Box Score ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon University football team's 55-28 thumping of 18^th-ranked Montana State-Northern on Saturday afternoon was technically an upset.

But by the time the Raiders' lead stretched to 48 points early in the fourth quarter, a new pecking order had clearly been set in the Frontier Conference.

Austin Dodge (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview) completed 28 of 45 passes for 469 yards and five touchdowns to lead the NAIA's No. 1 offense, which looked unusually average with a halftime lead of 10-7 that marked SOU's lowest output in one half since 2011. That all changed in a hurry, though, as Ryan Retzlaff (Medford, Ore./South Medford) and Dylan Young (Salem, Ore./North Salem) collected two TD catches each in the second half and wound up with receiving yardage of 168 and 160, respectively.

Josh Leff (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente)'s two interceptions and Austin Smith (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City)'s eight tackles and fumble pickup highlighted a big day for the Raider defense. Leff's recovery, which was set up by a Heston Altenbach (Coquille, Ore./Coquille) sack, directly preceded Dodge's 32-yard scoring connection with Retzlaff – the final TD of a 31-point third quarter.

SOU (4-3 overall, 4-2 conference) has won four straight overall and 10 straight at Raider Stadium. The Lights fell to 4-3 overall and in Frontier Play.

The Lights, who started the day with the NAIA's 13^th-leading offense, actually struck first on Derek Lear's eight-yard pass to Orin Johnson in the second quarter.

Melvin Mason (Vacaville, Calif./Vacaville)'s five-yard touchdown run on the next drive started a run of 55 unanswered points for the Raiders. A 28-yard field goal by Aldrick Rosas (Orland, Calif./Orland) gave them the halftime lead before Dodge was unleashed in the third.

SOU scored on seven of eight drives to start the second half. Young grabbed a 29-yard fade pass; Retzlaff had a 32-yard score over the middle; Sean Tow (Diamond Springs, Calif./Union Mine) kept his footing just long enough for a 12-yard TD rush; Retzlaff caught another 32-yard slant; Rosas nailed a 45-yard field goal; Dodge hit Young again with a 48-yard bomb; Sean McShane (El Paso, Texas/Franklin) was the recipient of a 31-yarder and finally the assault was over.

SOU accumulated 568 total yards and MSU-Northern 401.

With four regular season games left, Dodge is now just eight touchdown passes shy of matching his single-season school record of 42 set last year. He's averaging six over SOU's last five games.

Retzlaff, whose 57 catches are the most in the nation, has nine TD catches and Young seven.

Mason led the Raiders with 64 rushing yards on nine attempts.

The Lights, meanwhile, were held to an average of 3.6 yards on 50 carries. Starting quarterback Derek Lear was taken out of the game after going 8-for-21 with 91 yards and a couple picks, one of which was grabbed by Monti Wilson (San Andreas, Calif./Calaveras).

The last four ranked opponents to come to Raider Stadium have been turned back with a loss.

The Raiders will stay home next Saturday with a 1 p.m. tilt against Montana-Western, which was ranked as high as 21^st this season but fell to 3-3 Saturday with a loss against seventh-ranked and first-place Carroll College.

SOU leapfrogged MSU-Northern into third place and is one game behind Carroll and Rocky Mountain.