Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Bring it on No. 8 SOU, No. 1 Carroll ready for quarterfinal showdown Comment By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 27, 2014 at 4:41 PM By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 27, 2014 at 4:41 PM » Social News Southern Oregon football coach Craig Howard loves to spring surprises on Raider opponents and has a history of doing so successfully. A double-pass here, a fake punt there. Under Howard, razzle-dazzle has become part of SOU’s signature. But even Howard will have a hard time surprising the Raiders’ next opponent. That’s because when the Raiders look to make history and earn the program’s first NAIA quarterfinal victory on Saturday, they’ll be doing so against Carroll College, a Frontier Conference rival that SOU’s already played twice this season and four times since October of 2012. So yes, these two teams know each other well. Very well. “It’s weird,” Howard said. “I’ve been coaching for 40 years and I’ve never coached against the same team three times in one season.” “To see them for the third time,” Carroll coach Mike Van Diest added, “it’s pretty familiar territory.” The eighth-ranked Raiders (10-2) and top-ranked Fighting Saints (10-1) kickoff at noon local time (11 a.m. Pacific) at Nelson Stadium in Helena, Mont., which was blanketed in snow Wednesday and is expecting more, along with freezing temperatures, on game day. The rubber match has all the makings of an NAIA classic. In addition to the snow, the Raiders and Saints have a history of giving the fans their money’s worth. That was especially the case this season. Southern Oregon won a back-and-forth battle in Ashland, 38-35, on Sept. 6, and Carroll got revenge with a wild 42-40 on Oct. 18 in Helena. The two teams have playoff history, too, with Carroll knocking Southern Oregon out in the 2001 and 2002 national quarterfinals. In order to reverse that trend and exorcise some playoff demons in Helena this season, the Raiders will probably have to find a way to limit Carroll running back Dustin Rinker. Powerful and deceptively quick, the 5-foot-9, 210-pound Rinker rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns in Carroll’s win over SOU, and 142 yards and one TD in the loss. Howard fully expects another heavy dose of Rinker, who ranks third in the country with 1,518 yards rushing, on Saturday. “There’s no mystery,” Howard said. “We know each other inside and out. So I think both coaching staffs are going to have some new wrinkles, but really I feel like you’ve got to dance with the one who brought you. So we’re going to throw the ball and run with our three great running backs, and they’re going to hand the ball off to Rinker 100,000 times.” Howard said the Raiders must avoid the temptation to zero in on Rinker at the expense of SOU’s pass defense. Carroll has already proven it can move the ball through the air against the Raiders. In the first meeting, Carroll quarterback Mac Roche completed 20 of 32 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns. In the second meeting, Roche completed 18 of 31 for 285 yard and three TDs. Carroll receiver Anthony Clarke, listed at 5-11, 190, has also torched the SOU secondary, hauling in five catches for 115 yards and two TDs in the first meeting and eight catches for 140 yards and a score in the second. “Anthony Clarke is one of the greatest receivers in the country,” Howard said. “They do a great job getting him the ball, but everything in the game’s we’ve played against them is about their running game. That’s what’s going to be fun. It’s a chess game.” Van Diest didn’t argue. “That’s our No. 1 goal,” he said. “When I came here 16 years ago we wanted to run the football. It’s still the best way to move the chains and we’re not going to change that philosophy.” Southern Oregon may be able to force Carroll to go to the air more than it’s used to by jumping ahead early. If there’s any team in the nation capable of putting the Saints in an early hole, it may be the Raiders. For proof of that, one need only look at Carroll’s results. In nine games against opponents other than SOU, the Saints have allowed a combined 86 points; in two games against the Raiders the Saints have surrendered 78. Of course, the Raiders have done that to everybody. Southern Oregon ranks No. 2 in total offense (549.1 yards per game) and No. 3 in scoring offense (43.6 poinst per game), and is led by a quarterback who has shattered every major NAIA passing record. Austin Dodge has passed for 4,247 yards and 41 touchdowns this season, ranking him No. 1 in the nation in both categories. The Raiders also have the nation’s leading receiver in terms of yards in Dylan Young (1,417 yards, 18 TDs), and No. 8 receiver in terms of receptions in Ryan Retzlaff (75 receptions, 1,141 yards, 10 TDs). “Southern Oregon’s going to put up points,” Van Diest said. “Southern Oregon and Morningside have the best offense in the nation. Dodge is such a great quarterback, and that’s the best crop of receivers I’ve seen in 16 years in the Frontier Conference. And they have players on defense, too. I think sometimes their defense takes a back seat because their offense is so great, but they have some great defensive players.” By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 27, 2014 at 4:41 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501