Tag Archives: D3 football

August 6, 2012 · 12:05 am

THE BIG TWO TOP BALLADEER’S BLOG’S PRESEASON RANKINGS FOR NCAA DIVISION 3 FOOTBALL

 Balladeer’s Blog presents its preseason rankings for NCAA D3 college football.

To the surprise of nobody the Whitewater Warhawks (logo at left) and the Mount Union Purple Raiders come in at numbers one and two. For newbies to D3 football the Warhawks and the Purple Raiders have played each other in the national championship game for the past SEVEN YEARS IN A ROW!!!

The Warhawks are the defending champs and have won four of the seven clashes between these two powerhouses who have emerged from the dust of the playoffs to battle for the title so frequently in recent years. For the third year in a row I’ll use my stale, tired joke that Mount Union and Whitewater should play for the championship on Labor Day Weekend and the rest of the D3 season should just be canceled.

Will it be eight years in a row that these two gridiron juggernauts monopolize the title matchup or will one of the other teams at last rise up and knock at least one of them out come playoff time? Stay tuned to Balladeer’s Blog to find out.

1. UWW Warhawks (defending champs)   ###   2. Mt Union Purple Raiders   ###   3. Mary Hardin Baylor University Crusaders   ###   4. Wesley Wolverines   ###   5. Saint Thomas University Tommies   ###   6. Salisbury Sea Gulls   ###   7. Linfield College Wildcats   ###   8. Continue reading →

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December 11, 2011 · 2:03 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS FROM DECEMBER 10TH

CCCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 BORING HELMETS, EXCITING GAME – The defending CCCAA champs, the MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES, fell to the CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO RAMS in a thrilling finish followed by an unfortunate brawl. The final score of 52-42 doesn’t do justice to how exciting the game was. At first it looked like the Rams might win in a blowout as they seized a 28-7 lead with half-time approaching, but a pick-6 by the Mounties made it 28-14 instead. In the 2nd half the shootout was on, and with 6:40 left in the game CCSF led “Mount SAC” by a score of 38-35. The Rams added another TD with 3:53 left but the ever- tough Mounties responded with 7 points of their own at the 2:47 mark. With just 41 seconds left in the game the 45-42 CCSF lead became 52- 42 and an unfortunate fight resulted. Both teams, after all, have a lot of players who may well transfer to Division 1 schools next year (rimshot). The Mounties failed to score in the time remaining and 52-42 was the final.  

NCAA DIVISION 3

SEVEN IN A ROW – Yes, for the 7th straight year, it will be the WHITEWATER WARHAWKS, the defending champs, taking on the MT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS in the NCAA Division 3 Championship Game, better known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The teams have split 3 titles each during that run so this will be the rubber game of the match, at least until the 2012 Stagg Bowl probably finds these same 2 juggernauts clashing yet again. Whether you’re excited about this rivalry or yawning about it, let’s review yesterday’s semi-finals.

 The WESLEY WOLVERINES deserve huge props for the fight they gave the Purple Raiders in their own house. The Wolverines actually led 14-13 at halftime, which by itself must have been very disconcerting for the Mt Union fans who are used to seeing their team dominate from kickoff to the Continue reading →

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December 10, 2011 · 4:24 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAMES FOR DECEMBER 10TH

 The only down-side to Christmas drawing nearer is the fact that it means we’re down to fewer and fewer college football playoff games and Bowl games in the divisions covered by Balladeer’s  Blog. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) championship game, to be played between the defending champion CC Fighting Saints and the St Xavier University Cougars, won’t be until next Saturday, the 17th. Today we have 1 division’s championship game plus semifinal matchups in 2 others for a total of just 5 games for the day.

Last Saturday saw the crowning of the NJCAA Football Champions as the Arizona Western College Matadors fell to the East Mississippi Lions in the El Toro Bowl. A few Saturdays back the National Christian College Athletic Association’s football season came to an end with their signature event, the Victory Bowl, which saw the Campbellsville Tigers defeat the Greenville College Panthers.

Anyway, let’s all relish the few remaining games as the 2011 college football season approaches its end.

CCCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

The Mount San Antonio College Mounties, the Continue reading →

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November 19, 2011 · 2:50 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR NOVEMBER 19TH

 Today brings us the opening round of the NAIA college football playoffs, and they’re joined, of course, by some of the other divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog. There are also several Bowl games scheduled for today as well. See my preview earlier in the week for your favorite team’s matchup.

The National Christian College Athletic Association’s Victory Bowl will also be played today with the Greenville College Panthers taking on the Campbellsville Tigers. See below for the video link.

Naturally I’ll have my usual pithy recaps of the day’s gridiron action tomorrow morning. For today, spread the word to fans of NCAA Division 1 football that they can see the kind of intercollegiate football playoff action they can’t get from D1. And now, links to updating scoreboards for the divisions of college football covered here at Balladeer’s Blog:

NAIA – http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/sport/0/14.php

D3 – http://d3football.com/scoreboard/composite

D2 –  http://www.d2football.com/scores/

NJCAA – http://www.njcaa.org/sports_schedules.cfm?category=Schedules%2FScores&sid=11&divid=0&slid=5

SCFA – http://www.scfafootball.com/statistics/scoreboard.html

NCFA – http://www.cccaasports.org/football/men/ 

AND FOR STREAMING VIDEO OF THE NCCAA’S VICTORY BOWL CLICK HERE – http://www.campbellsville.edu/wlcutv

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November 13, 2011 · 5:48 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 12TH

 Well, considering the ongoing revelations from the cesspool few knew Joe Paterno and company were allegedly sitting on at Penn State for several years, the reasons I prefer to cover NAIA sports and the lower divisions of the NCAA were on full display for all to see this week. The NAIA’s  regular season ended yesterday and later today the entire 16 team playoff field will be announced, with the teams awarded At- Large berths joining the Automatic Qualifiers. Three hours after the NAIA reveals their playoff teams the NCAA Division 3 field of 32 teams will be announced. I’ll present my look at the playoff picture as well as examine the NJCAA Bowl breakdown and title game matchup in other posts.

THESE THREE TEAMS RULE THE WORLD – As usual, Saturday saw various NAIA teams kick around NCAA Division 2 teams. The 10th ranked ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS crushed the visiting CENTRAL STATE MARAUDERS 59-20, the BACONE WARRIORS defeated D2’s PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES in a 30- 20 home stand, and the CONCORDIA (AL) HORNETS notched a road win against the STILLMAN TIGERS by a score of 12- 7. Each week this season saw at least 1 NAIA team defeat an NCAA D2 team, so when you throw in all the D3 teams that fell to NAIA squads this year you could say they owned the NCAA both on the field and ethically.

NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – D2’s number 1 team, the DELTA STATE STATESMEN, were shocked on the road, falling to their Gulf South Conference rivals the WEST GEORGIA WOLVES in a 39- 35 game for the ages.

NEXT STOP – THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The NJCAA’s top ranked ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS cemented their berth in the national championship game with their 45-13 rout of the MESA THUNDERBIRDS. The number 2 EAST MISSISSIPPI LIONS ensured they would be the Matadors’ opponents in early December by trashing the 5th ranked MGC BULLDOGS 42- 17.

TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS – None of the NAIA’s Top 5 teams lost yesterday, with the top ranked MARIAN KNIGHTS having  a bye to close out the regular season and with the number 2 CC FIGHTING SAINTS, who are also the defending champions of NAIA football, defeating the MSU- NORTHERN LIGHTS 42- 24, the third ranked GEORGETOWN (KY) TIGERS routing the home standing BELHAVEN BLAZERS 33-7, the number 4 MNU PIONEERS recording a road shutout 37-0 over the EVANGEL CRUSADERS and the 5th ranked (and previous number 1 before falling to Marian) ST XAVIER (IL) COUGARS annihilating the visiting JAMESTOWN  COLLEGE JIMMIES 50- 14.  

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The 8th ranked WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN were Continue reading →

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November 12, 2011 · 3:05 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR NOVEMBER 12TH

 This week’s coverage of the Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno scandal at Penn State pre-empted   my  coverage  of the events in the divisions of college football that Balladeer’s  Blog usually covers. Starting with the NJCAA, where the post- season began last weekend the 8th ranked Hutchinson Blue Dragons (logo at left) routed their 1st round opponents the Coffeyville Red Ravens, setting up the Deja Vu Bowl tomorrow. In a rematch of last year’s Region VI championship game the Blue Dragons will face their archrivals the number 3 Butler (KS) Grizzlies, who took down the Dodge City Conquistadors last Sunday to advance to the region’s title game.

Meanwhile, in a conference championship game being played today Continue reading →

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November 6, 2011 · 2:56 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 5TH

 NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – In the only number 1 vs number 2 matchup that really mattered, the NAIA’s  top ranked ST XAVIER  UNIVERSITY COUGARS fell on the road to the team Balladeer’s  Blog has been warning the world about since the 2010 preseason: the number 2 MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS (logo at left). The formerly potent Cougar offense could only muster 9 points against the Marian defensive machine and the Knights, the presumptive new number 1 in the next poll, won comfortably 27-9. The Cougars fall to 9-1, while the Knights are a perfect 10-0.

ST FRANCIS (IL) RULES THE WORLD –  Once again, an NAIA football team has taken it on the road and defeated a team from the NCAA’s Division One …. yes, DIVISION ONE!!! The ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS traveled to face the Georgia State Panthers and emerged with an overtime win! The final score was 30-27. In recent years we’ve seen NAIA football programs teach NCAA D1 teams a lesson in the form of the AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS routing the San Diego Toreros in their own house and, when the University of Sioux Falls was still in the NAIA, they dismembered D1’s North Dakota Fighting Sioux. The Fighting Saints decided they wanted in on the action themselves, I guess.

ANOTHER NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – After two weeks that saw the NJCAA’s top- ranked BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS survive close calls, their high- wire act caught up with them. The TYLER APACHES went on the road and brought down the team that Cam Newton played for before transferring to Auburn in overtime by a score of 37- 34. 

NUMBER TWO TAKES A FALL – NCAA Division 2’s 2nd ranked team, the PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS, fell at home to the number 9 WASHBURN ICHABODS 43-25. The Ichabods have got to be kicking themselves that they didn’t come out ready to play like this when they took on Northwest Missouri a few weeks ago.  

NUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – Yesterday also saw the number 3 team in D2 fall. The aforementioned NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS lost on the road at the unranked MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS by a score of 31-28. This win provides the Griffons with at least some satisfaction in a season that started out with them ranked and expecting great things, only to see unexpected losses accumulate beginning in early September.

PLAYOFFS GET UNDER WAY – That’s right, the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog settle their season on the field. In NJCAA football, the post- season kicks off today in Region 6. The 2 seeds, the HUTCHINSON BLUE DRAGONS, will host the 3rd seeded COFFEYVILLE RED RAVENS, while the top seeds for the region, the BUTLER (KS) GRIZZLIES, will host the 4th seeded DODGE CITY CONQUISTADORS. Enjoy some rare Sunday college football with these games today!

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The 9th ranked BENEDICTINE RAVENS fell at the number Continue reading →

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November 5, 2011 · 12:53 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR NOVEMBER 5TH

DANGER: Cougar on the prowl

 Don’t let the dazzling smile fool you! This is Dianne Zajdel, known to her coworkers as “The Queen of the Cougars”, even though she thinks the term is “Kruegers”. Dianne’s Official College Football Team, the St Xavier University Cougars are still ranked number one in the NAIA poll, and for the 2nd time this season they will square off against the number 2 team in those rankings. This time around the Marian University Knights are the team occupying the number 2 spot. SXU is still coached by Mike Feminis, and since his Cougars are on the road that means he’ll be showing a bad movie on the team bus, a habit of his revealed by his players last season in their interview with Balladeer’s Blog. The Marian Knights, meanwhile, have been making me look like a gridiron Nostradamus following my prediction before the 2010 (yes, 2010) season that they were about to explode in a big way. The Knights have been showing that last year’s playoff run was no fluke and have been even more impressive this year with their number 2 ranking the highest in the team’s history. Both Marian and SXU come into this pigskin Armageddon boasting 9-0 records. While some people are Continue reading →

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October 30, 2011 · 4:05 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 29TH

 SOUTHERN NAZARENE RULES THE WORLD – The NAIA’s 20th ranked SOUTHERN NAZARENE  UNIVERSITY CRIMSON STORM embraced the tradition of beating up on teams from supposedly higher divisions yesterday by taking it on the road and pummeling NCAA Division 2’s PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES 28-7. The Crimson Storm (love that name) improves to 7-2 for the year. Every week this season at least one NAIA team has defeated a team from D2 as well as taking down multiple teams from NCAA Division 3.

NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – In a collision of SCFA titans the top- ranked SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS fell on the road to the defending champs, the MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES in a magnificent 38-34 gridiron masterpiece. The Mounties were themselves ranked number one earlier in the season before falling to the RIVERSIDE TIGERS, who look to move up from number 2 now that the Gauchos have fallen.  

NUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – D2’s 3rd ranked BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES were stunned at home by the unranked C.W. POST PIONEERS. The final score was 24-21 in this game where Post proved they can indeed close out a big game after all. Congratulations to the Pioneers for persevering and notching the kind of signature win their program has been looking for for some time now. 

NUMBER ONE SURVIVES A SCARE … AGAIN – For the 2nd week in a row the NJCAA’s top- ranked BLINN BUCCANEERS, where Cam Newton played his college ball before transferring to Auburn, had to survive a very tight game. The Bucs were on the road against the CISCO COLLEGE WRANGLERS who gave the number 1 team almost more than they could handle in a 39-37 Instant Classic.

OREDIGGERS KICK BEAR BUTT IN BUTTE – As Balladeer’s Blog noted yesterday, the number 24 ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS from the NAIA have been up and down all season to the point where you never know which team will show up. Yesterday they wore their Mr Hyde faces for Halloween, and the homestanding MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS trounced RMC by a score of 34-14. This was just the 2nd victory of the year for the struggling Orediggers who improve to 2-7.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – In addition to RMC falling the 9th ranked ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS suffered a road loss to the Continue reading →

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October 29, 2011 · 2:18 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR OCTOBER 29TH

 The NAIA’s 18th ranked Bethany Swedes (helmet at left) will host the 14th ranked Ottawa (KS) Braves today in a game with massive  KCAC implications. The Swedes come into this matchup at 7-1, the Braves at 6-2. Elsewhere in NAIA action, the number 22 Northwestern (IA) Red Raiders greet the 23rd ranked Dakota Wesleyan Tigers as they square off for the right to remain in the rankings. And speaking of trying to remain in the rankings, the up and down Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears reentered the poll at 24 this week, and are on the road at the Montana Tech Orediggers. With Halloween drawing near will RMC show their Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde personas? 

In NJCAA football the post- season will begin next week believe it or not, and today finds the 15th ranked Hutchinson Blue Dragons on the road against the number 17 Coffeyville Red Ravens. The way the season has played out, the two teams already know they will face each other in next week’s opening round  playoff matchup, so today’s rehearsal for that clash will decide which team has the home field advantage for that game. 

Naturally a few results are already in for this week from the games played Thursday and Friday night. Thursday saw THE Terry Bowden’s 5th ranked North Alabama Lions fall on the road to the unranked West Alabama Tigers 31-26. Last night the Washington and Lee Generals moved one step closer to their 2nd straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference title by demolishing the Catholic Cardinals 49-13. Since the football gods love drama, that means that next Saturday the Generals will take on the only other unbeaten ODAC team, the Hampden- Sydney Tigers, for the conference crown. And now, links to updating scoreboards in the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog:

NAIA – http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/sport/0/14.php

D3 – http://d3football.com/scoreboard/composite

D2 –  http://www.d2football.com/scores/

NJCAA – http://www.njcaa.org/sports_schedules.cfm?category=Schedules%2FScores&sid=11&divid=0&slid=5

SCFA – http://www.scfafootball.com/statistics/scoreboard.html

NCFA – http://www.cccaasports.org/football/men/

 

   

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