NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 29TH

 SOUTHERN NAZARENE RULES THE WORLD – The NAIA’s 20th ranked SOUTHERN NAZARENE  UNIVERSITY CRIMSON STORM embraced the tradition of beating up on teams from supposedly higher divisions yesterday by taking it on the road and pummeling NCAA Division 2’s PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES 28-7. The Crimson Storm (love that name) improves to 7-2 for the year. Every week this season at least one NAIA team has defeated a team from D2 as well as taking down multiple teams from NCAA Division 3.

NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – In a collision of SCFA titans the top- ranked SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS fell on the road to the defending champs, the MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES in a magnificent 38-34 gridiron masterpiece. The Mounties were themselves ranked number one earlier in the season before falling to the RIVERSIDE TIGERS, who look to move up from number 2 now that the Gauchos have fallen.  

NUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – D2’s 3rd ranked BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES were stunned at home by the unranked C.W. POST PIONEERS. The final score was 24-21 in this game where Post proved they can indeed close out a big game after all. Congratulations to the Pioneers for persevering and notching the kind of signature win their program has been looking for for some time now. 

NUMBER ONE SURVIVES A SCARE … AGAIN – For the 2nd week in a row the NJCAA’s top- ranked BLINN BUCCANEERS, where Cam Newton played his college ball before transferring to Auburn, had to survive a very tight game. The Bucs were on the road against the CISCO COLLEGE WRANGLERS who gave the number 1 team almost more than they could handle in a 39-37 Instant Classic.

OREDIGGERS KICK BEAR BUTT IN BUTTE – As Balladeer’s Blog noted yesterday, the number 24 ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS from the NAIA have been up and down all season to the point where you never know which team will show up. Yesterday they wore their Mr Hyde faces for Halloween, and the homestanding MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS trounced RMC by a score of 34-14. This was just the 2nd victory of the year for the struggling Orediggers who improve to 2-7.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – In addition to RMC falling the 9th ranked ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS suffered a road loss to the unranked GRAND VIEW VIKINGS in a 24-21 Instant Classic   …   And the HASTINGS  BRONCOS brought down the number 17 DOANE TIGERS in a very tight 19-17 affair.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 3 – The 15th ranked OSHKOSH  TITANS were upset by the visiting LA CROSSE EAGLES in Overtime by a score of 30-24. This was the only upset in the rankings for D3 yesterday.            

TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 2 – In addition to the number 3 team falling, the 6th ranked defending champions, the MINNESOTA- DULUTH  BULLDOGS were taken down by the ST CLOUD STATE HUSKIES in a 35-7 spanking   …   The 10th ranked WAYNE STATE WARRIORS lost at home to the unranked SAGINAW VALLEY CARDINALS 28- 20 and the WEST GEORGIA WOLVES took it on the road and defeated the number 14 VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS in 23-20 game for the ages.     

COACH BIESIOT MOVES ONE WIN CLOSER – DICKSINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS head coach Hank Biesiot, the Joe Paterno of NAIA college football, moved one step closer to the all- time wins record with yesterday’s rout of the visiting JAMESTOWN COLLEGE JIMMIES by a score of 30-7. Coach Beez now needs just two more wins to move into the top spot, and one to tie Frosty Westering.  

PLAYOFFS? YOU’RE TALKING PLAYOFFS? – The number 15 HUTCHINSON BLUE DRAGONS scorched the 17th ranked COFFEYVILLE RED RAVENS in their own house by a score of 42-17. Now the two teams get to play each other again next week in the opening round of post -season play in the NJCAA.  

PRAIRIE WOLVES TRIUMPHANT – The NAIA’s NEBRASKA  WESLEYAN  UNIVERSITY PRAIRIE WOLVES have been experiencing a football resurgence since the final few games of the 2010 season. Earlier in this 2011 season they upset the then- number 3 Morningside team in their own house. Now the Prairie Wolves improved to 5-3 by dismembering the visiting BRIAR CLIFF CHARGERS 52-7.

PLAYOFF BOUND?- The NORTHEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS have been silencing the critics week after week and with yesterday’s 42- 13 win over the SW OKLAHOMA BULLDOGS improved to 6-3 on the season. But will this October rally carry over into November? And now that the Riverhawks  compete as an independent will the D2 selection committee give them their due when setting the playoff field?

NINE IS THE NEW LONELIEST NUMBER – The NAIA’s top ranked ST XAVIER  COUGARS, coached by the venerable Mike Feminis, improved to 9-0 by decimating the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS in a 63-3 laugher. With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 0-9, but to keep it in perspective, they are still in their very first year of playing intercollegiate football.

FIRST HYLININGSFEST AND NOW THIS … – It’s bad enough that the combined Hyliningsfest/ Homecoming celebration for the 18th ranked BETHANY SWEDES was ruined by a loss a few weeks ago, but yesterday Senior Day was rained on for the Swedes by the visiting number 14 team, the OTTAWA (KS) BRAVES by a score of 30-17.

ROBERT MORRIS GETS A SHUTOUT – The ROBERT MORRIS (IL) EAGLES are in just their 1st year of intercollegiate football but already have recorded their program’s 4th victory. The Eagles clawed the eyes out of the HASKELL  INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY INDIANS 40- 0, so here’s a shoutout for their shutout.

BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE … The AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES are also in just their 1st year of playing intercollegiate football but have yet to notch win number one. The WEBBER INTERNATIONAL WARRIORS were the latest team to kick the Gyrenes around in their own house, walking away with a 34-3 win.

WHY AREN’T THESE GUYS RANKED? – Keeping with the theme of relative newcomers to the gridiron the NAIA’s LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS are in only their 2nd year of intercollegiate competition but are boasting an impressive 6-2 record. The Blue Raiders improved to that record with yesterday’s 10-6 road win over the WEST VIRGINIA TECH GOLDEN BEARS. And what about the CENTRE COLONELS? They remain unbeaten  by logging a 24-22 road win over the MILLSAPS MAJORS but have yet to crack the D3 Top 25 this season. As Pete Carroll would ask the pollsters, “What’s your deal?” 

RUSTLER SAM SMILES AGAIN – The GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE RUSTLERS, the official team of Jo “Buckshot” Bryant and her blog Chronicles of Illusion, got back in the win column yesterday, roping and branding the visiting SOUTHWESTERN (CA) JAGUARS 35- 10. The Rustlers evened their record at 4-4 with this home stand.  

BULLDOG ON BULLDOG VIOLENCE – The NAIA’s CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS, ranked at number 15, got off to a big lead yesterday but struggled to hold on at the end against the UNION (KY) BULLDOGS. Cumberland emerged with a 43- 35 win.  

STAYIN’ ALIVE – The 25th ranked EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS avoided being knocked out of the rankings completely with a manhandling of the visiting MSU- NORTHERN LIGHTS by a score of 41- 14.

MARATHON GAME OF THE WEEK –  The TAMK JAVELINAS, where NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green played his college ball when they were Texas A&I, won in Triple Overtime, downing the ANGELO STATE RAMS by a score of 36-33.

FORESTERS EXTINGUISH THE PRAIRIE FIRE – In Midwest Conference action the LAKE FOREST FORESTERS took it on the road and defeated the KNOX PRAIRIE FIRE in a very memorable 31-27 gridiron battle.

WHO GOT TO BEAT THE CLAN THIS WEEK? – The SIMON FRASER CLAN (as in Scottish clan), one of the Canadian teams that competes in American football, got manhandled by the 25th ranked HUMBOLDT STATE LUMBERJACKS 42-10 in the Jacks’ beautiul stadium, the Redwood Bowl.  

OLYMPIANS SMITE THE WOLVERINES – The SAN DIEGO MESA OLYMPIANS defended their home field in style with an authoritative 21-10 win over the SAN BERNARDINO WOLVERINES.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – The ST MARY SPIRES defeated the visiting MCPHERSON BULLDOGS in a 34- 31 game for the ages   …   The KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS fell to the CAMPBELLSVILLE  TIGERS by a score of 24-21   …   The UNC- PEMBROKE BRAVES logged a road win over the NEWBERRY  WOLVES 23-20   …   The WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS fell to the GROVE CITY WOLVERINES 24-21   …   The UAM BOLL WEEVILS squeaked by the SE OKLAHOMA SAVAGE STORM 24- 20 in Great American Conference action   …   The OUACHITA BAPTIST  TIGERS downed the HARDING BISONS (they go by Bisons, not Bison) in another GAC game by a score of 31-27   …   The WILLIAMS EPHS outlasted the HAMILTON CONTINENTALS by a score of 14-7   …   The IOWA WESTERN REIVERS edged the ELLSWORTH PANTHERS 27-26   …   The WHITWORTH PIRATES won in Double Overtime against the WILLAMETTE BEARCATS 25-24 when the ‘ cats missed an extra point   …   The traveling COLORADO MESA MAVERICKS defeated the WESTERN STATE MOUNTAINEERS 23-20 and the KALAMAZOO HORNETS won out over the ALMA SCOTS 30- 23.            

THROWING SHUTOUTS – Other teams whose defense got a perfect game yesterday: The NAIA’s 13th ranked ST AMBROSE FIGHTING BEES stung the visiting WALDORF WARRIORS 59-0   …   The number 22 NORTHWESTERN (IA) RED RAIDERS put up 34 against the scoreless DAKOTA WESLEYAN  TIGERS, who came into the game ranked 23rd   …   The 6th ranked MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS annihilated the hapless DORDT DEFENDERS to the tune of 70- 0   …   The number 7 MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS took it on the road and won a much closer 13-0 matchup with the PERU STATE BOBCATS   …   The FRIENDS FALCONS downed the STERLING KNIGHTS 19-0.