RFC Scoreboard--Championship Weekend

The national championship match-up in the FCS is set, while it was a championship weekend for NCAA Division II, Division III, and the NAIA.  Read below for a recap of all the action from the final weekend of games before Christmas.

FCS Playoffs--Semifinals

Sam Houston State holds off Montana (Houston Chronicle) 

Bonus coverage (Billings [Mont.] Gazette) 

NCAA Division II Championship 

Pittsburg State wins second title (Joplin [Mo.] Globe)

Bonus coverage (Pittsburg [Kan.] Morning Sun)

Bonus coverage (Detroit News)

NCAA Division III Championship (Stagg Bowl XXXIX)


Wisconsin-Whitewater three-peats (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Bonus coverage

Cleveland Plain Dealer 

Pierce County (Wis.) Herald


Wisconsin Radio Network

NAIA Championship

St. Xavier wins first-ever title (Chicago Sun-Times/Plainfield [Ill.] Herald-News)

Bonus coverage (Chicago Tribune)

Even more bonus coverage

Coosa Valley (Ga.) News

Oak Forest (Ill.) Patch 

Tinley Park (lll.) Southtown Star 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 16

Last Week: 8-1 (.889)
This Year: 551-262 (.678)

FCS Playoffs--Semifinals

Friday, December 16

Montana (11-2) at Sam Houston State (13-0)

Saturday, December 17

Georgia Southern (11-2) at North Dakota State (12-1)

NCAA Division II Championship Game--at Florence, Ala.

Saturday, December 17

Wayne State (Mich.)--(12-3) vs. Pittsburg State (Kan.)--(12-1) 

NCAA Division III Championship Game ("aka" Stagg Bowl XXXIX)--at Salem, Va.)

Friday, December 16

Mount Union (14-0) vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater (14-0)

NAIA Championship Game--at Rome, Ga.

St. Xavier (13-1) vs. Carroll (Mont.)--(13-1)  

RFC Scoreboard--Getting Closer To A Championship

FCS Playoffs--Quarterfinals

Montana crushes Northern Iowa (The Missoulian [Missoula, Mont.])

Sam Houston State stomps Montana State (Houston Chronicle)

Georgia Southern outlasts Maine (Savannah [Ga.] Morning News)

North Dakota State blanks Lehigh (Bismarck [N.D.] Tribune) 


Updated bracket (NCAA.com)


NCAA Division II Playoffs--Semifinals

Pittsburg State pounds Delta State (Wichita [Kan.] Eagle/KansasCity.com)

Wayne State (Mich.) stuns Winston-Salem State (Detroit Free Press)

Updated bracket (NCAA.com)


NCAA Division III Playoffs--Semifinals

Wisconsin-Whitewater rolls past St. Thomas (Associated Press/St. Cloud [Minn.] Times)


Bonus coverage (Canton [Ohio] Repository)


Mount Union holds off Wesley (Akron [Ohio] Beacon-Journal)

Updated bracket (NCAA.com)


Bonus Coverage

Grambling State edges Alabama State for SWAC title (Associated Press/ESPN.com)



 



 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 15

Last Week: 15-2 (.882)
This Year: 543-261 (.675)


Key: Projected winners are marked in RED.

FCS Playoffs--Quarterfinals

Bracket 

Friday, December 9


Northern Iowa (10-2) at Montana (10-2)

Saturday, December 10

Montana State (10-2) at Sam Houston State (12-0) 

Maine (9-3) at Georgia Southern (10-2)

Lehigh (11-1) at North Dakota State (11-1)

NCAA Division II Playoffs--Semifinals

Bracket 

Saturday, December 10

Delta State (11-2) at Pittsburg State (11-1)   

Wayne State (Mich.)--(11-3) at Winston-Salem State (13-0) 

NCAA Division III Playoffs--Semifinals 

Bracket 

Saturday, December 10

St. Thomas (13-0) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-0) 

Wesley (12-1) at Mount Union (13-0) 

Other Games 

SWAC Championship--at Birmingham, Ala.

Grambling State (7-4) vs. Alabama A&M (8-3)




 

RFC Scoreboard--Deep Into December

Editor's Note: It happened for the second straight week.  Saturday's (12/03/2011) second round NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff game between Central Arkansas and Montana was inadvertently left off "THE LIGHTNING ROUND" prediction list. RFC regrets the error. Montana defeated UCA, 41-14. And now, on to this week's RFC scoreboard.


FCS Playoffs--Second Round

Georgia Southern wins shootout over Old Dominion (Access North Georgia)


Lehigh spoils Towson playoff debut (Lehigh Valley Live)


Missed extra point costs New Hampshire (SeaCoastOnline.com)


Sam Houston State gets by Stony Brook (Houston Chronicle)

Bonus coverage (Video courtesy of Stony Brook University Sports Information)


FCS playoffs interactive bracket (NCAA.com)


NCAA Division II Playoffs--Quarterfinals

Wayne State (Mich.) dethrones Minnesota-Duluth (Detroit Free Press)

Winston-Salem State advances to semis (Winston-Salem [N.C.] Journal)


Pittsburg State pounds Northwest Missouri State (Pittsburg [Kan.] Morning Sun)


Delta State rallies to beat North Greenville (Jackson [Miss.] Clarion-Ledger)


NCAA Division II playoffs interactive bracket (NCAA.com)


NCAA Division III Playoffs--Quarterfinals

Wisconsin-Whitewater downs Salisbury (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)


St. Thomas stomps St. John Fisher (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)


Bonus Coverage (St. Paul Pioneer-Press)


Wesley stuns Mary Hardin-Baylor (Wilmington [Del.] News-Journal)


Mount Union outlasts Wabash (Akron [Ohio] Beacon-Journal)

NCAA Division III playoffs interactive bracket (NCAA.com)


NAIA Playoffs--Semifinals

Recap (courtesy of NAIA Sports Information)

 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 14

Key: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Last Week: 16-10 (.615)
This Year: 528-259 (.671)

Editor's Note: Last week's NCAA Division II second round playoff game between Pittsburg State (Kan.) and Washburn was inadvertently left off last week's list of predictions.  RFC regrets the error.

FCS Playoffs--Second Round

Bracket 

Saturday, December 3

Stony Brook (9-3) at Sam Houston State (11-0)

New Hampshire (8-3) at Montana State (9-2)  

Wofford (8-3) at Northern Iowa (9-2) 

Old Dominion (10-2) at Georgia Southern (9-2) 

Maine (8-3) at Appalachian State (8-3) 

Lehigh (10-1) at Towson (9-2) 

James Madison (8-4) at North Dakota State (10-1) 

NCAA Division II Playoffs--Quarterfinals

Bracket 

Saturday, December 3

North Greenville (11-2) at Delta State (10-2)  

Northwest Missouri State (11-2) at Pittsburg State (Kan.)--(10-1) 

New Haven (11-1) at Winston-Salem State (12-0) 

Wayne State (Mich.)--(10-3) at Minnesota-Duluth (11-2) 

NCAA Division III Playoffs--Quarterfinals

Bracket 

Saturday, December 3

Salisbury (11-1) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (12-0)  

St. John Fisher (10-2) at St. Thomas (12-0) 

Wesley (11-1) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (12-0) 

Wabash (12-0) at Mount Union (12-0) 

NAIA Playoffs--Semifinals

Quarterfinals Recap and Semifinals Preview (courtesy of NAIA Sports Information)

Saturday, December 3

St. Xavier (12-1) at Marian (12-0)


Georgetown (Ky.)--(12-0) at Carroll (Mont.)--(12-1)

  

 

RFC Scoreboard--Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

The first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championships is complete. The NCAA Division II and III playoffs have moved on to the quarterfinals.  And four teams advanced to semifinal action in the NAIA.  Click any of the following links below to find out which teams are moving on, and which teams are going home.

FCS Playoffs--First Round

JMU outlasts EKU (Richmond Times-Dispatch) 

Old Dominion dominates Norfolk State (Newport News [Va.] Daily Press)

Stony Brook rallies to down Albany (ESPN.com/Associated Press)

Central Arkansas cruises past Tennessee Tech (Conway [Ark.] Log Cabin-Democrat)

Thanksgiving Classics Recap

Alabama State tops Tuskegee (al.com/Montgomery [Ala.] Advertiser)

Grambling State stomps Southern, wins Bayou Classic (Shreveport [La.] Times)

NCAA Division II Playoffs--Second Round

Northwest Missouri upsets Midwestern State in OT (St. Joseph [Mo.] News-Press)

Delta State drills North Alabama (Jackson [Miss.] Clarion-Ledger)

Winston-Salem outlasts California (Pa.)--(Winston-Salem Journal) 


Minnesota-Duluth downs CSU-Pueblo (Denver Post)


Complete NCAA Division II scoreboard (Sports Network)

NCAA Division III Playoffs--Scoreboard

Whitewater rolls (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

So does Mount Union (Akron [Ohio] Beacon-Journal)


Salisbury wins in triple overtime (delmarvanow.com)


St. John Fisher upsets DelVal (Rochester [N.Y.] Democrat and Chronicle)

Wabash rallies to shock North Central (Crawfordsville [Ind.] Journal-Review)

Complete NCAA Division III playoff scoreboard (Sports Network)


NAIA Playoffs--Quarterfinals

St. Xavier downs Mid-America Nazarene (St. Xavier University Sports Information)

Complete quarterfinals recap (NAIA Sports Information)





 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 13--PART 2

Key: Featured games are listed in BOLD type.

Projected winners are marked in RED.

Other games of interest are listed in normal type.

NCAA Division III Playoffs--Second Round

Bracket 

Saturday, November 26

Franklin (10-1) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (11-0) 

(Warhawks play host to the Grizzlies in re-match of regular season contest!)

Kean (10-1) at Salisbury (10-1)  

(Cougars, Sea Gulls square off in a battle of 10-win teams!)

Monmouth (Ill.)--(10-1) at St. Thomas (10-1)

(Tommies take on the visiting Scots in another showdown of 10-win squads!)

St. John Fisher (9-2) at Delaware Valley (11-0)  

McMurry (8-2) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-0) 

Linfield (10-0) at Wesley (10-1) 

(Wildcats match wits against the Wolverines in cross country playoff showdown!)

North Central (10-1) at Wabash (11-0)  

(Cardinals clash against the Little Giants in a battle of the CCIW vs. the NCAC!)

Centre (9-1) at Mount Union (11-0)  


NAIA Playoffs--Quarterfinals

Announcement of quarterfinal pairings (courtesy of NAIA)

Saturday, November 26

St. Francis (Ill.)--(10-2) at Marian (11-0) 

(Knights play host to the upstart Saints in an Indiana vs. Illinois match-up!)

Azusa Pacific (9-2) at Carroll (Mont.)--(11-1)  

(Cougars face tough task against the defending national champion Saints!)

Saint Francis (Ind.)--(9-2) at Georgetown (Ky.)--(11-0) 

Saint Xavier (11-1) at Mid-America Nazarene (10-1) 

(Pioneers play host to the Cougars in a clash of one-loss teams!) 

Other Games

Sunday, November 27

West Texas A&M (7-3) vs. Central Missouri (8-3) 

(Kanza Bowl at Topeka, Kan.) 


 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 13--PART 1

Last Week: 43-8 (.843)
This Year: 512-249 (.673)

Key: Featured games are listed in BOLD type.

Projected winners are marked in RED.

Other games of interest are listed in normal type.

FCS Playoffs--First Round

Bracket 

Saturday, November 26

Albany (N.Y.)--(8-3) at Stony Brook (8-3) 

(Seawolves play host to the Great Danes in first-ever playoff meeting for both teams!)

Central Arkansas (7-3) at Tennessee Tech (8-3) 

(Bears, Golden Eagles also make their first-ever postseason appearances!)

Norfolk State (9-2) at Old Dominion (9-2) 

(Monarchs square off against the Spartans in all-Hampton Roads battle!)

James Madison (7-4) at Eastern Kentucky (7-4) 

NCAA Division II Playoffs--Second Round

North Alabama (8-2) at Delta State (9-2) 

(Lions face off against the Statesmen in regular season re-match!)

North Greenville (10-2) at Mars Hill (8-2) 

Northwest Missouri State (10-2) at Midwestern State (10-0) 

California (Pa.)--(9-2) at Winston-Salem State (11-0)

Kutztown (11-1) at New Haven (10-1) 


(Chargers play host to the Golden Bears in a battle of one loss teams!)

Minnesota-Duluth (9-2) at Colorado State-Pueblo (11-0) 

(Defending national champion Bulldogs take on the Thunderwolves!)

Wayne State (Mich.)--(9-3) at Nebraska-Kearney (10-1)

Other Games

Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving Day)

Tuskegee (D-II)--(4-5) at Alabama State (FCS)--(7-3) 

(Turkey Day Classic at Montgomery, Ala.)

Saturday, November 26

Southern (4-6) vs. Grambling State (6-4)   

(38th Bayou Classic at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.) 
 


 

FCS Playoff Field Announced

The field for the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championships was announced Sunday morning.  The first round match-ups feature multiple first-time teams to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) field, as well as some interesting second round showdowns, with the best among those being Towson at Lehigh.  

Click here for the full bracket, courtesy of NCAA.com

RFC Scoreboard--Moving toward the playoffs

FCS

Note: All articles listed below are courtesy of the Sports Network


Albany seals Northeast playoff bid


North Dakota State wins the Missouri Valley crown

Stony Brook clinches Big South championship

Tennessee Tech takes home OVC title

Towson clinches CAA autobid

FCS playoff picture 

NCAA Division II Playoffs--First Round

Wayne State (Mich.) upsets St. Cloud State (Wayne State University Sports Information)

Kutztown knocks off Concord (Kutztown University Sports Information)


Minnesota-Duluth wins in overtime (umdbulldogs.com)


First round scoreboard (d2football.com)


NCAA Division III Playoffs--First Round

St. John Fisher upsets Johns Hopkins (St. John Fisher College)

McMurry stuns Trinity (Abilene [Tex.] Reporter-News)


Monmouth (Ill.) downs Illinois Wesleyan in overtime (Monmouth [Ill.] Daily Review-Atlas)


Linfield holds off Cal Lutheran (Cal Lutheran University)


First round scoreboard (d3football.com)


NAIA Playoffs--First Round

Recap (NAIA Sports Information)



 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 12--PART 3

Key: Featured games are listed in BOLD type.

Projected winners are marked in RED.

Other games of interest are listed in normal type.

NAIA Playoffs--First Round

First Round Pairings (Listed in order of appearance)

Saturday, November 19

Grand View (8-3) at Marian (10-0)

Valley City State (9-1) at Carroll (Mont.)--(10-1) 

(Defending national champion Saints look to take first step towards repeat against the Vikings!)

Benedictine (Kan.)--(9-2) at Georgetown (Ky.)--(10-0)  


Southern Nazarene (9-2) at Mid-America Nazarene (9-1)

(Crimson Storm makes first-ever postseason appearance against the Pioneers in a "Battle of the Nazarenes!")

Bethel (Tenn.)--(8-2) at St. Xavier (10-1)

St. Francis (Ill.)--(9-2) at Morningside (9-1) 

(Saints travel to Iowa to match-up against the Mustangs!)

St. Francis (Ind.)--(8-2) at Missouri Valley (9-1) 


(Vikings play host to the Cougars in MSFA vs. HAAC match-up!)


Ottawa (Kan.)--(9-2) at Azusa Pacific (8-2)




 

 

 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 12--PART 2

Key: Featured games are listed in BOLD type.

Projected winners are marked in RED.

Other games of interest are listed in normal type.

NCAA Division III Playoffs--First Round

Bracket

Saturday, November 19 

Albion (6-4) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (10-0) 

Thomas More (9-1) at Franklin (9-1) 

(It's Indiana vs. Kentucky, as the Grizzlies play host to the Saints!)

Christopher Newport (8-2) at Kean (9-1)

(Captains head north into New Jersey to face the Cougars!)

Salisbury (9-1) at Western New England (10-1)  

(Golden Bears play host to the Sea Gulls in first-ever D-III playoff game!)

St. Scholastica (10-0) at St. Thomas (10-0) 

(Upstart Saints square off against the Tommies in battle of unbeaten teams!)

Monmouth (Ill.)--(9-1) at Illinois Wesleyan (9-1)

(Titans take on the Scots in titanic tilt from Illinois!)   

St. John Fisher (8-2) at Johns Hopkins (10-0) 

Norwich (7-3) at Delaware Valley (10-0) 

Redlands (8-1) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (10-0) 

McMurry (7-2) at Trinity (Tex.)--(10-0) 

Cal Lutheran (8-1) at Linfield (9-0) 

(Kingsmen clash with Wildcats in West Coast battle!)

Hobart (7-1) at Wesley (9-1)  

Illinois College (9-1) at Wabash (10-0) 

(Blueboys do battle with the Little Giants in Illinois vs. Indiana clash!)

Dubuque (9-1) at North Central (9-1)   

(Cardinals clash with the upstart Spartans in suburban Chicago!)

Hampden-Sydney (8-2) at Centre (8-1)  

(Tigers take on the Colonels in Southern showdown!)

Benedictine (Ill.)--(7-3) at Mount Union (10-0) 

NCAA Division III (ECAC Championships)

Saturday, November 19

Albright (6-4) at Cortland State (8-2) 

Alfred (7-3) at Bridgewater State (7-2)

Worcester State (8-2) at Salve Regina (7-3)

St. Vincent (6-4) at Lebanon Valley (7-3) 

Mount Ida (6-4) at Endicott (9-1)

Waynesburg (5-4) at Widener (9-1) 

 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 12--PART 1

Last Week: 36-13 (.735)
This Year: 469-241 (.661)

Key: Featured games are listed in BOLD type.

Projected winners are marked in RED.

Other games of interest are listed in normal type.

FCS--Regular Season

Schedule of games for week of November 19, 2011 

Saturday, November 19

Northern Iowa (8-2) at Illinois State (7-3) 


(Redbirds play host to the Panthers with at least a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title on the line!)


Harvard (8-1) at Yale (5-4)


(It's the 128th edition of "The Game" in the Ivy League, as the Crimson take on the Bulldogs!)

Maine (8-2) at New Hampshire (7-3)

(Black Bears, Wildcats clash in CAA contest with playoff implications!) 
 
Montana (8-2) at Montana State (9-1)


(Grizzlies, Bobcats do battle with the Big Sky Conference crown at stake!)

South Dakota (6-4) at North Dakota (7-3) 

Wofford (7-3) at Chattanooga (5-5)

James Madison (6-4) at Massachusetts (5-5) 

Florida A&M (7-3) vs. Bethune-Cookman (7-3) 

(Game played at Orlando, Fla.)

Cal Poly (5-5) at South Alabama (6-3) 

Liberty (7-3) at Stony Brook (7-3) 

Appalachian State (7-3) at Elon (5-5) 

Jacksonville (7-3) at San Diego (8-2) 

Sam Houston State (10-0) at Texas State (6-5) 

NCAA Division II Playoffs--First Round

Bracket  

North Alabama (8-2) at West Alabama (8-3)  

(Lions look to avenge regular season loss to Tigers!)

Albany State (Ga.)--(8-3) at North Greenville (9-2)

Northwest Missouri State (9-2) at Missouri Western State (9-2)   

(Bearcats do battle with the Griffons in another regular season re-match!)

Abilene Christian (8-2) at Washburn (9-2) 

Elizabeth City State (8-3) at California (Pa.)--(9-2) 

Concord (7-3) at Kutztown (10-1) 

Saginaw Valley State (7-3) at Minnesota-Duluth (9-2) 

Wayne State (Mich.)--(8-3) at St. Cloud State (9-2) 

First Round Byes: Delta State, Mars Hill, Midwestern State, Pittsburg State (Kan.), Winston-Salem State, New Haven, Colorado State-Pueblo, Nebraska-Kearney.


 

Playoff selections announced

In case you missed them, here are the pairings and selections announced for the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA playoffs today (Sunday).

NCAA Division II

NCAA Division III


NAIA

 

RFC Nov-A-Thon: Getting underway

Coming up: "Nov-A-Thon 2"!  A whole day of key small college football games exclusively on RFC, and on Twitter @realfootball

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 11--PART 3

Key: Featured games are listed in BOLD type.

Projected winners are marked in RED.

Other games of interest are listed in normal type.

NAIA

Schedule of games for week of November 12, 2011 

Saturday, November 12

Langston (7-2) at Southern Nazarene (8-2) 

(Crimson Storm play host to the Lions with the Central States Football League crown on the line!)

William Penn (9-1) at Grand View (7-3)  

(Statesmen do battle with the Vikings for at least a share of the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League title!) 

Cumberlands (Ky.)--(6-3) at Cumberland (Tenn.)--(7-2) 

Bethel (Tenn.)--(7-2) at Shorter (6-3) 

Missouri Valley (8-1) at Central Methodist (5-3) 

Eastern Oregon (7-3) at Rocky Mountain (5-5) 

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 11--PART 2

Key: Featured games are listed in BOLD type.

Projected winners are marked in RED.

Other games of interest are listed in normal type.

NCAA Division II

Schedule of games for the week of November 12, 2011 

Saturday, November 12

Slippery Rock (8-2) at Kutztown (9-1) 

(Golden Bears play host to the Rock for all of the marbles in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference!)

Colorado Mines (8-2) at Nebraska-Kearney (9-1)  


(Lopers take on the Orediggers in a game with playoff implications in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference!)

West Virginia Wesleyan (9-1) at Concord (6-3)

Shepherd (8-2) at Fairmont State (7-3)

Findlay (5-5) at Wayne State (Mich.)--(8-2) 

Saginaw Valley State (7-2) at Grand Valley State (6-3)

Elizabeth City State (8-2) vs. Winston-Salem State (10-0) 

(CIAA Championship Game at Durham, N.C.)

North Alabama (7-2) at Valdosta State (6-3) 

Albany State (Ga.)--(8-2) vs. Miles (6-4) 

(SIAC Championship Game at Atlanta)

Merrimack (5-4) at Southern Connecticut State (7-2)

Carson-Newman (5-5) at Mars Hill (7-2)  

Minnesota State (8-2) at Minnesota-Duluth (8-2) 

Henderson State (5-4) at Ouachita Baptist (8-2) 

Western Oregon (6-4) at Humboldt State (8-1)

NCAA Division III

Schedule of games for week of November 12, 2011  

Amherst (7-0) at Williams (5-2)

(Lord Jeffs shoot for undefeated season against the Ephs in the "Biggest Little Game In America!") 

Kean (8-1) at Montclair State (8-1)

(Cougars, Red Hawks square off for the New Jersey Athletic Conference [NJAC] crown!)

Widener (8-1) at Delaware Valley (9-0) 

(Middle Atlantic Conference championship at stake between the Pride and Aggies!)

Huntingdon (7-2) at Wesley (8-1)  

(Wolverines play host to the Hawks in battle for "Pool B" at-large playoff bid!)

Hampden-Sydney (8-1) at Randolph-Macon (7-2) 


(Tigers, Yellow Jackets square off in the 117th edition of "The Game!")

Hobart (6-1) at Rochester (4-4)

Cortland State (7-2) at Ithaca (4-5) 


Springfield (6-3) at Union (N.Y.)--(5-4)

Case Western Reserve (8-1) at Carnegie-Mellon (5-4)

Franklin (8-1) at Hanover (5-4) 

Thomas More (8-1) at Mount St. Joseph (6-3) 

Cal Lutheran (7-1) at Occidental (5-3)


Lewis and Clark (7-1) at Linfield (8-0)