The defending four-time national champion Carroll College Saints showed cross-state rival MSU-Northern just who the playoffs belong to in Nelson Stadium.

The No. 4 Saints defeated No. 11 Northern 20-7 Saturday in the Lights' first playoff game ever, advancing to the second round of the NAIA national playoffs.

"It was just an amazing feeling," said Saints senior cornerback Matt Thomas after the win. "We stepped up and we played really well all the way through the end."

Carroll came out quick, winning the coin toss and choosing to receive on the kickoff. The result was a 79-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback John Barnett to senior receiver Bryce Doak.

Both players credited offensive coordinator Nick Howlett with making the superb call. The pass took advantage of the Lights' single coverage on the 6-foot-4, 210 pound receiver. Doak streaked past Northern's secondary and turned right in time to find the ball floating into his hands at the back of the end zone.

"Doak is Mr. Consistency. He's the old horse we all ride," Barnett said. "It was the right play called for the right coverage."

After Marcus Miller's extra point on the kick and Northern's return on the kickoff, the Saints crashed the Lights' offense.

Senior quarterback Kyle Samson, injured from the previous two meetings with Carroll, was forced to shoot from the pocket instead of going by his normal option attack. As a result, the 5-8, 180-pound quarterback had his first pass tipped by Saints' linebacker Seamus Molloy, and his second pass intercepted by Matt Thomas.

On the Lights' second offensive play of the game, they they returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, giving Carroll a 14-0 lead.

"Samson's a great player and we've known he's just been hurting the last few weeks," said Saints defensive end Phil Lenoue. "His feet are such a big threat, and the fact that we knew he wasn't going to be able to scramble quite as well, we just knew that we would be able to get at him a little more."

And Lenoue did. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound junior was in on 2.5 sacks for 11 yards lost and, along with one pass break-up, had seven total tackles on the game.

With Thomas' touchdown, the Saints were one point short of the combined scores of their two earlier games with the Lights.

Northern (9-3, 8-2 Frontier Conference) and the Saints (11-1, 9-1) split games earlier in the regular season. Carroll won the first 12-7 in Helena, while the Lights took the second at home in Havre, 10-3.

With a two-touchdown lead on the scoreboard, the Saints looked like they would fly by Northern. But the Lights defense was able to hold Carroll's tough running game and pin them in their own end through the rest of the first half.

The Saints tried pounding the ball through the line, but kept coming up short.

The Northern offense, meanwhile, put together a 56-yard scoring drive that ended with running back Saxton Shearer diving over Saints safety Nick Milodragovich for a 17-yard touchdown pass.

Two possessions later, Carroll was once again pinned inside their own 20 and was looking to get past Northern's defense.

On third-and-eight, Barnett looked to pass to David Whitmoyer, but the ball was intercepted by Lights defensive back Marc Samson who carried the ball to the Saints 1 yard line.

With little over two minutes left in the half, Northern looked like they would tie the game, but the Saints defense made the stand of the year.

Northern first tried pounding the ball up the middle with 6-2, 240-pound running back Don Saisbury, but he was met by a wall of purple and gold. Then they looked to speed it through by letting Shearer take the ball, but Lenoue broke through, catching him for a loss.

With running options failing, the Lights went to the air, passing to freshman tight end Jake Smith. Smith got his hands on the ball, but as he bobbled it at the goal line, cornerback Nick Milodragovich jumped him from behind, forcing an incomplete pass.

With their offense stunted, the Lights tried for the field goal, but kicker Luke McKinley sent it wide right from 23 yards out.

"I thought we had one bad series on defense and it was that touchdown drive," said Carroll head coach, Mike Van Diest. "These guys can be so good, but we can't miss tackles and we can't change coverages in the middle of a play.

If you watched this defense today they were just awesome. That goal-line stand before the half might have been the turning point."

Carroll's offense certainly answered back in the second half. Kicker Marcus Miller completed field goals of 38 and 36 yards.

The first came on the Saints' first possession of the third quarter. Carroll got some big help by the fancy footwork of senior running back Ryan Grosulak.

On first down at Northern's 48 yard line, Grosulak found an open lane between diving defensemen and, with the help of excellent blocking downfield, covered 20 yards of ground. Four downs later, Miller completed his first field goal.

He sealed the game with his second at the end of the fourth quarter. His two field goals and two extra points gave him 8 of the team's 20 points in the game and the offensive player of the game award.

"I didn't know why I got it, I was like, 'what is this for?' " Miller said of his honor. "I knew coming in that kicking was going to be huge, so I put it through. That's my job."

The field goals proved to be vital as the Lights actually outdistanced Carroll with 193 yards of offense to the Saints' 182.

Grosulak led Carroll and the field with 60 yards rushing on 13 attempts while fellow senior Jed Thomas had 32 on 13 carries as well. Barnett added 15 yards rushing while completing 8-of-12 passes with one interception for 76 yards and the touchdown.

Barnett's favorite target was Doak, who finished with four receptions for 39 yards.

Matt Thomas was awarded with defensive player of the game for his interception and four total tackles.

Saxton Shearer led the Lights' ground game with 27 yards on 9 attempts. Samson, in his final collegiate game, went 17-of-27 passing with one interception for 143 yards and the touchdown.

"When you get to the playoffs its do or die, so you either perform or you go home," Lenoue said. "You don't take anything for granted or your season's over."

Carroll will advance to the second round of the playoffs to be played this Saturday. They find out who they play Sunday morning.

Van Diest said that no matter who they draw it will be a tough match.

"There's not much difference between the final eight. Everybody makes it through that first game jitters," he said. "This is a fun time because you get down to the best of the best."

For Northern, the loss is a particularly sad one. It means the end of an era for Kyle Samson and his father-coach Mark.

The father-son team, which includes Kyle's brother Marc, concludes after the family helped build a Northern program from scratch. Three years ago the Lights went 1-10 on the year. With Samson's help, they improved to 5-5 the next, and this season made it to the national playoffs for the first time in school history.

"It was a good year and I'm very proud of (my team)," Mark Samson said. "But losing in the playoffs that's hard because everything's final.

It'sespecially hard for me with Kyle. Seven years of working together just comes to an end. You don't want it to come to an end after a loss, but that's the way this kooky game is."

MSUN 7 0 0 0

Carroll 14 0 6 0

First Quarter

CC nJohn Barnett passes 30 yds to Bryce Doak for TD (Marcus Miller kick), 10:35

CC n Kyle Samson's pass to Ryne Nelson intercepted by Carroll's Matt Thomas from 35 yard line for TD (Miller kick), 10:00

MSUN n Samson passes 17 yds to Saxton Shearer for TD (Luke McKinley kick), 1:35

Second Quarter

none

Third Quarter

CC n Field goal made by Miller 38 yds, 10:10

Fourth Quarter

CC n Field goal mady by Miller 36 yds, 2:27

First downs n MSUN 10, CC 8

Rushes-yards n MSUN 27-50, CC 38-106

Passing yards n MSUN 143, CC 76

Punt return yards n MSUN 4-57, CC 3-13

Kickoff return yards n MSUN 5-90, CC 2-28

Comp-Att n MSUN 27-17-2, CC 12-8-1

Sacked-Yards Lost n MSUN 4-18, CC 0-0

Punts n MSUN 6-41, CC 6-42

Fumbles-lost n MSUN 1-1, CC 2-0

Penalties-yards n MSUN 5-40, CC 1-15

Time of Possession n MSUN 28:19, CC 37:21

Rushing n MSUN Shearer 9-27, Saisbury 7-25, Wermers 7-16, Samson 4-(-18); CC Grosulak 13-60, Thomas 13-32, Barnett 9-15, Unknown 3-(-1)

Passing n MSUN Samson 27-17-2 143, CC Barnett 12-8-1 76.

Receiving n MSUN Saisbury 4-29, Ahrens 3-10, Wermers 2-28, Shearer 3-30, Samson 1-15, Eldridge 1-13, Nelson 1-8, VanNest 1-5, Tchida 1-5. CC Doak 4-39, Browne 1-15, Thomas 1-11, McEwen 1-6, Whitmoyer 1-5.

Missed Field Goals n MSUN McKinley 30