Football | 08/27/22 | 7:12 AM
HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Football Team will open their season at home for the first time since 2016 when they host No. 17 Montana Western, Saturday at 1 p.m. in Nelson Stadium.
For the first time since November, Fighting Saints Football will be played in Nelson Stadium.
Not only will Football be played, it is shaping up to be some very good football, with a Carroll team that, on paper, is one of the deepest and most explosive in recent memory. Saints fans have many reasons to be excited, and expectations are high within the program.
Carroll will square off with a No. 17 ranked Montana Western team to start year, and look to avenge a season-opening 22-26 loss in Dillon last year. This year's tilt appears to be one of the premiere Frontier Conference matchups of the 2022 season, featuring the top two teams in the Frontier Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Montana Western enters the game as the preseason favorite, having secured four first-place votes. Carroll polled right behind them, accruing three first-place votes of their own.
The Saints and the Bulldogs have played many times over the years, with both teams winning their share of games. In recent years, the battles have been extremely tight, with four of the last five contests being decided by seven points or less. This year should be no different, the Carroll coaching staff and players enter the game knowing that they are in for a fight, and will likely be playing another tight game.
This game is a spotlight of Frontier Conference talent, and features many of the top statistical leaders from the 2021 season. One of the most intriguing match-ups looks to be the Quarterback battle, as Carroll's Jack Prka (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / SO) faces off with Western's Jon Jund (Spring Creek, Nev. / R-SR).
Jund comes into the 2022 season as the reigning Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Year, while Prka will get the first week one start of his young career.
In 2021 Jund threw for over 3000 yards and 33 touchdowns, but was just as effective running the ball as well, finishing with over 400 yards rushing and nine touchdowns on the ground. Jund has proven himself on the field, but will have to move the ball to some different faces this year, with Western having lost it's top two receivers from 2021.
Prka took the reins midway through last year, and has not looked back. The Sophomore ignited the offense, finishing the season with over 1300 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. Prka has shown a big arm, and with an additional year in the system under his belt, has worked on mastering the subtleties of the Carroll offense. Prka will look to continue his stellar play this season, made easier by the weapons all around him.
Carroll returns 10 of 11 starters from last year's offense. The Saints are loaded with offensive talent at all levels, led by their All-American Center Andrew Carter (Gooding, Idaho / R-JR), Vocal leader, TE Tony Collins (Forth Worth, Texas / SR), and the return of standout Running Back Matthew Burgess (Junction City, Ore. / R-JR).
Defensively, Carroll is shaping up to have one of the top units in the conference yet again. The Saints return eight starters from a 2021 team that led the conference in several statistical categories.
Everything starts up front, and Carroll has as good a front four that you will find. The Defensive Line returns all of it's starters from a 2021 team that allowed less than 100 yards rushing per game. Nose Tackle Garrett Kocab (Phelan, Calif. / SR) was an All-Frontier Conference selection last year, and will be flanked by Garrett Worden (Laramie, Wyo. / R-SO).
Rex Irby (Boise, Idaho / SR) terrorized opponents last year, seemingly in the mix on every play, and finishing the year with 56 tackles and two interceptions. He will control the middle of the field for the Saints again, and look to make life difficult for anyone not wearing the Purple and Gold.
The Carroll Defensive Backfield lost a couple of key players to graduation, but Zach Spiroff (Helena, Mont. / JR) will return and look to be an impact player in the secondary. Spiroff was a play maker last year, and finished 2021 with 47 tackles, 10 pass break-ups, and three interceptions.
Ticket gates will open at 11 a.m. for today's game, or can be purchased online. SWX Montana will be broadcasting the game locally in the Montana/Spokane region, and the game will be streamed live via the Fighting Saints Network here for those unable to attend. Live stats are also available here.
Be sure to visit carrollathletics.com this evening for a complete recap of today's game.
