LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University begins its 83rd year of football Saturday at Montana Tech under fifth-year head coach Tim Camp.

Despite a shaky kicking game last season, EOU's special teams' excelled at returning the ball. Kedrick Starr was one of the best return men in the country, and he returns to the lineup this season, along with several new faces to Eastern special teams.

KICKER

The Mountaineers made four of their 10 field goals last season, with the longest made attempt at 32 yards. EOU attempted 50 point after touchdowns last season, making 43.

Marc David starts as Eastern's kicker this season. The freshman makes his collegiate debut Saturday. The Spokane, Wash. native, punted and kicked for Mead High School. Matt Gayman will be the backup this season.

PUNTER

Eastern Oregon's 38.8 yards per punt led the Frontier Conference last season. But, this season, another freshman will start in the punting position. Boise, Idaho native, Paul Blakely, makes his collegiate debut at Montana Tech. He was named All-SIC last season at Capital High School. He helped the Eagles to back-to-back trips to the state semifinals. David will be Blakely's backup.

SNAPPER AND HOLDER

Carlos Ramirez and Jace Billingsley will share time as designated snappers for Eastern in 2012. Ramirez is a redshirt freshman, and Billingsley is a freshman. Redshirt freshman, Levi Ellsbury, will be the holder on kicks for EOU this season. Justin Reynolds will be the backup.

RETURNERS

An area Eastern succeeded at in the past few years is returning kicks. The Mountaineers were 21st in the country in punt return yards per attempt. Alexander Miles will field punts this season for the Mountaineers, with Starr as his backup. Miles returned four kicks for 57 yards in 2011. Starr had 107 yards on 10 returns last season.

Jaevis Johnson and Tristan Askew are listed as week one's kick returners. A stat where EOU was near the top of the conference last year, Johnson and Askew will start in front of Starr. Askew fielded five kicks for 138 yards last season. Nine Mountaineers caught kicks last season.

SCHEDULE

There are some first time occasions with this year's slate. For the first time in seven years, EOU will play less than 11 games. Eastern faces Southern Oregon University as a conference partner for the first time. The Mountaineers and Dickinson State University meet for the first time. And, Eastern Oregon will play division football with the recent expansion of the Frontier Conference.

The West Division, EOU, Montana Tech, Montana Western, and Southern Oregon, play a double round-robin schedule with home and away meetings. West Division teams play a single crossover game with East Division schools, Carroll College, Dickinson State, Montana State-Northern, and Rocky Mountain College.

The Mountaineers are coming off a season that equaled a school-record win total. EOU won eight games in 2011, a feat accomplished only once before in 82 years. Eastern just missed out on its first ever trip to the NAIA national playoffs. The Mountaineers graduate several key positions from that team entering the 2012 season.

The Mountaineers also finished the regular season with a 5-1 road record, and a perfect 5-0 conference road record. EOU beat each of the Frontier Conference teams on the road in 2011.

On Sept. 1, 2012, Eastern Oregon opens the season at Montana Tech for the second straight season. The Mountaineers cruised to a 31-15 win in 2011 in Butte, Mont. Week two has EOU hosting Montana State-Northern. Eastern opened 2011 with three straight road games, but will have its second game in La Grande in 2012.

Week three is a bye week for Eastern Oregon, and a good break before heading to 12-time Frontier Conference defending champion, Carroll College, on Sept. 22. The Saints play for the national title this Saturday, but their lone loss this season came to the Mountaineers at home.

EOU became the first Frontier Conference opponent to knock off Carroll since Montana State-Northern did on Oct. 26, 2006, 10-3. The Saints had not lost a Frontier Conference game in Nelson Stadium since Oct. 16, 2004. It also ended the defending national champion's 15-game win streak, which was the longest in the NAIA. It marked the first time Eastern beat a No. 1 ranked NAIA team in any sport.

The Mountaineers then welcome Montana Western to La Grande on Sept. 29. Eastern swept the season series over the Bulldogs in 2011, but needed a second half rally to pull out the home win. On Oct. 6, EOU and Southern face off for the first time ever in Frontier Conference play. The teams meet in Ashland in the “Little Civil War.”

Rocky Mountain comes to the Grande Ronde Valley on Oct. 13, for the 2012 Homecoming game. The Mountaineers have won their last five Homecoming games. The teams meet only once in the regular season in 2012. The game has featured a battle between two high-scoring offenses in recent years. The next week, Montana Tech looks to avenge a 22-15 loss that featured an EOU second half comeback for the win.

Eastern Oregon makes the 1,114-mile trek through five states and all the way across Montana to play at Dickinson State for the first time ever on Oct. 27. The Blue Hawks opened 2011 as the No. 7 team in the country, but finished 4-6. The former Dakota Athletic Conference member joins the Frontier Conference as a full member in 2012.

The Mountaineers host Southern Oregon in their final home game of the regular season on Nov. 3. Senior Day in La Grande will be a great chance for EOU to snap a three-game skid over its in-state rivals. Next year's four-year seniors have yet to beat the Raiders in their career at Eastern.

The final game over the regular season takes Eastern Oregon to Dillon, Mont., to face Montana Western. The Mountaineers eased to a 54-13 win in Dillon this season, after leading 47-0 at halftime.

Overall the 2012 schedule features five home games and five road games. EOU never plays back-to-back road games during the regular season, and has consecutive home games on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20.