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DNS FOG Temp: 33 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, December 7, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 25, 2002 SOU gets rematch with Carroll in quarterfinals ASHLAND — The NAIA Sunday announced the Southern Oregon University and Carroll College football teams will meet for the second straight season in the national quarterfinal round, but unlike last year, the contest will be played in Helena, Mont., next Saturday. The ninth-ranked Raiders (8-2) tangle with the 10th-ranked Fighting Saints (9-2) at Carroll’s 4,000-seat Nelson Stadium with kickoff slated for Noon (Mountain time). The same 1,300-student Catholic-denominational college used a last-minute 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive on a snowy Fuller Field to oust the Raiders 16-13 in the 2001 NAIA Championship Series quarterfinals, an outcome that still motivates SOU players and coaches. The Carroll showdown marks Southern Oregon’s third game in the Big Sky state this season and fourth against a Frontier Conference squad. The Raiders rolled by Rocky Mountain 37-13 Oct. 5 in Billings, topped Montana State-Northern in Havre 42-0 the following week, and dispatched Montana-Western 30-12 yesterday in Ashland to set up next week’s quarterfinal clash. "Every week brings a new challenge, and we’re certainly looking forward to this second chance," Raider head coach Jeff Olson said. "We definitely have experience traveling to Montana and playing against Frontier teams." Under the guidance of fourth-year coach Mike Van Diest, the Fighting Saints overcame a 16-14 first-half deficit to down fifth-ranked Dickinson State 42- 23 yesterday in North Dakota. Freshman quarterback Tyler Emmert, whose older brother, J.D., engineered the game-winning drive against SOU last year, earned offensive player-of-the-game honors by going 18-for-38 for 283 yards and four touchdowns, and rushing 13 times for 36 yards. Emmert, who suffered a concussion three weeks ago that sidelined him in a 35-17 loss to Montana-Western in the regular-season finale, entered the playoffs ranked 11th nationally for passing (151 of 231 for 1,978 yards and 16 TDs). As a team, Carroll is 11th in the NAIA for total offense with a 426-yard game average (267 passing, 159 rushing), is sixth for total defense (239.5) and is third for stopping the run (73.8). "They’re a complete team, they’re extremely well-coached, and they’re a classy program," Olson said. The teams share four common opponents this year — the three Frontier teams as well as Eastern Oregon. The Fighting Saints went 6-1 by an average score of 33-13, while SOU won all four by a 38-11 clip. Olson expects SOU to travel to Montana via charter aircraft, but arrangements won"t be finalized until today. The long-range Helena weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high temperature around 32 degrees and a 20-percent chance of snow. Saturday’s other NAIA quarterfinal matchups: No. 4 St. Francis, Ind. at No. 3 Georgetown, Ky.; No. 1 Sioux Falls, S.D. at No. 6 Mary, N.D.; No. 7 McKendree, Ill. at No. 2 Northwestern Oklahoma State. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S