Football | 10/08/22 | 8:25 AM

HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Football team is ready for their yearly tilt with MSU-Northern today at 1 p.m. in Havre, Mont.

Carroll enters today's game coming off of a tough loss last weekend in Helena, 31-20 at the hands of now-ranked No. 9 College of Idaho. The Saints had their opportunities, but a third quarter lull allowed the Yotes enough separation to pull away for the win. 

Even in the loss, there were some things that the team and fans alike should feel excited about. The passing game, once stagnant, was lively and efficient. Carroll gunslinger Jack Prka (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / SO) had his best game of the year, going 16-28 for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Wide Receiver Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-FR) was Prka's favorite target, and finished with 7 catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns, a breakout performance of his own.

Carroll (3-2) will look to build off of that passing performance this weekend in Havre. The Lights (0-5) defense has had a very difficult time slowing defenses down this season, allowing 50.2 points per game. The Saints will enter the game looking to re-establish their run game this weekend, after a performance to forget last Saturday. Carroll's stable of running backs were limited to just 43 yards against C of I, an outlier that the Saints hope to address in today's game. If Matt Burgess (Junction City, Ore. / R-JR), Duncan Kraft (Billings, Mont. / R-JR) and Baxter Tuggle (Laramie, Wyo. / R-JR) can get things rolling on the ground, it will surely open things up for Prka and the receivers.

The MSU-Northern offense has been anemic as well to this point in the season. The Lights have just one touchdown on the year. Carroll's defensive unit will look to continue that trend today. The Lights have used two different Quarterbacks this year, Brendan Medina and Kaymen Cureton. Medina is listed as QB1 on the MSU-Northern depth chart, but the Saints are prepared to see action from each. Running Back Mason Dionne has been the most consistent performer for the Lights, with 119 rushing yards on the year.

Carroll's trip to Havre will not look like their last trip there. This will be the the first time that the Saints have played at Tilleman Field, which opened in 2021. This will also be the first time the Saints line-up against a Northern squad with Jerome Souers at the helm. Souers, the longtime Northern Arizona Head Coach and former Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, took over the program this past spring.

Today's game can be streamed live HERE, and live stats can be found HERE. Tune-in to Rewind 94.9 FM to catch Stewart Davis on the radio call, or listen online HERE.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com this evening for a full recap of the action and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.