Dual Membership Provides Options for Lions
NCCAA's Victory Bowl Could Lure Lions
St. PAUL, Minnesota -- The football offices of the National Christian College Athletic Association, of which Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a dual member, released their mid-season rankings of their member teams.
While most of the teams are affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the top two ranked teams in the NCCAA meet annually in the Victory Bowl. The contest is usually hosted by the team rated the highest.
Currently, Campbellsville University (Ky), at 4-2, are at the top. Geneva College (Pa) is second with a 3-2 won-lost mark. North Greenville University (SC) is rated third at 3-3.
SAGU Ranked 7th in the NCCAA
SAGU is in a four-way tie for seventh with Malone University (Oh), Northwestern College (Minn) and Trinity (N.Dak).
Two squads are deadlocked in fourth, Taylor University (Ind) and Greenville College (Ill). Trinity International University (Ill) is one spot ahead of the Lions in sixth.
The Victory Bowl is slated for Saturday, November 20. Geneva (8-3) won last year's event on a late field goal, 29-28, over Greenville College (7-3). The bowl game was played in Greenville, Illinois. A brief review of that game is listed below.
October 9: Southwestern at Bacone College
The SAGU Lions are 1-3 after last Saturday's disappointing setback at Bethany, Oklahoma. Southern Nazarene (4-2), nationally ranked in the NAIA, came from behind in the third quarter to win, 35-21, despite yielding 450 yards to the Purple Pride. SAGU also forced five turnovers, but failed to finish several long drives on the road.
Southwestern is at Bacone College this Saturday, October 9, for a 6pm clash. The Warriors are much-improved over last fall, and narrowly lost to Langston University in their most recent game, 14-13. SAGU can still finish over .500 and contend for post-season play with a good stretch run in their remaining six games.
2009 Victory Bowl Recap
GREENVILLE, Ill. – A 20-yard field goal by placekicker Nick DiPietro with 19 seconds remaining in the game lifted the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes (8-3) to a 29-28 come-from-behind victory over the Greenville College Panthers (7-3) in the NCCAA Victory Bowl Saturday afternoon.
Greenville took a 28-14 lead on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Joel Lira to Jordan Fred with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter, but Geneva shutout the Panthers for the rest of the game while adding 15 unanswered points. A five-yard rushing touchdown by Gerard Muschette and a failed point after try cut the Geneva deficit to six with 3:35 to go in the third quarter. Almost one quarter later, a seven-yard rushing touchdown by Matt Barge and a failed two-point conversion cut the lead to two points with 4:54 remaining in the game.
Muschette, the outstanding offensive player of the game award recipient, rushed 20 times for 113 yards and three touchdowns. Geneva quarterback David Girardi completed 19-of-35 passes for 248 yards and one interception.
Running back Anthony Ambers provided much of Greenville's offense as he ran 26 times for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Greenville's Garrett Young, the outstanding defensive player of the game award winner, posted six solo tackles and two assisted tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss of yards. Young also broke up two pass attempts.
The win was Geneva's fifth Victory Bowl championship in six appearances, while Greenville dropped to 0-2 in its second Victory Bowl.
