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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. Continue reading
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. 
NUMBER TWO AND THREE ROLL AS WELL – Not to be outdone, the number 2 team in the rankings – the AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE BEAVERS – utterly annihilated the visiting DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS (should be the Green Devils) to the tune of SIXTY-SEVEN to NOTHING ### And the 3rd ranked BUTTE COLLEGE ROADRUNNERS shut out their guests the SANTA ROSA COLLEGE BEAR CUBS by a final tally of 51-0. 
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. 
NUMBER THREE GETS KNOCKED OFF – In D2 the UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS GREYHOUNDS welcomed the number 3 team in the nation – the GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS. The dynastic Lakers appeared to be in the driver’s seat with a 13-0 1st Quarter lead, but by Halftime the Greyhounds had made it a 13-10 game. 
AND NUMBER FIVE CAME TUMBLING AFTER – Over in the NAIA the 24th ranked SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS clashed with the nation’s number 5 team – the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS. A 1st Quarter 6-0 edge for the Cougars turned into a commanding 26-7 lead by the Half. 
OUR DIVISION CAN BEAT UP YOUR DIVISION – 2017’s first round of NAIA football vs NCAA Division 3 football resulted in a split. 
No matter WHAT the 4-letter network says, this is Week TWO of the 2017 College Football season. Tonight will feature some clashes between ranked opponents in the various divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog: 
The number 5 team in the nation – the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS – take it on the road against the 24th ranked SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS. 
The 25th ranked SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS will be hosting the number 7 EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY MOUNTAINEERS. 
BIGGEST COMEBACK IN PROGRAM HISTORY – The storied HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS added another page to their history on Saturday in their game against the COFFEYVILLE COLLEGE RED RAVENS. The Blue Dragons trailed by 25 points in the 2nd Quarter before notching TWENTY-THREE points to trail just 25-23 at Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Red Ravens still on top 42-36 but in the 4th Hutchinson College shut out Coffeyville and won the game 50-42. 
UNDER THE RADAR CLASSIC – The COLLEGE OF DUPAGE CHAPARRALS traveled to take on the IOWA CENTRAL COLLEGE TRITONS. After a scoreless 1st Quarter the Chaparrals snagged a 10-6 lead by the break. The Defenses reigned in the 3rd Quarter like they did in the 1st, and the College of DuPage scored a Field Goal in the 4th for a 13-6 triumph. Kicker Thiago Kapps led the Chaparrals in scoring with his 7 points. 
SHUTOUTS – The (19) EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE GILA MONSTERS hosted the ARIZONA ACADEMY SOUL PATROL and proceeded to make them their prison brides to the tune of SIXTY-EIGHT to NOTHING ### Meanwhile the ASA COLLEGE (FL) SILVER STORM battered the ADVANCE ACADEMY PANTHERS by a score of 52-0 ### And the CISCO COLLEGE WRANGLERS outdid even those one-sided scores, obliterating the REZOLUTION (sic) ACADEMY WILDCATS in a NINETY-EIGHT to NOTHING laugher. 
NUMBER TWELVE TAKES A FALL – The BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS hosted the number 12 team in the nation – the MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS. The Vikings managed a 7-0 lead in the 1st Quarter but the Ravens exploded for 21 points in the 2nd Quarter to take a 21-7 lead by Halftime. 
WHEN RANKED TEAMS CLASH – Also in the NAIA the 2nd ranked BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS took the field against the visiting number 23 WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN. The teams went blow-for-blow in a 7-7 1st Quarter but the Wildcats eked out a 10-7 edge at the Half. 
TWO NEW TEAMS HIT THE GRIDIRON – Two new NAIA football squads played their inaugural games yesterday. Both lost. 
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