COLLEGE OF IDAHO MARKS THE RETURN OF FOOTBALL WITH A WIN – Yesterday the NAIA’s COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES played their first game of intercollegiate football since 1977! The Yotes did it in style, too, not only notching a win ON THE ROAD but carrying on the NAIA tradition of defeating their rivals in NCAA Division 3 football. C of I battled the D3 PACIFIC UNIVERSITY BOXERS and led 7-0 in the 1st Quarter but were tied with the Boxers 14-14 at Halftime. Things stood at 28-28 going into the 4th Quarter but in the end the Coyotes blocked a Field Goal attempt and won the game 35-34! Welcome back to the gridiron, College of Idaho!
THE OAKS RULE THE WORLD – Each week of every college football season at least one NAIA football team upsets a team in NCAA Division Two, similar to when a 1AA team upsets a 1A team. Yesterday the MENLO COLLEGE OAKS took it on the road to Canada to battle D2’s SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY CLAN (as in Scottish clan). The Oaks won this instant classic by a final score of 31-24. (SFU is one of the Canadian teams that do play in America’s lower divisions of college sports)
LANGSTON RULES THE WORLD, TOO – The 2014 Missouri Classic at Arrowhead Stadium pitted the NAIA’s LANGSTON UNIVERSITY LIONS against NCAA Division Two’s LINCOLN (MO) UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS. Both offenses were clicking early as a 7-0 Blue Tiger lead became 7-7 after the Lions answered, then became a 14-7 Lincoln University lead and so on. By Halftime the Blue Tigers had seized a 42-28 advantage but Langston’s QB Mark Wright, Jr came out of the break ready to lead his team to a comeback win. The Lions scored 21 unanswered points while shutting out the Blue Tigers all 2nd Half until very late in the 4th Quarter. Langston’s Tra Keyes blocked the PAT, preserving the 49-48 upset win for the Lions!
EVERYBODY, INCLUDING BELHAVEN, WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – The NAIA’s BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY BLAZERS hosted the crosstown D2 team, the MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE CHOCTAWS yesterday. QB Conner Preston and RB Aaron Spikes were on fire, passing and running for 294 and 114 yards respectively. The Blazers led 7-0 after the 1st Quarter and 20-14 at the Half. After a scoreless 3rd Quarter Belhaven added 12 more points in the 4th to seal a 32-14 victory and improve to 2-0 on the season! Continue reading →
NUMBER ONE TAKES A FALL – The 15th ranked PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS traveled to face the top ranked Defending Champions of NCAA Division Two football – the NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS. The Gorillas combined heavy-hitting with unexpected trickery (including recovering two on-side kicks at the least expected moments) to compile a 28-10 lead by Haltime. That became 35-10 in the 3rd Quarter before the Bearcats added a garbage time TD in the 4th. Pitt State won 35-17 as QB Anthony Abenoja passed for 318 yds and 3 TD’s. 
INFLICTING SOME PAIN(E) – The PAINE COLLEGE LIONS are playing their first season of intercollegiate football in about half a century this year. Yesterday for Homecoming this 2nd Edition of the Lions notched their very first win by defeating the EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE TIGERS. After a scoreless 1st Quarter the visiting Tigers took a 14-0 lead in the 2nd before Paine tied up the game at 14-14 by the Half. That became a 21-14 Lion advantage in the 3rd and ultimately a 38-14 blowout win for Head Coach Greg Ruffin. Continue reading 
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