It’s week three of the NAIA Football season, with most teams at least two games in and some already three. Another full schedule kicks off Saturday, including a seven-game featured slate with two games on NAIA Network and five on Urban Edge Network. UEN Featured Games are selected from the six football conferences in partnership with UEN, with games from non-UEN conferences selected for air on NAIA Network. Links to apps and network sites can be found at NAIA.org/Watch.
For a printable version of this week’s notebook, click here. The PDF version of the notebook contains full statistical leaders, conference standings, and a look at the entire season’s polls and players of the week.
Hettick, Ford in High Gear
Dakota State is putting up huge numbers through the air. Tyler Hettick leads the NAIA with 1,226 passing yards and has thrown 12 touchdown passes, while Melek Ford leads the association with 480 receiving yards and shares the national lead with eight touchdown catches. The Trojans are averaging 440.0 passing yards per game.
Friends Filling the Scoreboard
Friends is piling up points at a remarkable rate. The No. 7 Falcons have scored 229 points through three games — 76.3 per contest — after scoring 85, 61 and 83. Friends has scored 64 more points than any other NAIA team and has topped 60 points in all three games.
Baker Slams the Door
Baker has surrendered just six points through two games. The newly ranked No. 24 Wildcats followed a 27-0 shutout of Clarke with a 43-6 win over Mount Mercy and lead the NAIA at 3.0 points allowed per game. Baker moved into the Top 25 this week after receiving votes in the previous poll.
Tech Defense Sets the Tone
Montana Tech has climbed to No. 3 behind one of the nation’s stingiest defenses. The 3-0 Orediggers are allowing just 7.0 points and 172.7 total yards per game, including only 48.7 yards on the ground. Levi Torgerson has provided a different kind of production, leading the NAIA with 25 receptions while ranking second nationally with 169 punt-return yards.
Ball Hawks
The takeaway race has produced several early ballhawks. Graceland leads the NAIA with nine interceptions, while Dakota Wesleyan has seven. Five players share the individual lead with three picks apiece, including Evangel’s Cullen Snow and William Woods’ Carter Holloway, while Olivet Nazarene’s Jordon Clerkley leads the NAIA with seven pass breakups.
Flipping the Field
Ottawa (Kan.) has two national leaders in the kicking game, with Joshua Iraheta placing an NAIA-best nine punts inside the 20 and Ike Prengel recording a national-high 15 touchbacks.
NAIA Network
A top-15 matchup of unbeaten teams features one of the NAIA’s most explosive rushing attacks against one of its stingiest run defenses. Lindsey Wilson’s Davontaye Saunders leads the NAIA with 514 rushing yards and averages 11.4 yards per carry, while St. Thomas allows just 47.0 rushing yards per game.
Urban Edge Network
The defending national champion Vikings put a 31-game winning streak on the line against a Benedictine team coming off a 40-7 win over then-No. 13 William Penn. Grand View allows just 4.7 points and 37.0 rushing yards per game, while the Ravens average 265.0 yards per game on the ground.
Urban Edge Network
Morningside takes a high-powered offense to Dordt after hanging 70 points on Doane, pushing its season average to 46.7 points per game. The Defenders return from an open week after a 41-7 win over Hastings and have converted all seven of their red-zone opportunities this season.
NAIA Network
Dickinson State heads to Helena after forcing five interceptions and piling up 457 yards in a 44-13 win over Montana State-Northern. Special teams also delivered 14 points from Nik Halvorson, who went 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on PATs, while Carroll returns from an open week at 1-1.
Urban Edge Network
Two 3-0 teams separated by one spot in the poll meet after Evangel knocked off then-No. 24 Southwestern, 31-13, and McPherson held off Tabor, 21-13. The Valor average 48.7 points per game, while McPherson has paired 586.3 yards of offense per game with an NAIA-best 161.7 yards allowed.
Urban Edge Network
Unbeaten Midland visits a Northwestern team that has climbed 11 spots in the poll after consecutive GPAC wins over Morningside and Mount Marty. Midland allows just 5.7 points per game and quarterback Brodey Johnson leads the NAIA with 13 touchdown passes, while Northwestern has produced the national defensive player of the week in Kylar Fritz one week after Colby Duncan earned the offensive honor.
Urban Edge Network
Ottawa takes a 3-0 record to Southwestern after scoring 61 points against Sterling, while the Moundbuilders look to rebound from their first loss, 31-13 at Evangel. The Braves have also excelled in field position, with Joshua Iraheta leading the NAIA with nine punts inside the 20 and Ike Prengel leading with 15 touchbacks.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has signed a three-year partnership with HatLaunch as the Official Championship Hat of the NAIA. Under the partnership, the company will provide the hats for NAIA national championship events, helping commemorate championship moments for student-athletes across the association. The partnership between the NAIA and HatLaunch […]
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwestern (Iowa) kicker Gianna Bennett made history Tuesday as the first female student-athlete ever selected to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, joining Morningside (Iowa) punter Luke Paulsen as the NAIA’s two representatives among 22 college football student-athletes honored nationally. The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football student-athletes whose impact […]
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