Tag Archives: football

September 27, 2011 · 9:58 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25 POLLS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 27TH

Well, the new polls are out for the divisions of college football that Balladeer’s Blog covers. I’ll have the entire Top 25 lists in a moment, but first, since this is the last poll for September let’s take a closer look at our number 1 teams at present.

NAIA – The unanimous number 1 team continues to be the Saint Xavier University Cougars. Coach Mike Feminis, AKA Coach Fem, knows football even better than he knows B-Movies, all of which makes him one of my favorite coaches in college sports. This past weekend the Cougars completely dismantled the Trinity International Trojans by a score of 49-14. The Menlo Oaks, making a name for themselves this year by consistently defeating NCAA Division 3 teams, make their first appearance in the 2011 Top 25, as do the Evangel Crusaders and the VCS Vikings.

NCAA DIVISION 3 – The Whitewater Warhawks  maintain their stranglehold on the top spot, with the Mt Union Purple Raiders naturally right behind them at number 2. For newbies to D3 football, the Warhawks and Purple Raiders are the Yankees and Red Sox of the sport and have played each other in the D3 national championship game for the past 6 years in a row. Each team has won 3 during that run. Will it be “Purple Bowl VII” this December 16th, or will another team manage to rise up in the playoffs and actually beat one of these two powerhouses?  

NCAA DIVISION 2 – The Northwest Missouri Bearcats, after a cruel and heart- breaking offseason, are getting it done on the field and are number 1 for the 2nd week in a row. This week the Bearcats prepare for the Fall Classic against the Pittsburg (KS) State Gorillas coming up on Saturday. At 2, 3 and 5 in Division 2 are 3/5’s of the pitifully few remaining teams in the Gulf South Conference, formerly the SEC of D2 football. In second place  are Terry Bowden’s North Alabama Lions, in the 3 spot are the Lions’ GSC rivals, the Delta State Statesemen and the VSU Blazers are at number 5.

NJCAA – The Navarro College Bulldogs, the defending champions of NJCAA football, retain the top spot. The ‘dogs from Corsicana, TX have rarely been challenged so far this season outside of opening night, when they needed overtime to win the rematch with the Butler (KS) Grizzlies, the team they defeated for the title on December 5th. The Blinn College Buccaneers, where Cam Newton played college ball before transferring to Auburn, clung to the 2 spot, with the Arizona Western College Matadors and the Iowa Western Reivers hanging around the Top 5.

SCFA – The Saddleback Gauchos are the new number 1 in the SCFA poll, after the former number one, and the defending champs, the Mt San Antonio College Mounties, were upset by the Riverside Tigers on Saturday. The 4th place Tigers garnered 2 number 1 votes after bringing down Mt SAC and 3 more went to the 2nd place team, the El Camino Warriors. The Mounties themselves fell to number 5, just behind the team that unseated them, and coming in at the 3 spot are the Fullerton Hornets. Mt SAC is the only team in the Top 5 with a Continue reading →

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September 25, 2011 · 3:26 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM SEPTEMBER 24TH

 A MILESTONE FOR SIOUX FALLS – The UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS won their first gridiron victory since leaving the NAIA for D2 after last season. Yesterday they logged a road win over the MINOT STATE BEAVERS, themselves recently moved over to D2 from the NAIA. The final score in this game that will live on in USF history was 38-23.

THE WALSH CAVALIERS RULE THE WORLD – The NAIA’s WALSH CAVALIERS took it on the road yesterday and brought down D2’s URBANA BLUE KNIGHTS in a very memorable 22-20 gridiron epic.  

NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – The SCFA’s top-ranked team, the MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES, who are also the defending champs in that division, fell from the ranks of the unbeaten following a 29-26 loss to the RIVERSIDE TIGERS.

STAGG BOWL IS READY FOR PRIME TIME – It may not be a game result from yesterday, but it’s a significant development in NCAA Division 3 football. The D3 championship game, better known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, is moving from Saturday to Friday night. This year the game will be played at 7 pm ET on December 16th. This marks the first prime time airing of the Stagg Bowl since 2001.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The 11th ranked MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS, still smarting from being toppled from the 3 spot last week after being upset at home by the NEBRASKA WESLEYAN PRAIRIE WOLVES, took down the 9th ranked MIDLAND WARRIORS. The Mustangs earned this bounce back win on the road in a 28-27 Instant Classic that spoiled Midland’s Homecoming … The unranked BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS defeated the 15th ranked CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS in their own house by a tight score of 35-28 … At number 17, the ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLING BEARS suffered their 2nd loss of the season at the hands of the unranked road warriors, the MONTANA STATE- NORTHERN LIGHTS in a 35-32 game for the ages.  

TOP 25 UPSETS – D3 – Just one week after needing overtime to polish off the OTTERBEIN CARDINALS, the 9th ranked OHIO NORTHERN POLAR BEARS struggled against another unranked team, the MUSKINGUM  MUSKIES. The Muskies wound up Continue reading →

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September 24, 2011 · 2:30 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR SEPTEMBER 24TH

 Of the Top 6 teams in each of the divisions Balladeer’s Blog covers, D3’s 4th ranked MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS, better known as “The Cru”, face the biggest challenge today. They will be on the road against American Southwest Conference rival the HARDIN-SIMMONS COWBOYS, who are ranked 21st, are smarting from an unexpected loss last week and who would love nothing more than to hand the Cru (helmet at left) their first loss of the season. Of the winless teams looking for their first victory today the NAIA’s NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE RANGERS have the easiest game today, taking on the ever-hapless TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS. The NEBRASKA WESLEYAN PRAIRIE WOLVES, who had the upset of the week last Saturday, will be making a home stand against fellow NAIA (and Great Plains Athletic Conference) team, the number 21 DOANE TIGERS.  And now, links to updating scoreboards in the divisions Balladeer’s Blog covers: 

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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September 20, 2011 · 10:27 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25: WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19TH

 The Saint Xavier Cougars and Coach Fem maintain their number one ranking in the NAIA poll and there’s a new number one in D2. In fact, three of D2’s Top 5 lost over the weekend and no less than 23 teams in the NAIA Top 25 shifted positions! The top two in the NAIA were the only teams who did not change. The Marian Knights continue to make me look like a gridiron Nostradamus by moving up to number three, the highest football ranking in their institution’s history. Meanwhile, the William Penn Statesmen are just DARING people to try leaving them out of the playoffs this year, rising to the five spot. All this and the Saint Ambrose University Fighting Bees cracked the NAIA Top 25 themselves! And now, let’s look at the Top 6 in each of the divisions Balladeer’s Blog covers:

NAIA –   1. SXU COUGARS … 2. ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS … 3. MARIAN KNIGHTS … 4. CC FIGHTING SAINTS … 5. WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN … 6. MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS

D3 –   1. WHITEWATER WARHAWKS (defending D3 champs) … 2. MT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS (Warhawks and Purple Raiders have played each other in the last six D3 championship games IN A ROW) … 3. ST THOMAS  TOMMIES … 4. MHBU CRUSADERS … 5. BETHEL (MN) ROYALS … 6. LINFIELD WILDCATS

D2 –   1. NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS … 2. NORTH ALABAMA LIONS … 3. DELTA STATE STATESMEN … 4. SHEPHERD RAMS … 5. VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS … 6. BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES

NJCAA –   1. NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS (defending champions) … 2. BLINN BUCCANEERS … 3.  ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS … 4. EAST MS LIONS … 5. IOWA WESTERN REIVERS … 6. SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS

SCFA –   1. MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES (defending champions)  … 2. SADDLEBACK GAUCHOS … Continue reading →

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September 17, 2011 · 4:51 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR SEPTEMBER 17TH

 Well, the NAIA’s St Xavier Cougars will be defending their number one ranking today against the ever- tough Walsh Cavaliers. The 2nd ranked St Francis (IN) Cougars will host the McKendree Bearcats, who are still on their mission to return to their days of gridiron glory. At number 3, the Morningside  Mustangs are expected to have an easier time against the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves, who ended last season with a bit of a resurgence, but will it give NWU enough to topple the 3rd ranked team in the country in their own stadium? The 13th ranked Southern Nazarene University Crimson Storm haven’t gotten as much love as they deserve so far this season, so I’ll point out that they are 2-0 and host the Friends Falcons today. Naturally I’ll have my usual Sunday look at noteworthy results from today’s games, but in the meantime here are links to updating scoreboards for the divisions Balladeer’s Blog covers:

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

D3 – Continue reading →

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September 13, 2011 · 8:30 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLLS: SEPTEMBER 13TH

 Congratulations to Coach Mike Feminis and his Saint Xavier University Cougars (logo at left) who are now ranked number 1 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll. This is the first time in school history that the SXU football team is first in the nation and two teams called Fighting Saints played a role in this milestone. The CC Fighting Saints, the previous number 1, were upset by the unranked Eastern Oregon Mountaineers on Saturday (see my usual Sunday look at Noteworthy College Football Results) and the Cougars themselves defeated the other Fighting Saints team, St Francis (IL) (not to be confused with St Francis, Indiana, whose teams are called Cougars just like SXU)  Just be glad the University of Sioux Falls moved up to D2 after last season or all of the Top 3 teams would be called Cougars. Speaking of USF, the Morningside Mustangs no doubt don’t miss them at ALL as they are at number 3 and hoping to win their first Great Plains Athletic Conference title in years. The 4th ranked Marian Knights continue to prove that last season was no fluke AND that I was 100% right in my prediction last year that they Continue reading →

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September 11, 2011 · 2:59 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM SEPTEMBER 10TH

THE MCMURRY WAR HAWKS RULE THE WORLD – NCAA Division 3’s MCMURRY WAR HAWKS defeated a team from two divisions higher yesterday, toppling 1AA’s UT-SAN ANTONIO ROADRUNNERS in a 24-21 Instant Classic. Now, it’s true that the Roadrunners are in their very first year of intercollegiate football, but they are still Division 1 with all the advantages that implies in the way of facilities and recruiting.  

THE LANGSTON LIONS ALSO RULE THE WORLD … AGAIN – For the second week in a row the LANGSTON LIONS, from the NAIA, have taken down an upper division team. As with McMurry, they took down a 1AA team but did it in a rout. Langston (insert my usual joke that they should change their name to the Langston Hugheses here) handily defeated the TUSKEGEE GOLDEN TIGERS by a score of 33-19.  

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – For the first time this season we have three teams from the divisions Balladeer’s Blog covers playing giant-killer and defeating a team from a higher division. Add the NAIA’s PIKEVILLE BEARS to the mix. The Bears won a Continue reading →

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September 10, 2011 · 3:52 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR SEPTEMBER 10TH

 This is my usual Saturday post where I provide links to updating scoreboards for the divisions Balladeer’s Blog covers. First, though, my quick takes on some of last night’s games:

The Maritime College Privateers, one of the coolest-named teams in sports, carved up the Western Connecticut Colonials last night. Maritime won by a score of 48-0, setting up this season’s first post-victory ritual of breaking a two-by four. Hey, it’s odd but memorable!

The Catholic Cardinals at the Gallaudet Bison wound up being the game of the night, with the Continue reading →

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September 9, 2011 · 8:55 pm

A LOOK AT SOME RESULTS FROM SEPTEMBER 8TH’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES

THEY’RE LUMBERJACKS AND THEY’RE OKAY – D2’s Humboldt State Lumberjacks played in the game of the night last night, emerging with a 38-36 victory. The ‘Jacks brought down the Central Washington Wildcats, the reigning champs of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference for the past five years in a row. This was the kind of game football fans live for, and it was televised nationwide on the cable outlet called CBS College Sports. Viewers not only got to see a terrific game but also got to see Humboldt State’s  fantastic stadium, the Redwood Bowl, which was featured during the summer as one of  Balladeer’s Blog’s Top 6 College Football Stadiums in Division 2.

BLAZING A BIZARRE TRAIL – The Valdosta State Blazers suffered through a very strange game from their offense but the defense and special teams picked up the slack, enabling VSU to defeat the Newberry Wolves 24-17. The Blazers’ first 14 points came from a  Continue reading →

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September 4, 2011 · 3:56 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM SEPTEMBER 3RD: NAIA, NJCAA, D3 AND D2

The Langston Lions Rule The World – The NAIA’s Langston Lions ( who I always say should change their name to the Langston Hugheses … my fellow poetry geeks will get it) upset a team from TWO divisions higher. The Lions took down Division 1AA’s Arkansas- Pine Bluff Golden Lions in a 19-12 game for the ages … Honorable mention goes to the NAIA’s Azusa Pacific Cougars who took 1AA’s San Diego Toreros down to the wire (after defeating them last season) in a heartbreaking 42-40 outcome.  

The Franklin Grizzlies Also Rule The World – D3’s Franklin Grizzlies also brought down a team two divisions higher. The Grizzlies beat the 1AA Valaparaiso Crusaders 49-35 on Valpo’s own field.

Top 25 Upsets – NCAA Division 3 – There were no upsets in the NAIA’s or D2’s Top 25 so we’ll jump straight to D3. The 4th ranked North Central Cardinals fell to the unranked Redlands Bulldogs in a 35-29 nailbiter … At number 10, the Coe Kohawks were defeated by the Continue reading →

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