HELENA, Mont.- There will be several reasons to remember the 129^th meeting between the Orediggers of Montana Tech and the Saints of Carroll College. Those reasons will be very different depending on your perspective.

If you are a Saints fan, the game will be remembered as the first on the new turf at Nelson Stadium and as the first night game played on the field.

If you are an Oredigger, the 30-22 win will be celebrated as the second straight win in Helena. It will be remembered as a game where all three facets of the team made massive impacts (offense, defense, and special teams)

The Oredigger defense made the first splash, and once again it was the reigning NAIA Defensive Player of the Week Jadyn Downs, as he picked off a Jack Prka pass and returned it 52 yards deep into Carroll territory before he was taken to the ground. Oredigger freshman Dylan Root knocked a 32-yard field goal through the uprights three plays later, and the Orediggers jumped out to a 3-0 lead, a lead that they would never give up.

The Digger D would make another monster play on the next series, causing and then recovering a fumble on Carroll 32 yard line. The Orediggers would take seven plays to cover those 32 yards, concluding with a seven-yard touchdown throw by Blake Thelen to Landers Smith, to give the Orediggers a 10-0 lead after the made PAT.

Carroll would answer.

 Led by quarterback Jack Prka, the Saints would go 80 yards in eight plays to hang seven points on the board, trailing the Orediggers 10-7 in the opening quarter.

The momentum that the Saints amassed from that score would be wrenched away quickly, as Levi Torgerson was hit in stride by Blake Thelen, and he would go 67 yards for the Touchdown. After a missed Pat, the Orediggers would end the first quarter with a 16-7 lead.

In the second quarter, the third facet of the team would rear its head, special teams.

On fourth and one from the Carroll 22-yard line, Montana Tech's Trae Vasquez would block an attempted punt, and the Diggs would take over on the Saints 1-yard line. One play later senior quarterback Blake Thelen would smash his way across the goal line, and the Diggs would go up 23-7. That score would hold to the break.

The only score of the third quarter went the way of the Orediggers. After a nine-play, 62-yard drive, Logan Kennedy would haul in a four-yard pass to put the Orediggers up 30-7. Even more impressive, and important in that drive, the Diggs chewed up 6:18 of the third quarter.

The Saints got the fourth quarter started with a nine-play, 90-yard drive that trimmed the Oredigger lead to 16.

With 4:41 left in the game the Saints would benefit from an interception, and quickly turn it into points, cutting the lead to eight, after a two-point conversion.

The Orediggers would feed the Saints' defense a steady diet of Landers Smith, burning the clock and moving the chains until the Saints stopped them on the Carroll 43-yard line. On fourth and five, the punting unit rolled out on the field after a Saints timeout. Carroll looked to get the ball back with a little over a minute and no timeouts remaining.

The Orediggers coaching staff, and All-American punter Andrew Almos had a different plan. The Orediggers would call a fake punt, and Almos would deliver a 27-yard pass that would move the chains, and effectively end the game (as Carroll had no time-outs remaining)

After running for a career-high 201 yards a week ago against Georgetown (Ky.), Landers Smith gained 117 yards on 30 carries for the Orediggers. Blake Thelen finished 10 of 23 for 148 yards, and three touchdowns. Thelen hit six different receivers on the night, Wyatt Alexander led the way with four catches, accounting for 35 yards, Kyle Torgerson hauled in three for 35, and younger brother Levi Torgerson pulled in one monster for 67 yards and six points.

The Oredigger defense had three sacks once again this week, and Jaydn Downs pulled in his fourth interception of the year.
 
For Carroll College, quarterback Jack Prka completed 17 of his 26 passing attempts for 154 yards. He threw one interception and was sacked three times. He also ran the ball well, gaining 70 yards on 13 carries. Running back Xzavier Ford carried the ball 21 times for the Saints gaining 151 yards, he also broke the plane of the endzone once.

The Orediggs (2-0) will have a bye week before traveling to LeGrande, Oregon, on September 21 to take on Eastern Oregon. The Saints will be at home next week, as they host Rocky Mountain College.