HELENA — The Carroll College Fighting Saints opened the 2026 football season with a 30-14 victory over the MSU-Northern Lights on Thursday at Nelson Stadium.
Carroll, ranked No. 11 in the preseason polls, wasted little time establishing control in the Week 1 matchup.
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Quarterback Kaden Huot helped lead the Saints' offense early, connecting with tight end Ty Wilkinson on a play-action dump-off that set up Carroll's opening touchdown.
MSU-Northern responded with a strong drive into the red zone, but Carroll's defense came up with a key turnover. Gage Norslien forced a fumble and recovered it to end the scoring threat.
Huot continued to find Wilkinson as the Saints built momentum. The pair connected on a 35-yard gain before Huot went right back to Wilkinson for another big completion, setting up Carroll's second touchdown and a 13-0 lead.
After Carroll forced a three-and-out, Huot found Connor Sullivan for another big play to set up the Saints near the goal line. Jake Jeske finished the drive with a short-yardage touchdown, extending Carroll's lead to 20-0.
Carroll continued to control the game from there, pulling away for a 30-14 season-opening victory. The Saints begin the season 1-0, while MSU-Northern falls to 0-1.
Carroll College will take on Montana Tech next week, and MSU-Northern faces Montana Western.
