The Rematch: #1 Carroll (Mont.) College (13-0) vs. #2 University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) (13-0)

Russell Athletic-NAIA Football National Championship set for Dec. 20 from Rome, Ga.

	Carroll RB Gabe Le, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards, will face a Sioux Falls defense No. 1 in the country

Dec. 16, 2008

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It is No. 1 versus No. 2, the team with five national championships in the last six years against the program with three straight title game appearances, the squad with 28 straight overall wins matched up with a club that has won 10 of its last 11 playoff games -- every one of these stats points to a mildly exciting game. No. 1 Carroll (Mont.) College and No. 2 University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) face each other in the 53rd Annual Russell Athletic-NAIA Football National Championship on Saturday, Dec. 20 in Rome, Ga. Kick-off from Barron Stadium is set for 12 p.m. EST.

Saturday’s game is a rematch of the 2007 National Championship, a game won by Carroll 17-9 which marked the Fighting Saints fifth overall national title. This Championship game is made possible after Carroll (13-0) held on against Lindenwood (Mo.) 38-37 in the Semifinal round (Dec. 6) for its 28th straight win. Sioux Falls (13-0) returns to its third straight National Championship after taking out undefeated St. Francis (Ind.) 24-6.

The Saints have won five of the last six national titles and are 60-2 in their last 62 games. Amazingly enough, CC holds a 112-12 (.903) mark since 2000. The 112 wins is the second-most of any football program at any level -- which includes the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II and Division III -- ahead of programs like Oklahoma, Montana and NCAA Division II powerhouse Grand Valley State (Mich.). Carroll only trails NCAA Division III Mount Union (Ohio), who has won nine of the last 15 Division III national titles.

“The kids are excited and we are looking forward to the game,” said Carroll head coach Mike Van Diest, who is 117-18 (.867) in his 10th season. “We have had only one game in the last three weeks so we are ready to go. I have been amazed at the run that Sioux Falls has done in the last three to four years. Coach DeBoer is a class act and has a great program.”

No slouch themselves in the success category, Sioux Falls is involved in its eighth straight Football Championship Series and is 28-11 overall in 14 appearances. Since 2000, USF is 104-12, which is tied for the second most wins total of any NAIA program (St. Francis - IN). The Cougars earned their second ever ring with a 23-19 victory over St. Francis back in 2006.

“We are excited to be back and to do so at a different location,” said Sioux Falls head coach Kalen DeBoer, who is 51-3 in his fourth season and owns a championship ring when he was a wide receiver on the 1996 Sioux Falls Championship team. “Our guys have a quiet confidence going into the game. I didn’t really expect that early on this year because of us being a bit young. I am impressed of what Carroll has done and they are the best coached team that we are going to face.”

The top-two ranked teams battling in the Championship seems to be a common occurrence of late. These two teams were No. 1 and No. 2 last year with the second-ranked Carroll Saints taking the win. Since 2000, there have been four examples of the top-two rated teams playing including the last three title bouts. Of the four previous occurrences, the No. 2 team has won three times.

Perhaps the game’s storyline is the nation’s best defense going up against a rush offense that has two running backs over 800 yards and committed to run the football.

Sioux Falls enters Saturday with the No. 1 defense in the nation. Ranking tops in total defense (102.5 yapg), scoring defense (5.8 papg), rushing defense (11.1 yapg) and passing defense (91.5 yapg), the Cougars own seven shut-outs this year. With just one more, USF will tie the national all-time single-season mark of eight set back in 1989 by St. Mary of the Plains (Kan.).

To further this, USF has held two opponents this year to negative yardage in total offense. USF has surrendered just nine touchdowns (7 passing, 2 rushing) on the year while picking off 18 passes. Just three opponents (out of 13) have reached 10 or more points. The Cougar offense has scored more points in the fourth quarter (77) than the opponent has scored total throughout the year (76).

DeBoer comments on what makes his defense so special this season.

“The defensive coaches have built a coaching philosophy that everyone buys into. The coaches teach the players in detail what they need to know. I think it helps when we have a lot of team speed as well.”

Led by junior running back Gabe Le, the Carroll offense has totaled 2,864 rushing yards (220.3 ypg) on the 2008 season, which ranks ninth in the NAIA. The combo of Le (1,103 yards) and sophomore John Camino (878 yards) has rushed for 22 touchdowns and will threaten the Sioux Falls defense that has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher on the season. In fact, an opponent rusher has not tipped the 50-yard mark against USF -- Morningside’s Jake Peterson reached 46 yards as the top opponent mark.

On the year, Le has hit the 100-yard output four times with a season-high of 199 yards. Camino holds two 100-yard games with his season-best coming in the Semifinal win over Lindenwood when he totaled 222 yards. As a team, Carroll has posted 520 rushing yards (260 ypg) in two postseason games this year. Conversely, USF has allowed just 27 total rushing yards in three postseason games and ball carriers average a paltry 0.5 yards per rush on the year.

Not to be lost in the USF rush offense versus Sioux Falls defense theme is Carroll freshman quarterback Matt Ritter making just his second collegiate start. On Dec. 6, he was 13-for-17 for 115 yards in his debut in the Semifinal win over Lindenwood. Ritter is the third starting quarterback this year for the Saints -- the previous two have gone down with season-ending injuries.

Also keep an eye out for Sioux Falls junior college transfer quarterback Lorenzo Brown. In his first season under center, Brown has gone 172-for-284 (60.6 percent) passing for 2,053 yards and 24 scores. He is also the team’s third leading rusher with 656 yards (5.0 ypc) on the ground and 14 touchdowns.

On the defensive side for Carroll, senior linebacker Owen Koeppen has posted over 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons including 105 this year. A two-time AFCA NAIA All-American, Koeppen is part of a defensive unit to rank fourth in the country in rushing defense (75.3 yapg) and fifth in scoring defense (14.1 papg).

The Championship will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports Network. Analyst Trev Alberts and play-by-play commentator Tom Hart are set to call the action. In addition, fans will have the opportunity to watch the broadcast live on their computers. The video steam may be purchased at www.cbssports.com.

Championship Fun Facts

• This Championship marks the first time played in Rome, Ga., - Savannah, Tenn., was the site from 1996-2007.

• Carroll is searching for its sixth National Championship. Currently the five titles is third most in history behind the six of Wesminster (Pa.) and the seven of Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville). Both of those programs are no longer in the NAIA.

• Since 2000, there have been five games pitting No. 1 against No. 2 (including 2008). In the previous four contests, the second-ranked team has won three times (including the last two seasons).

• With both teams undefeated at 13-0, both participants have now had a perfect record heading into the last four

Championships.

• Since 2002, the national champion has either been Sioux Falls (S.D.) or Carroll (Mont.) with Carroll claiming five and Sioux Falls one.

• #1 Carroll enters the game 11th in the country in total defense (264.4 ypga) while #2 Sioux Falls is No. 1 in the NAIA (102.5 ypga).

• There has been just one shut-out since 1987 -- Northwestern Oklahoma State blanking Georgetown 20-0 back in 2000. Sioux Falls holds seven shut-outs this year and is one shy of tying the all-time NAIA national record.

• Carroll is appearing in its sixth National Championship (sixth in the last seven years) while Sioux Falls is playing in its fifth title game.

• Carroll owns five Championships (2002-05, 07) while Sioux Falls claims two (1996 & 2006).

• In Championship action, Carroll is 5-0 while Sioux Falls is 2-2.

CARROLL in the PLAYOFFS (30-11, 17 Appearances)

Year Record Pct. Lost to Round

1978 0-1 .000 Linfield (Ore.) 1st

1985 0-1 .000 Wisconsin-La Crosse 1st

1986 1-1 .500 Linfield (Ore.) Semis

1987 1-1 .500 Pacific Lutheran (Calif.) Quarters

1988 1-1 .500 Oregon Tech Quarters

1989 0-1 .000 Dickinson State (S.D.) 1st

1993 0-1 .000 Glenville State (W.V.) 1st

1996 0-1 .000 Montana Tech 1st

2000 2-1 .750 Georgetown (Ky.) Semis

2001 2-1 .750 Georgetown (Ky.) Semis

2002 4-0 1.000 National Title Finals

2003 4-0 1.000 National Title Finals

2004 4-0 1.000 National Title Finals

2005 4-0 1.000 National Title Finals

2006 1-1 .500 St. Xavier (Ill.) Quarters

2007 4-0 1.000 National Title Finals

2008 2-0 1.000 -- Finals

Championship record: 5-0

Semifinal record: 6-3

Quarterfinal record: 8-3

First round record: 12-5

Win percentage: .732

SIOUX FALLS in the PLAYOFFS (28-11, 14 Appearances)

Year Record Pct. Lost to Round

1988 0-1 .000 Northwestern (Iowa) 1st

1994 0-1 .000 Minot State (N.D.) 1st

1995 1-1 .500 Mary (N.D.) Quarters

1996 4-0 1.000 National Title Finals

1997 2-1 .667 Willamette (Ore.) Semis

1998 1-1 .500 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) Quarters

2001 3-1 .750 Georgetown (Ky.) Finals

2002 2-1 .667 Carroll (Mont.) Semis

2003 2-1 .667 Northwestern OK State Semis

2004 1-1 .500 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) Quarters

2005 2-1 .667 Carroll (Mont.) Semis

2006 4-0 1.000 National Title Finals

2007 3-1 .750 Carroll (Mont.) Finals

2008 3-0 1.000 -- Finals

Championship record: 2-2

Semifinal record: 5-4

Quarterfinal record: 9-3

First round record: 12-2

Win percentage: .718