ASHLAND – For the first time in school history, a top-ranked Southern Oregon University football team will play in front of its home fans Friday evening at Raider Stadium.

Yes, it's only a spring game. But, a little more than four months before the 2015 season begins in earnest at Carroll College, the Raider coaching staff has reason to pay a little extra attention to this one.

Four weeks of spring practice will culminate with the annual Red and White game, which kicks off at 6 p.m. Two complete teams (as opposed to an offense vs. defense format) will square off in four 12-minute quarters, with the clock stopping only for the final two minutes of each half.

Fans are welcome to tailgate for no charge starting at 4 p.m., and the festivities will spill over into Saturday's sold-out Raider Red Zone Golf Shootout, sponsored by Ashland's RedZone Sports Bar & Grill, at Eagle Point Golf Course.

"I asked the players the other day if they thought they spring went by slow or fast and they all said 'extremely fast,' and that's how it seems to go during the offseason," said SOU head coach Craig Howard, who is entering his fifth season. "That's why it's so important to take advantage of every opportunity we have to improve, and this is certainly one of them."

Howard knows that the foremost topic of conversation in the coming months will be the competition to replace quarterback Austin Dodge (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview), who was named NAIA Player of the Year while leading the 2014 Raiders to a 13-2 record and their first national title.

According to offensive coordinator Ken Fasnacht, the competition is still split between three players with varying skillsets: 6-foot-6 sophomore-to-be Kamerun Smith (Eugene, Ore./Marist), who served as Dodge's backup and whose throwing potential and approach are comparable to traditional SOU quarterbacks; 5-11 junior transfer Tanner Trosin, who passed for 2,268 yards last season at American River College (Calif.) and has established himself as the most electric athlete of the group with dual-threat capabilities; and 6-4 junior Jack Singler (Medford, Ore./South Medford), whose skills are somewhere in between but whose smarts could win out.

"All three have the potential to start, but the lack of experience is showing," Fasnacht said. "We need a lot more reps. Neither one of them has separated themselves so we'll probably have to settle it over the summer, but they could all help their cases Friday."

The Raider coaching staff has been especially pleased with the ground attack, starting with an experienced offensive line. Three proven regular backs – Keegan Lawrence (Sherwood, Ore./Sherwood), Melvin Mason (Vacaville, Calif./Vacaville) and Sean Tow (Diamond Springs, Calif./Union Mine) – have been joined by Louis Macklin (Elk Grove, Calif./Sacramento), one of the most impressive players of the spring, to make for what Fasnacht calls a "crowded but deep" running game.

"Especially up front, (linemen) Max Proudfit (Vancouver, Wash./Union) and Dylan Bratlie (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview) keep improving greatly and Tylor King (Portland, Ore./Parkrose) has taken big steps," Fasnacht said. "Jose Sanchez has been a big addition, too, and really established himself at center."

Injuries have hit the receivers the hardest, only further complicating the quarterback issue.

SOU's defense has holes to fill but also returns seven starters.

"Building off eight takeaways in the championship has given this group a lot of confidence," defensive coordinator Berk Brown said. "I think we're continuing to make improvements, but we'd mostly just like our guys to work together and communicate for now. Getting aligned and assigned against our offense is always difficult enough."

Brown is pleased with the progress of junior-to-be Aaron Downes (Springfield, Ore./Thurston), who figures to step into the role vacated by middle linebacker Laurence Calcagno (Canby, Ore./Canby) – SOU's new record-holder for tackles in a season. Next to Downes, Browns says that Isiah Carter (Las Vegas, Nev./Canyon Springs), a starting linebacker as a true freshman in 2014, is becoming a leader and one of the team's best weapons.

He is also keeping an eye on redshirt-freshman Austin Cooper (Las Vegas, Nev./Canyon Springs), a candidate to claim a starting job in the secondary where veterans like safety Julius Rucker (Portland, Ore./Westview) and corner Karrington Jones (Los Angeles, Calif./West Adams Prep) are having standout springs. Defensive end Trevor Jones (Folsom, Calif./Folsom) and tackle David Weider (Sacramento, Calif./Inderkum) make the Raiders formidable on the line, too.

Meet the Coaches: Like last year, Howard has employed two honorary coaches to lead the teams. The owners of two valued sponsors of Raider athletics – Oak Tree Northwest Bar & Grill's Gary Allen and RedZone Sports Bar & Grill's Austin Loreman – will get the call, along with opportunities to atone for their own disappointing athletic careers, which were probably foiled by injuries.

"I think it comes down to the head coaches in a game like this, and we've got some great ones," Howard said. "They'll have some major decisions to make, like when to onside kick and go for it on fourth down. We'll see how they respond to the pressure."

SOU declined to pick up team options on last year's head coaches, KDRV Newswatch 12's Brandon Kamerman and Chris Leone.