NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 25TH, 2012

UVA-WISE PLAYS GIANT-KILLER – The NAIA’s UVA-WISE HIGHLAND CAVALIERS pulled off the upset of opening week yesterday! The unranked Highland Cavs took it on the road against the 11th- ranked BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS and, fighting with characteristic highland intensity, came out on top in the end! UVA-Wise brought the Wildcats crashing down in overtime by a score of 24-21 in this undisputed Instant Classic.

OTHER TOP 25 UPSETS – The number 11 spot was a dangerous place to be yesterday, as both teams tied for 11th in the rankings took a fall. In the 3rd edition of the Rivalry Renewed series between the OTTAWA (KS) BRAVES and the BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS the number 11 Braves were upset at home by the 18th-ranked Wildcats in a bruising 27-20 epic. This puts Baker up 2 games to 1 since this series resumed in 2010.

MARATHON IN MICHIGAN – In the lengthiest game of Week One the SIENA HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY SAINTS (helmet at left) outlasted the visiting ROBERT MORRIS (IL) EAGLES.

It took double-overtime to accomplish it, but the Saints started the 2012 football season in the win column by a final score of 26-19. The Eagles travel to Michigan next week, too, to take on the OLIVET COMETS.

MAIM CANADA – The MENLO OAKS extended their hands across the border to our neighbors to the north … and delivered a 28-13 smackdown to the BRITISH COLUMBIA THUNDERBIRDS.

The T-Birds are among the Canadian college teams who compete in American divisions, in this case the NAIA. (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

WELCOME BACK – Yesterday the BLUEFIELD COLLEGE RAMBLIN’ RAMS (helmet at left) played their 1st intercollegiate football game since 1941.

The home crowd was pleased to see the return of football but was no doubt disappointed in the result. Bluefield fell to the PIKEVILLE UNIVERSITY BEARS by a score of 42-28. The Ramblin’ Rams were trading score for score for a while in the game, which was tied at 21-21 for a time before Pikeville pulled away.

BALLADEER’S BLOG’S LAW OF COOLER HELMETS – Once again we see that this blog’s Law of Cooler Helmets is correct.

The BACONE WARRIORS (helmet at left) have kept their cool helmets for years, and yesterday they defeated the visiting TABOR COLLEGE BLUE JAYS, who eschewed their cooler helmets featuring a Blue Jay logo for plain gold helmets. The result was a 25-20 victory for Bacone. When will teams learn that cooler helmets = success? (I’m kidding )

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – The PERU STATE BOBCATS (helmet at left), one of the Peruvian teams that play in American divisions (I’m just joking! They’re from Peru, NE) took it on the road yesterday and defeated the DAKOTA STATE TROJANS 35-27. ### The KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS won a back and forth clash with the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS by a score of 27-20 in Overtime. ### And the visiting BENEDICTINE RAVENS topped the CONCORDIA (NE) BULLDOGS 45-37.

LET’S TALK JAYHAWK – In the NJCAA’s Jayhawk Conference various teams kicked off the year against conference opponents. The HUTCHINSON BLUE DRAGONS (helmet at left) scorched the feathers off the COFFEYVILLE RED RAVENS to the tune of 58-26. ### The BUTLER (KS) GRIZZLIES tore apart the DODGE CITY COLLEGE CONQUISTADORS by an astonishing 72-12. ### The FORT SCOTT GREYHOUNDS and the HIGHLAND SCOTTIES played the tamest game in the Jayhawk Conference, with the Greyhounds winning 20-7.

SOMETIMES COOLER HELMETS LOSE – The MESABI TECH NORSE have cooler helmets than their Minnesota College Athletic Conference rivals the RIDGEWATER WARRIORS, but came out on the losing side yesterday.

The Warriors and their plain grey helmets won out by a score of 21-12 in a very entertaining gridiron matchup. Fans of the Norse and the Warriors expect no less from these teams.

IT WASN’T EVEN CLOSE – The (6) ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS lead off this category today. They routed the TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS in their own house 46-10.

Other games in this mold saw the (14) WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN trash the homestanding IOWA WESLEYAN TIGERS 39-14, the EDWARD WATERS TIGERS maul the POINT UNIVERSITY SKYHAWKS 66-34, the TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS whack the TRINITY BIBLE COLLEGE LIONS 59-15, the (7) ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS crush the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS 44-14 and the ROCHESTER TECH YELLOW JACKETS eviscerate the VERMILION COLLEGE IRONMEN (love that name) by a score of 68-8.

“PITCHING SHUTOUTS” – The (3) MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS went on the road and beat the OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS 35-0. The Knights made it all the way to the semifinals last season and are looking to continue being a force to be reckoned with. ### The COLLEGE OF DUPAGE CHAPARRALS blanked the ERIE KATS 30-0 ### The IOWA WESTERN REIVERS dismembered the APU- COLE JAGUARS 77-0 ### … and the NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS took down the ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE BUFFALOES by a score of 40-0.

SCORE, CHILDREN, SCORE – The EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE GILA MONSTERS really lit up the scoreboard yesterday, rending the GLENDALE COLLEGE GAUCHOS 49-27.

And, yes, since all roads lead to bad movies with me the title of this segment is indeed a reference to the song Laugh, Children, Laugh in the cinematic turkey The Giant Gila Monster.

******** SUNDAY ADDENDUM FOR AUGUST 26TH ********

BRONCBUSTERS WIN SHOOTOUT – In Sunday’s only college football game the Jayhawk Conference’s GARDEN CITY COLLEGE BRONCBUSTERS took on the INDEPENDENCE PIRATES .

Both offenses were humming along but in the end the final result was a 56-49 victory for the Broncbusters. Always good to start the season with a win in league play.

Helmets courtesy of the Helmet Project.