DICKINSON, N.D. - Following a 12-year hiatus in the series, the No. 25-ranked Carroll College Football team picked up right where the Saints of years past left off, rolling to a 35-7 victory over No. 11 Dickinson State at the Beisiot Activities Center on Saturday afternoon.

Entering Saturday's game between the Fighting Saints (2-1) and the Blue Hawks (2-1), Carroll had won every meeting (11 games) since the 2000 season by an average margin of 28.9 points per game. The 2025 team did well to continue the trend, as they dominated on both sides of the ball, marching to a 35-7 win.

The full team effort was a glimpse at what many around the program have known for several months - this team is capable of doing great things.

"We showed great improvement during the bye week," said Head Coach Troy Purcell "and that hard work paid off today. Dickinson is a well-coached team, and has a tremendous football tradition."

Offensively, the Saints put together their most complete showing of the young season. Quarterback Kaden Huot (Helena, Mont. / JR) was highly efficient, finishing his day 20-24 for 205 yards and two passing touchdowns, while also adding 68 yards rushing and his first career receiving touchdown.

"We had a very balanced offensive attack today. It was good to have all these guys healthy and back in the lineup."

Running backs Peter Minnaert (Boise, Idaho / SO) and Xzavier Ford (Glendora, Calif. / SR) were both steady forces in the win. The pair combined for 144 yards (Minneart 92, Ford 52) and two touchdowns - one for each player - in their first game both suited up since week two of last season.

The effective ground game opened up holes in the secondary, and the Saints were just as effective - if not more - through the air. Eight different players recorded a catch, with All-American tight end Carson Ochoa (Yorba Linda, Calif. / R-SR) finishing another impressive performance with a game-high 96 yards on nine catches, as well as his first touchdown reception of the season.

While the Carroll offense did their part in putting points up on the board, the Saints proved they're still very much one of the top defensive units in the entire NAIA.

Carroll held the Blue Hawks to 136 yards of total offense, all of which came through the air, and most of which came in the second half. A dominant front seven held DSU to 0.0 rushing yards, all while creating intense pressure in the pass rush, coming away with five sacks. On the back-end of the defense, Gunner Giulio (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / R-JR) came away with a pair of interceptions, showcasing an elite knack for finding the ball.

Dickinson State wide receiver Semaj Clark entered the game No. 11 in the nation, averaging 109.5 rec. yards per game, but the Carroll secondary did an outstanding job of limiting his impact. Clark would finish with 7 catches for 62 yards and the Blue Hawks' lone touchdown, but that would be the only highlight of the day for the NAIA's No. 11-ranked team.

"The defense was dominating today. They created takeaways and pursued to the ball."

Carroll opened the game on an eight-minute scoring drive. Hout connected with wide receiver Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-SR) on a 41-yard strike to the endzone, but a holding penalty wiped the points off the board and led to a Carroll punt. However, a roughing the punter penalty by the Blue Hawks extended the drive, and seven plays later Minneart would break through the right side of the line for a 17-yard rushing touchdown, his first of the year.

The first of Giulio's two interceptions came on DSU's second play from scrimmage, as the safety jumped an out-route to give Carroll an instant redzone opportunity. Two plays later, Huot and Akulschin would get their TD, connecting on a toe-tapping 19-yard pass at the back of the endzone to go up 14-0 midway through the first.

With 3:47 remaining in the half, Xzavier Ford capped a quick four-play, 40-yard drive with his first score of the season - an eight-yard burst up the middle to put Carroll up 21-0.

The Saints would have one additional shot at points in the first half after forcing a quick three-and-out on the ensuing DSU possession. Huot threw a 36-yard pass to Akulschin in the endzone, but the Blue Hawks' Rustin Medenwahl would make an incredible play to strip the ball at the last second and come down with an interception instead.

Dickinson State's lone scoring drive of the game came midway through the third quarter. Clark's one-yard touchdown reception in the back corner capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive - far and away the best drive of the game for the Blue Hawks - to narrow the lead to 21-7.

Just seconds into the fourth, the Saints went razzle-dazzle, as wide receiver Lincoln Holmes (St. George, Utah / R-SO) would throw a wide open touchdown pass to Huot on a double-reverse.

Carroll tight end Carson Ochoa has been playing the game at an extremely high level through three games, leading the team in receiving and punishing defenders in run-block. Yet, he still entered the week without a touchdown reception. That changed in the fourth quarter, as Huot would finally find him in the endzone from 12-yards out, putting a bow on the 35-7 win.

All said and done, Carroll finished with 484 yards of total offense in a near 50-50 split (243 yds passing, 241 yds rushing).

Forrest Suero (Helena, Mont. / SR) finished with a game-high 2.0 sacks, while Denavion Ali (Denver, Colo. / R-SR) 1.5 and 1.5 TFL.

Brett Tommasini (Eagle, Idaho / R-JR) led the dominant defensive effort with a team-high 6.0 tackles.

The win sets the stage for a big final non-conference game of the season next weekend in Helena. Homecoming weekend is here, and a large crowd is anticipated for the first night homecoming game in Nelson Stadium history, as the Saints host Rocky Mountain College at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Tickets for that game are available online HERE.