GAME NOTES l LIVE VIDEO l LIVE AUDIO l LIVE STATS
THIS WEEK IN CARROLL FOOTBALL
The Saints open the 2017 home season against the visiting Rocky Mountain Battlin' Bears at Nelson Stadium at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 94.9 ESPN Montana Radio and on SWX TV. The Saints are 0-1 after dropping the season opener at Montana Tech 45-28. Rocky Mountain is 1-1 after dropping its season opener at Dickinson State 43-28 and winning its first Frontier Conference game at home against MSU-Northern 32-25.
LAST GAME: BIG SECOND HALF LIFTS DIGGERS OVER SAINTS
Montana Tech scored three touchdowns and a field goal in the second half while holding Carroll College to just one score en route to a 45-28 victory over the Fighting Saints in a Thursday evening season opener at Alumni Coliseum in Butte.
The first half was a back and forth battle with the Saints drawing first blood. Carroll scored in the final seconds of the first quarter on an 18-yard pass from Tanner Gustavsen to Ryan Walsh who pulled down a tough catch under heavy coverage and fell into the endzone for the score. The touchdown capped an impressive 9-play, 75-yard drive.
The Diggers answered with one big play at the start of the second quarter. Quinn McQueary found an open Chris LaChance for a 73-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 with 14:48 to play before the half. The Diggers added another score just under five minutes later when Jed Fike scored from the 1-yard line to go up 14-7.
Carroll answered with 6:46 left in the half with an efficient four-play drive that included a 33-yard pass to Eric Dawson and a 23-yard toss to Paul Hart which set up a 15-yard touchdown run by Dawson out of the wildcat formation, his first of the day. Tech answered with a touchdown on their next possession to regain a 21-14 lead before the Saints executed the hurry-up offense to perfection close out the half with a touchdown from Gustavsen to Dawson to tie the game at 21.
After a short Carroll drive to start the second half, Montana Tech Scored a pair of touchdowns and field goal to go up 38-21.
The Saints caught a break when Chandler Arbizzani recovered a muffed punt on the Montana Tech 24-yard line. Carroll cut the lead to 38-28 on a five-yard touchdown scramble by Gustavsen a few plays later.
The Tech offense dashed any hope of a comeback with another long drive of 67 yards setting up a touchdown pass from McQueary to Dion Williams to close out the scoring 45-28.
ABOUT ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Rocky Mountain has been rush heavy and light on the passing game in the first two games. The Bears have averaged 241 yards rushing, led by Mason Melby and Sam Sparks. Melby has 23 rushes for 188 yards. Sparks has 29 carries for 161. Jacob Bakken started played in both game, he has 178 yards passing and a touchdown but three interceptions to his name. Sparks returned a kickoff for a touchdown to help the Bears beat Northern.
Head Coach Jason Petrino enters his second year as head coach. The Carroll alum is 5-8 in his career so far.
QUICK NOTES
• Carroll plays the home opener against Rocky Mountain. The two teams split the series last year with both teams winning on their home turf.
• Carroll returns eight starters on offense, including three offensive linemen, two receivers, the tight ends and a pair of running backs. Starting quarterback Tanner Gustavsen also saw starting action in a pair of games and played in seven games total.
•Gustavsen was threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in the season debut, last Thursday in Butte. He was 17 of 29 for 200 yards with no interceptions. He also ran for 23.
• Tight End Eric Dawson made an impressive return from a medical redshirt year with five receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown and a 15-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation.
• Ryan Walsh ran the ball nine times for 54 yards and added four receptions for 39 and a touchdown.
• Carroll runningbacks combined for 122 yards.
• The Saints and Diggers were tied at 21 at halftime and stats were very similar, before the Saints struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the second half.
• Carroll is fifth in the Frontier in total offense/game after the first weekend.
• Tanner Gustavsen is fifth in the conference in total offense, just a yard behind, EOU's Kai Quinn.
• Dylan Torgerson is ranked sixth in the NAIA in Punt Yards per attempt at 42.9 yards per attempt.
• Eric Dawson is 13th in the NAIA in scoring and TDs per game, 41st for Receptions per game and 48th per receiving yards per game.
• Gustavsen ranks 44 in the NAIA in passing yards per game and 45th in total offense per game.
• McBride Galt is ranked third in the NAIA in passes defended per game, Ryan Beaulieu ranks 12th in the NAIA.
• Isazah King ranks ninth in NAIA DI in Kickoff return yards.
•There are 36 true freshmen listed on the Carroll roster.
• In one of the smallest classes in recent history, only 14 seniors are listed on the roster, 13 of those seniors are listed as starters on the two-deep.
• Head Coach Mike Van Diest has the sixth-best winning percentage (.818) of any active college football coach with more than ten years of experience. He is ranked 23rd all-time from any division.
• Van Diest has the highest winning percentage of any coach in NAIA history with 10 or more seasons. Second is Charlie Richard who coached at Baker (Kan.) from 1980-90, 92-94.
• Rocky Mountain has yet to allow a sack in two games this season.
• RMC ranks 16th in the NAIA in Rushing yards per game.
• Jason Petrino was a captain on Mike Van Diest's 1999 team. The first season for Van DIest at Carroll.
