HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll Football team extended their winning-streak to five, picking up a 24-19 win over Eastern Oregon on Saturday afternoon at Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium.

The Fighting Saints (5-1, 4-0) remain the only unbeaten team in Frontier Conference play this season, topping the Mountaineers (3-4, 3-2) on a blustery Fall afternoon on the Carroll campus.

After winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, the Carroll offense came out firing on all cylinders.

Quarterback Jack Prka (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / SR) was surgical on the opening drive, marching the Saints straight into the red zone on four-consecutive first downs to start the game. Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-JR) was Prka's favorite target on the drive, and ultimately the game, as the pair connected three times for 31 yards prior to Akulschin scoring a 10-yard end-around touchdown to give Carroll an early 7-0 lead. The six-play, 65-yard drive took just 2:47 off the clock.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Carroll Offense went right back down the field on another nine-play, 61-yard scoring drive. Prka and Akulschin were in sync again, connecting for 47 more yards before the drive fizzled out in the red zone. Spencer Berger (Billings, Mont. / JR) stepped up and knocked down a 31-yard field goal to extend the Saints' lead to 10-0.

On the ensuing EOU possession, Brett Tommasini (Eagle, Idaho / R-JR) blasted the Mountaineer quarterback Quincy Glasper, forcing a fumble that the Saints scooped and ran to the end zone. In a confusing call, the play was ruled dead on a roughing the passer call that prefaced what would become a flag-fest. 

The penalty extended the EOU drive, and the Mountaineers would move deep into Carroll territory. The nation's No. 4 Defense bowed up against their own goal line, eventually forcing an EOU field goal attempt. Tanner Shattuck's kick would sail wide left, and the Saints would hang on to their 10-lead.

Early in the second quarter, Carroll would get the ball back following a touchback on a punt. A late-hit call would help move the ball into EOU territory after two quick plays, before Prka would hit Gavin Vandenacre (Townsend, Mont. / R-SO) on a 44-yard bomb to extend the Carroll lead to 17-0. 

The 44-yard touchdown was part of Vandenacre's career day, as the big wide-out finished with three catches for 70 yards and a score.

The Mountaineers responded with their first points of the game on their next possession. Glasper hit underneath pass-after-underneath pass on a 12-play., 66-yard drive that culminated in a 24-yard Shattuck field goal, cutting the lead to 17-3.

A series of drives were exchanged without points, and Carroll would bring a 17-3 lead into the halftime break.

On their second drive of the second half, the Mountaineers would again find points. Carroll's defense again stood tall deep in the red-zone, forcing a chip-shot 20-yard field goal from Shattuck to trim the Carroll lead to 17-6.

On their next possession, the Carroll Offense picked up where they left off in the first half. A good mix of hard runs from Archie LaFruge (Great Falls, Mont. / R-FR) and Prka passes would culminate with a beautiful 18-yard touchdown pass between the safeties and linebackers to move the needle to 24-6 in favor of the Saints.

The officiating crew took over in the fourth quarter, with flags thrown on seemingly every play over the final 15 minutes.

After moving the ball into plus-territory, Carroll was flagged on four consecutive plays from the punt formation. The 20-straight penalty yards backed Carroll up into their own half of the field, and on the fifth punt attempt a bad snap would lead to the Mountaineers getting a block, eventually taking over at the Carroll 26.

A Hunter Peck (Windsor, Colo. / SR) sack would put EOU behind the chains on the ensuing possession, but Glasper would find Tanner Sweek in the back corner of the end zone on a Hail Mary-esque 25-yard touchdown pass on Third-and-19. Shattuck converted the PAT, and the Carroll lead would shrink to 24-13.

With time dwindling, the Carroll Offense methodically moved the ball deep into Eastern Oregon territory, chewing up the clock with a series of downhill runs from Jake Jeske (Spangle, Wash. / R-FR). After moving inside the EOU 10-yard line, an untimely fumble would hand the ball back to the Mountaineers with 2:29 left in the game.

Glasper, aided by several penalties, moved the Mountaineers down the field. EOU would cap a 16-play, 93-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Walker Camp, again cutting into the Carroll lead. 

Down five, the Mountaineers would go for two in an attempt to make things a one-score affair with just seconds remaining, but Garrett Worden (Laramie, Wyo. / R-SR) would sack Glasper on the attempt to all-but secure the win for the Saints.

Lincoln Holmes fell on top of the EOU onside-kick attempt, and a kneel-down later, Carroll moved to 5-1 on the year.

Prka, who entered the game as the NAIA leader in completion percentage (72.4 percent), completed 21 of his 28 attempts for 339 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Saints put 489 yards of total offense up in the win, their most in a Frontier game since their 485-yard performance against EOU in the Fall of 2022.

Hunter Peck, who entered the game just one tackle shy of 100 in his four-year career, led the Saints with 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.

LaFurge and Jeske ran the ball well, splitting carries and rushing for 68 and 54 yards, respectively to lead the Saints.

Chris Akulschin posted the fifth 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with eight catches for 118 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Eastern Oregon's Glasper finished 31-54 for 302 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team in rushing with 54 yards on 21 attempts.

Malachai Spurrier finished with 13 catches for 110 yards in the loss.

The Saints will now turn their attention towards a gauntlet of ranked teams. Next weekend, the Saints will travel to No. 12 College of Idaho in a crucial late-season Frontier matchup.

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

FOLLOW THE FIGHTING SAINTS
Facebook: @carrollcollegeathletics
Instagram: @cc_saints
X: @CCsaints
#MarchOn