HELENA, Mont. –  The script was flipped last season, for the first time in over a decade the Diggers held the advantage, sweeping the Saints en route to the conference title and a trip to the NAIA playoffs, while the Carroll went 4-6.
 
Saturday began a new season and Carroll proved that they aren't about to let a losing record become a trend. The Saints overcame three turnovers and a two touchdown deficit with just over nine minutes left in the game to win 27-24 on a 45-yard field goal by Colter Hamel as time expired.
 
"It's 60 minutes and we talk about ups and downs," head coach Mike Van Diest said. "Sometimes emotion gets the best of me. There are some things that happen that are controllable and there are some things that happen to 19- and 20-year-olds that aren't controllable. But the game is played for 60 minutes and you always have a chance."
 
The team stats are mirrors of each other The Saints ran for 109 yards while Montana Tech ran for 115. Carroll threw for 289, the Diggers 385. The big differences are in the turnovers, a 3-1 Tech advantage, and the offensive plays, the Diggers ran 82 to Carroll's 58.
 
Early it looked like Tech had the advantage. The Diggers sustained a 13-play, 64-yard drive but ended up with just a field goal. The ensuing Carroll drive ended in an interception that was returned to the Carroll nine-yard line.
 
The Carroll defense notch a tackle for loss to start the Tech drive and on the next play the snap was fumbled and recovered by the Saints to get out of the jam.
 
The two teams would trade scoreless possessions for the remainder of the quarter. The Saints got on the board and tied the game at 3-3 with a 19-yard field goal by Hamel with 12:40 left in the first half. The score was set up by a 49-yard screen pass from JT Linder to Ryan Walsh. Walsh looked to be headed to pay dirt but tripped on the five-yard line.
 
The Diggers immediately responded with a 9-play 78-yard drive culminating in a wildcat touchdown from Nolan Saraceni. The touchdown put the Diggers up 10-3 with 8:28 left in the first half.
 
The rest of the first half was again a back-and-forth defensive battle but it ended with Montana Tech up 10-3.
 
Carroll tied the game up on their second drive of the second half. A bad snap on a Montana Tech punt gave the Saints the ball on the Tech 24-yard line and the Saints made good on the opportunity. Walsh found the endzone on a two-yard dive to tie the game at 10-10 with 5:44 left in the third quarter.
 
The Diggers scored to start the fourth quarter on a 32-yard pass from Quinn McQueary to Dion Williams to take a 17-10 lead with 11:53 remaining.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Connor Fohn fumbled the return and the Diggers recovered the ball on the Carroll 28-yard line and four plays later, added to their lead with a three-yard run by Saraceni.
 
Carroll needed a response and quickly. They did it in the form of an 80-yard touchdown pass from Linder to Fohn on the first play of the drive to cut the lead to 24-17 with 9:18 remaining in the game.
 
Carroll regained possession with 4:50 left in the game and drove 75-yards in five plays culminating in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Linder to Griffith to tie the game at 24.
 
A three-and-out gave the Saints the ball back with just 38 seconds to play at their own 24-yard line. Linder and the Saints immediately went to work. Linder found Fohn for a 22-yard gain. Cameron Nelson then gained 11-yards on the swing pass.  With just 15 ticks left on the clock Linder found Griffith for another 15-yards to move the ball down to the 28-yard line and set up the attempt for Hamel.
 
Hamel, a senior, was 1-5 on his career entering Saturday's game but he was perfect on the game winner. It sailed through the center of the uprights as time expired to lift the Saints to the win.
 
"I think that would have been good from 50 yards, maybe 55," Van Diest said. "Colter Hamel has been an awesome player. He's been beat out every year since he's been year. We've brought in freshman after freshman to compete with him, and he's lost the job a couple different times … He hit it true and bless his heart."
 
The Carroll defense played with chip on their shoulders, notching 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. Senior Kyle Smith tallied nine tackles, including two sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
 
Linder performed admirably in his first start, he shook off the early interception and ended the game with 16 completions on 30 attempts, 289 yards and two touchdowns. Fohn and Griffith each tallied a touchdown, Fohn caught six passes for 140 yards and Griffith notched five receptions for 57.
 
The Carroll run game is still a work in progress but made plays when they needed to on Saturday. Walsh gained 58 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Major Ali notched 20 yards on five carries in his Carroll debut.
 
McQueary was efficient with 24 completions on 37 attempts for 270 yards and a touchdown. Mitchell Keaton caught five passes for 83 yards and Williams caught four for 86 and a touchdown.
 
Saraceni, an NAIA Player of the Year candidate ran for 111 yards on 26 carries, he also notched four receptions for 31 yards.
 
The Saints next travel to Billings to face Rocky Mountain next Saturday at Herb Klindt Field. The Bears are 1-1 on the season under first-year coach and Carroll alum Jason Petrino.