NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2012

HISTORY ON HOLD – The 20th- ranked ST AMBROSE UNIVERSITY FIGHTING BEES were on the road against the (6) ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS, whose Head Coach Kevin Donley was going for the all-time NAIA wins record.

Donley will stay tied with Hank Biesiot and Frosty Westering at 255 wins for at least one more week. The Fighting Bees (love that name) out of Davenport, IA walked away with the victory in this 15-14 Instant Classic.

NUMBER TWO TAKES A FALL! – The unranked MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS (helmet at left) shocked the nation yesterday by rising up to defeat the 2nd ranked CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS!

And this was no flukish, last- minute, hold on by the seat of their pants upset, either! The Orediggers (love that name, too) won this victory over the NAIA’s most famous football dynasty by an impressive 37-20.

LENOIR- RHYNE RULES THE WORLD – The LENOIR- RHYNE UNIVERSITY BEARS (helmet at left) upset the DIVISION ONE team the DAVIDSON WILDCATS.

The Bears logged their first win of the 2012 season in this milestone home stand. They mauled the Wildcats and toyed with them at will in this 20-2 rout that the Lenoir- Rhyne faithful will be boasting about for some time to come.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The 9th- ranked MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS (helmet at left) upset the (5) MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS in their own house in a commanding 41-7 butt-kicking.  ###  The unranked KANSAS WESLEYAN COYOTES brought down the visiting number 11 team, the OTTAWA (KS) UNIVERSITY BRAVES in a 31-28 Instant Classic.  ###  The BACONE WARRIORS improved to 2-1 with a 19-0 road win over the (22) LANGSTON LIONS.  ###  … and the ever-tough MCPHERSON BULLDOGS brought down the 24th- ranked BETHANY COLLEGE SWEDES 14-0.

TOP 25 UPSETS – D2 – The CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES stunned perennial D2 football powers the (3) NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS by a score of 31-21.  ###  The TARLETON STATE TEXANS toppled the number 5 MIDWESTERN STATE MUSTANGS in a 20-17 game for the ages.  ###  The 23rd- ranked TAMK JAVELINAS (where NFL Hall of Famer Darrel Green played his college ball) notched a road upset over the number 9 ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS.  ###  The ASHLAND EAGLES brought down the 16th ranked WAYNE STATE WARRIORS, who made it to last year’s championship game, by a score of 7-0.  ###  … and the unranked HARDING BISONS (they go by Bisons, not Bison) dismembered the (18) NORTH ALABAMA LIONS 31-10.

TOP 25 UPSETS – D3 – The perfidious ALBION BRITONS (my fellow Napoleonic Wars geeks will get it) narrowly brought down the 10th- ranked WHEATON THUNDER in a 22-21 gridiron epic.  ###  … and the LYCOMING WARRIORS took it on the road and laid low the overhyped (22) DELAWARE VALLEY AGGIES 24-14 in their own house. Balladeer’s Blog had warned that Del Val was ranked far too high in the preseason and after getting upset on back-to- back weeks are 0-2.

ASA AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! – Live from New York, the ASA COLLEGE AVENGERS, fresh off their victory over the ALBRIGHT LIONS last weekend, faced the HUDSON VALLEY VIKINGS.

The Avengers kicked butt and took names, grinding up the Vikings into a fine powder in this 40-0 victory. I still want to see the Avengers take on the DORDT COLLEGE DEFENDERS in the Evil Eye Bowl.

WHAT A BUNCH OF CHOWDERHEADS – Friday night the 5th Annual Chowder Bowl was played between the MARITIME COLLEGE PRIVATEERS (helmet at left) and the MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME BUCCANEERS.

The Privateers emerged with a 20-14 win in this game for the ages, paving the way for their usual post-win ritual of breaking a two by four in half to mark the occassion.

MARATHON GAME OF THE WEEK – For Week Three of the 2012 college football season this designation goes to the clash between the KALAMAZOO HORNETS and the MANCHESTER SPARTANS.

It took a bone-tiring FOUR OVERTIMES, but at long last the weary Hornets stung the Spartans and notched a win. Despite the marathon length the score was an astonishingly low 18-16.

OUR DIVISION CAN BEAT UP YOUR DIVISION – As always Balladeer’s Blog chronicles the intense gridiron rivalry between the NAIA and NCAA Division 3. This week the NAIA doubled up on the NCAA with 6 victories to their 3. The NAIA victories over D3 were: The WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN trashed the LUTHER NORSE 31-9.  ###  The MENLO OAKS utterly destroyed the POMONA- PITZER SAGEHENS in their own house 41-13.  ### 

The NAIA’s SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS defeated the NC WESLEYAN BATTLING BISHOPS 24-14.  ###  The SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD LIONS notched a road win over the D3 HOWARD PAYNE YELLOW JACKETS 27-17.  ###  The NAIA’s WALDORF WARRIORS beat up on the PRESENTATION SAINTS 47-29.  ###  … and the TRINITY BIBLE COLLEGE LIONS topped the MARANATHA BAPTIST CRUSADERS 31-20.

The NCAA victories over the NAIA were: The MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE CHOCTAWS over the WEBBER INTERNATIONAL WARRIORS 31-24.  ###  The LOUISIANA COLLEGE WILDCATS defeated the BELHAVEN BLAZERS 24-13.  ###  … and the UW-STOUT BLUE DEVILS pitchforked North Dakota’s visiting JAMESTOWN COLLEGE JIMMIES 31-0.

THE BATTLE IN THE VALLEY – The 2012 edition of this gridiron classic was played yesterday.

The IOWA WESTERN REIVERS (helmet at left) went into Trinity Valley, TX ready to make a statement. They accomplished that mission with a flourish, routing the TRINITY VALLEY COLLEGE CARDINALS by a score of 44-20. The Reivers did their new helmets proud! (I’m kidding.)

WE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME BUT A BASEBALL GAME BROKE OUT – The NAIA’s MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WARRIORS hosted the NEBRASKA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY PRAIRIE WOLVES and won the 7-3 defensive struggle. 

The only other game that came close to fitting this category this week was the CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY CAMELS 10-0 victory over the visiting UVA- WISE HIGHLAND CAVALIERS.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – NAIA – The TABOR COLLEGE BLUE JAYS (helmet at left) defeated the STERLING WARRIORS in a 12-7 battle of bruising defenses.  ###  The MSU- NORTHERN LIGHTS fell to the EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS 17-14.  ###  The (15) GRAND VIEW VIKINGS had their hands full on the road but beat the OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS 14-6.  ###  The CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY EAGLES brought down the home standing AVILA EAGLES in a 28-20 masterpiece.  ###  The UNION (KY) BULLDOGS won a 14-13 donnybrook at the CAMPBELLSVILE TIGERS.  ###  … and the DAKOTA WESLEYAN TIGERS traveled to beat the CONCORDIA (NE) BULLDOGS 26-23.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – D2 – The URBANA BLUE KNIGHTS, formerly of the NAIA where they know how to play football, notched a tight 34-31 win over the SETON HILL GRIFFINS.  ###  The WEST LIBERTY HILLTOPPERS won a road clash against the VIRGINIA STATE TROJANS by a score of 14-13.  ###  The NEWBERRY WOLVES defeated the SHORTER UNIVERSITY HAWKS 17-14.  ###  The NORTHEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS fell on the road to the MISSOURI SOUTHERN LIONS in a memorable 27-21 affair.  ###  … and the CLARK ATLANTA PANTHERS bested the home standing LANE DRAGONS  20-17. 

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – D3 – Quentin Tarantino’s favorite team, the LAKE FOREST FORESTERS (helmet at left), defeated the LAWRENCE VIKINGS in a 20-16 game for the ages.  ###  The CONCORDIA (Chicago) COUGARS won an epic tussle on the road against the CHICAGO MAROONS  27-26.  ###  The WHITTIER POETS fell at home to the WHITWORTH PIRATES by a score of 47-42.  ###  … and the EAU CLAIRE BLUGOLDS likewise fell in their own house to the ST JOHN’S JOHNNIES  31-28.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – NJCAA – The SCOTTSDALE FIGHTING ARTICHOKES took it on the road and won a 24-20 nailbiter against the MESA THUNDERBIRDS.  ###  The KILGORE COLLEGE RANGERS played road warriors and brought down the TYLER APACHES by a score of 38-30.  ###  The VERMILION COLLEGE IRONMEN just can’t catch a break! Their latest heartbreaking loss came at the hands of the MINNESOTA TECH SPARTANS  27-26.  ###  The COFFEYVILLE RED RAVENS edged the AFP CADETS 29-23 on the road.  ###  The COLLEGE OF DUPAGE CHAPARRALS took down the visiting IOWA CENTRAL TRITONS by a score of 35-28  ###  … and the LOUISBURG COLLEGE HURRICANES defeated the FORK UNION MILITARY ACADEMY BLUE DEVILS 23-18.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – CCCAA – The CONTRA COSTA COMETS withstood an invasion by the DE ANZA COLLEGE DONS in a 13-10 defensive epic.  ###  The SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE VAQUEROS fell on the road to the EAST LOS ANGELES HUSKIES in a 28-27 heartbreaker.  ###  … and the LOS MEDANOS MUSTANGS edged the CABRILLO SEAHAWKS 35-33 in their own house.

TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS – The NAIA’s top-ranked defending champions, the ST XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS remained undefeated with a 31-3 thrashing of the 7th- ranked ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS.

Meanwhile, the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS (2011 semifinalists) safeguarded their number 3 ranking with a similar 31-3 rout on the road against the SIENA HEIGHTS SAINTS.

YOU SAY CUMBERLANDS, I SAY CUMBERLAND – The UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS (helmet at left) went on the road yesterday against their rivals, the CUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS.

The Patriots came in ranked number 19 with the Bulldogs ranked 22nd. That was much closer than the score as it turned out. The Pats eviscerated the Bulldogs 55-13.

ALL-NAME GAMES – The SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS  (helmet at left) defeated the BETHEL (KS) THRESHERS  27-13.  ###  The ST NORBERT COLLEGE GREEN KNIGHTS beat the visiting KNOX PRAIRIE FIRE  31-20.  ### The MOUNT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES crushed the BAKERSFIELD RENEGADES by a score of 34-14.  ###  … and the EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE GILA MONSTERS devoured the EAST VALLEY RAVENS  27-7.

RECORD DAY FOR THE BLUE DRAGONS – The HUTCHINSON BLUE DRAGONS went on the road against the GARDEN CITY BRONCBUSTERS and not only came away with a 63-49 win, but rewrote the record books, too.

The Blue Dragons program gained a record 716 yards of total offense, QB Luke Barnes tied a school record with 6 touchdown passes and RB Terrell Lane set a new program record with 308 rushing yards.

S.A.M. – SERVICE ACADEMY MANIA – The game doesn’t get the amount of attention that Army vs Navy gets, but the annual gridiron contest between the MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY MARINERS and the COAST GUARD ACADEMY BEARS means every bit as much to the men and women in those respective services. The two teams usually play a tight contest and this year’s edition was no exception. Yesterday the Mariners went on the road and beat the Bears by a score of 43-37.

ALL BAD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END – The KENYON COLLEGE LORDS came into the weekend nursing a 24 game losing streak. Their opponents were the EARLHAM QUAKERS, who came in sporting a 21 game losing streak of their own.

The Lords were a-leaping by the end of the game as they manhandled the Quakers to the tune of 31-14. Congrats on the end of this nasty streak, but isn’t there some kind of karmic punishment for manhandling Quakers?

Helmets courtesy of the Helmet Project.