BUTTE — Montana Tech's football team has to be pretty happy with where it's at right now.
Out to a 6-1 record as well as a 2-0 start in divisional play and coming off a bye following a shutout win over MSU-Northern, the defending Frontier Conference East champions are feeling pretty good as they get set to resume their season with a lengthy 850 mile road trip to Mayville State (N.D.) on Saturday.
"I think we're in a good spot," said Tech head coach Kyle Samson. "Used the bye week to work on some fundamentals and rest some guys up. I feel like we're gonna get some guys back that have been injured. A long bus trip out to Mayville but it should be a great challenge."
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The No. 5-ranked Orediggers will face a Comets team that's sitting at 6-2 overall and 2-1 in divisional play before returning home to take on a Rocky Mountain College squad that's out to 2-0 start in Frontier East play.
"Everybody's improving," noted Samson. "We're excited for the challenge. Our mentality is we want to be at our best every single week. Offense, defense and special teams as well. I really believe we play our best when we practice our best."
"We're just playing lights out, playing together," said junior defensive lineman Trevor Miller, who recorded a pair of sacks against the Lights. "We're playing hard and things go our way when we do that."
With four games left, Tech knows that, as the reigning Frontier champion, they're going to get every team's best shot and the Orediggers won't be flying under the radar.
"We kind of had a motto going into this year that we're going to be the hunted," said senior tight end Luke Bilau. "Everyone's gonna put a target on our back and we just got to prepare for that and just know that everyone wants to throw off Montana Tech and we gotta be able to hold our own. And I think we'll be able to do that."
After Mayville State and Rocky Mountain College, the Orediggers close out the regular season at home against Dickinson State (N.D.) and then on the road at Valley City State (N.D.).
With wins against Mayville, Rocky, and Dickinson, Tech would lock up a consecutive Frontier title at home on Nov. 4 and a fourth straight trip to the playoffs.
"That'd be nice," said Miller of possibly clinching the divisional title at home. "Obviously that's the goal and we're gonna do everything we can to make sure that happens."
