Football | 09/16/23 | 9:12 AM

HELENA, Mont. - The No. 10-ranked Carroll College Football team will officially begin their 2023 Frontier Conference season on Saturday, heading to Billings for a showdown with (RV) Rocky Mountain College at 1 p.m on Saturday.

The Fighting Saints (2-0) are off to exactly the sort of quick start that they had anticipated in 2023, and will look to parlay their early-season momentum into Frontier Conference play. Their first test comes in the form of a Battlin' Bears (2-0) team that is now appearing in the receiving votes portion of the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll.

The two teams have played different levels of competition to begin the year. Carroll enters the week having knocked-off a pair of top-16-ranked teams in back-to-back weeks. Rocky enters the game off of a bye week following a narrow victory over then-ranked No. 19 Dickinson State, and a 45-0 drubbing of MSU-Northern.

While nearly every team would relish the opportunity to have an extra week to rest and prepare for their next opponent, there is something to be said about the momentum factor heading into Saturday's battle in Billings. Carroll vaulted up five spots in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll to No. 10 in the nation following some late-game theatrics to flip what appeared to be a sure-fire loss into a potential season-altering win. The late-game comeback surely has provided an added boost to the Saints' mentality, with the team knowing that they have a chance even at the slightest of odds.

The Carroll College defense has been outstanding through two games this season. Last week, the Saints held 2022 NAIA All-American Running Back, Rontavious Farmer, and the rest of the St. Thomas team to a net 47 rush yards, a shocking stat, considering the Bobcats entered the game averaging 296.5 yards rushing per game. Taking things one level further, the Carroll safety group had an outstanding day, finishing with three interceptions in the full-team effort.

Tug Smith (Newport, Wash. / R-SR) enters Saturday's game as the defending Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week following an 11 tackle, one interception performance.

Smith and the Carroll defense will look to apply heavy pressure to a Rocky transfer-quarterback who is scheduled to make his first official start of the season.

Offensively, the Saints, led by third-year signal-caller Jack Prka (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / JR), look to be finding a rhythm. Prka connected with wide receiver Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-SO) nine times for 167 yards, and most importantly, the game-winning touchdown last weekend in Helena.

Through two games, Akulschin has accrued 228 yards on 15 receptions, averaging nearly 16 yards per catch on the young season.

Carroll will look to replicate last year's rout of Rocky in Helena. Prka passed for one and ran for two scores in the 24-0 shutout over the Bears last October, in which the Carroll defense held Rocky to just 107 total yards.

Historically, Carroll has proven to be very good against Rocky. The Saints hold a 51-12-2 record over the Bears dating back to 1949. 

Billings, however, as of recent, has not been as kind to the Saints as they might like. Rocky has four of its 12 all time wins in Billings since the 2012 season.

Carroll will look to keep things rolling in week three, and continue their pursuit of a 46th Frontier Title, and an extended-stay in the NAIA FCS come November.

Today's game will be streamed live HERE, and live stats can be found HERE.

Catch Stewart Davis and Carroll Hall of Famer, Gary Turcott, call the action live on Rewind 94.9 FM, or 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.