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THIS WEEK IN CARROLL FOOTBALL
The eighteenth-ranked Saints host the conference leading, No. 12 Montana Tech Orediggers Saturday at Nelson Stadium. The Diggers handed Carroll their first loss of the season in a defensive battle at Alumni Coliseum in Butte. The Diggers scored one touchdown but prevailed 19-10.
LAST GAME: NO. 11 Saints fall to Second-Ranked Raiders in OT
Carroll College football fell 28-27 in overtime on the road to No. 2 Southern Oregon when a two-point conversion pass from Mac Rocheto Chase Fossum was deflected in the back of the end zone and the Raiders held on for the win.
The Saints twice had opportunities to end the game in regulation but a field goal attempt with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter hit the right upright.
On the ensuing possession, Raiders drove to their own 40-yard line but the Carroll defense stiffened and forced the Raiders to punt. The Saints offense drove to the 11-yard line with one second on the clock and attempted a field goal to seal the win.
A mishandled snap and ensuing tackle ended regulation and put the game into overtime.
The Raiders received the ball first and Southern Oregon running back Sean Tow dove into the end zone from two yards out to put SOU up 28-21.
Carroll answered with a one-yard run from Dylan Green and after a timeout the Saints offense returned to the field.
Roche took the snap and rolled right. Fossum was open coming across the back of the end zone but SOU cornerback Karrington Jones closed the gap and knocked the ball away to give the Raiders the win.
ABOUT MONTANA TECH
Montana Tech brings a stingy defense and a potent running game into Saturday' match up at Nelson Stadium. The diggers are second in the conference for scoring average at 33.3 points per game but the Saints held Tech to their lowest point total of the season, 19, in the first meeting. The Tech defense gives up a conference low 300 yards per game and is led by linebacker Tyler Gaviak who is tied for sixth in the conference with 8.2 tackles per game.
Like the Saints, the injury bug has bitten the Diggers. Starting quarterback Quinn McQueary and starting running back Nolan Saraceni have both missed time due to injuries.
Quick Facts
• The No. 18 Saints host No. 12 Montana Tech in the first of back-to-back home games to close out the home schedule.
• The Orediggers are tied for first in the Frontier with Southern Oregon at 5-1.
• Tech leads the conference in rushing yards per game at 266.5, running back Nolan Saraceni leads the Frontier at 153.6 yards per game. He averages seven yards per carry but missed last week's game against MSU Northern.
• The Saints were picked to win the Frontier Conference by the Frontier coaches.
• After tallying an atypical 15 penalties against Southern Oregon to start the season, the Saints had only three penalties for 27 yards against Montana Tech and four penalties for 40 yards against Rocky and 5 penalties for 45 yards against Montana Western, three penalties for 35 yards against Eastern Oregon and three penalties for 25 yards in the second match up with SOU.
• The Saints are ranked third in the Frontier Conference for scoring defense but have yet to meet MSU-Northern who is averaging just 6.8 points per game.
• After six games, Mac Roche Ranks 15th in the NAIA for passing yards per game with 242.2 yards.
• Roche ranks in the top 50 in the NAIA in passing yards per game, total passing, total offense per game, total offense and pass efficiency.
• Roche was named the Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against SOU. James Dowgin was named the Defensive Player of the Week for the performance against UMW.
• Beaugh Meyer is 16th in the nation for tackles for loss per game at 1.6.
• Southern Oregon's 20 points against Carroll in week one was the lowest point output since a 2011 loss to Mary Hardin Baylor.
• Roche's four touchdown passes against Rocky Mountain is the high to date for the Frontier Conference.
• James Dowgin is second in the Frontier for tackles per game at 10.5.Greg Tucker is fifth with 8.2.
• Connor Fohn scored his first touchdowns as a Saint against Rocky Mountain and followed that up with a third quarter go-ahead score against Montana Western. The first was a 50-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The second was the game-winning 55-yarder with seven second remaining.
• Fohn broke out with 148 receiving yards on four catches against Rocky and followed that up with 137 yards against Montana Western.
• Running back Ryan Walsh is first on the team with 25 catches and is second on the team with 311 receiving yards.
• Walsh is third in the Frontier for receiving yards per game at 62.2.
• Beaugh Meyer is third in the conference for tackles for loss per game at 1.6 and tied for ninth in the Frontier for sacks per game at 0.5.
• Five Saints receivers: Connor Fohn, Eric Dawson, Troy Arntson,Connor McGree and Conner Poulson caught their first passes in a Carroll uniform against Southern Oregon. With a slew of injuries on the receiving corps, defensive back Ryan Gregory caught his first pass against as a Saint against Eastern Oregon.
• Head Coach Mike Van Diest has the best winning percentage (.851) of any active college football coach with more than ten years of experience. His winning percentage is also the fifth-best of all time behind Larry Kehres - .929 (Mount Union 1961-2012), Knute Rockne - .881(Notre Dame 1918-1930), Frank Leahey - .864 (Boston College, Notre Dame (1939-1953) and Bob Reade .862 (Augustana 1979-1994).
