After all the postponements last fall, NAIA football teams were finally able to finish regular season play over the past couple of months and moved on to the playoffs yesterday.
ROUND ONE: GAME ONE – The BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS hosted the OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS (should be the Purple Tigers). By Halftime in this shootout the score was knotted up at 24-24. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Tigers on top 41-38 but the Wildcats came from behind to win the game in the 4th. The final score was Baker U 59 Olivet Nazarene 54.
ROUND ONE: GAME TWO – This game pitted the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS against the visiting DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS. The Red Raiders parlayed a 7-0 1st Quarter lead into a 17-7 advantage by the Half. After the break Northwestern College shut out the Blue Hawks while adding 14 more points of their own for an authoritative 31-7 triumph. Continue reading
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE TIGERS battled the COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO BULLDOGS for the CCCAA title. The 1st Quarter ended with the Bulldogs up 7-3 before the Tigers grabbed a 24-7 lead by the Half. The College of San Mateo pulled to within 24-14 in the 3rd Quarter but Riverside won out 31-14. * THE TIGERS ARE CCCAA CHAMPIONS *
FIRST SEMIFINAL – The UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARGONAUTS are once again THE story of the D2 playoffs! Yesterday they took it on the road against the FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie remained unchanged at Halftime but the 3rd Quarter ended in a 14-10 edge for the Bulldogs. In the 4th the Argonauts exploded for a 28-14 comeback victory. 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The number 1 team in the nation – the MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST COLLEGE BULLDOGS – took on the 2nd ranked LACKAWANNA COLLEGE FALCONS for the NJCAA crown. A 7-0 Bulldogs lead in the 1st Quarter became a 13-10 advantage for the Falcons by Halftime. Neither team scored in the 3rd Quarter but Mississippi Gulf Coast exploded in the 4th to win the game 24-13. * THE BULLDOGS ARE NJCAA CHAMPIONS * 
FIRST SEMIFINAL – The MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS, the defending National Champions, hosted the GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS (should be the Zebras). The Mustangs were up 7-3 in the opening Quarter but trailed the Vikings 13-7 at the Half. The 3rd Quarter ended in a 21-13 Morningside College lead and from there Grand View U mustered just a Field Goal as the Mustangs notched a 21-16 victory. 
BLUE SATURDAY – The LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS took it on the road against the KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES. The Blue Raiders went up 7-0 in the 1st Quarter and made that a 21-10 lead by Halftime. The Coyotes pulled to within 28-24 to end the 3rd Quarter before Lindsey Wilson College won it 35-24 in the 4th. 
GRAND VICTORY – The GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS welcomed the COLLEGE OF IDAHO YOTES in this 2nd Round game. A 3-0 1st Quarter edge for the Yotes became a 14-3 Vikings lead at the Half. The defenses dominated the 2nd Half with the College of Idaho’s 3rd Quarter Field Goal the only points scored. Grand View University notched a 14-6 victory.
SHUTOUT – The MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS played host to the UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS. The Knights achieved defensive perfection, leading the Patriots 6-0 in the 1st Quarter and 16-0 at the break on their way to a 30-0 shutout of their opponents. 
PATRIOTS ON THE ROAD – The UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS traveled to face the KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS for their 1st Round game. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Patriots became a 14-7 Seahawks advantage by Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended in a 21-21 tie before UC went on to win the game 28-24. 
COUGARS WITH THE UPSET – The SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS visited the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS. The Red Raiders led 3-0 in the opening Quarter but the Cougars went on top 10-6 at the Half. Northwestern College pulled to within 16-13 in the 3rd Quarter before SXU went on to win it 25-20 in the 4th. 
ONE SEEDS – VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS (Gulf South Conference), the defending national champions AND the overall One Seed. The 3 others are the FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS, MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS and THE ROCK of SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY. 
The 2nd Seeded TARLETON STATE TEXANS (Lone Star 
Conference) will host the 7th seeded TEXAS A&M AT COMMERCE LIONS (Also out of the Lone Star Conference) Kickoff will be 2PM Eastern Time. 
The 3rd seeded COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES OREDIGGERS 
(Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) will host the 6th seeded UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) Kickoff will be 2PM Eastern Time. 
The (1) MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS (Great Plains 
Athletic Conference Champs and Defending National Champs) will host the (16) DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS (North Star Athletic Association Champs)
The (2) MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS (MSFA Mideast Division 
Champs) will host the (15) REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (Mid-South Conference Appalachian Division Champs) 
The (3) KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES (Kansas 
Collegiate Athletic Conference Champs) will host the (14) BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS (Heart of America Athletic Conference South Champs) 
SECOND SEMIFINAL – In this game the BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS traveled to take on the KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES. Not only did this clash end in an Upset but it was an odd tale of two halves. By the break the Coyotes had come back from being down 13-0 in the opening Quarter to trailing the Ravens by a much tighter score of 20-14. 
INSTANT CLASSIC IN KANSAS – This game pitted the KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES against the visiting DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS. The Coyotes led 14-7 to end the opening Quarter but the Blue Hawks went up 28-21 at the Half. That was cut to a 34-28 Dickinson State edge in the 3rd Quarter before Kansas Wesleyan came from behind to win the game 43-40.
DEFENDING CHAMPS STILL ROLLING – The Defending National Champions – the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS – hosted the BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS yesterday. The Cougars trailed 7-0 in the 1st Quarter but went on top of the Wildcats 20-13 by Halftime. After the break USF outscored Baker 13-10 for a 33-23 victory. 
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