Football | 08/27/21 | 10:14 PM

DILLON, Mont. -- The Carroll College Fighting Saints football team returns to the gridiron on Saturday in Dillon, Mont. against the Montana Western Bulldogs with kick-off scheduled for 1 p.m.

Carroll enters the season coming off of a year of uncertainty that ended with a great level of excitement. After the 2020 season was postponed to the spring of 2021, the Saints responded with great character. They rolled with the punches and put together a spring campaign that resulted in the program's first conference title and playoff appearance since 2014.

Montana Western was one of three Frontier Conference programs to opt out of the 2020-21 season, meaning that Saturday will be their first game since November of 2019. 

The Saints return a strong core from their conference championship team last spring. Out of the 22 starters on offense and defense, 19 of them will be back and out of their 12 all-conference selections, nine will be back.

According to the Frontier Conference pre-season poll, expectations are high this season for both the Saints and Bulldogs. Western was picked to finish second in the conference along with College of Idaho, while the Saints were picked to finish fourth.

The Saints faced off against Western twice in 2019, which was the last full season of Frontier Conference football. Carroll dropped the season opener to the Bulldogs in Dillon by a final score of 31-24. The Saints then got their revenge at Nelson Stadium on October 19, beating the Bulldogs 33-29.

Expect the Saints' offensive attack to be led by the backfield tandem of quarterback Devan Bridgewater and running back Matthew Burgess. Bridgewater, a redshirt sophomore from Eagle, Idaho, is 9-6 in his time as Carroll's starting quarterback. Burgess, a sophomore from Junction City, Ore., has rushed for 1747 yards in 15 career games as a Saint.

Two-time all-conference tight end Tony Collins, a junior from Fort Worth, Texas, will likely be a primary pass catcher for Carroll this season.

Defensively, the Saints return 10 starters from the relentless unit that we saw in the spring. Up front, Garrett Kocab will lead the charge. Kocab is a redshirt junior from Phelan, Calif., and a two-time all-conference selection.

Defensive captains Rex Irby and TJ Abraham will serve as the leaders and primary playmakers on the back end.

Irby, a junior from Boise, Idaho, is extremely versatile and will be effective against the run and the pass.

Abraham, a senior from Powell, Wyo., flies around the field at the safety position. He had four interceptions last spring.

Saturday's game will be broadcasted on a number of different platforms. 

Daniel Salle and Gary Turcott will have the call on Rewind 94.9 FM and online at KCAP.com. The game will also be broadcasted on SWX and streamed online on the Bulldog Sports Network.