NAIA Football Notebook: Week 2

It’s a stacked slate this week in NAIA Football, including three featured games on NAIA Network and another nine on the Urban Edge Network. No. 18 Montana Western hosts No. 5 Montana Tech at 2 p.m. MT on NAIA Network, while No. 13 William Penn (Iowa) travels to No. 3 Benedictine (Kan.) on UEN. Read […][[
September 10, 2026

No. 5 Montana Tech at No. 18 Montana Western, 2 p.m. MTA top-20 Frontier matchup pairs one of the nation’s stingiest defenses against one of its most explosive offenses. Montana Tech (2-0) is allowing just 7.0 points and 109.5 yards per game, while Montana Western piled up 618 yards in its opener. Kaden LaPlaunt leads the NAIA in pass efficiency, while Eli Nourse caught nine passes for 170 yards and five touchdowns. Western has won seven of the last 10 meetings, though Tech snapped a three-game skid with a 38-27 win last season.

No. 15 Southeastern at No. 23 Reinhardt, 7 p.m. ETSoutheastern takes a four-game series winning streak to Reinhardt after opening with a 37-23 win over Faulkner. The Fire were perfect on four red-zone trips, while Joel McGrath went 3-for-3 on field goals and placed five punts inside the 20. Southeastern is 4-1 all-time against Reinhardt, winning in 2023 and 2024 before sweeping two meetings in 2025, including a postseason matchup.

No. 12 Marian at No. 17 Saint Francis (Ind.), 7 p.m. ETA familiar Indiana rivalry renews for the 22nd time as Marian looks to continue its recent control of the series. The Knights bounced back from a season-opening loss at UIndy with a 53-0 shutout at Defiance, while Saint Francis enters 0-2. Marian’s CJ Harris has 251 kickoff-return yards and a touchdown through two games. Marian owns a 13-8 series advantage and has won seven of the last eight meetings, including a 49-0 shutout last season.

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No. 22 Southwestern at No. 19 Evangel, 11 a.m. CTTwo unbeatens meet after combining for 10 INTs, including two from Evangel’s Cullen Snow.
No. 13 William Penn at No. 3 Benedictine, 1 p.m. CTWPU is 2-0 and has forced five fumbles, while BC has converted 61 percent on third down.
No. 1 Grand View at Missouri Valley, 1 p.m. CTThe defending national champs visit Missouri Valley, which ranks second in all-time wins.
Concordia at Hastings, 1 p.m. CTCUNE opened with a 77-7 win and is averaging 681 yards of offense.
No. 16 St. Thomas at No. 20 Georgetown, 1 p.m. ETSt. Thomas is allowing just 14.5 rushing yards per game, while Georgetown has surrendered only 93.5 passing yards per contest.
Warner at Cumberlands (Ky.), 1:30 p.m. ETCumberlands is 2-0 and averaging an explosive 9.0 yards per play.
Mount Marty at No. 24 Northwestern, 6 p.m. CTMMU’s Rugby Ryken has thrown for 733 yards and 10 TDs, in a QB battle with NAIA Offensive Player of the Week Colby Duncan.
No. 21 McPherson at Tabor, 6 p.m. CTMcPherson is 2-0 while averaging more than 660 yards of offense and allowing just 3.5 points per game.
Louisiana Christian at Wayland Baptist, 6 p.m. CTLCU is 2-0 after scoring 70 last week with two defensive TDs.

Florida Memorial QB David Buggs turned in a 420-yard, five-TD effort in a 38-31 win over Allen, completing 21-of-36.
In the same game, FMU kicker Sean Egloff was 5-for-5 on PATs and made his only attempted field goal of the game, a 24-yarder. He also served as the Lions’ punter, depositing two punts inside the 20.
Eli Nourse caught a program record five touchdowns for Montana Western in a 49-35 win over Montana State-Northern.
Taylor (Ind.) DB Reid Messer had seven tackles and a pair of interceptions, including one in his own end zone.
College of Idaho K/P Josh Horn was 9-for-9 on PATs, had a punt inside the 20, and had a touchback kicking off.

Ottawa (Kan.) became the third NAIA program to eclipse 600 wins, as the Braves are at 601 after a 2-0 start. They trail only Baker (Kan.), at 661, and Missouri Valley, at 647 – the only NAIA programs with 600 or more wins in their histories.
Davontaye Saunders is picking up where he left off in 2025 for Lindsey Wilson, leading the NAIA with six touchdowns, second with 368 rushing yards and seventh on the all-purpose yards list. His teammate, Max Gainey, leads NAIA all-purpose yards through two games.
The KCAC emerged on offense, including Friends (Kan.), now 40 yards away from 1,000. The Falcons have scored an NAIA-best 146 points, while McPherson (Kan.) leads in total offense at 1,332 yards.

Colby Duncan, Northwestern (Iowa), accounted for 427 of the team’s 517 yards, with a passing TD and four rushing, in a 43-35 win over Morningside.

Christian Hansen, Montana Tech, collected his first pick and forced fumble on back-to-back Carroll (Mont.) possessions, as the Orediggers held the Saints to 99 yards in a 24-14 win.

AJ Woods, Kansas Wesleyan, drilled a dozen kicks – 4-for-4 on field goals and 8-for-8 on PATs – with FG makes from 42, 30, 25, and 18 yards in the Coyotes’ 76-6 win over Bethany (Kan.).

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