A little late...

but better late than never...as Minnesota-Duluth and Northwest Missouri State prepare to play for an NCAA Division II football national championship today. Therefore, there's some catching up to do.

FCS

James Madison won its first two playoff games in close fashion (Wofford 38-35 and Villanova 31-27). But Friday night, the No. 1 seeded Dukes finally ran out of luck, as they were upset by No. 4 seed Montana, 35-27. The Grizzlies now await the winner of Saturday's Northern Iowa-Richmond contest in next week's title game at Chattanooga, Tenn.

As for how the Grizzlies got to the FCS finals, they defeated Texas State, 31-13, then avenged their lone regular season loss to Weber State by knocking off the Wildcats, 24-13. UNI earned its way into the national semifinals with a thrilling 36-34 win over New Hampshire at home in the quarterfinals last Saturday.

NCAA Division II

No contest in either national semifinal game last weekend. Really.

Northwest Missouri State 41, North Alabama 7

Minnesota-Duluth 45, California (Pa.) 7

Enough said.

NCAA Division III

Mount Union advanced to yet another national semifinal game with a convincing 41-14 win over Cortland State. The 13-0 Purple Raiders face the upstart Thunder from Wheaton, who downed Franklin 45-28 to advance to the D-III semis.

On the other side of the bracket, defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater outlasted Wartburg 34-17, while Mary Hardin-Baylor crushed Washington & Jefferson 63-7 to set up the other national semifinal contest.

NAIA

It will be a battle of 13-0 teams in next week's NAIA championship game at Rome, Ga. on Dec. 20, as defending national champion Carroll (Mont.) facing Sioux Falls (S.D.). The Saints edged Lindenwood (Mo.) 38-37 in one national semifinal game last weekend, while the Cougars rolled past St. Francis (Ind.) 24-6 in the other semifinal match-up.