KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Christian Hansen intercepted a pass and forced a fumble on back-to-back Carroll (Mont.) possessions Saturday in the fifth-ranked Orediggers’ 24-14 win over the 11th-ranked Saints, picking up the first PrestoSports-NAIA Football Defensive Player of the Week designation of the 2026 season.
Hansen also tacked on a pair of deflected passes and led the team with six tackles, including two tackles for loss.
Carroll was limited to just 99 yards of total offense in the game, as Montana Tech improved to 2-0 on the year.
The interception and forced fumble were the first in Hansen’s Montana Tech career, and in 2026, he’s helped the Orediggers hold opponents to an NAIA-best 109.5 yards per game.
Montana Tech (2-0) continues a rugged three-game stretch against ranked opposition, Saturday, traveling to No. 18 Montana Western at 2 p.m. MT on NAIA Network.
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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