NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 8TH

FIGHTING SAINTS UPSET NUMBER 4 STATESMEN – The NAIA’s 15th ranked ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS brought down the mighty number 4 WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN in a pigskin Ragnarok yesterday. The final score in this game with national and MSFA implications was a tight 36-35. The Fighting Saints faithful await the next poll rankings with baited breath.  

EDWARD WATERS AND LANGSTON RULE THE WORLD – Each week usually gives us at least one NAIA team toppling a higher division team but yesterday we had two. The EDWARD WATERS TIGERS won an Instant Classic against D2’s LIVINGSTONE BLUE BEARS by a score of 14-13. The NAIA’s LANGSTON LIONS pulled off their THIRD upset of a D2 team this season, bringing down the PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES 41-23.   

RANGERS AND THE STORM (For you Doors fans) – I had put the NAIA’s 10th ranked SOUTHERN  NAZARENE CRIMSON STORM on upset alert yesterday and was proven right when they fell on the road at the NW OKLAHOMA  STATE RANGERS. The Crimson Storm led 12-6 at one point but the Rangers’ Black Cloud defense stepped up big, shutting SNU out for the rest of the game. The Crimson Storm wound up losing 28-12.

HYLININGSFEST HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA – The number 14 BETHANY  SWEDES were celebrating both Homecoming and Hyliningsfest yesterday . That way you don’t have to do your holiday shopping separately for each event. The ST MARY SPIRES played Grinch to the celebrating Swedes, however, by upsetting the home team in a nail-biting 35-32 Instant Classic. 

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA –   In addition to the above mentioned upsets, the 17th ranked EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS lost their 2nd game in a row, falling on the road to the unranked SOUTHERN OREGON RAIDERS 46-34   …   The NORTHWESTERN (IA) RED RAIDERS improved to 4-2 with an authoritative 51-14 win at the number 22 MIDLAND WARRIORS and the 25th ranked CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS put together a big 2nd half to upset the home- standing number 22 team, the SHORTER HAWKS, in a memorable 21-17 gridiron opus.

TOP 25 UPSETS – D3 – In D3’s only upset in the rankings yesterday the 14th ranked WITTENBERG TIGERS were toppled by the unranked HUNTINGDON HAWKS in an authoritative 38-20 outcome.    

TOP 25 UPSETS – D2 –  The number 11 ALBANY (GA) STATE GOLDEN RAMS were upset by the LANE DRAGONS in a 26-24 Instant Classic   …   It took Overtime to do it, but the unranked WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN BOBCATS took down the 17th ranked SHEPHERD RAMS 45-44 with a missed extra point the difference   …   At number 19, the HILLSDALE CHARGERS fell at home 43-42 to the mighty OHIO DOMINICAN PANTHERS, who moved over to the NCAA from the NAIA in recent years   …   And the 21st ranked MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES fell at home in Overtime 44-41 to the unranked SAGINAW VALLEY CARDINALS.    

DECIMATION IN DODGE CITY – The HUTCHINSON BLUE DRAGONS retained control of the Jayhawk Conference with a 63-6 road victory over the formerly playoff- minded DODGE CITY CONQUISTADORS. As usual in recent years it looks like Hutch’s inevitable clash with Butler (KS) will tell the tale of the Jayhawk title.  

HOW ‘BOUT THEM EAGLES? – The ROBERT MORRIS (IL) EAGLES are in just their 1st season of intercollegiate football but have already logged two victories. Yesterday they notched their program’s 2nd win with a 37-7 beatdown of the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS.

GENERALLY EXCITING – The WASHINGTON AND LEE GENERALS continue their quest for a 2nd straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference title. Yesterday they remained perfect in league play with a thrilling 17-14 win over the EMORY AND HENRY WASPS. A field goal by Peter Alston as time expired provided the win.  

SHOOTOUT IN OHIO – The number 7 ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS traveled to face the WALSH CAVALIERS in a much- anticipated gridiron grudge match. The game lasted through Double Overtime, with the Cougars emerging with a 42-41 win on a missed extra point by the Cavs.  

YOU DA CLAN! – The SIMON FRASER CLAN (as in Scottish clan) earned their 2nd victory of the season yesterday. It took Double Overtime to do it, but they prevailed over the traveling DIXIE STATE RED STORM by a score of 62-56. Simon Fraser is one of the Canadian universities that play sports like football in American divisions, in the Clan’s case the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON? – This time the Marathon Game of the Week was the Triple Overtime affair between the ELIZABETH CITY VIKINGS and the VIRGINIA UNION PANTHERS. The Vikings won 43-41 as a missed 2 point conversion by the Panthers told the tale.

“OUR DIVISION CAN BEAT UP YOUR DIVISION” DEPARTMENT – This week in the football rivalry between the NAIA and NCAA Division 3 the two divisions split in head-to- head matchups, but the NAIA beat two D2 teams this week while D3 did not, so the NAIA is still killing the NCAA this season. Yesterday the D3 win came in a 42-6 thrashing of the JAMESTOWN  COLLEGE JIMMIES by the home standing LA CROSSE EAGLES. The NAIA  win saw the SOUTHERN VIRGINIA KNIGHTS go on the road and demolish the GUILFORD QUAKERS 55-24.

TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS – The Top 2 teams in  the NAIA handled their business with ease yesterday. The top-ranked ST XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS, led by Coach Mike Feminis, trashed the MALONE PIONEERS in their own house 52-10 and the number 2 MARIAN KNIGHTS continue to make Balladeer’s Blog look like Nostradamus as they dismembered the TAYLOR TROJANS 42-7.    

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – The EVANGEL CRUSADERS held on against the GRACELAND YELLOWJACKETS 27-21   …   The KENTUCKY STATE THOROBREDS bounced back from last week’s loss with a 25-24 victory over the FORT VALLEY WILDCATS   …   The LINDSEY WILSON BLUE RAIDERS won a road game against the PIKEVILLE BEARS 28-24   …   The CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT CAPTAINS took down the SHENANDOAH HORNETS in Overtime by a score of 27-20   … The PIERCE BRAHMA BULLS defeated the GLENDALE (CA) VAQUEROS in a memorable 28-20 clash   …   The BACONE WARRIORS won 44-38 over the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD LIONS in Overtime   …   The GLENDALE (AZ)  GAUCHOS handed the SCOTTSDALE FIGHTING ARTICHOKES their 2nd loss in a row by a score of 23-20 and the BLUFFTON BEAVERS won a 30-27 Overtime game on the road against the MANCHESTER SPARTANS.