Playoffs! The NAIA

[SWC75]

Here is the field for the 2012 NAIA football playoffs. I’ve included the school name, what state it is in, (if that’s not in the title), with won-loss record, points for and against, who they lost to, if anyone, by what score and when, their ranking, their record in post season tournaments and bowls, what championships, if any, they have won previously.

BAKER of Kansas, (8-2, 319-201) Lost to Missouri Valley 17-31 on 9/22 and Mid-America Nazarine, 20-49 on 9/29. Rank: #11. All-time: 11-12. No titles.
At
SAINT FRANCIS of Indiana, (8-2, 362-161) Lost to St. Ambrose of Iowa 14-15 on 9/8 and Marian 38-45 on 10/13. Rank: #6. All-time: 19-12. No titles.
　
MID-AMERICAN NAZARINE of Kansas (8-2, 396-165) Lost to Missouri Valley, 7-41 on 9/8 and Gardner-Webb 28-30 on 10/13. Rank: #9. All-time: 6-9. No Titles.
At
CUMBERLANDS of Kentucky (9-1, 477-202) Lost to Georgetown of Kentucky 35-41 on 10/13. Rank: #7 All-Time: 1-5. No titles (Note: this is not Cumberland College of Tennessee who famously lost to Georgia Tech 0-222 in 1917. The name is pluralized.)
　
NORTHWESTERN IOWA (9-2, 417-157) Lost to Morningside 7-34 on 9/8 and Concordia of Nebraska 16-17 on 10/13. Rank: #12 All-time: 20-13 Won NAIA DII in 1973 and 1983.
At
MARIAN of Indiana (8-1, 321-126) Lost to St. Xavier of Illinois 6-23 on 11/3. Rank: #5. All-Time: 3-2. No titles.
　
MONTANA TECH (8-2, 320-213) Lost to Eastern Oregon 23-26 on 9/1 and to Southern Oregon 28-46 on 11/10. Rank: #14. All-Time: 3-6. No Titles.
At
MORNINGSIDE OF IOWA (10-0, 457-57) No loses. Rank: #3. All Time: 7-8. No titles.
　
WILLIAM PENN of Iowa (9-2, 360-147) Lost to St. Francis of Indiana 19-28 on 10/20 and St. Ambrose of Iowa 17-20 on 11/3. Rank: #13. All-Time: 1-1-1. No titles.
At
ST. XAVIER of Illinois (9-1, 363-146) Lost to St. Francis of Indiana 13-25 on 9/29. Rank: #4. All-Time: 11-6. Won 2011 NAIA championship.
　
SOUTHERN OREGON (8-2, 544-325) Lost to Rocky Mountain 30-52 on 9/8 and Montana Tech 45-48 on 9/29. Rank: #10. All-Time: 4-5. No titles.
At
ST. AMBROSE of Iowa (9-1, 331-163) Lost to Grand View 26-29 (2OT) 9/29. Rank: #8. All-time: 4-10. No titles.
　
OTTAWA OF KANSAS (8-2, 381-206) Lost to Baker 20-27 on 8/25 and Kansas Wesleyan 28-31 on 9/8, (their first two games). Rank: #15. All-time: 1-6. No titles. All-Time 1-0.
At
MISSOURI VALLEY (10-0, 409-123) No loses. Rank: #2. All-time: 10-13-3. No titles.
　
BETHEL OF TENNESSEE (8-3, 374-320) Lost to Virginia at Wise 21-24 on 8/25, Marian 7-31 on 9/1 and Georgetown of Kentucky 21-63 on 9/29. Rank: #18. All-time: 2-3. No titles.
At
GEORGETOWN OF KENTUCKY (10-0, 478-148) No losses. Ranking: #1. All-Time: 24-14. Won NAIA DII 1991, NAIA 2000-2001

Comment: The NAIA is down to 79 teams for football and so many of their former champions have jumped to the NCAA, (only three of these 16 teams have won a title), that the top teams have seek out each other for competition. All but 7 of the 23 losses of this field were against each other. The organization is also centered in the Midwest: 4 teams in Iowa, 3 in Kansas, 2 each in Kentucky and Indiana, one in Missouri and Illinois. The only two not in this area are Montana Tech and Southern Oregon. Does anyone really want to see a rematch of a 63-21 game? I still wish the organization, which was formed before the NCAA organized small college playoffs to give the little guys a title to fight for, would just disband and send it’s teams into the NCAA so we could get a true championship at this level.

But enough editorializing. Georgetown seems a very strong favorite here, although you’ve got to be impressed with the way Morningside dominated it’s opposition. St. Xavier is the defending champs and they could be strong enough to repeat. Missouri Valley is also strong.

 

[SWC75]

FIRST ROUND

Saint Francis defeated Baker 22-17, converting 2 of 3 turnovers into 10 points but lost their quarterback Josh Miller, in the third quarter. Antoin Campbell ran for 95 tough yards for the winners.

Cumberlands handled Mid-America Nazarene, 42-24, bolting out to a 21-3 lead, seeing it narrow to 21-17 but dominating after that. They rolled up 506 yards, 428 on the ground, 177 of them on runs by Terrance Cobb, who scored 4 times.

Marian topped Northwestern Iowa 42-32, losing a 21-7 to fall behind 21-24 in the third quarter before storming back to win and five different players scored. Tevin Lake caught a TD pass and ran for one. Adam Wiese threw for 479 yards and four scores as Marian passed for a total of 528 yards and out-gained Northwestern 627-361.

Morningside used a 34 point second quarter to turn a 0-13 first quarter deficit into a 34-20 halftime lead and held on to win 40-35 over Montana Tech. who outgained them 517-377. Included in the outburst was a 25 yard pick 6 and a 90 yard kickoff return TD. Joel Nixon threw for two other scores.

Defending NAIA champion St. Xavier had no problem with William Penn, shutting them out 31-0 and out-gaining them 496-233. They overcame slow start, coming away with just 3 points in two drives inside the WP five yard line. It didn’t matter. Quarterback Jimmy Coy threw for 336 yards.

Southern Oregon erased a 17-28 halftime deficit to St. Ambrose with four unanswered touchdowns in a 45-28 win. They gained 547 yards, which is actually below their average. Quarterback Austin Dodge passed for 307 yards and 3 scores and Manny Barragan rushed for 192 more and a score.

Missouri Valley blew out Ottawa, 56-21. They scored a safety early in the first quarter and LaQuentin Black returned the kick-off for a touchdown. LaNorris Dukes scored four more times. MVC outgained Ottawa 487-228, who was out of it by halftime, (30-7).

Bethel of Tennessee pulled off a huge upset by beating #1 ranked and three time national champion Georgetown of Kentucky, a team that had walloped them 63-21 on 9/29, 45-44. Georgetown had just scored to take a 44-39 lead when Jahron Reynolds, whose birthday this was, returned the subsequent kickoff 92 yards for a score with 13 seconds left in the game. Georgetown won the yardage battle, 500-364 but lost the war thanks to that return and 6 Tiger turnovers. I looked for a video of the final play but was unable to find one.

 

[SWC75]

The match-ups for the second round:

SAINT FRANCIS of Indiana, (9-2, 384-178) Lost to St. Ambrose of Iowa 14-15 on 9/8 and Marian 38-45 on 10/13. Rank: #6. All-time: 20-12. No titles.
Vs.
MARIAN of Indiana (9-1, 363-158) Lost to St. Xavier of Illinois 6-23 on 11/3. Rank: #5. All-Time: 4-2. No titles.
This should be another close one, like their 10/13 classic.
　
CUMBERLANDS of Kentucky (10-1, 519-226) Lost to Georgetown of Kentucky 35-41 on 10/13. Rank: #7 All-Time: 2-5. No titles (Note: this is not Cumberland College of Tennessee who famously lost to Georgia Tech 0-222 in 1917. The name is pluralized.)
Vs.
ST. XAVIER of Illinois (10-1, 394-146) Lost to St. Francis of Indiana 13-25 on 9/29. Rank: #4. All-Time: 12-6. Won 2011 NAIA championship.
In a close match-up, go with the defending champs.

MORNINGSIDE OF IOWA (11-0, 497-92) No loses. Rank: #3. All Time: 8-8. No titles.
Vs.
SOUTHERN OREGON (9-2, 589-363) Lost to Rocky Mountain 30-52 on 9/8 and Montana Tech 45-48 on 9/29. Rank: #10. All-Time: 4-5. No titles.
Southern Oregon has an offense but Morningside has a defense, too.

MISSOURI VALLEY (11-0, 465-144) No loses. Rank: #2. All-time: 11-13-3. No titles.
Vs.
BETHEL OF TENNESSEE (9-3, 419-364) Lost to Virginia at Wise 21-24 on 8/25, Marian 7-31 on 9/1 and Georgetown of Kentucky 21-63 on 9/29. Rank: #18. All-time: 3-3. No titles.
I think Bethel shot it’s bolt vs. Georgetown.

 

[BlackKnight76]

Georgetown of Kentucky can't lose fast enough for me.