NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 22ND

 SOUTHERN OREGON RULES THE WORLD – Another Saturday, another NAIA college football team takes down a higher division opponent! This week the SOUTHERN OREGON RAIDERS joined the other NAIA teams in bringing down an NCAA Division 2 team in a gripping 31-28 win over the SIMON FRASER CLAN (as in Scottish clan). Simon Fraser is one of the Canadian institutions that compete in American intercollegiate sports divisions. The Raiders trailed 21-3 at one point before turning the tables on the Clan. Every week this season at least one NAIA team has toppled a D2 or higher team.

NUMBER TWO TAKES A FALL – NCAA Division 2’s 2nd ranked ABILENE  CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS lost on the road to the number 13 MIDWESTERN STATE MUSTANGS in a mind-blowing 70- 28 manhandling. If anyone outside the MSU locker room says they saw this coming, they’re lying, trust me. A nice trivia note is that Abilene Christian is where the fathers of Colt/ Case McCoy and Jordan/ Jaxon Shipley played their college football … and yes, they too were roommates, little dreaming of the tradition they were starting.  

NUMBER ONE SURVIVES A SCARE – Meanwhile D2’s top-ranked DELTA STATE STATESMEN had to struggle to hold on at home against the 10th ranked VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS in a tight 36-33 affair. The number 1 team in D3 had a fight on their hands yesterday, also, as the defending champs, the WHITEWATER WARHAWKS, survived a road tussle with the 20th ranked OSHKOSH TITANS by a score of 20-17. Continuing this theme the NJCAA’s top ranked BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS, where Cam Newton played his college ball before transferring to Auburn, also had a tough road fight against the KILGORE RANGERS, but improved to 8-0 with a 52-45 win.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The number 8 AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS fell at the LINDENWOOD LIONS in a 38-31 Instant Classic   …   The 17th ranked CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS needed a last- minute field goal to do it, but they upset the number 14 BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS in an unforgettable 36-34 gridiron duel    …   And the unranked CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS stunned the number 25 team, the SHORTER HAWKS, by a score of 35-10. Both teams now have identical 4-3 records.   

TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 3 – There were several close calls yesterday in D3, but only one upset of a ranked team, believe it or not. The 9th ranked MONTCLAIR STATE RED HAWKS fell on the road to the unranked NEW JERSEY LIONS 27-21.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 2 – In addition to number 2 ACU falling as noted above, the 16th ranked HUMBOLDT STATE LUMBERJACKS were upset 40-24 by the WESTERN OREGON WOLVES   …   At number 24, the MARS HILL LIONS lost at home to the unranked LENOIR RHYNE BEARS in a savage 51-21 beatdown and the 25th ranked BEMIDJI STATE BEAVERS were routed by the MARY MARAUDERS 49- 21.   

CONFERENCE CALLS – The likely winners of two NAIA conferences emerged yesterday, as the 5th ranked MIDAMERICA NAZARENE PIONEERS took control of the Heart of America Athletic Conference race by defeating the former league leaders the number 7 BENEDICTINE RAVENS 49- 39 and the 3rd ranked CC FIGHTING SAINTS, the reigning national champs, defeated co- Frontier Conference leaders the number 22 EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS 31-21. Meanwhile in D2 the NW MISSOURI BEARCATS reasserted their ownership of the MidAmerica Intercollegiate Athletics Association by crushing the biggest threat this season, the WASHBURN ICHABODS by a score of 52-28.

NOT SO BLUE RAIDERS – The LINDSEY WILSON BLUE RAIDERS improved to 5-2 on the season with a 37-24 Homecoming victory over the CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN EAGLES. That record is even more impressive when you consider that Lindsey Wilson College is in just its 2nd year of intercollegiate football.

RANK NEGLECT – The CENTRE COLONELS are still undefeated but despite impressive win after impressive win they have yet to crack the Top 25 this season. What’s the deal here? Anyway, yesterday the Colonels doubled up on the storied SEWANEE TIGERS 28-14.

THRASHING THE THRESHERS – The KANSAS WESLEYAN COYOTES took it on the road and decimated the BETHEL (KS) THRESHERS by a score of 68-7.

FEELS LIKE OLD TIMES – The UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS won by the kind of margin they were used to during their years dominating NAIA football. Yesterday they annihilated the SOUTH DAKOTA M&T  HARDROCKERS (love that name) in a 71-0 Homecoming laugher.

IN THE HOME STRETCH – As we head into the final few games of the regular season the KENTUCKY STATE THOROBREDS got back in the win column with a 20-0 manhandling of the TUSKEGEE GOLDEN TIGERS.

BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK – The NEBRASKA WESLEYAN PRAIRIE WOLVES, who authored one of the NAIA’s biggest upsets of the season when they brought down then- number 3 Morningside a while back, got another road victory with a 10-7 win over the CONCORDIA (NE) BULLDOGS. Meanwhile the 21st ranked SOUTHERN NAZARENE CRIMSON STORM added to the misery of the winless TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS 49-7.

“WE’RE NEEDED” – The ASA AVENGERS evened their record at 3-3 by going on the road and taking down the ERIE COLLEGE KATS. The final score in this clash of New York institutions was 23-13.

A TALE OF TWO OREDIGGERS – It was quite a contrast yesterday as the MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS were crushed 41-20 at the MSU- NORTHERN LIGHTS while the COLORADO MINES OREDIGGERS did the crushing, taking down the WESTERN STATE MOUNTAINEERS 48-33.

BAD DAY FOR RUSTLER SAM – Things started out well for the GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE RUSTLERS as they took on the undefeated RIVERSIDE TIGERS juggernaut. The Rustlers actually contained the potent Riverside offense through 1 quarter, but gave up 21 points in the 2nd quarter, leaving the score at  halftime 21-7. The final 30 minutes were virtually all Tigers and the final score was 44-13. The Rustlers fall to 3-4, disappointing New Zealand’s own Jo “Buckshot” Bryant, the Queen of the Rustlers. GWC is Jo’s official team and you can visit her site, Chronicles of Illusion, at http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/  

TAKING THE ADMIRAL’S CUP (Insert your own joke here) – Yesterday the MAINE MARITIME MARINERS and the MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME BUCCANEERS played for the Admiral’s Cup, with the Buccaneers winning in a walk by a score of 34-6.

LIKE A RAISIN IN THE SUN – The TAMK JAVELINAS, where NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green played his college ball when they were known as Texas A&I, continue to see their season of promise turn into a nightmare. Yesterday the Javs lost once again, this time at home to the TARLETON STATE TEXANS in a 41- 34 nailbiter.  

THE ALL-NAME GAME OF THE WEEK – The SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUND BUILDERS held serve with a 40-31 win over the equally cool- named ST MARY SPIRES in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

HOW ‘BOUT THEM DEFENDERS? – The DORDT COLLEGE DEFENDERS at last notched their 2nd victory of the season, doubling up on the DAKOTA STATE TROJANS 40-20. Last week Dakota State had at last ended their epic- length losing streak, but may have started another one with this loss.

MARATHON GAME OF THE WEEK – The ALFRED UNIVERSITY SAXONS, after getting routed by over 60 points last Saturday, dropped their 2nd game in a row. This time the Saxons came out on the losing end of a Double Overtime epic with the FROSTBURG STATE BOBCATS by a missed extra point. The final score was 54-53.

PUT A LITTLE CAPTAIN IN YOU – The CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT CAPTAINS topped the NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN BATTLING BISHOPS (rejected team name: the Pugilistic Popes) by a score of 51-33.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – D3 had so many such games yesterday that I gave them a separate entry below. For the other divisions that Balladeer’s Blog covers:    The MAYVILLE STATE COMETS won a very tight 15-14 contest with the visiting DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS  …   The ST AMBROSE FIGHTING BEES edged the OLIVET NAZARENE TIGERS 17-14 in their own house   …   The NEWPORT NEWS BUILDERS downed the SOUTHERN VIRGINIA KNIGHTS 23-21   …   The home standing SANTA MONICA CORSAIRS defeated the PIERCE BRAHMA BULLS 37- 31   …   The COLLEGE OF THE DESERT ROAD RUNNERS fell to the SANTA ANA DONS (as in Old California Dons, not Mafia Dons) by a score of 31-24  …   The UAM BOLL WEEVILS were defeated by the visiting NORTHEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS in a 47-46 nail-biter and the HENDERSON STATE REDDIES took down the EAST CENTRAL TIGERS in an equally tight 42-41 affair.    

D3 UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – It’s very rare for one division to have so many Instant Classics in one week but here goes: In a very colorful clash the DICKINSON RED DEVILS beat out the MCDANIEL GREEN TERROR by a score of 17-16   …   The COLBY WHITE MULES notched a 13-7 road win over the HAMILTON CONTINENTALS   …   The WORCESTER STATE LANCERS topped the home standing COAST GUARD ACADEMY BEARS 31-30   …   The MARITIME COLLEGE PRIVATEERS meanwhile eked out a 31-29 victory over the MT IDA MUSTANGS   …   The UTICA PIONEERS held on against the ITHACA BOMBERS for a 20-15 victory   …   The ST NORBERT GREEN KNIGHTS won at the GRINNELL PIONEERS 30-28   …   31-28 was the final score as the PUGET SOUND LOGGERS lost to the LEWIS AND CLARK PIONEERS   …   The CMS STAGS defeated the WHITTIER POETS by one point, 31-30   …   The EAU CLAIRE BLUGOLDS (love that name) fell at home 28-24 to the STEVENS POINT POINTERS and the CARLETON KNIGHTS defeated the MACALESTER SCOTS 23- 17 in overtime.