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THIS WEEK IN CARROLL FOOTBALL
Two of the most successful college football teams take the field in Nelson Stadium when Carroll College takes on NCAA D-III Linfield this Saturday. The Wildcats have not posted a losing record in the last 62 years and have four national championships to their name, three in the NAIA and one NCAA D-III.
LAST GAME: Win eludes Saints late
For a second, the Saints looked to have seized a late lead against the Montana Western Bulldogs.
Then, the ball squirted free.
The Montana Western Bulldogs hung on for a 16-10 win over the Carroll College Saints on Saturday at Nelson Stadium in the Saints home opener in front of 2,406 fans. The Saints held two leads in the game, but each time the Bulldogs regained control.
Saints coach Mike Van Diest felt his team had ample opportunities and favorable field positioning, but couldn't capitalize.
"We had field position in the third quarter and we really didn't take advantage of it," Van Diest said. "When we got the lead 10-9 that was great, but the thing that I think that made the difference in the game was we didn't get any turnovers."
The Saints fumbled on their opening possession and the Bulldogs took advantage. Western put together an 11-play drive that was capped off by a Kyler Prante touchdown run from one yard out. The Bulldogs would miss the extra point.
Each defense stiffened until the final two minutes of the second quarter. Carroll scored its first touchdown of the season when Major Ali, who rushed 18 times for a team-high 59 yards ran off the left side for a 13-yard touchdown. Hitting the PAT, the Saints grabbed a 7-6 lead.
Western responded by marching down the field with big pass plays before eventually settling for a last second chip shot field goal to take a 9-7 lead into halftime.
"The drive before the half when they got the field goal was really the backbreaker," Van Diest said. "The scores before the half come back to haunt you and that one did."
The Saints had their chances in the third quarter, but could only manage a Josh Kraft 26-yard field goal to take a 10-9 lead.
That lead held until Western quarterback Jon Jund scored on a keeper from one yard out to give Western a 16-10 lead.
The Saints looked to a least tie the game with a few minutes left. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kolby Killoy -- who made his first start after Reese Hiibel was sidelined with an injury this week -- rolled to his right and fired a pass to the 6-foot-6 tight end Sam Stratton.
Stratton grasped the ball momentarily before it popped out and became an interception. Whilt the Saints would have one more shot, this was the closest they would come to cementing a win.
ABOUT LINFIELD
The Wildcats play in their first game of the season. They went 9-2 last season, falling in the second round of the NCAA D-III playoffs.
QUICK NOTES
• Carroll College meets Linfield for the first time since 1986. Linfield won the semifinal match in the NAIA playoffs en route to the school's third ever national championship.
• Then, both programs were NAIA D-II affiliates.
• When the two teams take the field on Saturday, they will have combined for a total of 10 national championships, six from Carroll College and four from Linfield.
• The matchup this weekend will be the third ever between the two teams. Linfield won the previous two in convicing fashion with a 53-7 win in 1986 and 32-6 in 1978.
• This is the third consecutive week the Saints have faced a team playing in their first game of the season, meaning the Saints have no recent game film of their opposition.
• Saints coach Mike Van Diest and Wildcats coach Joseph Smith have built up a mutual admiration of each other's programs over the years, culminating in 2018's matchup.
• Coach Smith's daughter attends Carroll College.
• Van Diest has said he's open to playing the Wildcats in McMinnville, Oregon, in the future.
• Carroll returns three all-conference performers from a season ago, two on offense and one special-teamer.
• Carroll returns seven players on offense with starting experience from a season ago, including quarterback Reese Hiibel, all-conference running back Major Ali, all-conference tight end Eric Dawson, wide receivers Shane Sipes, Troy Arntson, Joe Farris and Chase Fossum and offensive tackle Willy Clements.
• The Saints' strength is their defense, which returns a ton of experience in 2018. Carroll will have the services of defensive end Beaugh Meyer, defensive tackles Cole Greff, Payton Sexe, Alex Hurlbut and David Petersen, defensive ends Craig Kein and Alex Thomas, linebackers Reece Quade, Chase Bowen and Nate McGree, defensive backs Drew Melton, Ryan Beaulieu and Isazah King, safeties McBride Galt, Parker Bernhardt and Tony Madsen.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kolby Killoy made his first career start last week against Montana Western in place of the injured Reese Hiibel. He played well save for two late interceptions, completing 13-of-21 passes for 152 yards.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Reece Hiibel earned the starting spot in fall camp. Last season, he became the starter early in the season when then-starter Tanner Gustavsen went down with an injury.
• Hiibel is 3-3 as a starter in his young career.
• In Hiibel's first start in 2017, he was 17-of-33 for 184 yards and he threw one interception. He earned his first win as a college quarterback against Rocky Mountain. He threw two touchdowns in the effort.
• Carroll lists 35 true freshmen on the roster.
• In one of the smallest classes in recent history, the Saints list only 10 seniors on the roster, all of those as starters on the two-deep.
• Head coach Mike Van Diest has the sixth-best winning percentage (.802) of any active college football coach with more than 10 years of experience. He ranks 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.
• Van Diest is one wins away from career victory No. 200.
• No. 20 Rocky Mountain shutout Carroll 19-0 in the season opener. It was the first time the Saints were shutout since 1998.
• The Battlin' Bears forfeited that win a little over a week later, as Rocky Mountain College self-reported an academically ineligible player, giving the Saints their first win of 2018.
• Wildcats coach Smith owns a 112-22 record.
• The Wildcats have won nine consecutive Northwest Conference titles.
