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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 18, 2004 SOU tries to get on track against Bears By JENNIFER SQUIRES for the Mail Tribune It may be premature to call today’s Southern Oregon football game against Rocky Mountain College crucial, but it could weigh heavily on the postseason hopes of the No. 18 Raiders. The Battlin’ Bears, 0-2 this year, were the Frontier Conference’s fourth-place team in 2003 and are SOU’s second NAIA opponent this fall. "Any game’s huge, especially when you’re playing an NAIA school," Raider senior quarterback Brandon Griffith says. "We kind of want to send a message. It’s very important." It will also be important for Southern Oregon to bounce back from its 32-0 shutout loss at Humboldt State last week. The Raiders (1-1) realize another loss could severely hamper any shot the team has at the NAIA playoffs because the outcomes against NAIA teams carry more clout with pollsters than those against non-NAIA teams. "I don’t pay a lot of attention to them (the polls)," ninth-year Raider head coach Jeff Olson says, admitting he told his team to forget about the numbers at this point. "The thing that will take care of national rankings is a win on Saturday." Advertisement Southern Oregon handily defeated Rocky Mountain two years ago in Billings, Mont., 37-14. "It’s tough for any team to come off, essentially, a blowout and be positive," Griffith says. "We haven’t really thought about it. You have to move on." SOU turned the ball over six times against Humboldt, including two fumbles that set up Lumberjack touchdown drives and an interception that was returned 61 yards for a score. "We know we have the talent to be a good team," Griffith says, explaining the Raiders will focus on building a running game and avoiding turnovers. The Raiders will toil against a balanced Battlin’ Bears attack that includes three second-team all-Frontier conference players. Senior all-conference wide receiver Jon Owen led the team in receiving yards last season with 635 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games. Rocky Mountain also returns quarterback Adam Sanchez, who recorded 15 passing touchdowns and paced the team in rushing yards (350). On defense, senior linebacker Eric Reis was an all-conference selection, notching 50 solo tackles in 2003, including 21 for losses. Olson hopes the Raiders take a step forward today. "We’ve got to develop an identity and get some consistency," Olson says. "We just haven’t gotten into a rhythm yet. "This team, so far, appears to be a very close-knit group, and the way we’ve responded to last week’s game, so far, has been very positive. The intensity’s been excellent. It’s been a very physical week of practice." Jennifer Squires is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach her at 482-3456. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers