NUMBER FOUR GETS SHOT DOWN – The storied CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO RAMS traveled to face the number 4 team in the rankings – the AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE BEAVERS. A 20-6 1st Quarter lead for the Rams became 30-12 at Halftime and 30-26 in the 3rd Quarter. From there CCSF added 10 more points while shutting out the Beavers for a 40-26 wrapup.
WHEN RANKED TEAMS CLASH – The 3rd ranked RIVERSIDE COLLEGE TIGERS found themselves on the road against the number 10 BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE RENEGADES. The Tigers put up 7 points in each of the 4 Quarters and led the Renegades 7-0 in the 1st Quarter, 14-6 at the Half and 21-13 in the 3rd. Bakersfield College nearly came back for a win but fell short as Riverside College won it 28-26.
RUSTLING UP A BLOWOUT – The GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE RUSTLERS welcomed the CHAFFEY COLLEGE PANTHERS. The Rustlers kept the Panthers off the scoreboard until the 4th Quarter while producing 7, 13 and 7 more points in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Quarters respectively. The final tally in this lopsided game was Golden West College 27 Chaffey College 6. Continue reading
DOWN GOES NUMBER THREE – The 14th ranked BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS welcomed the number 3 team in the nation – the TRINITY VALLEY COLLEGE CARDINALS – on Saturday. The Buccaneers and Cardinals were tied 14-14 in the 1st Quarter but Blinn College grabbed a 24-17 lead by Halftime. A 24-24 tie to end the 3rd Quarter ultimately became a 31-27 triumph for the Buccaneers, who are still unbeaten for 2017. 
AND NUMBER FOUR COMES TUMBLING AFTER – The BUTLER (KS) GRIZZLIES battled the 4th ranked IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS. A 14-0 1st Quarter lead for the Grizzlies was cut to a mere 14-13 edge by the break. Butler College made it a 21-13 game in the 3rd Quarter, with the Reivers scoring a Touchdown in the 4th but missing the 2-point conversion attempt. The Grizzlies won it 21-19. 
HUTCH EDGES THE DEFENDING CHAMPS – The storied HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS took it on the road against the Defending National Champions – the number 11 GARDEN CITY COLLEGE BRONCBUSTERS. The opening Quarter ended in a 7-7 tie with the Blue Dragons on top 14-7 at Halftime. Hutchinson College led the Broncbusters 28-21 to start the 4th Quarter and from there held on for a 31-28 road upset. 
NUMBER TWO HAD A CLOSE CALL – After a blowout win to start the season the 2nd ranked AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE BEAVERS barely survived this time around against the MODESTO COLLEGE PIRATES. The Beavers held a 20-14 lead at Halftime and a 34-28 edge to end the 3rd Quarter. The Pirates tied things up at 42-42 by the end of the 4th Quarter. The first Overtime ended in a 49-49 tie with American River College emerging with a 55-49 victory in the 2nd OT. (* Thank you to C.O. for catching an error I made in this post. It is now corrected.) 
DONS ON THE ROAD – The SANTA ANA COLLEGE DONS (as in Old California Dons) traveled to face the CITRUS COLLEGE OWLS on Saturday. The 1st Quarter ended in a 7-7 tie but the Owls grabbed a 14-10 lead by the break. Neither team scored in the 3rd Quarter and in the 4th the Dons proceeded to notch a 17-14 come from behind win on the road. 
WE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME BUT A POLO MATCH BROKE OUT – This game pitted the COLLEGE OF THE REDWOODS CORSAIRS against the home-standing GAVILAN COLLEGE RAMS. Neither team scored in the opening Quarter and the score was knotted up at 6-6 at the Half. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Rams on top 9-6 but the 4th Quarter saw the Corsairs put up 8 points for a 14-9 Polo Score triumph. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER THREE – The INDEPENDENCE COLLEGE PIRATES welcomed the defending National Champions – the number 3 GARDEN CITY COLLEGE BRONCBUSTERS. The score was tied at 14-14 by Halftime but from there the Pirates outscored the Broncbusters 13-9 to pull off a nation-shaking 27-23 upset. 
VICTORIOUS VERMILION – The VERMILION COLLEGE IRONMEN took the field against the MINNESOTA TECH SPARTANS on Saturday. The Ironmen trailed the Spartans 7-0 after 1 Quarter of play but knotted things up at 7-7 by the break. The 3rd Quarter ended with Vermilion College on top 14-7 and from there the Ironmen won it 28-7. 
MORNINGSIDE CONQUERS THE NCAA – Each week of college football season often sees various NAIA college teams upsetting NCAA Division Two teams. This is like when 1AA teams upset 1A teams. Yesterday the NAIA’s MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS faced the NCAA’s Division Two team the TRUMAN STATE BULLDOGS. The Mustangs held a commanding 28-10 Halftime lead but needed to hold on for a 35-30 victory. 
NUMBER FOUR TAKES A FALL – Meanwhile in NCAA Division Three the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT STOUT BLUE DEVILS welcomed the number 4 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT THOMAS TOMMIES. A 7-6 1st Quarter lead for the Tommies became a 14-14 tie at the Half. After the break the Blue Devils outscored UST 11-8 for an earth-shaking 25-22 upset. 
NUMBER SEVEN GOES DOWN – In NCAA Division Two the WEST TEXAS A&M BUFFALOES played host to the nation’s 7th ranked COLORADO STATE AT PUEBLO THUNDER WOLVES. The Buffaloes were trailing the Thunder Wolves 7-3 in the 1st Quarter and 21-11 at the midpoint. Neither team scored in the 3rd Quarter, with the Buffaloes notching 13 points in the 4th to win the game 24-21. 
NUMBER ONE SURVIVES A CLOSE CALL – Last night the number 1 team in the nation – the dynastic NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS – took it on the road against the WASHBURN UNIVERSITY ICHABODS. This game went right down to the wire, with the Bearcats holding on in the end for a 20-14 victory in this Instant Classic. 
STUNG BY THE HORNETS – Meanwhile, NCAA Division Two’s 11th ranked EMPORIA STATE HORNETS had no trouble at all with the visiting UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY LOPERS. The Hornets dominated the reeling Lopers on both sides of the ball for a FORTY-FIVE to THIRTEEN blowout win. 
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS MAKE A STATEMENT – The top ranked Defending Champions of CCCAA Football – the FULLERTON COLLEGE HORNETS – came out of the gate like men possessed. The Hornets welcomed the SANTA ANA COLLEGE DONS and were less than gracious hosts. Fullerton College led 20-7 in the 1st Quarter and 42-14 by Halftime enroute to a SEVENTY-SEVEN to TWENTY-EIGHT blowout of the Dons. 
HOME-STANDS – The SCOTTSDALE COLLEGE FIGHTING ARTICHOKES hosted the GLENDALE COLLEGE GAUCHOS on Saturday and manhandled them by a score of 37-7 ### Meanwhile the NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M GOLDEN NORSEMEN lambasted the visiting NEW MEXICO MILITARY INSTITUTE BRONCOS (should be the Cavalry) 40-7 ### And the MESABI RANGE COLLEGE NORSE clobbered the MINNESOTA STATE SPARTANS 42-15. 
WHEN TITANS CLASH – The 12th ranked team in the nation – the IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS – played host to the HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS. By Halftime the Reivers held a 21-7 advantage over the Blue Dragons. After the break Iowa Western College had to withstand Hutchinson’s furious comeback attempt to emerge with a 27-21 victory. The Reivers improve to 2-0, Hutch is now 1-1. 
SHUTOUTS – The ASA COLLEGE AVENGERS folded, spindled and mutilated their guests the NEW JERSEY ACADEMY WARRIORS in a 49-0 laugher. ### And the GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE BULLDOGS sent the MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE KNIGHTS back home reeling from a SEVENTY-ONE to NOTHING trouncing. 
College football season 2017 has just gotten underway but is already proving that it’s harder than ever to make picks. 
ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY RULES THE WORLD – Several times a year NAIA football teams manage upsets of teams from NCAA Division TWO! Yesterday saw multiple instances, too, like the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM battling the Division 2 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY CLAN (as in Scottish Clan). The Firestorm won this Instant Classic by a final score of 34-28. 
TAYLOR UNIVERSITY TOPPLES D2 AS WELL – For newbies to these divisions these NAIA over NCAA Division 2 upsets are like when 1AA teams upset 1A teams. In this game the TAYLOR UNIVERSITY TROJANS did battle with D2’s MALONE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS. Spectators got more than their money’s worth in this matchup, too, which saw the Trojans emerge with a 28-21 victory. 
LANGSTON CRUSHES DIVISION TWO – The NAIA’s LANGSTON UNIVERSITY LIONS took on NCAA Division Two’s LINCOLN (MO) UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS in The LU Classic. The Lions dominated the Blue Tigers on both sides of the ball, defeating them 30-14 in their own house. REMEMBER: Any wins over D2 teams count as 2 wins each in my weekly NAIA vs NCAA Division Three tally. 
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