billingsley caught seven passes for 107 yards. He also had 131 yards on the ground.

In the final minute of the game, SOU drove the ball 74 yards down the gridiron to set up the 27-yarder, and Marcus Montana split the uprights to win it for the Raiders.

Series History
EOU will take on SOU for the 70th time on Saturday afternoon. SOU leads the all-time series, 50-16-3, but the Mountaineers have taken two games in the last four meetings. The last four contests have been decided by an average of three points.

A Glance at 2014
On Nov. 15, 2014, the Mountaineers spoiled SOU's hope for a conference title with a 31-27 upset victory in Ashland.

EOU overcame a 13-point deficit in the second quarter to take down the Raiders, who were ranked fourth at the time. Billingsley mustered 247 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries to shoulder the load offensively, and EOU's defense forced a huge turnover on downs at their own 19 in the fourth quarter to keep the Raiders at bay.

At the time, it was the Mountaineers second-straight win at SOU.

Pacing the Frontier & the Country
Billingsley continues to be the mainstay on the offensive end for the Mountaineers, as he is second in the country in all-purpose yards (1,777) and 17th in both total receptions (52) and scoring (72).

Bartlow ranks fifth in the land and is first in the Frontier Conference in total offense (2,713), and he is also second in the league with 227 passing yards per game.

Senior linebacker Gary Posten is first in the conference and seventh in the nation in tackles per game (12.6), while sophomore wide receiver Calvin Connors ranks first in the Frontier Conference and third in the nation in punt return yardage (17.6/attempt).

Game Time
Kickoff on Saturday at Community Stadium is set for 12 p.m.

Senior Day
Eight seniors will play their final game in a Navy and Gold uniform. The list includes Byron Benson, Adam Bese, Jace Billingsley, JT Capers, Marc David, Cooper Harris, Gary Posten, and Kristopher Welch.

Live Video
While live stats are free on the Mountaineer website, fans can pay ($7.95) to watch the game on www.eousports.com.

Live Audio
Fans can tune into NewsTalk 103 or listen online at www.myeasternoregon.com to listen to Saturday's contest. Once again, Ken Kennedy (play-by-play) and Rich Kennedy (color) will be the commentators for the Mountaineers this weekend.

Follow EOU Athletics
Fans can follow Mountaineer athletics on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EOUathletics, on Instagram via "EOUsports," or follow the teams on Twitter via @EOUsports.