COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2013

SIENA HEIGHTS RULES THE WORLD – Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are aware that at LEAST one NAIA football team upsets a team from higher divisions every single week of the season. Yesterday the SIENA HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY SAINTS took it on the road against NCAA Division TWO’s SAINT JOSEPH’S COLLEGE PUMAS. The Saints schooled yet another NCAA team on how well they play football in the NAIA by defeating them in a 35-31 Instant Classic. SHU trailed 17-14 at the half, then led 21-17 for a time before repeated lead changes set in.

LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE ALSO RULES THE WORLD – The NAIA’s (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS also upset an NCAA Division TWO team yesterday. The Blue Raiders were on the road against D2’s KENTUCKY WESLEYAN COLLEGE PANTHERS. Lindsey Wilson improved to 3-0 on the season with an authoritative 39-20 victory.

NORTH GREENVILLE WANTS IN ON SOME OF THIS ACTION, TOO – NCAA Division 2’s NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS did some world-ruling of their own yesterday. They had traveled to face NCAA Division ONE’s Virginia Military Institute Keydets (yes, Keydets) and in a very impressive display of gridiron oomph they upset VMI by a final score of 37-24.

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY REDUCES GRAMBLING TO PAPER TIGERS – Another NCAA Division 2 team, the LINCOLN (MO) UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS, upset a Division One team. The Blue Tigers welcomed the Grambling State Tigers, fresh off of firing their coach Doug Williams. Lincoln took the storied Grambling program down a few pegs with a convincing 47-34 upset win.

LENOIR-RHYNE ALSO DECIDED TO RULE THE WORLD – D2’s LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY BEARS notched a road win of their own over an NCAA Division One team. The Bears were at the Davidson College WIldcats yesterday and nearly doubled-up on the higher division team offensively. When all was said and done Lenoir-Rhyne had emerged with an impressive 34-18 triumph.

I GUESS YOU CAN CALL IT A “JEWEL” OF AN UPSET – And yet ANOTHER D2 team upset a D1 team in yesterday’s action. The WILLIAM JEWELL COLLEGE CARDINALS were on the road against the Division One Valparaiso University Crusaders. This was a very intense and dramatic game with the ultimate result being a victory for the Cardinals by a final score of 36-34.

DANGEROUSLY CLOSE! – The NAIA’s SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS came dangerously close to pulling off a road upset of Division ONE’s Sacramento State University Hornets! This game was an offensive shootout and at the end of regulation the score was knotted up at 56 points apiece. In the Overtime session the Hornets put up 7 points then shut out the Raiders for a 63-56 OT win.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The 18th ranked OTTAWA UNIVERSITY (KS) BRAVES played host to the number 2 team in the nation, the MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS, and summarily dispatched them by a score of 20-6 ### The number 12 CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS showed they should NEVER have been ranked in the double-digits after one bad season and hammered the visiting 7th ranked MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS 20-7.

Meanwhile the (17) TABOR COLLEGE BLUE JAYS toppled the (10) MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS in a 21-13 Instant Classic ### The number 13 NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE (IA) RED RAIDERS fell at the 20th ranked DOANE TIGERS in a 34-27 nailbiter ### And the KANSAS WESLEYAN COYOTES upset the (22) EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS 38-28.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION TWO – The unranked TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY TEXANS played road warriors against the number 12 MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS, stunning them 27-24 in an undeniable game for the ages. ### And the WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY WARRIORS welcomed the 19th ranked ASHLAND UNIVERSITY EAGLES and sent them home reeling from a 34-22 upset.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION THREE – Believe it or not there was only ONE upset in the D3 rankings yesterday. The number 21 ELMHURST COLLEGE BLUEJAYS were on the road against the unranked TRINE UNIVERSITY THUNDER. Despite an early lead the Bluejays soon learned the Thunder was more than a match for them. The final score in this upset was Thunder 16 Bluejays 7.

ONE HUNDRED VICTORIES FOR STEVE RYAN – The NAIA’s top-ranked MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS are 2-0 on the season and yesterday’s 48-10 skinning of the NEBRASKA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY PRAIRIE WOLVES provided victory number 100 for Head Coach Steve Ryan! Ryan and his team are going for a threepeat of Great Plains Athletic Conference titles plus hoping for a return to the national championship game. The Mustangs were 2012’s runners-up and are hoping to win the title this year!

RIVALRY RENEWED – After far too many years the UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS and the NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY WOLVES at last resumed their magnificent football rivalry. In the opening salvo of this rejoined gridiron war the Cougars walked away with the bragging rights, logging a 45-37 victory over the visiting Northern State program.

MILESTONE WIN FOR REINHARDT – The REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES are in their very first year of playing intercollegiate football. Some teams can go for multiple seasons before notching their program’s inaugural victory but Reinhardt did it in just their third game! The Eagles were on the home turf of the KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS and managed a nerve-wracking 19-14 win over KCU. Congratulations Reinhardt on this historical day for your football program! Both teams now sport records of 1-2.

OVERTIME THRILLER IN KANSAS – The HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS were on the road against confence rivals the DODGE CITY COLLEGE CONQUISTADORS. The Conquistadors seemed primed for an upset and led 14-6 after 1 Quarter and 20-13 by halftime. In the 3rd Quarter the Blue Dragons seized a 27-20 lead but by the end of regulation the game was knotted up at 34 apiece. Dodge City kept Hutch scoreless in OT then put up a touchdown for a signature 40-34 win over the storied Blue Dragons! The Conquistadors are now 3-1 for the season!

THREE AND O VIA BLOWOUTS – The (8) UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS improved to 3-0 with an impressive 41-17 dismantling of the homestanding BELHAVEN COLLEGE BLAZERS. ### And the FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES likewise made 3-0 their record with a road blowout. Theirs came by a score of 59-20 over the hapless UNION (KY) BULLDOGS.

AND SPEAKING OF THREE AND O … – What do the ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY (IL) EAGLES have to do to get more love? Though still comparative newcomers to intercollegiate football they have been very, very impressive each season. So far in 2013 they are at 3-0. The OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS came calling yesterday and lost to the RMC Eagles in a 14-7 gridiron epic.

NO ROBERT DOWNEY, JR – NO PROBLEM! – The VERMILION COLLEGE IRONMEN have had a rough time of late but yesterday they took it on the road to face the MINNESOTA TECH SPARTANS. This was a game dominated by the road team and the Vermilion faithful went home very satisified in the end. The Ironmen came out on top in this gridiron clash by a final score of 22-7.

BORDER SKIRMISH – Colleges from Mexico and Canada participate in the athletic divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog. Yesterday the TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE JAVELINAS played host to Mexico’s MONTERREY TECH BORREGOS SALVAJES (Wild Rams). The Javelinas saw their early lead evaporate but held firm and wound up winning this Instant Classic in DOUBLE OVERTIME by a final score of 40-37.

WILD SHOOTOUT IN ARIZONA – The SCOTTSDALE COLLEGE FIGHTING ARTICHOKES (no, seriously) were on the road against the MESA COLLEGE THUNDERBIRDS yesterday. In this battle of wild offenses and wildly nicknamed teams the Fighting Artichokes struck a blow for Vegans everywhere around the world by coming out on top in this memorable 58-55 orgy of scoring.

MAD MAX: BEYOND DAKOTADOME – No Tina Turner, no Mel Gibson, no problem! Yesterday’s football game at the Dakotadome wound up being a VERY one-sided bloodbath of an affair. The DAKOTA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY TIGERS folded, spindled and mutilated the BRIAR CLIFF UNIVERSITY CHARGERS. The final score in this gridiron laugher was an unbelievable FIFTY-SIX to FIFTEEN!

FORTY-EIGHT TO SEVENTEEN DEPARTMENT – The GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE RUSTLERS welcomed the LOS ANGELES HARBOR COLLEGE SEAHAWKS. They roped and branded the Seahawks by a score of 48-17. ### And in another game decided by this odd score the SHASTA COLLEGE KNIGHTS took it on the road and notched a 48-17 victory over the GAVILLAN COLLEGE RAMS.

S.A.M. – SERVICE ACADEMY MANIA – The 2013 edition of the gridiron clash between the MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY MARINERS and the UNITED STATES COAST GUARD ACADEMY BEARS was played yesterday. As usual the action was intense and unrelenting for all 4 quarters with both teams deserving to win. The homestanding Mariners logged the “w” by a final score of 27-20.

OUR DIVISION CAN BEAT UP YOUR DIVISION – Balladeer’s Blog covers the intense gridiron rivalry between NAIA teams and NCAA Division 3. NAIA teams often beat Division Two and Division One teams so that always gives the NAIA the edge.

NAIA OVER D3 – The NAIA’s CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS defeated D3’s ALFRED STATE PIONEERS 35-21. ### The MENLO COLLEGE OAKS (NAIA) trounced the POMONA PITZER SAGEHENS (D3) 35-6. ### The BACONE WARRIORS (NAIA) keelhauled the SOUTHWESTERN PIRATES (D3) 32-14. ### And the TRINITY BIBLE COLLEGE LIONS devoured D3’s MARANATHA BAPTIST CRUSADERS 38-20.

D3 OVER NAIA – D3’s 10th ranked UW-OSHKOSH TITANS defeated the NAIA’s MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS 34-13. ### The LOUISIANA COLLEGE WILDCATS (D3) eked out a 16-12 home win over the WEBBER INTERNATIONAL WARRIORS (NAIA). ### The UW-STOUT BLUE DEVILS (D3) edged the JAMESTOWN COLLEGE JIMMIES (NAIA) 13-7. ### And the HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERSITY YELLOW JACKETS (D3) won a 41-27 game against the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD LIONS.

THE WILD, WILD WEST – Two of yesterday’s wildest and most thrilling games took place way out west. The KILGORE COLLEGE RANGERS played host to the TRINITY VALLEY COLLEGE CARDINALS and came out on top 24-19 in a topsy-turvy contest. ### And the PIMA AZTECS played an equally savage free-for- all with the visiting SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS before pulling away for a 21-14 win.

WORKING OVERTIME – NAIA – As it turned out yesterday there was only one game in all of the NAIA that went into Overtime. That game involved the clash between the UNIVERSITY OF PIKEVILLE BEARS and the homestanding EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE TIGERS. At the end of regulation the score was tied up at 41-41. In the Overtime session the Bears held the Tigers scoreless, then put up a touchdown on their possession for the 47-41 win.

WORKING OVERTIME – NCAA D2 – The MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY BEAVERS welcomed the AUGUSTANA (SD) VIKINGS and defeated them in Overtime by a score of 23-17. ### … And the UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS fell on the road to the Division One Jacksonville State University Gamecocks in Double Overtime. The final score was Gamecocks 24 Lions 21.

WORKING OVERTIME – NCAA D3 – The CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS STAGS went into Overtime with the homestanding LEWIS & CLARK PIONEERS before emerging with a 31-28 victory. ### Meanwhile the SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS likewise logged a road win in OT by defeating the NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN BATTLING BISHOPS 24-21. ### And it took Double Overtime before the WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (MO) BEARS prevailed against the visiting RHODES LYNX by a score of 10-7.

ROAD WARRIORS – The ELLSWORTH COLLEGE PANTHERS travled to face the ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE BUFFALOES and came out on the winning side of a 29-26 Battle Royal. ### Meanwhile on the other hand the LOUISBURG COLLEGE HURRICANES won a more lopsided road game against the GRAY MILITARY ACADEMY WAR EAGLES by a final score of 30-16.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – NAIA – The MAYVILLE STATE COMETS hosted the HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY INDIANS and won a 13-6 defensive epic ### The MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WARRIORS notched a 21-18 road win over the DORDT COLLEGE DEFENDERS ### Meanwhile the BAKER WILDCATS eked out a 41-40 road victory of their own over the ST MARY SPIRES ### And the CENTRAL METHODIST EAGLES came out on top of the homestanding BETHEL (KS) THRESHERS 38-31.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – D2 – The WEST LIBERTY HILLTOPPERS survived a 16-13 homestand against the GLENVILLE STATE PIONEERS ### The NEWBERRY WOLVES held on for a tight victory over the FLORIDA TECH PANTHERS by a score of 23-19 ### Meanwhile the MARY MARAUDERS notched a 34-27 road win over the WAYNE STATE (NE) WILDCATS ### And the MISSOURI SOUTHERN LIONS played road warriors and snuck by the NORTHEASTERN STATE RIVERHAWKS by a score of 17-14.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – D3 – The ANNA MARIA AMCATS managed a 55-49 shootout win against the homestanding MAINE MARITIME MARINERS ### The MONTCLAIR STATE REDHAWKS barely survived a visit from the SALVE REGINA SEAHAWKS in a 17-16 nailbiter ### Meanwhile the OLIVET COMETS won a 14-10 homestand against the WISCONSIN LUTHERAN WARRIORS ### And the LAKE FOREST FORESTERS eked out a 14-13 win on the road over the LAWRENCE VIKINGS.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – NJCAA – The GLENDALE GAUCHOS took it on the road and won an edge-of- your seat game against the EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE GILA MONSTERS by a score of 13-10 ### The NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M GOLDEN NORSEMEN lost a 28-23 heartbreaker to the visiting BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS ### And the ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS held serve against the PHOENIX COLLEGE BEARS to the tune of 38-29.

UNDER THE RADAR CLASSICS – CCCAA – The COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS COUGARS won a 31-28 invasion of the SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS’ house ### The VENTURA COLLEGE PIRATES held on at home 44-42 against the LONG BEACH VIKINGS ### Meanwhile the SANTA MONICA COLLEGE CORSAIRS held off the visiting CHAFFEY PANTHERS 30-27 ### And the DE ANZA DONS defeated the CONTRA COSTA COMETS in a 27-21 homestand.

BLOWOUTS, INCORPORATED – The MODESTO COLLEGE PIRATES forced the HARTNELL PANTHERS to walk the plank by a score of 61-28 ### The FRESNO CITY COLLEGE RAMS devastated the MERCED BLUE DEVILS 76-19 ### And the BUTLER (KS) GRIZZLIES annihilated the visiting INDEPENDENCE COLLEGE PIRATES in an unbelievable SEVENTY-NINE to NOTHING affair.