Three first-half turnovers put the Viking football team in a hole it couldn't dig out of Saturday during the first round of the NAIA Football Championship Series.

The Vikings trailed top-ranked Carroll College 35-0 at halftime en route to a 49-0 season-ending loss as a great season did not end the Vikings' way.

Valley City State University, ranked No. 14 in the country, finishes the 2014 season with a 9-2 record and their 29th conference championship. Saturday was the Vikings' eighth NAIA playoff appearrance. It was the fourth straight time that VCSU has played Carroll College and lost to Carroll College in the playoffs.

The Vikings threw an interception and fumbled twice in the first half, with all three turnovers leading to Carroll College touchdowns. Trailing 14-0, VCSU fumbled inside it's own 5-yard line. After Carroll College scored to make it 21-0, the Vikings fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which led to another Saint score and a quick 28-0 deficit that VCSU could not recover from.

Senior running back Ian Keller was the bright spot in the Viking offense, rushing for 54 yards on 12 carries. The Vikings managed just 87 yards of total offense, compared to 437 yards for Carroll College.

Linebacker Nick McBeain had 18 tackles to lead the Viking defense. Ethen Preston added 14 tackles at the outside linebacker position.

Carroll College improves to 10-1 and advances to the NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinals on Nov. 29.