HELENA, Mont. - One week removed from one of the largest wins in program history, the No. 12-ranked Carroll Football team is back on home turf, hosting Montana Western at 1 p.m. in Carroll's annual Purple Reign game on Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium.
 

Homecoming 2026 will go down as one of the single most one-sided victories in Carroll Football history. The Fighting Saints (4-1, 1-0) demolished Arizona Christian, winning 73-0 in front of another great crowd at Nelson Stadium. Nearly every Saint that suited up saw the field, as Carroll continued their strong run of team play as of late. The defense limited ACU to less than 100 total yards while coming away with multiple turnovers, the offense saw nine different players dot the scoring column, and Special teams came away with another TD in addition to Frontier Player of the Week honors. The Saints did not play down to a lesser opponent on Saturday, they executed across the board and were rewarded with excellent results.
 

Following last week's rout of the Firestorm, Carroll moved up one spot to No. 12 in this week's edition of the NAIA Coaches' Poll. The Saints remain one of just four Frontier teams appearing inside the Top-25, joined by No. 1 College of Idaho, No. 6 Montana Tech, and No. 23 Dakota State. The Yotes spent the last week tied for the top spot with Keiser, but claimed sole possession of this week's top spot. They're the first Frontier team to hold No. 1 since 2015 (SOU). Carroll last held the top ranking in 2014. This week's opponent, Montana Western, has dropped completely out of the poll, no longer appearing in the receiving votes portion following a 28-27 loss to Southern Oregon at home last week.

Saturday's battle between the Fighting Saints and the Bulldogs will mark the122nd all-time meeting between the pair dating back to 1926. It's the third longest-running series against another Frontier opponent, trailing only Rocky (1918-present) and Montana Tech (1920). Western is Carroll's second-most played opponent in program history (121), trailing only Montana Tech (136). Western has enjoyed the recent success, winning six of the last 10 matchups, but Carroll enters the week with a 79-40-2 advantage all time, including last year's 42-32 shootout in Dillon. 

For the second time this season, a Fighting Saint has been named the Frontier Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. Freshman Kicker Eddie Ballanco (Bozeman, Mont.) etched his name into the Carroll record books, going a school-record perfect 10-10 on PAT attempts in last week's big win over ACU. Ballanco wasn't just good from up close all night, as he also tacked-on a career-long 48 yard field goal in the opening quarter for a total of 13 points on the night. The 48-yard blast is currently the fourth-longest kick in the NAIA this season, and matches the longest kick in the program's recorded history - a 48-yard boot by Hall of Famer Marcus Miller in 2004. Ballanco banged one off the upright in his first PAT attempt of the season, but has been simply outstanding since. The freshman is 27-28 on PAT's, while adding both a 37 and 48 yard Field Goal on the year. 

Whatever the Carroll Offense wanted on Saturday, they got. It didn't matter who was on the field, everyone found success. Peter Minnaert (Boise, Idaho / JR) scored a career-high three touchdowns on just eight attempts. Beau Butner (Spokane Valley, Wash. / R-FR) had a breakout game, leading the Saints in rushing while averaging 10.3 ypc and his first career score. While no Carroll receiver caught more than two passes, four different players came away with their first career receiving touchdowns (Trey Graham, Matt Golik, Tanner Larson, Josh Hoffman). 11 different Saints rushed for at least one yard, while nine different players recorded a catch. Both were Purcell-era records. Perhaps the most fun stat of the night, however, is Conner Willis (Twin Falls, Idaho / R-SO) finishing 2-2 for 47 yards, two touchdowns, and a 627.40 passer rating. He's the first player in Carroll history to throw TD passes on his first two collegiate attempts.

17 games into his Carroll career, Kaden Huot (Helena, Mont. / SR) has established himself as one of the program's most impressive passers in history. The Helena High product doesn't have the flashiest stat line on the season, but has been truly exceptional over the first half of the year. Even while taken out early in multiple games this season, the senior is No. 27 in the NAIA with 1169 passing yards, No. 18 with 11 passing TDs, No. 8 in completion percentage at 65.7 percent, and the nation's No. 2 QB in pass efficiency at 186.6. 

Carroll's defense again came away with a pair of interceptions on Saturday, continuing a positive trend under new Defensive Coordinator Joe Dunning. The Saints are now +6 on the year in turnover margin, coming away with 12 total takeaways on the year (6 INT, 6 FR) and are No. 4 in the NAIA in turnover margin. Positive turnover margin usually equates to success, but the effort is magnified when the defense finds a a way to score. The Saints are No. 7 in the nation in defensive scores. The Carroll College Defense has long been known as one of the most feared units in NAIA Football. The 2026 Saints are just as salty as ever, and have the stats to show it with top-12 marks across the board. Through the first half of the season, Carroll is holding opponents to just 11.4 points per game - good enough for No. 4 in the NAIA. Allowing just 90.4 yards on the ground, the Saints are No. 11 in the nation, and even more impressive on the back end. They own the No. 7 ranked pass defense in the nation, allowing just 152.2 yards per game - including a 334-yard performance by Northern in the season opener. All said and done, Carroll is the No. 6 defense in the NAIA, limiting the opposition to a meager 242.6 yards per game.

The Saints will be donning a purple lid this weekend - an homage to the Bob Petrino-era Carroll teams that helped establish the standard of success synonymous with Fighting Saints Football. Prior to Petrino's hiring in 1971, the Saints had gone 11 years without a conference title - the longest stretch in program history. Once Putter took over, however, things changed in a hurry. The NAIA Hall of Famer coached the Saints for the better part of three decades, and was instrumental in putting Carroll on the national radar, with his 153 career wins and 15 conference titles.

Fans are encouraged to wear purple as well, helping recognize one of the most memorable eras in Carroll Football history.

Saturday's scrap with the Bulldogs is the Frontier Conference game of the Week, and will be broadcast live on SWX affiliates throughout Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Montana.

Be sure to visit www.carrollathletics.com this evening for a full recap of the action, and for complete coverage of the Fighting Saints all season long.

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