BUTTE -- The defense held its opponent under 100 yards of total offense, the special teams came up with big plays at opportune moments, and the fifth-ranked Montana Tech football team wrestled its way to a 24-14 victory over No. 11 Carroll Saturday on Bob Green Field.
The Orediggers (2-0) dominated time of possession en route to the victory and scored two touchdowns off their archrivals' turnovers in the ballgame.
Christian Hansen led the way for the Oredigger defense, totaling an interception, a forced fumble, and a team-best six tackles in the winning effort.
Meanwhile, the offense did just enough. Running back
Ikaika Ho racked up a game-high 94 rushing yards, while quarterback
Jarrett Wilson passed for 130 yards and ran for 28 more. Wide receiver
Levi Torgerson caught 10 passes for a total of 65 yards.
Things started off great for Montana Tech. The Orediggers received the opening kickoff and drove down to the Carroll 10-yard line before the Fighting Saints (1-1) forced a fumble that kept the game scoreless in the early going.
After Montana Tech forced a Carroll punt, the Saints won the ball back and drove down the field for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
The Orediggers had the answer midway through the second quarter. Wilson engineered a 14-play, 73-yard drive that the signal-caller capped with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Casey Kautzman's ensuing PAT tied the score at 7.
The Orediggers forced a three-and-out on CC's following possession and again drove deep into Saints territory, setting up Kautzman's 20-yard field goal as time expired to hold a 10-7 lead at the half.
Early in the third, Hansen intercepted Carroll quarterback Kaden Huot to set up Tech's first possession of the second half. While the Orediggers' drive stalled in Carroll territory, the Saints' Jacob Nemecek mishandled Kautzman's punt, and
Alex Swenson dove on the loose ball in the end zone to score Tech's second touchdown of the ballgame. Kautzman's point after gave Montana Tech a 17-7 lead with 6:29 remaining in the third, and the Orediggers never again let the deficit get to one possession.
On the first play of Carroll's next possession, Hansen forced a fumble to win the ball back for Montana Tech. It took the Orediggers just three plays to find the end zone again. Wilson found Torgerson for a 10-yard gain to set up first-and-goal, and two plays later,
Jamal Cariglia plunged one yard for the score. Make it 24-7 Tech.
The Saints scored on their ensuing drive, but that was all Montana Tech's defense allowed. The Orediggers held CC to just one first down in the fourth quarter, aided by another interception, this one snagged by
Jalen Perkins. The Tech offense did the rest, eating the clock away as the Orediggers held on for victory.
It was Montana Tech's sixth-straight win over their archrivals from Helena.
The Orediggers won't have a rest from rivalry games. Tech will head to Dillon next Saturday for a tilt with 18th-ranked Montana Western. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
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