HEADLINES
NAIA OVER NCAA DIVISION TWO … YET AGAIN – Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog know that NAIA football teams often upset higher division teams in NCAA Division Two. Yesterday the NAIA’s UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS found themselves on the road against D2’s QUINCY UNIVERSITY HAWKS. The Fighting Saints notched an authoritative 41-26 upset win.
D3 OVER D2 – An NCAA Division Three team borrowed a page from the NAIA yesterday by upsetting a D2 team. The 15th ranked UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT OSHKOSH TITANS traveled to face the Division Two team called the LINCOLN (MO) BLUE TIGERS. A 7-7 Halftime tie wound up as a 17-7 victory for the Titans.
NUMBER EIGHT TAKES A FALL – In NCAA Division Two the VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS visited the number 8 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA TIGERS. The Blazers put the Tigers on Upset Alert by Halftime with a 35-14 lead, then after the break they coasted to a 58-24 triumph.
… AND NUMBER NINE CAME TUMBLING AFTER – Also in D2 the COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES OREDIGGERS welcomed the country’s 9th ranked COLORADO STATE AT PUEBLO THUNDER WOLVES. A 21-14 1st Quarter advantage for the Orediggers remained unchanged at the Half. From there Colorado School of Mines outscored the Thunder Wolves 14-7 to win the game 35-21. Continue reading
NAIA CONQUERS NCAA D2 YET AGAIN – Like 1aa teams upsetting 1a teams each week usually brings at least one NAIA football team toppling a team from the NCAA’s Division Two. Yesterday the MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS visited D2’s TRUMAN STATE BULLDOGS and more than doubled-up on the higher division team by a final score of 35-17. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER THREE – Meanwhile NCAA Division Two’s 7th ranked MIDWESTERN STATE MUSTANGS hosted the number 3 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARGONAUTS. Another Mustangs team delivered a nationwide shock-wave as Midwestern State proceeded to crush the Argonauts to the tune of 38-17. 
WHAT, YOU COULDN’T SCORE ONE HUNDRED? – In the NJCAA the DODGE CITY COLLEGE CONQUISTADORS took the field against the visiting GORDON’S SPORTS ACADEMY ARTISTS. The Conquistadors were apparently playing basketball while their opponents played soccer. Dodge City College utterly mutilated Gordon’s NINETY-THREE to NOTHING! 
NUMBER SIX TAKES A FALL – Every year Balladeer’s Blog covers the intense gridiron rivalry between the NAIA and NCAA Division Three. Yesterday the NAIA’s UN-ranked CARROLL (MT) COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS welcomed D3’s number 6 LINFIELD COLLEGE WILDCATS. The Fighting Saints led 7-0 at the break, then followed through with a 21-14 triumph. 
YET ANOTHER NAIA TEAM DEFEATS AN NCAA D2 TEAM – The NAIA’s CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS took it on the road to face the NCAA Division Two team the MALONE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS. The higher division Pioneers were at home, too, but none of that mattered as the Cardinals showed Malone how football is played in the NAIA. Concordia won the game 42-27. 
DIVISION TWO OVER DIVISION ONE – NCAA Division Two’s MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MAROON TIGERS likewise played at a higher division team yesterday. In this case the Maroon Tigers traveled to face NCAA Division One’s UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF GOLDEN LIONS. By Halftime Morehouse had the Golden Lions on Upset Alert with a 28-20 lead and followed through with a 34-30 victory. 
NUMBER FIVE GOES DOWN – In the NJCAA the HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS were on the road against the number 5 team in the nation – the INDEPENDENCE COLLEGE PIRATES. A 14-7 Blue Dragons lead in the opening Quarter turned into a 37-7 advantage at the break and ultimately a 37-27 win for Hutchinson College. 
USCAA OVER NCAA – The NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (formerly the Shipbuilders) from the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) visited the NCAA Division Three GREENSBORO COLLEGE PRIDE. The Builders converted a 7-0 1st Quarter lead into a 26-6 Halftime advantage. From there NNAS coasted to a 34-13 triumph. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER SIX – The 15th ranked MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS welcomed the number 6 team in the nation – the SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS. The Knights proceeded to annihilate the Cougars, leading them 17-0 in the 1st Quarter and 38-0 at Halftime. After the break Saint Xavier University mustered just 7 points in the 3rd Quarter while Marian University added 14 more in the 4th for a FIFTY-TWO to SEVEN blowout. 
OTHER UPSETS IN THE TOP TWENTY-FIVE – The UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS were on the road against the 11th ranked SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE and slipped past them in a 27-26 Instant Classic ### And the number 24 FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES traveled to upset the 19th ranked CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS 16-10. 
LOVING THE SEVENTIES – The SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS hosted the GRACELAND UNIVERSITY YELLOW JACKETS yesterday and eviscerated them SEVENTY-SIX to FOURTEEN ### And the 12th ranked BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS sent their guests the BETHANY COLLEGE SWEDES back home reeling from a SEVENTY-FIVE to SEVEN beatdown. Just burn the game tape and deny the game ever happened, Bethany. 
NUMBER SIX GOES DOWN – With the playoffs beginning next weekend this final Saturday of the Regular Season saw the WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN welcome the nation’s 6th ranked GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS. The Statesmen marked Senior Day in style, knocking off the storied Vikings by an authoritative score of 33-14. 
EASY AS ONE, TWO, THREE – The top 3 teams in the nation over in D2 prevailed. The (1) INDIANA UNIVERSITY IN PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS logged a 24-7 road smackdown of the WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY GOLDEN RAMS ### Meanwhile the (2) MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS survived a 27-24 visit with the (11) UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS ### And the (3) ASHLAND EAGLES defeated the SAGINAW VALLEY CARDINALS 31-19. 
NUMBER ONE GETS KNOCKED OFF – Division Two’s PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS hosted the top ranked team in the nation – the defending National Champion NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS. Not only did the Gorillas defeat the Bearcats 20-10, but this loss ended NW Missouri State’s THIRTY-EIGHT game winning streak. Pitt State led 17-7 at Halftime and stayed on top from there to the delight of the crowd at The Jungle. 
EASY AS ONE, TWO, THREE – Meanwhile in the NAIA the Top Three teams rolled to victory: The (1) UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS dismembered the LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY AT BELLEVILLE LYNX 70-0 ### The (2) BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS handed a 49-0 loss to the CENTRAL METHODIST EAGLES ### And the (3) REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (Should be the Rottweilers) hammered the homestanding PIKEVILLE BEARS 44-21. 
HILLSDALE STRONG – The storied HILLSDALE COLLEGE CHARGERS (whose own THIRTY-FOUR game winning streak was just recently topped by NW Missouri) took it on the road yesterday to Philippi, WV to take on the ALDERSON BROADDUS UNIVERSITY BATTLERS. The spectators got treated to an Instant Classic, with the Chargers prevailing by a final score of 37-31. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER TWO – The NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS took it on the road against the undefeated 2nd ranked team in the nation – the TYLER COLLEGE APACHES. Navarro trailed the Apaches 14-0 in the 1st Quarter and 26-13 at Halftime. After the break the Bulldogs made their move, shutting out Tyler College the rest of the way while notching 7 points in the 3rd Quarter and 17 in the 4th. Navarro College pulled off the mammoth upset by a final count of 37-26. 
AND ANOTHER UPSET IN THE TOP TEN – The storied ASA COLLEGE AVENGERS welcomed the number 10 LACKAWANNA COLLEGE FALCONS. After a scoreless 1st Quarter the Avengers and the Falcons were tied up at 7-7 by the Half. An action-packed 3rd Quarter saw ASA College go on top 19-14 and a Safety in the 4th cemented a 21-14 win for the Avengers. 