By Tiffany L. Rehbein
There was a bright spot in the MSU-Northern Lights 69-0 loss to the Carroll College Fighting Saints Thursday at Vigilante Stadium in Helena.
However, it came in the third quarter and the Lights, 0-3, were already down by 56 points.
With 3:30 remaining in the third quarter, freshman Dan Polk fell on a Carroll College fumble for the Lights recovery. It was only the second Saints turnover of the game, but the first Lights recovery.
On first-and-10, freshman quarterback Chris Jackson connected with wide receiver Andy Smith of Havre for the longest reception of the game for the Lights.
It resulted in a first down, one of only nine the Lights managed the entire game.
The next play dittoed what the entire game turned out to be for the Lights disaster.
Jackson, this time aiming for freshman receiver T Artis, overthrew his receiver for an interception, one of three on the night.
Jackson, who completed 10-of-20 passes for 143 yards, also had the most yards rushing from the quarterback position. He had eight carries for 31 yards.
But he saw some sideline time when freshman John Parrish took the field.
Parrish, who fumbled his first two touches, went 0-2 at quarterback.
Smith, with his third consecutive 100-plus receiving game, had six catches for 103 yards.
Freshman running back Travis Crawford had two carries for two yards and two receptions for 22 yards.
Carroll College, 2-0, was unable to be stopped. The Saints notched 38 first downs and tallied 474 rushing yards. They were led by Scott Bushnell with 92.
The Saints passing game was no less impressive. Behind the arms of Nate Martinson and J.D. Emmert, Carroll tallied 271 passing yards.
With little more than two minutes erased off the clock in the first quarter, Carroll scored, setting the pace of the entire game.
