HEADLINES
TOPPLING NUMBER FOUR – Yesterday the NAIA’s CUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY PHOENIX hosted the number 4 team in the nation – the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS. The Phoenix put the Blue Raiders on Upset Alert with a 10-7 Halftime lead that became 17-13 to end the 3rd Quarter. In the end Cumberland U made it a happy Senior Day by holding on for a 24-21 triumph.
MARATHON GAME OF THE DAY – Down in NCAA Division Three came Saturday’s longest game. The WESTERN CONNECTICUT STATE COLONIALS faced the visiting BRIDGEWATER STATE BEARS and, though trailing 21-14 at the break, came back to force Overtime with a 28-28 tie. The 1st OT ended in a 34-34 deadlock, neither team scored in the 2nd and the 3rd ended at 42-42. In the FOURTH OVERTIME the Colonials won it 50-48.
NUMBER SIX GETS DEEP-SIXED – Back in the NAIA the MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS took it on the road against the country’s 6th ranked EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS. The Pioneers were chasing the Crusaders 19-13 at the Half but in the 4th Quarter they outscored EU 20-7 for a stunning 33-26 Upset victory. Continue reading
NUMBER THREE FALLS ON THE ROAD – In NCAA Division Three the 8th ranked SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY JOHNNIES played host to the number 3 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT THOMAS TOMMIES. After a 7-6 1st Quarter lead for the Tommies the Johnnies went on top 19-7 and 33-20 in the 2nd and 3rd Quarters respectively. From there Saint John’s University won it 40-20. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER SEVEN – Up in the NAIA the number 24 EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY MOUNTAINEERS visited the country’s number 7 team – the SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS (should be the Sea Gulls). The 1st Half was a defensive epic resulting in a 3-3 tie at Halftime. After the break the Mountaineers outscored SOU 24-14 for a 27-17 upset triumph. 
SEVENTY-EIGHT – In the NJCAA the ASA (NY) COLLEGE AVENGERS took the field against their guests the CAPP CRUSADERS. The Avengers dominated on both sides of the ball, utterly annihilating the hapless Crusaders in the process. When all was said and done ASA College won by a final tally of SEVENTY-EIGHT to SIX! 
DIVISION TWO OVER DIVISION ONE – The UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARGONAUTS, from NCAA Division Two, traveled to take on Division ONE’s UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS yesterday. A 10-10 Halftime tie became a 17-13 edge for the Argonauts in the 3rd Quarter and ultimately a 24-19 upset! This is like when a 1aa team topples a 1a team for you newbies. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER TWO – Over in the NAIA the 21st ranked ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS welcomed the number 2 team in the nation – the SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS (should be the Sea Gulls). After a scoreless 1st Quarter the Battlin’ Bears put SOU on Upset Alert with a 17-14 lead at the break. In the 2nd Half Rocky Mountain College outscored the Raiders 17-7 for a 34-21 triumph. 
FIRST-EVER WIN FOR U.N.E. – Moving to NCAA Division Three, the UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND NOR’EASTERS are in their very first year of intercollegiate football. On Saturday they took on the visiting CURRY COLLEGE COLONELS and came back from a 14-7 1st Quarter deficit to go on top 28-21 by the midpoint. From there the Nor’easters had to hold on for a 44-42 victory, the FIRST in program history. 
WE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME BUT A POLO MATCH BROKE OUT – A very Polo-like final score was the result in the clash between the MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY MARAUDERS and the visiting EAST STROUDSBURG WARRIORS. The Marauders trailed 10-2 in the 1st Quarter, a score which held up through Halftime. In the 3rd Millersville went on top 11-10, after which their defense stepped up big to preserve a one-point win by that same 11-10 tally. 
NO GEORGE KENNEDY, NO PROBLEM – The URBANA UNIVERSITY BLUE KNIGHTS (no relation to the old tv show with George Kennedy) took it on the road against the UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON GOLDEN EAGLES. This game was a defensive epic with neither team scoring the entire 1st Half. In the 3rd Quarter the Blue Knights seized a 14-0 lead, then held on against a Golden Eagles rally in the 4th for a 20-14 victory. 
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT – Staying with the color blue but moving over to the NAIA, the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS valiantly traveled to face NCAA Division ONE’s PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE BLUE HOSE. The Blue Raiders showed this team TWO DIVISIONS HIGHER than they are a real struggle. At the break the Blue Hose led Lindsey Wilson College by a mere 3-0 and only won it by a final score of 10-0. Kudos to the Blue Raiders! 
DIVISION TWO OVER DIVISION ONE – NCAA Division Two’s TRUMAN STATE BULLDOGS traveled to take on Division ONE’s VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS. Though the Bulldogs trailed the Crusaders 7-6 at Halftime by the end of the 3rd Quarter they were on top 17-10. From there Truman State consummated the Upset with a 34-20 triumph. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER TWO – Also in D2, the UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BRONCHOS (sic) hosted the number 2 team in the nation – the NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Bronchos became 14-3 at the Half. The 4th Quarter opened with UCO holding a 28-3 advantage before winning the game 31-21. 
NUMBER THREE FALLS ON THE SAME DAY – Staying in D2 for the moment, yesterday also saw the 23rd ranked COLORADO STATE AT PUEBLO THUNDER WOLVES visiting the number 3 TEXAS A&M AT COMMERCE LIONS. The defending National Champion Lions led 10-6 by the midpoint of the game but the Thunder Wolves went up 16-10 in the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th CSU-Pueblo outscored the champs 7-3 for a 23-13 victory. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER EIGHT – Over in the NAIA the ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY (IL) EAGLES welcomed the number 8 team in the country – the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS. This game was a defensive epic which went scoreless until the 3rd Quarter when the Eagles notched 7 points. That wound up being all the scoring for the entire game as RMU-Illinois toppled the Cardinals by a baseball score of 7-0. 
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. 
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. 
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