THE SUNDAY DRIVE--WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2008

Villanova upsets No. 1 Richmond

It was a bad weekend for top-ranked teams in college football this weekend. Not only did the No.1 team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, so did the top team in the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA Division I.

Sports Network

Southern Illinois 27, Northern Iowa 24

A last second field goal lifts the 15th-ranked [Sports Network] Salukis to the upset win over the fifth-ranked Panthers in Carbondale, Ill. Saturday night.

Southern Illinois University Sports Information

Wofford 38, Georgia Southern 37

The Terriers win a Southern Conference thriller in overtime!

Wofford College Sports Information

All FCS Final Scores

Courtesy of The Sports Network

Northwest Missouri State 42, Nebraska-Omaha 0

The Bearcats rout the Mavericks in surprising fashion in a NCAA Division II Mid America Intercollegiate Athletics Association contest.

stjoenews.net

Pittsburg State 49, Central Missouri 28

The Gorillas romp over the Mules in another key MIAA clash!

kansascity.com

California (Pa.) 21, Indiana (Pa.) 19

The Vulcans edge the Crimson Hawks in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

All other NCAA Division II Final Scores

Sports Network

Delaware Valley 41, Salisbury 27

The NCAA Division III Aggies pull off the upset over another Top 10 nationally-ranked team, this time against the Sea Gulls!

Delaware Valley College Sports Information

St. John Fisher 37, Ithaca 6

Cardinals pull away in second half, blast Bombers in Empire 8 Conference opener.

St. John Fisher College Sports Information

All other NCAA Division III Final Scores

Sports Network

NAIA Round-up

Several big match-ups turn into blowouts!

Victory Sports Network

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 5--PART 2

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest highlighted BOLD type.

NCAA DIVISION III

Ithaca (3-0) at St. John Fisher (2-1)

(The Cardinals play host to the Bombers in critical Empire 8 Conference contest!)

Salisbury (3-0) at Delaware Valley (1-1)

Franklin (2-0) at Trine (2-0)

Trinity (Conn.)--(1-0) at Williams (1-0)

Bethel (Minn.)--(1-2) at Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.)--(2-1)

Misssissippi College (1-2) at Hardin-Simmons (3-0)

Heidelberg (1-1) at John Carroll (1-1)

Guilford (2-1) at Hampden-Sydney (3-0)

Worcester Polytech (3-0) at RPI (2-0)

NAIA

Georgetown (Ky.)--(1-1) at Union (Ky.)--(3-0)

(Bulldogs host Tigers in key Mid-South Conference match-up!)

McKendree (1-1) at Ohio Dominican (2-1)

St. Ambrose (2-1) at St. Francis (Ind.)--(3-0)

INTERDIVISIONAL GAMES

Central Washington (D-II)--(4-0) at Montana (FCS)--(3-0)

(Grizzlies host Wildcats in a battle of intra-divisional unbeatens!)

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 5--PART 1

Last Week: 20-9 (.690)
Year-To-Date: 80-30 (.727)

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest highlighted in BOLD type.

FCS

Northern Iowa (2-1) at Southern Illinois (1-1)

(Panthers square off against Salukis in Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown!)

Richmond (3-1) at Villanova (2-1)

(19th ranked [Sports Network] Wildcats host top-ranked Spiders in CAA clash!)

Wofford (3-1) at Georgia Southern (2-2)

(Terriers face Eagles in Southern Conference tilt!)

Samford (3-1) at Elon (3-1)

(Welcome to the Southern Conference, Bulldogs!)

Western Carolina (2-2) at The Citadel (2-1)

Tennessee State (4-0) vs. Florida A&M (2-1)--(at Atlanta)

(Atlanta Classic)

Liberty (3-0) at Youngstown State (2-2)

NCAA DIVISION II

Northwest Missouri State (3-1) at Nebraska-Omaha (3-0)

(Showdown #1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Assocation pits the one-loss Bearcats against the unbeaten Mavericks!)

Central Missouri (4-0) at Pittsburg State (4-0)

(The Gorillas host the Mules in MIAA Showdown #2!)

West Texas A&M (4-0) at Texas A&M Kingsville (3-1)

Tusculum (3-1) at Wingate (4-0)

Indiana (Pa.)--(3-0) at California (Pa.)--(3-1)

Michigan Tech (3-1) at Grand Valley State (3-0)

Minnesota State-Mankato (3-1) at Winona State (3-1)

FCS Recap: Clash of Champions

A dramatic come-from-behind win, a huge upset, the debut of the Ivy League season, and more, highlight the week that was in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Article courtesy of College Sporting News

THE SUNDAY DRIVE--PART 3

TSD SPECIAL--A DOUBLE FEATURE

QBs credit NFL Europe for their shot at big time

Sacramento Bee

Two Mon Valley colleges are must-see

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Rapid Fire Round-Up!

Colonels extend streaks

Boston.com

Mount Union 44, Ohio Northern 7

Mount Union College Sports Information

Wisconsin-Oshkosh 17, Ohio Dominican 16

NCAA Division III Titans knock off NAIA power Panthers!

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Sports Information

Saginaw Valley edges Northwood

Detroit News

Overtime, over and over

St. Olaf downs St. Thomas in overtime NCAA Division III thriller in Minnesota!

StarTribune.com

Wartburg 30, Central 24

The Knights pull off the upset win over the Dutch in D-III Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action!

Wartburg College Sports Information

Gagliardi gets another record, but Concordia gets the victory

Legendary St. John's (Minn.) head coach John Gagliardi passes Eddie Robinson for most games coached in college football history. But Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) still managed to pull off a 9-6 upset win over the Johnnies on Saturday.

StarTribune.com

Area roundup

StarTribune.com

More scores from Saturday

NCAA Division II (courtesy of d2football.com)

NCAA Division III (courtesy of d3football.com)

VSN Saturday Recaps (NAIA)

Victory Sports Network

THE SUNDAY DRIVE--WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2008--PART 2

California (Pa.) claims PSAC showdown

The Vulcans hold off Edinboro for a 35-31 win.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

GVSU Beats Rival Ferris State

Grand Valley State stands as the lone unbeaten in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after crushing Ferris State, 31-13.

Holland (Mich.) Sentinel

Mules outrun Ichabods

Central Missouri wins a shootout over Washburn, 43-34 in Mid America Intercollegiate Athletics Association action!

Topeka Capital Journal

Questionable call costs Griffons

Pittsburg State (Kan.) takes advantage of a controversial defensive play to defeat Missouri Western State, 46-40.

St. Joseph (Mo.) News Press

THE SUNDAY DRIVE--WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2008--PART 1

James Madison 35, Appalachian State 32

The fifth-ranked [Sports Network] Dukes rally in the second half to upset the top-ranked Mountaineers in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) "Game of the Week"

Harrisonburg (Va.) Daily News Record

James Madison University Sports Information

Youngstown State 32, North Dakota State 24

The Penguins stun the second-ranked (FCS coaches) Bison in Missouri Valley Football Conference action!

Youngstown State University Sports Information

Furman 23, Delaware 21

The Purple Paladins pull off the upset at home over the sixth-ranked Blue Hens Saturday!

GreenvilleOnline.com

Northern Iowa 34, South Dakota State 20

The Panthers hold off the Jackrabbits in another exciting Missouri Valley Football Conference contest!

University of Northern Iowa Sports Information

Elon 22, Georgia Southern 20

The Phoenix knock off the Eagles to open Southern Conference action Saturday night!

Elon University Sports Information

FCS Final Scores

All the final scores from every game involving every team in the Football Championship Subdivision for the week ending September 20, 2008

College Sporting News

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 4--PART 2

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest highlighted in BOLD type.

NCAA DIVISION II

Ouachita Baptist (2-0) at Valdosta State (2-0)

Newberry (1-1) at Midwestern State (2-0)

Mars Hill (2-1) at West Liberty State (2-1)

NCAA DIVISION III

Ohio Northern (0-1) at Mount Union (1-0)

(Purple Raiders host the Polar Bears in Ohio Athletic Conference opener!)

Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.)--(1-1) at St. John's (Minn.)--(2-0)

Capital (1-0) at Heidelberg (1-0)

Christopher Newport at Salisbury (2-0)

Wartburg (1-1) at Central (1-0)

Widener (1-0) at Wesley (0-1)

NAIA

Carroll (Mont.)--(3-0) at Montana State-Northern (2-0)

(The defending national champion Saints take on the "Northern Lights" in Frontier Conference action!)

Jamestown (N.D.)--(1-1) at Valley City State (2-0)

South Dakota School of Mines (2-0) at Black Hills State (1-1)

INTERDIVISIONAL GAMES

Western Washington (D-II)--(1-1) at Eastern Washington (FCS)--(0-2)

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 4--PART 1

Last Week--22-11 (.667)
Year-To-Date--60-21 (.741)

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest highlighted in BOLD type.

FCS

Appalachian State (1-1) at James Madison (2-1)

(The top-ranked [Sports Network poll] Mountaineers face the fifth-ranked Dukes!)

Delaware (1-1) at Furman (2-1)

(The Purple Paladins play host to the Blue Hens in another battle of the Southern Conference vs. the Colonial Athletic Association!)

South Dakota State (2-1) at Northern Iowa (1-1)

(The Panthers host the Jackrabbits in Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown!)

Elon (2-1) at Georgia Southern (2-1)

(The Eagles are home to the Phoenix in the Southern Conference opener for both teams!)

Albany (N.Y.)--(1-1) at New Hampshire (2-0)

Cal Poly (1-1) at Northwestern State (2-1)

Villanova (1-1) at Penn

Stephen F. Austin (1-1) at Western Illinois (1-2)

Eastern Illinois (1-2) at Illinois State (1-1)

Maine (2-1) at Richmond (2-1)

Holy Cross (1-1) at Harvard

NCAA DIVISION II

Ferris State (3-0) at Grand Valley State (3-0)

(The Lakers host the Bulldogs in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown!)

California (Pa.)--(2-1) at Edinboro (3-0)

(The Vulcans battle the Fighting Scots in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division clash!)

Washburn (2-1) at Central Missouri (3-0)

(It's the Ichabods visiting the Mules in this critical Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association match-up!)

Seton Hill (3-0) at Glenville State (2-1)

Chadron State (2-1) at Colorado State-Pueblo (2-0)

THE SUNDAY DRIVE--SEPTEMBER 14, 2008

Toman's arm guides UNH past URI

Boston.com

Georgia Southern 34, Northeastern 27

Huskies squander chance for upset (Boston.com)

Merrimack miscues gobbled up by Bryant

Boston.com

James Madison 52, Massachusetts 38

Dukes outlast Minutemen in Colonial Athletic Association opener (JMUSports.com)

Grand Valley State 36, Saginaw Valley State 0

Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press

Glennville State 21, Shepherd 14

The Journal (Martinsburg, W. Va.)

Central Washington 31, Western Oregon 24

StatesmanJournal.com

Scoreboard for week of September 13, 2008 (all courtesy of PhillyBurbs.com)

FCS Scoreboard

NCAA Division II Scoreboard

NCAA Division III Scoreboard

VSN Saturday Recap

A review of Saturday's key NAIA games, including a huge upset!

Victory Sports Network

Whitewater hangs on

Defending NCAA Division III national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater holds off Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 16-14

jsonline.com

TSD Special: Glory days only a memory for once-proud Dragons

startribune.com

Gagliardi ties Robinson mark in victory

startribune.com

Wheaton 10, Bethel (Minn.) 7

Wheaton College Sports Information

More on Whitewater's close win over Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Sports Information

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 3--PART 2

Here's Part 2 of "The Lightning Round" for this week.

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest highlighted in BOLD type.

NCAA DIVISION II

Henderson State (1-1) at North Alabama (2-0)

Texas A&M Commerce (1-1) at Abilene Christian (1-0)

American International (1-0) at Southern Connecticut State (1-1)

NCAA DIVISION III

Wisconsin-Whitewater (1-0) at Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1-0)

(Defending D-III national champion Warhawks open WIAC play against playoff second-rounder Blugolds!)

Bethel (Minn.)--(1-0) at Wheaton

(Royals look to go 2-0, season opener for the Thunder!)

Ohio Northern at North Central

(Season opener for both the Polar Bears and the Cardinals!)

Wartburg (1-0) at Augsburg (1-0)

Linfield at Hardin-Simmons (1-0)

Wesley at Delaware Valley (0-1)

Geneva (0-1) at Salisbury (1-0)

Ithaca (1-0) at King's (1-0)

Dubuque (1-0) at Redlands

Wilkes (0-1) at Montclair State

Johns Hopkins (1-0) at Randolph-Macon (0-1)

North Carolina Wesleyan (0-1) at Widener

Union (N.Y.) at Springfield (1-0)

NAIA

Friends at Sterling

(Season opener for both Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference teams!)

Morningside (1-0) at Northwestern (Iowa)--(1-0)

(Nationally-ranked teams to square off in early-season battle; Mustangs ranked seventh in NAIA pre-season poll, Red Raiders 13th!)

Malone at Union (Ky.)--(1-0)

INTERDIVISIONAL GAMES

Wisconsin-LaCrosse (D-III)--(0-1) at North Dakota (FCS)--(2-0)

Concordia (Wis.)--(D-III)--(0-1) at Valparaiso (FCS)--(0-1)

Franklin (D-III)--(1-0) at Butler (FCS)--(1-0)

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 3--PART 1

Last Week: 31-7 (.816)
Overall: 38-10 (.792)

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest in BOLD type.

FCS

Massachusetts (2-0) at James Madison (1-1)

(Dukes host Minutemen in early-season CAA clash!)

Western Illinois (1-1) at South Dakota State (1-1)

(Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for Leathernecks, Jackrabbits try to start 2-0 in conference play!)

Cal Poly (1-1) at McNeese State (1-1)

(The Cowboys battle the Mustangs in an inter-sectional battle!)

Furman (1-1) at Colgate (1-1)

Presbyterian (1-1) at Elon (1-1)

North Carolina A&T (2-0) at Norfolk State (1-1)

Prairie View A&M (2-0) at Sam Houston State (1-0)

NCAA DIVISION II

Grand Valley State (1-0) at Saginaw Valley State (1-0)

(Lakers battle the Cardinals in clash for GLIAC supremacy!)

UNC Pembroke (2-0) at Wingate (2-0)

Stonehill (1-0) at Pace (1-0)

Virginia Union (1-1) at Fort Valley State (1-2)

Emporia State (2-0) at Nebraska-Omaha (1-0)

Missouri Southern State (2-0) at Pittsburg State (2-0)

Missouri Western State (1-1) at Northwest Missouri State (1-1)

Small schools get big bucks for games

The likes of Maine, Northern Colorado, and Eastern Washington are making a lot of money playing against the "big boys" of college football.

Article courtesy of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, via the Denver Post

Long road back to respectability

Former NFL great Kellen Winslow tries to return a once-powerful small college program back to the top, as he's now the athletics director at Central State University in Ohio.

Article courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

THE SUNDAY DRIVE--SEPTEMBER 7, 2008

This is the 2008 season debut of "The Sunday Drive", a weekly round-up of some of the top small college football games in the U.S.A., direct from the Internet. So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!

Montana 30, Cal Poly 28

The Grizzlies hold off the Mustangs in non-conference FCS battle.

MontanaGrizzlies.com

North Dakota State 50, Central Connecticut State 14

The Bison run their record to 2-0 by blowing out the Blue Devils!

North Dakota State University Sports Information

South Dakota State 40, Youngstown State 7

Jackrabbits win easily in first-ever Missouri Valley Football Conference contest.

South Dakota State University Sports Information

Bloomsburg 24, California (Pa.) 17

The Huskies pull off a shocker over last year's NCAA Division II playoff semifinalists!

Bloomsburg University Sports Infomation

Pittsburg State (Kan.) 38, Chadron State 31

Gorillas go on the road, knock off the Eagles!

Pittsburg State University Sports Information

Mount Union 33, St. John Fisher 3

The Purple Raiders win easily over the Cardinals in NCAA Division III non-conference affair!

Cleveland.com

Millsaps 42, Mississippi College 6

The Majors earn first victory in "Backyard Brawl" since 2004 with convicing win over Choctaws!

Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger

Sometimes those small-school quarterbacks come up huge

As the 2008 NFL season gets underway, there's a revival among quarterbacks who played their college football at smaller institutions. That list includes Baltimore Ravens rookie Joe Flacco, who led the University of Delaware to a national runner-up finish in the Football Championship Subdivision title game last season.

Article courtesy of the Sacramento Bee

North Alabama defeats Carson-Newman 20-13

The University of North Alabama Lions, ranked third in the AFCA NCAA Division II coaches poll, defeated fourth-ranked Carson-Newman, 20-13, at Jefferson City, Tenn. Thursday night.

Article courtesy of University of North Alabama Sports Information

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 2

Last Week: 7-3 (.700)
Overall: 7-3 (.700)

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest highlighted in BOLD type.

FCS

Montana (1-0) at Cal Poly (1-0)

(Mustangs are coming off an upset win over FBS San Diego State, while this is the season opener for the Grizzlies!)

Central Connecticut State (1-0) at North Dakota State (1-0)

(The Bison from the Missouri Valley Football Conference play host to the Blue Devils from the Northeast Conference!)

Youngstown State (0-1) at South Dakota State (0-1)

(Both teams are coming off blowout losses to Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the openers. On the other hand, this is the first-ever Missouri Valley Football Conference game for the Jackrabbits!)

Jacksonville (1-0) at Appalachian State (0-1)

Austin Peay State (0-1) at Georgia Southern (0-1)

South Dakota (1-0) at Northern Iowa (0-1)

Alabama A&M (0-1) at Jacksonville State (0-1)

Alcorn State (0-1) at Grambling State (0-1)

Hampton (1-0) at Southern Illinois (0-0)

NCAA DIVISION II

California (Pa.)--(1-0) at Bloomsburg (1-0)

(Vulcans face Huskes in a key early-season inter-divisional match-up in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference!)

Pittsburg State (Kan.)--(1-0) at Chadron State (1-0)

(The Eagles host the Gorillas in a non-conference clash of nationally-ranked teams!)

Hillsdale (1-0) at Michigan Tech (1-0)

Lane (1-0) at Albany State (Ga.)--(1-0)

Mesa State (0-1) at Central Washington (1-0)

Minnesota-Duluth (1-0) at Missouri Western (1-0)

NCAA DIVISION III

St. John Fisher at Mount Union

(New York State meets Ohio in this early-season non-conference clash between the Cardinals and Purple Raiders!)

Mississippi College at Millsaps

(The Choctaws face off against the Majors in "Backyard Brawl IX"!)

Hardin-Simmons at Wisconsin-LaCrosse

Salisbury at Albright

Hampden-Sydney at North Carolina Wesleyan

Baldwin-Wallace at Franklin

Muhlenberg at Wilkes

Coe at Augustana (Ill.)

Concordia (Wis.) at Bethel (Minn.)

Lakeland at Central (Iowa)

St. Norbert at Wartburg

Olivet at Wittenburg

Ursinus at Alfred

NAIA

Lindenwood at Mid-America Nazarene

(Perennial Midwest small school powers face off in early-season battle!)

Benedictine at Missouri Valley

Sioux Falls at Nebraska Wesleyan

INTERDIVISIONAL GAMES

St. Xavier (NAIA) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (D-III)--(Friday)

(Perennial NAIA powerhouse Cougars clash against defending NCAA Division III Warhawks!)

Delta State (D-II) at McNeese State (0-1)--(FCS)

(Statesmen are 2-0 against FCS teams the last two years!)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (FCS) at Henderson State (D-II)

Glennville State (D-II)--(1-0) at Liberty (FCS)--(1-0)

Bentley (D-II)--(1-0) at Sacred Heart (FCS)--(1-0)

Butler (FCS) at Albion (D-III)

North Dakota State battles Central Conneticut State

Fresh off an easy 41-6 win over Austin Peay State last weekend, the North Dakota State University Bison will face off against the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils in a non-conference battle of 1-0 teams this weekend.

Article courtesy of North Dakota State University Sports Information

North Alabama/Carson-Newman Game Notes

North Alabama and Carson-Newman square in a nationally-televised, early-season battle of nationally-ranked, top five teams. Both teams enter this contest with identical perfect records of 1-0 after winning their opening games last weekend. The game will be televised live at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday night on CBS College Sports.

North Alabama Game Notes

Carson-Newman Game Notes

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--BONUS PREDICTION

Thursday, September 4

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.

Other games of interest highlighted in BOLD type.

NCAA DIVISION II

North Alabama (1-0) at Carson-Newman (1-0)

("Game of the Week" in NCAA Division II features a pair of Southern powerhouse teams!)