BUTTE — They'll have to wait for confirmation from the postseason selection committee, but Montana Tech's football team seemed to have done enough on Saturday afternoon to ensure they receive a first-round bye.
Powered by a 170-yard, 4-touchdown performance on a staggering 33 carries by running back Landers Smith, the No. 8 Orediggers blew past No. 23 Carroll College at Bob Green Field in the final game of the regular season. It was Tech's second win this season over the Saints after outlasting Carroll 30-22 in a Sept. 7 non-conference game in Helena.
The Orediggers concluded the regular season at 9-2 overall and 6-2 in Frontier play while Carroll finished at 7-3, 6-2. That third overall loss has put the Saints playoff chances on thin ice.
Carroll scored on the opening drive, with Jack Prka hitting Chris Akulschin for a 3-yard touchdown. But then the Orediggers reeled off 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.
The Saints scored again in the third quarter on a 73-yard catch-and-run score from Prka to Akulschin before Tech again scored 21 straight points.
Tech quarterback Blake Thelen threw for 196 yard and two touchdowns, a 43-yard score to Wyatt Alexander in the second quarter and a 29-yard touchdown to Derek Pearse in the fourth quarter to ice the game.
Tech will return to the playoffs for the second straight year. The Orediggers ended a playoff drought last season that extended to 2016. The NAIA Selection Show is Sunday at 5 p.m. Mountain Time.
