BILLINGS, Mont. - The No. 10-ranked Carroll Football team completed their second-consecutive late-game comeback, rallying from a 20-point deficit to overcome (RV) Rocky Mountain College, 21-20 on Saturday.

The 2023 Fighting Saints (3-0) are a team with a flair for the dramatic. After three and half quarters of scoreless play, the Carroll offense exploded for 21 unanswered points over the final eight minutes of the game to stun Rocky Mountain College (2-1), 21-20.

FINISH.

A simple statement, but one that the Carroll Football team hears on a daily basis.

It doesn't matter how you start, if you finish things properly.

For the second week in a row, Carroll finished the game on an improbable run to remain unbeaten, and more importantly, start Frontier play with a win.

On the Saints' first play from scrimmage quarterback Jack Prka (Couer d'Alene, Idaho / JR) would pick up right where he left off in last weekend's 26-23 win over then-ranked No. 14 St. Thomas. Prka connected with wide receiver Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-SO) on a 65-yard bomb. Akulschin would be unable to fully break away however, and was pulled down inside the Rocky 10-yard line.

Carroll would be unable to capitalize on the big play however, and were forced to settle for a field goal attempt. Spencer Berger's 22-yard attempt would go left, and Carroll would find themselves still scoreless after the big opening play.

Rocky would take over, and Luke Holcomb would drive the Battlin' Bears on an 11-play 80-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass to his former high school teammate, Joseph Dwyer to put Rocky on top, 7-0.

Carroll's first drive of the second quarter was another promising one, but again, a missed field goal, albeit a 52-yard attempt, would leave the Saints scoreless and hand the ball back over tob the Bears.

With two and a half minutes remaining in the half, following a 13-play, 45 yard drive, Carroll's biggest special teams mishap of the opening half would once again keep Carroll off of the scoreboard. A bad exchange on the long-snap would prevent Berger from even getting an opportunity at a 49-yard field goal, and Rocky would carry a 7-0 lead into the halftime break.

Even having given up the long opening possession drive, Carroll's defense did their job in the first half. The Saints out-gained the Bears in the first half, but all of Prka's 165 first half passing yards were unfortunately in-between the 20-yard lines.

The third quarter would belong solely to Rocky.

Late in the frame, with Carroll driving, Wyatt Bruvsen managed to strip Carroll tight end Carson Ochoa (Yorba Linda, Calif. / R-SO), and the Bears would recover. Four plays later, a Rocky Field goal would extend the lead to 10-0.

Following a Carroll three-and-out, Holcomb would find DeNiro Killian on a 36-yard touchdown pass on Rocky's first play of the drive to give the Bears a 17-0 lead heading into the final quarter of play.

One more Rocky field goal with ten minutes remaining in the game would make the score 20-0 in favor of the Bears, and things would look bleak, at best, for the Saints.

Carroll would go on to undeniably dominate the final 10 minutes of the game.

Prka engineered a 10-play, 75-yard drive covering under three minutes of game time to get Carroll on the board. Baxter Tuggle (Laramie, Wyo. / R-SR) would bounce a four-yard scoring run outside to the left of the Carroll line, capping the impressive drive which saw Prka complete six of nine passes for 71 yards.

After holding up their end of the deal, the Carroll defense would provide another stop and the Saints would take possession again at their 45-yard line with just a shade over five minutes remaining in the game.

Just three plays later, Carson Ochoa would rumble into the end zone on a 27-yard catch and run. Berger's PAT would bring the Saints within a score at 20-14, with their scoring drive elapsing just one minute and six seconds.

Nick Clouse's (Billings, Mont, / R-FR) squib kick on the ensuing kickoff would take a tremendous bounce over the Rocky returner, and the Bears would be forced to start the next drive inside their own 10-yard line.

Again, the Carroll defense stood tall, forcing a Rocky three-and-out, and after a punt, the Saints would regain possession at midfield with 2:21 left in the game.

Facing a third and ten from the 39-yard line, Prka and Ochoa would link up once again. 

The 39-yard touchdown tied the game up at 20-20, and Berger's PAT gave the Saints a one point lead, much to the dismay of the Rocky crowd, and much to the delight of the large contingency of Saints fans packing the Herb Klindt Field sideline stands.

For one final time, the Carroll defense would hold it's ground, forcing a turnover-on-downs and allowing Prka and the offense to set up in victory formation for one of the greatest comeback wins in Carroll history.

Prka, seemingly impossible to unnerve, had a career day. The junior gunslinger was 28-45 for a new program record 407 passing yards, and two touchdowns in the win. Not to be overlooked, Prka also provided one of, if not the, biggest tackles of the game after chasing down the Rocky defender on Ochoa's fumble in the third quarter to keep the Bears out of the end zone.

Ochoa also had his best day as a Saint, eclipsing the century mark in yards (105) on six receptions, in addition to being the recipient of the two final Carroll touchdowns.

Chris Akulshin led all players with 127 receiving yards on seven catches, continuing his impressive start to the year.

Garrett Worden (Laramie, Wyo. / R-JR) and Kaden Gardner (Spokane, Wash. / R-JR) each finished their day with 5.0 total tackles to lead the Carroll defense.

The Saints are now rewarded with a return to Helena for next weekend's homecoming tilt, where Carroll will host Frontier Conference newcomer Arizona Christian.

Kick-off for next weekend's game in Helena is scheduled for 2 p.m., allowing for the completion of hall of fame and homecoming activities.

Visit www.carrollathletics,com for a preview of that matchup, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.