Since the NAIA didn’t release their first in-season poll until this week, there were some “upsets” that really weren’t (I’m looking at you, pre-season #7 Dickinson State).<\/p>\n
But there was one that most definitely was: #1 Carroll (MT) has been knocked off their throne. Details, and our first real look at the NAIA this year, after the jump. Good: #19 Southern Nazarene eviscerated Haskell 63-0, Langston upended D-II Tuskegee 33-19, and SW Assemblies knocked off D-III Howard Payne 21-15. Bad? Well, that depends on your position regarding the relative quality between NAIA and D-II, as Texas College, Panhandle State, and #13 Northwestern Oklahoma State all got pounded by D-II competition.<\/p>\n Southern Nazarene is the only team in the league I expect to win this week. The rest are playing up and over their heads except for Bacone, and they and Haskell are both so bad it’s impossible to predict a winner.<\/p>\n DAKOTA<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n The curiosity that is the new DAC schedule got underway with a bang, as Valley City upset pre-season #7 Dickinson State 28-26, dropping Dickinson to 0-3 and into oblivion. Mayville rolled over Trinity Bible 65-6, while Jamestown fell to D-III Wisconsin-Stout 20-17.<\/p>\n Mayville’s probably going to lose, while Valley should win. Given the disarray they’re in at this point, I can’t see Dickinson asserting themselves against Jamestown, but a Dickinson win would be more likely than an upset in the other two games.<\/p>\n FRONTIER<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n And we have our first #1 to be knocked off their perch at any division this season, as Carroll fell — at home, no less — to Eastern Oregon, 41-33.<\/p>\n Three games; four ranked teams. Heady stuff for the Frontier, even in the wake of Carroll falling from the top spot. That said, Carroll and Rocky Mountain won’t even be challenged, while Eastern Oregon should get by MSU-Northern.<\/p>\n GREAT PLAINS<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n #5 Morningside won the showdown between ranked teams, beating Northwestern 21-10. The league’s other ranked team, #17 Midland, knocked off Nebraska Wesleyan 49-25. Dakota Wesleyan remained unblemished with a 41-17 win over Concordia (NE), as did Doane, 52-13 winners over Dakota State in a non-conference game.<\/p>\n All but one game involves a ranked team, and the ranked teams should win their games. In the remaining game, Hastings will almost certainly prevail.<\/p>\n HEART OF AMERICA<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n One critical game last week, and it was a good one; #11 Missouri Valley upset #3 MidAmerica Nazarene 26-21. Evangel knocked off #23 Baker 34-27 to join MoValley atop the standings. #22 Benedictine was idle, and begins conference play this week.<\/p>\n Missouri Valley, Benedictine, Evangel, and Baker are my picks here.<\/p>\n KANSAS<\/strong><\/span>: Bethany, Ottawa, and Kansas Wesleyan should win. So should McPherson, but given the year’s results so far they may very well lose to Southwestern. Friends is probably not getting past Southern Nazarene.<\/p>\n MID-SOUTH<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n Good week for the league, winning every NAIA non-conference tilt and even knocking off a Division II team when Pikeville beat Kentucky Wesleyan 24-17. Shorter upended #20 Webber International 42-10. #18 Cumberland (TN) lost 30-27 to Campbellsville, while #16 Cumberlands (KY) defeated Virginia-Wise 42-13. #9 Georgetown was idle.<\/p>\n Obviously, Tennessee-Martin has already pounded the snot out of Union, 63-0. Campbellsville isn’t going to beat Whitewater, but a competitive game might actually help them in the poll. Bethel and Cumberland will win; UVA-Wise probably will not. The remaining games, including the big showdown between Cumberlands and Georgetown, are too close to predict.<\/p>\n MID-STATES<\/strong><\/span>: The five ranked teams should all prevail, as should Malone. Taylor might put up a fight, but should lose to Butler. The remaining games are too tight to call.<\/p>\n INDEPENDENTS<\/strong><\/span>: Azusa should win, and Menlo may. Southern Virginia may as well, but the game might not count in the records. Haskell might beat Bacone, but both teams are so bad it’s a toss-up. The remaining games can safely be considered losses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Since the NAIA didn’t release their first in-season poll until this week, there were some “upsets” that really weren’t (I’m looking at you, pre-season #7 Dickinson State). But there was one that most definitely was: #1 Carroll (MT) has been knocked off their throne. Details, and our first real look at the NAIA this year, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,12],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-division-news-and-notes","category-naia","tag-naia-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p185sV-6x","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":408,"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405\/revisions\/408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jonfmorse.com\/tog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n
\nCENTRAL STATES<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\nThis week:\r\n1400 ET: SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD (0-0, 1-1) at Austin (0-2; D-III)\r\n1700 ET: NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE (0-0, 0-2) at South Dakota (1-1; FCS)\r\n1900 ET: Haskell (0-3) at BACONE (0-0, 0-3)\r\n1900 ET: #18 LANGSTON (0-0, 2-0) at Missouri Western (1-1; D-II)\r\n1900 ET: Friends (1-0) at #13 SOUTHERN NAZARENE (0-0, 2-0)\r\n1900 ET: TEXAS COLLEGE (0-0, 0-2) at Texas Southern (0-1; FCS)\r\n2000 ET: Eastern New Mexico (0-2; D-II) at OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE (0-2)<\/pre>\n
This week:\r\n1400 ET: DICKINSON STATE (0-1, 0-3) at JAMESTOWN (0-0, 1-1)\r\n1430 ET: MAYVILLE STATE (0-0, 2-1) at Gustavus Adolphus (0-1; D-III)\r\n1900 ET: Dakota State (0-3) at VALLEY CITY STATE (1-0, 1-1)<\/pre>\n
This week:\r\n1500 ET: MONTANA WESTERN (0-2, 0-2) at #5 CARROLL (MT) (1-1, 1-1)\r\n1500 ET: #12 EASTERN OREGON (2-0, 2-0) at #23 MONTANA STATE-NORTHERN (2-0, 2-0)\r\n1500 ET: MONTANA TECH (0-2, 1-2) at #20 ROCKY MOUNTAIN (2-1, 1-1)<\/pre>\n
This week:\r\n1400 ET: BRIAR CLIFF (0-1, 1-1) at #21t DAKOTA WESLEYAN (1-0, 2-0)\r\n1400 ET: #16 NORTHWESTERN (IA) (0-1, 1-1) at DOANE (1-0, 2-0)\r\n1400 ET: #11 MIDLAND (1-0, 2-0) at DORDT (0-1, 1-1)\r\n1400 ET: NEBRASKA WESLEYAN (0-1, 1-1) at #3 MORNINGSIDE (1-0, 2-0)\r\n2000 ET: HASTINGS (1-0, 1-0) at CONCORDIA (NE) (0-1, 0-2)<\/pre>\n
This week:\r\n1300 ET: #7 MISSOURI VALLEY (1-0, 2-0) at AVILA (0-1, 0-2)\r\n1400 ET: GRACELAND (0-1, 0-2) at #14 BENEDICTINE (KS) (0-0, 2-0)\r\n1400 ET: EVANGEL (1-0, 1-1) at CULVER-STOCKTON (1-1, 1-1)\r\n1900 ET: CENTRAL METHODIST (1-1, 1-1) at BAKER (1-1, 2-1)\r\n IDLE: #9 MIDAMERICA NAZARENE (1-1, 1-1)\r\n IDLE: PERU STATE (1-1, 1-1)<\/pre>\n
\nBethany moved to 2-0 with a 43-34 win over #12 McPherson which helped knock McPherson out of the top 25 while installing Bethany at #19. #10 Ottawa, who started the season 0-2 and were in danger of dropping out of the poll, recovered enough to defeat #21 Kansas Wesleyan 44-19 and knock them out instead while clinging to the bottom spot.<\/p>\nThis week:\r\n1430 ET: #24t OTTAWA (1-0, 1-2) at SAINT MARY (KS) (0-1, 0-2)\r\n1900 ET: STERLING (1-0, 1-2) at KANSAS WESLEYAN (0-1, 0-2)\r\n1900 ET: FRIENDS (1-0, 1-0) at #13 Southern Nazarene (2-0)\r\n1900 ET: McPHERSON (0-1, 0-2) at SOUTHWESTERN (KS) (1-0, 1-1)\r\n2000 ET: BETHEL (KS) (0-1, 0-2) at #19 BETHANY (KS) (1-0, 2-0)\r\n IDLE: TABOR (1-1, 0-1)<\/pre>\n
This week:\r\nTHURSDAY:\r\n1900 ET: UNION (KY) (0-0, 1-2) at Tennessee-Martin (0-1; FCS)\r\nSATURDAY:\r\n1300 ET: #17 CAMPBELLSVILLE (0-0, 2-0) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (2-0; D-III)\r\n1330 ET: #10 CUMBERLANDS (KY) (0-0, 2-0) at #8 GEORGETOWN (KY) (0-0, 1-0)\r\n1330 ET: BELHAVEN (0-0, 2-1) at LINDSEY WILSON (0-0, 1-1)\r\n1330 ET: PIKEVILLE (0-0, 2-0) at #21t SHORTER (0-0, 1-0)\r\n1330 ET: WEST VIRGINIA TECH (0-0, 0-1) at BETHEL (TN) (0-0, 1-1)\r\n1400 ET: Huntingdon (1-1; D-III) at FAULKNER (0-0, 1-0)\r\n1430 ET: KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN (0-0, 1-2) at CUMBERLAND (TN) (0-0, 1-1)\r\n1800 ET: Emory & Henry (2-0; D-III) at VIRGINIA-WISE (0-0, 1-1)<\/pre>\n
\n#2 Saint Xavier continued to take care of business, dispatching #24 Saint Francis (IL) 34-30. The loss didn’t hurt Saint Francis, but it did move Xavier to #1 this week after Carroll’s loss. #4 Saint Francis (IN) moved up to the #2 spot after a 34-33 win over Saint Ambrose; their vacated spot was taken by #6 Marian, 52-0 winners over Quincy. That spot was in turn claimed by #8 William Penn, who defeated D-III Luther 24-13. #25 Grand View fell out of the poll after losing 28-21 in overtime to Drake, an FCS opponent.<\/p>\nThis week:\r\n1200 ET: McKENDREE (0-1) at #2 SAINT FRANCIS (IN) (0-0, 1-0)\r\n1300 ET: Notre Dame (OH) (1-1; D-II) at #4 MARIAN (IN) (1-0, 3-0)\r\n1300 ET: GRAND VIEW (0-0, 1-2) at TRINITY INTERNATIONAL (0-1, 1-1)\r\n1300 ET: Butler (1-1; FCS) at TAYLOR (0-0, 2-0)\r\n1400 ET: SAINT AMBROSE (1-0, 1-1) at MALONE (2-0)\r\n1400 ET: CONCORDIA (MI) (0-0, 0-2) at QUINCY (0-1, 1-1)\r\n1400 ET: SIENA HEIGHTS (1-0) at Kentucky Wesleyan (0-2; D-II)\r\n1900 ET: OLIVET NAZARENE (0-0, 1-2) at #24t SAINT FRANCIS (IL) (0-0, 1-1)\r\n1900 ET: WALDORF (0-0, 0-2) at #6 WILLIAM PENN (1-0, 3-0)\r\n1900 ET: WALSH (0-2) at #1 SAINT XAVIER (0-0, 2-0)\r\n IDLE: IOWA WESLEYAN (0-1, 0-3)\r\n IDLE: ROBERT MORRIS (IL) (0-3)<\/pre>\n
\n#15 Azusa Pacific clobbered D-III La Verne 65-14, and stayed at #15 for their trouble. #20 Webber International fell from the poll after losing 42-10 to Shorter. Ave Maria’s introduction to football was not a happy one, losing 41-17 to Faulkner.<\/p>\nThis week:\r\n1200 ET: Birmingham-Southern (2-0; D-III) at AVE MARIA (0-1)\r\n1900 ET: DAKOTA STATE (0-3) at Valley City State (1-1)\r\n1900 ET: EDWARD WATERS (1-1) at Morehouse (1-1; D-II)\r\n1900 ET: HASKELL (0-3) at Bacone (0-3)\r\n1900 ET: Radford (club) at SOUTHERN VIRGINIA (0-3)\r\n2100 ET: Whittier (0-0; D-III) at #15 AZUSA PACIFIC (1-1)\r\n2200 ET: MENLO (1-0) at Occidental (1-0; D-III)\r\n IDLE: WEBBER INTERNATIONAL (0-2)<\/pre>\n