But if you fly SXU to Helena you take several relatively short bus trips and make them longer. Bethel TN would probably have to travel the 513 miles to Fort Wayne, IN while Northwestern would likely travel 415 miles to Marshall. That would leave Morningside with a short trip to Sioux Falls which I feel is inevitable regardless of who is flown to Helena, MT. Essentially by flying SXU to Chicago there would be two 400 plus mile bus trips instead of one if SXU travels to Fort Wayne.

The order of importance for selecting match ups in the Championship Series goes:

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There are 5-10 coaches I love to talk to about “the NAIA.” For one reason or another they are pretty well versed in the national thoughts on football as well as things happening within the organization. They might have an inside track because they are a rater or serve on a committee but in the end they are full of knowledge.

There are also 5-10 coaches that are characters and I always leave the conversation with a big smile on my face. They have great one liners and bring tons of energy to the interview or just in their daily life. The one that comes to mind in this category is Bob Green of Montana Tech. Tech finally realized how funny some of his one liners were and started making t-shirts every week for the football games. I currently own the “Rougher than a stucco bathtub” edition. Also I challenge you to find a coach with more energy.

There are also 90 head coaches that love the game of football and spend every waking hour making sure their program is on the right track. Most of them do it for less than what most DI schools spend on paper for their weekly playbooks.

The point I am trying to make it nothing pains me more when I see coaches bashed on message boards for their personalities or for something within their lives that does not pertain to their performance as a coach. I’ll explain.

I am seeing a lot of people talking about a coach “yelling” too much, or “not communicating” or ” being standoffish”. You know what I say?

So what? The game of college football is about execution and mental toughness. You stay up, positive, do what you’re suppose to, and not turn the ball over and I’ll show you a team that wins football games. I cannot remember ever meeting a coach that never yelled at a player or challenged him so much that the player did not contemplate quitting.

It goes through every college football players mind at some point. Maybe for five seconds …maybe for five days.

I call it the ole “Coach yelled at me, he’s a jerk, I cannot respect him, I should just quit” talk. I have yet to me a college football player that did not have that thought at least once. And if they say they haven’t, they are lying.

The important thing to come from that “talk” is how you respond to your own inner demons and the people that surround you. Hence, the mental toughness.

Let’s face it, the world is a negative place if you allow it to be. Listen to enough people talk, read enough message boards, and watch enough television and you will be convinced that everything is going to heck fast.

The same can be said about a college football team. Listen to enough negative influences, classmates, and alumni and you will be convinced that nothing will ever change. And since nothing will every change, why should you even try?

It’s sad, but that is the state of mind of a lot of people when they get down on themselves. So naturally who is to blame for this state of mind? THE COACHES! Right?

It could not possibly be the fact the coach is trying to challenge a few kids to see if they can handle the heat.

It could not possibly be because the coach wants to see who is mentally tough.

It could NEVER be the fact the player was not giving his all and committing to the team.

Nope, it has to be the coach. Fire him. Fire him now. Who cares about his family. Who cares if his program is the worst funded program in the conference? Who cares if he has only been on the job for six months? Who cares if they lost on fluke plays or last minute hail mary passes? FIRE THEM!!!!

This way you can hire a new guy to be the savior until he starts off 2-4 or 4-3 or 1-6. Then you need to FIRE HIM!

Basically what I am trying to say in this rant is we have to get out of this mentality of comparing what happens in NAIA programs to big time Division I programs. Everyone is playing at this level for one reason or another and everyone is coaching at this level for one reason or another.

You can let this negativity get you down or even play right into its hands. But I would be inclined to ask you to take a new approach. NAIA Hall of Famer Frosty Westering has a great mantra on this which is just simply: “Make it a GREAT DAY!” No one “has” a great day, but you choose to “make it” a great day.

You can let the normal negative parts of life get you down or you can choose to make it a great day.

This level of sports builds strong leaders and go-getters who are willing to do things on their own because they did not have the resources available to them. Look at this site. It was started from the ground up on a small laptop computer that today would be nothing more than a glorified paper weight. No one told me to do it – I just did it. And if I would have quit every time a coach yelled at me for his name being posted on a message board, or some poster posting libelous material about a program we would have never seen month two of NAIAFOOTBALL.NET. Instead of letting it get me down, I choose to make it a great day.

Just this week I have exchanged emails with several coaches and programs that are not happy with the amount of “pub” or “disrespect” that this web site has given them. Relationships have gotten strained and some coaches will not return my calls or do interviews with me.

That is fine. I’ts what they feel is the right thing to do. I could care less if they consider me to be a friend or foe. But one thing I want coaches, players, parents and fans of this site to understand is that I feel like I have the best interest of their program in mind. I absolutely love NAIA football and would never do anything to disrespect it or the hard work that goes into it.

I will not allow people to come onto this web site and bash a coach for his personal stance or for him choosing to remove or keep a player on his team. It is his team, he can do what he wants with it. I will almost always side with the coaches at this level because of what they have to endure day in and day out.

Even if they are the coaches that won’t return my phone calls. J

Take lemons and make lemonade, make it a great day, or whatever. When it’s all said and done we control our destiny. Not some coach who yelled at you. Not some hack on a message board. And definitely not some washed up linebacker-wanna-be-journalist that has chosen to follow NAIA football like it was Moses through the desert.

Here’s to making it a great day, here’s to making to another promised land … also known as “Saturday” in NAIA country.

 But there is something to be said about wanting revenge too. Sometimes teams over inflate themselves on the importance of a football game and play really tight. If that is the case then I think USF and Morningside could be another great college football game. However if the Cougars show up with their ears pinned back it could be a long day for Morningside and their young quarterback Tim Richard.

The other big game this week is probably in the KCAC. If the KCAC has any shot at all of getting two teams in the playoffs, it will have to come from this week’s winner of Bethel and Friends. Friends only loss this season came to the current top rated KCAC team Kansas Wesleyan (5-0). Bethel is also unbeaten and a win would set up for a battle of undefeated’s on October 28^th in North Newton. That is if both teams make it that far without a loss.

In this week’s NAIA Minute I mention that Black Hills State could take control of the conference title with a win this week. I want people to understand that by no means am I crowning them the DAC conference champion, I just feel they would be the most likely team to do it, if they get a victory this week over Jamestown.

The Black Hills State/Jamestown match up will be featured in next week’s campus report as DAC Columnist Josh Vice will be following this week’s action. In his lead up to the game Josh put together these numbers for us:

Individual Rushing: As a former running back and guy from Nebraska, I absolutely love to see good running backs pounding the football. There is no question that Ra’Shad Morgan has been the most impressive runner in the NAIA this season. Morgan currently averages 160.7 yards per game and has 16 touchdowns. On top of that he had a season high of 289 yards against Cumberland on September 23^rd. That performance led to player of the week honors for this UVA-Wise Cavalier.

Next on the list are Bethel’s (KS) Beau Cox at 147.8 yards per game and Kenton Wills of Haskell Indian Nations at 127.5. This is the first time I can remember in a longtime, if ever, any running back or quarterback from Haskell has been rated in the top five of any category. Congrats to them and Coach Eric Brock.

Last season’s returning NAIA rushing leader Darell Grames of Kansas Wesleyan is 4^th on the NAIA list with 623 total yards this season. Grames is having a great season and the diminished rushing yards this season come from the fact the Coyotes have another quality back in DeChad Ward who has rushed for 289 yards this season.  Grames is probably still the NAIA’s best all around back, he just has more help this season.

Individual Passing: UVA-Wise again leads another offensive category with Randy Hippeard leading the NAIA with 1784 total passing yards this season. He averages 297.3 yards per game. Right behind him is Cris Reisert of Ohio Dominican who is currently averaging 263.4 yards per game. But more impressive than Reisert’s passing numbers are his efficiency numbers. On the season he has thrown 12 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 71.7% of his passes. There is no question he is a major reason why ODU got into the Top 25 this week.

Clayton Braddock of Graceland follows at 261.4 ypg and Chad Cavender of Sioux Falls is fourth on the list at 247.7ypg

Individual Receiving: Dusty Hovorka leads the way averaging 100.7 ypg with just 31 receptions on the season. His counterpart from the VSN NAIA Preview cover Andy Ricca is 24^th on the NAIA receiving list at 66.7 ypg but is one of the NAIA’s favorite targets with 39 catches over six games. Leading the country in receptions per game is Avila’s Doug Wendell who has hauled in 45 grabs in 6 games.

Phoenix Thompson of Belhaven is second in the country in receiving yards with 99.5 ypg and Jimmy Early of Langston is next on the list at 96.8 ypg. Early also had a season high 187 yards receiving on September 2^nd against DII Midwestern State.

I think we’ll see quite a bit of separation this weekend between the top and the bottom of a lot of conferences this week. Now get out there and see some NAIA Football!

have news for you folks. If you’re depressed after a week one loss you need serious help. Every coach says it and every player knows it. But as fans we need to keep this thought in check:

“Fifty percent of the teams in the country lost last Saturday.”

Simple phrase that says a lot. You lost in week one? Who cares?!? There are 10 more weeks of college football. You can still get something done. Teams improve immensely from week one to week two, so don’t get too down on things yet.

Should #24 Evangel fans feel bad? Sure, they lost to Missouri Valley a team they normally find themselves in a shootout with anyway. But that is no reason to pack it in. Texas College went on the road and got spanked, 48-0. There is no nice way of putting it. They got “owned” if you will.

But should Steer fans across the country sulk in the agony of defeat? No way. They still are a talent football team with the capability of winning their conference. Keep in mind that even if they drop three games to start the season, they are still 0-0 in the Central States Football League.

It is scary how much can change from week one. There are still many rivalry games, long bus trips and injuries to happen this season. So try to relax NAIA fan, the sky has not fallen in yet.

Now MSU-Northern needs to take care of business this week against Montana-Western before they could truly open people eyes on the September 23^rd against Carroll.

The Golden Tornadoes of #21 Geneva lost last week to Thiel (PA). Let’s not start passing judgment on Geno DeMarco’s team just yet. Thiel was 11-1 last season and 7-3 the year before. So even though Geneva needed to get this win to start their season off right the world is not ending quite yet in Beaver Falls.

Rocky Mountain College knocked off Minot State last week. VSN had the Beavers at #33 in the preseason rankings and to be honest I am not surprised to see the Bears get the win. It has nothing to do with the performance of Minot State but rather the improved play at Rocky. I saw RMC play last fall against EOU and you could tell they had a lot of people on the cusp of being very good. All that was needed was a little push. This win might have been it.

#12 U-Cumberlands fan’s welcomed the John Bland era by winning the Brass Lantern over Union (KY), 21-9. It is yet to be seen if Bland can be the coach to get UC to the playoffs but early indications from Williamsburg show this team could have a shot. They are a very different team than last season, which may be the spark to get UC’s fire to ignite.

LU’s quarterback Ben Kisner sat out last week with an injury. Expect him to be in the lineup this week. Georgetown will follow the leadership of Jeff Smith at quarterback for the third season in a row. The big right hander reminds me more of an NFL tight end with his frame than an NAIA quarterback. Good luck taking him down with an arm tackle.

#8 Saint Xavier travels to the same area of the country as Georgetown to play #5 McKendree in Lebanon, Illinois. If this game gets over 30 points for either team, I’ll be really surprised. McKendree will control the game but SXU has the ability to create big plays with Ricca and Yeo on this offense.

How could anyone forget about #13 Northwestern (IA) and #7 Morningside? This GPAC battle is easily the best match up of the early season. Northwestern is extremely improved over last years team that lost 52-6 and only mustered 216 total yards of offense. In the same respect, Morningside is an extremely different team as the majority of last year’s 518 yards against the Red Raiders has graduated. Add that to a close win over Midland Lutheran, 21-15, last week and this game would appear to be in the hands of the Red Raiders.

But what about some of the other quick hitters from this weekends schedule?

I will be traveling to William Penn to watch the Statesmen take on #2 St. Francis (IN). I would be lying to you if I told you I was going to watch Penn first and then St. Francis. While this will be the first time I have seen William Penn play football since 1998, I still want to see what the #2 team in the country has to offer. However, if the Statesmen get the win my trip will be time well spent.

Tabor and #18 Kansas Wesleyan take to the field this week for the same stakes they were playing for last season at this time; the upper hand in the KCAC race. I do not feel Tabor will be as good this season as they were last season, but they have a chance to prove me wrong this week. However, if KWU gets the win they will have a chance to really take control of the KCAC with a game against Friends next Saturday. There are a lot of things to get sorted out this season in the KCAC but you can count on the winner of this game being in the hunt later in the season.

Other out of area non-conference match ups include: Azusa Pacific at Malone, Peru State at Valley City, Belhaven at Southern Nazarene, Shorter at Webber International and SD Mines at Haskell. All of which have potential to be great games but don’t be surprised if you see one or two blowouts. Azusa Pacific is the better team in Canton this Saturday and Valley City State should handle Peru. The other games are tossups.

Out of the Association

The NAIA has 18 games against IAA, II, and III opponents. The chances of the NAIA winning a majority of these games will be slim to none. Several NAIA teams should come away with victories but with several IAA teams on the slate do not expect much from this bunch of games.

Be sure to listen to our radio updates and check out the message boards to get in on all of the action this week.

Josh Vice (Dac Columnist) and I talked last night during the games. He was much like I as the opening night for his conference ended in severe disappointment with the DAC teams being outscored 111-13.

Tonight’s schedule for NAIA games doesn’t get much better as Azusa Pacific plays at San Diego. The Torenos used to be one of those IAA teams that APU could go in and get a win over year after year. Not so true now as they Torenos are beating up on a lot of the IAA non-scholarship teams across the country.

I am anxious to see how the Yellow Jackets come out this season because the last couple years they have been a bit of an enigma. Take last year for example: loss to Dickey by 14 early before beating them by 17 later in the season only to lose to Jamestown by 17 two weeks later. They are a tough bunch to figure out. However a strong performance or win could propel them to heights which this program has never seen.

SXU will break in new QB while Lambuth will be without their first stringer due to a one game suspension. Needless to say the upper hand should go to SXU but never count out a Vic Wallace team especially with Kevin Haynes back as a running back. Haynes had a very severe injury last season to his ankle/foot and missed the entire season making it a tough go for the Eagles in ‘05.

These games are the toughest to gauge all season because they are season openers and they are rivalries. So any and all research can be thrown out the window. SAU and Loras are huge rivals despite taking over twenty years off from playing one another. EOU and SOU have new coaches and new systems in place for their season openers while MNU’s Jed Stugart will coach his first game as a head coach against the veteran Fran Schwenk.

I wish I could make it to all of them, but unfortunately I cannot. Hopefully by Wednesday I can be breaking down film on all of them.

On the football side of things I will hit on Lindenwood first. The Lions defense played well on Saturday, just not well enough to win. When they needed to stop a drive they did and when they needed a big play or turnover they got it. The problem was LU gave NWOSU too good of field position on a few offensive turnovers.

So Lindenwood fan, let’s not start the rumblings of major changes needed for this team to win. A few bang-ups to key LU guys really limited what they Lions were to do in the second half. QB Ben Kisner played off and on in the second half with a thigh bruise while RB Abdullah was also injured.

Would a healthy presence from those two changed the game? Maybe. But that in itself should provide plenty of optimism for the Lions this year.

The Rangers? Let me give you the abbreviated version of the night. Black Cloud, Thez Robinson, Black Cloud, Miguel Warren, Black Cloud, Thez Robinson, Black Cloud, Sedgwyn Thigpen … I think that about covers it.  Thex Robinson looked the part of a true Ranger runningback tonight.  Keep an eye on him.

To the lay person the “Black Cloud” is the nickname for the Rangers defense, which was out in full force. LU finished with 14 yards rushing on 22 carries. In total the Rangers only gave up 265 yards and one touchdown which in many ways was a stroke of luck. Give credit to LU’s WR Wilson who continued running his route despite a pass being tipped. Because of his effort the ball bounced away from defender and directly into his stride as he broke away from the Ranger D.

There is a certain feeling everyone gets when they go to a football game. Sometimes it is in your gut, sometimes you cannot explain where it is. That is why I am always going to football games as early as possible to be able to gauge where each team is at. I think you can tell a lot about a team it you just shut up, listen, and feel what is happening around you.

When NWOSU hit the field tonight, I got that same feeling about them that I got when I saw them destroy Tabor in the NAIA Playoffs back in ‘03. My gut turned and my arm hair was standing on end. It is hard to explain and the easiest thing I can say to help you understand is this; they just had “it”. I do not know what “it” is, but they had “it”.

After a 4-6 season in ‘05 the question that many people are wondering right now is “Are the Rangers back?” I’ll revert to my opening statement for the night on NWOSU. They are very good on defense, they have a running back that has opened my eyes, and their defense looks like a typical Ranger defense.

Are they back?

Let’s take it one game at a time for now.

Should teams be scared?

Uh … . yeah.

See ya next week in Chicago for Saint Xavier and Lambuth.

So let’s get this season fired up! I knew I had the football bug. But it bit me pretty hard yesterday as I started covering the Hastings College preseason camp for my “Two-A-Day Tour” series. Even though the first report will not be filed until Wednesday I got a chance to see the new crop of freshmen go through conditioning tests and equipment checkout.

The scene brings back memories for anyone who played college football or worked around it. Wide-eyed freshmen trying to figure out which way is up while others rush past them. The “cocky” freshmen who seem to think they have things figured out already and the freshmen who are just trying to blend in to start.

The first day freshmen are at practice is also comical because of the attire you see most of them wearing. “State Playoff T-Shirts” to prove what high school they went to and other memorabilia are a must for day one. It’s usually that or a brand-new-never-been washed college shirt that the “newbies” get on day one.

I do not envy any of them. New place, new friends, and a new life plus they all want to compete for a starting job or playing time without even knowing what they are up against. Everyone is full of hope and dreams which surrounds the situation with an energy like no other place in the world. Businesses don’t bring in 45 new employees and get everyone excited about being there with just the sound of a whistle. You cannot start a family of 45 people one day and get them all encouraging one another two hours later. The only place for this type of energy and this type of feeling is on an NAIA Football field.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! It is football season … . . and I’m more than ready for it.

The most overlooked part of that equation is the fact you must be rated 20th or higher in the final poll.  Right now there are two conferences struggling to keep their automatic bid: The Mid South West and the Dakota Athletic conference.  Because of early losses in the season to other conferences and a few upsets within their own leagues, these two conferences are on the verge of not making the NAIA Playoffs.