HEADLINES
BLUEFIELD CONQUERS DIVISION TWO – The NAIA’s BLUEFIELD COLLEGE RAMBLING RAMS took it on the road against the NCAA Division Two team the EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE WASPS. For newbies this is like when 1AA teams take on 1A teams. Trailing 38-17 in the 4th Quarter the Rambling Rams came back to win 46-45!
GIANT-KILLERS – This week 3 NCAA Division 3 teams imitated the NAIA’s usual schtick of defeating teams from higher divisions. The UW-OSHKOSH TITANS won 28-10 at D2’s NORTHERN MICHIGAN WILDCATS ### Meanwhile the LINFIELD COLLEGE WILDCATS hammered D2’s SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY CLAN 56-20 ### And the WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY PIRATES edged D2’s LINCOLN (CA) UNIVERSITY OAKLANDERS 31-29.
HISTORY WAS MADE – The BLUEFIELD STATE BIG BLUE managed the FIRST victory for their revived intercollegiate football program! After losing last week the Big Blue visited the ELIZABETH CITY STATE VIKINGS. Bluefield State trailed 21-0 in the 1st Quarter but tied things up 21-21 by Halftime. The Vikings went up 27-21 in the 3rd but the Big Blue came back to win it 35-27.
MARATHON GAME OF THE WEEK – This particular designation goes to the clash between the SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY RIVER HAWKS and their hosts the FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE DIPLOMATS. It took FIVE OVERTIMES before the River Hawks emerged with a 30-28 victory. Continue reading
INDIANA WESLEYAN CONQUERS DIVISION ONE – We already have 2021’s 2nd instance of an NAIA team toppling an NCAA Division ONE team. Every season these games in which NAIA football teams knock off teams from higher divisions like NCAA Divisions One or Two are great David vs Goliath stories! Yesterday the INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS hosted the D1 VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY BEACONS and won an authoritative 28-10 Upset.
LAWRENCE TECH CONQUERS DIVISION TWO – In the equivalent of a 1AA (FCS) team upsetting a 1A (FBS) team, the NAIA’s LAWRENCE TECH BLUE DEVILS took it on the road against the NCAA Division Two team the BLUEFIELD STATE BIG BLUE. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie was unchanged at Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended in a 14-14 deadlock before the Blue Devils won the game 21-14 in the 4th. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER ELEVEN – Meanwhile, down in NCAA Division Three the 19th ranked WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE PRESIDENTS traveled to face the number 11 JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY BLUE STREAKS. The defenses dominated the scoreless 1st Half, then the 3rd Quarter ended in a 7-7 tie. In the 4th the Presidents won it 21-7. 
UNION COLLEGE CONQUERS DIVISION ONE – Every season we get David over Goliath victories in which NAIA teams defeat higher division teams from either NCAA Divisions One or Two. Last night the UNION COLLEGE BULLDOGS traveled to face NCAA Division ONE’s CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY CAMELS. A slender 13-10 Halftime edge for the Bulldogs ultimately turned into a 33-18 Upset victory! 
DEFENDING CHAMPS ROLL – Meanwhile, the defending National Champions in the NAIA – the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS – opened their 2021 season by hosting the WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY WARRIORS. The Blue Raiders converted a 13-7 1st Quarter lead into a 30-7 advantage at Halftime and finally into a 58-7 blowout victory.
SHUTOUT – In this game the BETHEL (KS) COLLEGE THRESHERS took it on the road against the MCPHERSON COLLEGE BULLDOGS (should be the Mastiffs). The Threshers led McPherson 3-0 in the opening Quarter and 10-0 at the Half. After a scoreless 3rd Quarter Bethel College went on to win the game by a final tally of 24-0. 
Balladeer’s Bowl always pits the NAIA football champs against the NCAA D3 football champs. The results are in, and the NAIA champs got the victory. The MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS defeated the NORTH CENTRAL (IL) COLLEGE CARDINALS in Balladeer’s Bowl X. 
The MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS are the NAIA Champions for 2019. 
Readers of Balladeer’s Blog get to vote on the winner, to be announced on New Year’s Day, so NAIA and D3 boosters can begin their annual deluge of emails to me arguing for their choice. 
NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) 
USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association)
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARGONAUTS were not only THE story of the D2 playoffs once again but this time they sealed the deal against their opponents the MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS! A 14-14 1st Quarter tie turned into a 38-21 Argonauts lead by the Half. 
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 *
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 * 
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. 
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