Football | 11/02/24 | 8:41 AM

HELENA, Mont. - The No. 21-ranked Carroll Football team will host a Senior Day showdown with No. 8 Southern Oregon this afternoon at 1 p.m. at Nelson Stadium.

The Fighting Saints (6-1, 4-0) are back in the Top-25 for the first time since last season, and will square off with another ranked opponent, the No. 8 Raiders (7-1, 5-1) in battle at the top of the Frontier Conference.

The most dominant team in Frontier history finds themselves in familiar territory, back in the NAIA Top-25 for the 210th week since 1997.

No strangers to playing meaningful games in November, Carroll will look to make it back-to-back weeks knocking off a ranked opponent, entering the week off a 43-29 road win over then-ranked No. 12 College of Idaho last weekend.

The win at C of I was as impressive as they come, with three Saints sweeping the Frontier Conference weekly awards based on their individual performances. Hunter Peck (Windsor, Colo. / SR) backed up his NAIA Defensive Player of the Week honor with a Frontier Special Teams award following a blocked PAT. Cam Pruitt (Boise, Idaho / R-SR) secured 11 tackles and his first career interception to earn Defensive Player of the Week, and Jack Prka (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / SR) broke multiple school records, finishing with 465 yards of total offense and six touchdowns for Frontier Offensive Player of the Week Honors.

Both the offense and defense are rolling entering this week's matchup, as Carroll averages 32.6 points per game (No. 32) and just 14.7 points allowed per game (No. 8).

On the other side of the field, Southern Oregon is equally as impressive this season, boasting Top-20 numbers in nearly every team statistic. They're led by a lethal rushing attack, with Gunner Yates' 1033 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season.

Slowing down Yates, as well as quarterback Blake Asciutto (2015 yards, 14 TD) is no easy task, but a challenge the Carroll defense feels well-equipped to tackle.

WR Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-JR) is on a tear as of late, scoring touchdowns in each of the last three games, while adding 454 yards of total offense in that same stretch.

The Carroll Defense came away with four (official) interceptions in last week's win, the most in a single game since the 2018 season. Winning the turnover battle this afternoon could be key to claiming a sixth-straight Frontier Conference victory today.

Thirteen Carroll Seniors will be recognized before the game, as they prepare to play their last scheduled home game on Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Day, and anyone who provides a valid military ID will be given free admission to this afternoon's contest.

The battle at the top of the Frontier standings is the conference's game of the week, and will be broadcast on SWX stations live throughout Montana, Idaho, and Washington. A simulcast will run on the Carroll Athletics YouTube page HERE.

Catch Voice of the Saints, Nick Dietzen, and Carroll Hall of Famer, Gary Turcott, call the action live on Rewind 94.9 FM or online HERE.

Live stats can be followed 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.

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