SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The No.1 ranked University of Sioux Falls football team will play No. 16 Northwestern Oklahoma State University in the first round of the 2010 NAIA playoffs, as announced by the national office Sunday afternoon.
It is USF’s 10th straight playoff appearance and 16th overall. NWOSU will be making their 8th playoff appearance. The Rangers are led by fourth year head coach Keith Barefield, who has compiled a 30-13 overall record at NWOSU.
This season NWOSU holds an 8-2 overall record and won the Central States Football Conference for the third time in the past four seasons. The trip to South Dakota won’t be the first for the Rangers this fall, having traveled to Vermillion to play the University of South Dakota in the second game of the year. NWOSU started the 2010 campaign with a 55-13 loss at NCAA Division II Colorado State University-Pueblo and then a 48-14 loss at USD, but have since won eight straight contests.
NWOSU ranks 13th in the NAIA with 38.8 points per game, supported by the No. 12 rushing attack with 223.9 yards per game. With 176 pass yards per game, the Ranger’s average 400 yards of total offense per game, 25th in the NAIA.
Senior running back Nate Guillory ranks among the top 10 rushers in the country with 1,127 rush yards this season, adding 13 scores. Sophomore Kyle Jech quarterbacks the Rangers and has passed for 1,717 yards with 19 touchdowns to 14 interceptions.
On the defensive side of the ball NWOSU gives up an average of 24.6 points and 356 total offensive yards per game, mostly by way of the air, surrendering 280 pass yards per game. The defense is anchored by senior linebacker Rocky Lee who has 90 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks and two interceptions through 10 games this season.
All four games of the USF-NWOSU series have been played since 2000, with the Cougars winning the most recent matchup 35-7 in the first round of the 2007 NAIA Playoffs. The series is split 2-2.
USF will host NWOSU this Saturday, Nov. 20 at noon at the USF Sanford Complex.
Balladeer's Blog 
Never herd of these teams. I’ll be back here in the fall to follow these teams from the start this season.
Thanks for commenting! Late August is when the NAIA and D2 get started so it’s not quite as long a wait.