BUTTE — It'll be a top-15 collision at Bob Green Field on Saturday.
No. 5 Montana Tech is set to host No. 11 Carroll College in the first meeting between the two teams since they met in the second round of the NAIA playoffs last season, with the Orediggers prevailing 31-21 while earning their fifth straight victory over the Fighting Saints.
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Kickoff for the rematch is set for 1 p.m.
"It's going to be a heck of a challenge," said Montana Tech coach Kyle Samson. "We know this is a big rivalry. We fully expect it to be a heck of a game. This is what's fun though. You love these types of games. Should be a tremendous crowd. We know all of Butte is going to show up."
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Both the Orediggers and Saints will be looking to improve to 2-0, with Tech coming off a 48-0 rout of Ottawa (Ariz.) and Carroll defeating MSU-Northern 30-14.
Carroll will be looking for its first victory against Montana Tech since Aug. 31, 2023, which was the first Thursday night Copper Game in Butte.
And despite the emotionally-charged nature of the rivalry, both teams are trying to view Saturday as just another football game.
"Just like a faceless opponent, it's just the next game up," said Carroll coach Troy Purcell. "They're an unbelievable program down there and it's a rivalry game. Just a great opportunity to play loose, play fast, play fun down there. No. 11 versus No. 5. Frontier Conference. Should be exciting."
"This is why you decide to come to Tech is to play in big games like this against your rivals," said Samson. "It's going to be a challenge for us but we're excited about it."
In other Frontier Conference games this weekend, No. 18 Montana Western is set to open its season at MSU-Northern and Rocky Mountain College will face fourth-ranked College of Idaho on the road, with the Battlin' Bears looking to bounce back from a loss last week to NCAA Division II Mary (N.D.).
