Eastman Has Career Day – Sioux Falls Cougars QB Jon “Jonny East” Eastman had a career day as USF decimated the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers 63-3. (In any Sioux Falls game it’s best to put the over/under in the 60’s or 70’s) Eastman went 20 of 30 for 360 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Top-Ranked Cougars are now 8-0 and have extended their NAIA-record winning streak to 37 games in a row. USF has a bye next Saturday and will resume its quest to Threepeat as National Champions on Nov 6th against the Dordt Defenders.
Top 25 Upsets – NAIA – The 16th-ranked McKendree Bearcats upset the 11th-ranked William Penn Statesmen 24-14 for the Statesmen’s 1st loss of the year … In a very slight upset rankings-wise #13, the Dickinson State Blue Hawks defeated #12, the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers, in their own house by a score of 24-14 … The 18th-ranked Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes were upset at home as well, losing to the unranked Sterling Knights 22-21 in a spoiled Homecoming for the Kansas Wesleyan faithful … The team at #20, the Black Hills State Yellow Jackets, also lost to an unranked team, the Minot State Beavers, in a 17-14 Instant Classic.
Top 25 Upsets – NCAA Division 3 – Just one Top 25 team in D3 suffered an upset yesterday. The team with that dubious distinction was the #19 St John Fisher Cardinals who fell to the unranked Alfred Saxons 42-31.
Top 25 Upsets – NCAA Division 2 – The 4th-ranked California (PA) Vulcans were defeated on the road by the Mercyhurst Lakers 31-21 … The #7 Hillsdale Chargers also lost on the road to an unranked team, the Wayne State (MI) Warriors by a score of 14-9 … THE Terry Bowden’s 9th-ranked North Alabama Lions fell to the Ouachita Baptist Tigers in overtime on a failed extra point attempt, 23-24 … #13 fell to #15 as the West Texas A&M Buffaloes defeated the Midwestern State Mustangs 42-29 and the 23rd-ranked Missouri Western Griffins will likely fall from the Top 25 after losing to the unranked Missouri Southern Lions by a score of 23-6.
St Francis (IN) And Peru State Rule The World – Two NAIA teams defeated higher division opponents yesterday. The 7th-ranked St Francis (IN) Cougars routed NCAA Division 2’s Missouri S&T Miners 41-14, and the Peru State Bobcats defeated D2’s Lincoln (MO) Blue Tigers 41-33.
Putting Another “W” In Lindsey Wilson – The Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders, in their very 1st year of intercollegiate football, have already notched their program’s 3rd win. Yesterday they won in Double Overtime by a score of 40-37 over the Kentucky Christian Knights.
These Teams Are Anything But Rank – The Millsaps Majors won on the road yesterday over the Centre Colonels 30-18.
Oh Yes They Call It The Streak – The 5th-ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats continue adding to their MIAA conference winning streak, topping the Washburn Ichabods in a 41-40 nailbiter at Washburn. Ichabods coach Craig Shurig could have gone for just a one-point conversion to send the game in to overtime after his team scored a touchdown making the score 41-40. Shurig went for the win instead of planning on OT but the 2-point pass attempt was broken up by the Bearcats in the endzone. The streak now stands at 43 conference wins in a row.
“Win One For Mark Trail” Dept – The Lake Forest Foresters got their 1st win of the season yesterday, defeating the Lawrence Vikings by a score of 35-14. With fellow Midwest Conference bottom-dwellers the Knox Prairie Fire coming up next Saturday the Foresters have a good shot at winning 2 in a row.
And Those Chargers Keep Charging Along – The New Haven Chargers, in just the 2nd year of their revival of football, have just 1 loss on the season and yesterday took sole possession of 1st place in the Northeast 10 Conference by defeating the Merrimack Warriors 27-25.
The Fleeces Stay Perfect – The 11th-ranked Albany (GA) State Golden Rams (I call them The Fleeces for short) and their Dirty Blue Defense won on the road in the final seconds to spoil Homecoming for the 25th-ranked Morehouse Maroon Tigers. The final score was 13-12, keeping Albany State’s record blemish-free so far this season.
We Went To A Football Game And A Baseball Game Broke Out – This week’s game that fits this category was the 6-5 victory the Indianapolis Greyhounds had over the Northern Michigan Wildcats. This was one game A-Rod and the Yankees might have been able to win!
We Went To A Football Game And A Basketball Game Broke Out – No defense? No problem! At least that seemed to be the sentiment held by the Puget Sound Loggers and the Lewis and Clark Pioneers yesterday. The Pioneers came out on top in a 68-64 orgy of scoring.
“Our Division Can Beat Up Your Division” Dept – In the ongoing rivalry between the NAIA and NCAA Division 3 it was all D3 this weekend. The Huntingdon Hawks defeated the streaking Webber International Warriors at their place 35-23. The Newport News Builders took down the Southern Virginia Knights in a 20-18 Instant Classic and the Willamette Bearcats defeated the Menlo Oaks 32-15.
The Lightning Round – In a game that had to be concluded today because of an extended lightning delay yesterday the Austin ‘Roos won a nail-biter over the Rhodes Lynx 17-16.
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