COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 31ST, 2013

No matter what ESPN says, this was the SECOND weekend of college football action. It’s just that they don’t have the contract to broadcast the games in the divisions that kicked off last week.

* NAIA *

CLASH OF RANKED TEAMS – The 16th ranked WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN visited the 9th ranked BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS in the highest profile game of the day. The Statesmen, a perennial power in NAIA football, dominated on both sides of the ball and turned this much-anticipated gridiron clash into a rout. The final score wound up being William Penn 34  Bethel 8.  

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH – The ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS improved to 2-0 yesterday. After defeating Jamestown College back in Week One the Battlin’ Bears took it on the road this weekend and clashed with the number 14 SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS. After an undeniable Instant Classic of a game Rocky Mountain College emerged with a 35-30 victory.

BITTERSWEEET WELCOME – The OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON played their first intercollegiate football game yesterday. The SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS came to town to welcome the Bison to NAIA pigskin competition. The Bison played a very respectable game but in the end the experience of the Moundbuilders enabled them to prevail in this 26-22 game for the ages!

BATTLE FOR THE BRASS LANTERN – The 8th ranked UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS hosted the UNION (KY) BULLDOGS for possession of the Brass Lantern. The Patriots retained this coveted trophy by turning the Bulldogs into their figurative prison brides. It may sound odd for a Union team to lose on Labor Day weekend (rimshot) but Cumberlands crossed Union’s picket lines in a 52-21 laugher.

PLAYING A KNIGHT GAME – (See what I did there?) The 2nd ranked MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS, the defending champions of NAIA football, hosted the KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS yesterday. Marian proved they should be ranked number one (like they are in Balladeer’s Blog’s Top 25) by serving up a 23-0 shutout of Kentucky Christian University.

OTHER TOP 25 RESULTS – The (24) BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS notched a road win by manhandling the BRIAR CLIFF CHARGERS 30-9.   ###   Meanwhile the (21) BELHAVEN COLLEGE BLAZERS welcomed the TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS by outlasting them in a memorable 36-26 clash.   ###   And the (12) CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS proved they are bouncing back from last season’s disappointments by devastating the MENLO COLLEGE OAKS FIFTY-ONE to SEVEN!

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – The BACONE COLLEGE WARRIORS took it on the road and edged the ever-tough MCPHERSON BULLDOGS 37-31.   ###   Meanwhile the visiting MAYVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY COMETS fell to the MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WARRIORS in a 31-27 nailbiter.   ###   And in their football debut the REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES won a moral victory by playing blow-for-blow with the NCAA Division ONE Mercer Bears. The final score in this game that did the NAIA proud was just 40-37. 

NEWBIES STILL IMPRESSING – Some institutions that just started their football programs last year are still proving to be very respectable. The LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY- BELLEVILLE LYNX won a tight 29-23 homestand against the veteran CULVER-STOCKTON WILDCATS.   ###   And the POINT UNIVERSITY SKYHAWKS clobbered their visiting fellow sophomore team the BLUEFIELD COLLEGE RAMBLIN’ RAMS by a score of 57-28. 

BLOWOUTS – The PERU STATE BOBCATS sent the DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY TROJANS home wincing from a 56-21 thrashing.   ###   The TRINITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY TROJANS invaded the den of the TRINITY BIBLE COLLEGE LIONS and skinned them 48-0.   ###   And the FAULKNER EAGLES clawed the eyes out of the visiting WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY WARRIORS by a score of 51-21.

VARYING DEGREES OF BUTT-KICKINGS – The BETHEL COLLEGE (KS) THRESHERS were very ungracious hosts, kicking around the HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY INDIANS to the tune of 41-24.   ###   Meanwhile the hapless AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES fell to the mighty ROBERT MORRIS (IL) EAGLES 34-20.   ###   And the VALLEY CITY STATE VIKINGS kept the homestanding JAMESTOWN COLLEGE JIMMIES winless by pillaging them 31-14.

BATTLE OF HIGHWAY 55 – In the 4th Battle of Highway 55 the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS notched their first win in this hard-fought series between them and the CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS. The visiting Campbellsville squad seemed headed for a 4th victory in a row over the Blue Raiders and led at one point 17-3. After an hours-long weather delay Lindsey Wilson College stormed back, scoring 21 unanswered points for a 24-17 win. 

* NJCAA *

DODGE CITY CONQUEST – The Jayhawk Conference’s DODGE CITY CONQUISTADORS started their 2013 campaign off on a bright note in their homestand against the KILGORE COLLEGE RANGERS from the Southwest Football Conference. The Conquistadors (love that name) put the heartbreak of 2012’s end behind them and charged ahead, managing a 25-14 victory over the storied Kilgore program and giving their fans hope for even better things to come. 

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – The NEW MEXICO MILITARY INSTITUTE BRONCOS bounced back from last week’s loss with a 34-31 triumph over the GLENDALE GAUCHOS.   ###   The EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE GILA MONSTERS welcomed the MESA COLLEGE THUNDERBIRDS but ultimately lost to them in a 26-21 game for the ages!   ###   And the ROCHESTER TECH YELLOW JACKETS held serve to win a 39-34 nailbiter against the NORTHLAND TECH PIONEERS.    

BULLDOGGISH – The GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE BULLDOGS improved to 2-0 by notching a 35-17 road win over the potent SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS, who fall to 1-1.   ###   Meanwhile the NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS, ranked number one in Balladeer’s Blog’s Top 25, slaughtered the 4th ranked perennial football powers the HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS by a score of 41-16.

BLOWN AWAY BY A HURRICANE – The LOUISBURG COLLEGE HURRICANES, fresh off last week’s win over Methodist University, hosted the VIRGINIA BEACH INSTITUTE STALLIONS (also called the Super Stallions). The Stallions ran into hurricane-force winds that blew them off the field in a 41-12 pounding that will leave the Louisburg College faithful smiling for another week.

ALL-NAME GAME OF THE WEEK – Balladeer’s Blog bestows this title this week to the matchup between the SCOTTSDALE FIGHTING ARTICHOKES and the visiting ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS. Last week the Matadors rolled but yesterday they fell to a very game Scottsdale College team. The final score in this memorable Western States League clash was 45-23.

BLOWOUTS – The TYLER COLLEGE APACHES had their way with the visiting FORT SCOTT GREYHOUNDS and sent them home reeling from a 49-26 smackdown.   ###   Meanwhile the IOWA WESTERN REIVERS, the defending champions of NJCAA football, annihilated the IOWA CENTRAL TRITONS by an astounding SIXTY-TWO to TEN!   ###   The NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M GOLDEN NORSEMEN are 2-0 after devastating the visiting HIGHLAND SCOTTIES 47-14.   ###   And the NORTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE WILDCATS blanked the ELLSWORTH PANTHERS by a score of 32-0.

THESE GAMES WERE FOR THE BIRDS – Among teams with bird nicknames the MINNESOTA WEST BLUEJAYS got to beat up on the VERMILION COLLEGE IRONMEN in a 41-7 homestand.   ###   And the COFFEYVILLE RED RAVENS traveled to take on the TRINITY VALLEY COLLEGE CARDINALS yesterday. The Red Ravens actually led 7-0 at one point, but not only did the Cardinals tie the game at 7 all by the end of the 1st Quarter but went on to win easily by a final score of 35-7. Coffeyville could not hold onto the ball.

Helmets courtesy of The Helmet Project.