The 2010 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football season is made up of 10 college athletic programs that compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) under the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for the 2010 college football season. The season began on August 28, 2010, at 7:00 pm when the Ottawa University Braves challenged state-rival Baker University in the College Fanz First Down Classic game.
After conclusion of a successful 10-game season on November 13, conference champions McPherson and runner-up Ottawa were seeded to compete in the 2010 NAIA Football National Championship. Both teams were eliminated from the tournament in the first round.
Conference teams and information Conference rules require each team to play all other teams within the conference and one other regular season non-conference game for a total of 10 games (beginning in 2011, the conference will allow schools to play 11 games).
SchoolMascotHead coachLocationStadium Rankings PreseasonApril 19, 2010 End ofSeasonNovember 14, 2010 PostseasonJanuary 10, 2011 Bethany Terrible Swedes Jamie Cruce Lindsborg, Kansas Lindstrom Field Bethel Threshers Travis Graber North Newton, Kansas Thresher Stadium Friends Falcons Monty Lewis Wichita, Kansas Adair-Austin Stadium Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes Dave Dallas Salina, Kansas Salina Stadium McPherson Bulldogs Joe Bettasso McPherson, Kansas McPherson Stadium Ottawa Braves Kent Kessinger Ottawa, Kansas Peoples Bank Field Saint Mary Spires Lance Hinson Leavenworth, Kansas Saint Mary Field Southwestern Moundbuilders Ken Crandall Winfield, Kansas Richard L. Jantz Stadium Sterling Warriors Andy Lambert Sterling, Kansas Smisor Stadium Tabor Bluejays Mike Gardner Hillsboro, Kansas Joel Wiens Stadium
Preseason outlook Ottawa was declared the 2009 KCAC Champions with an undefeated regular season record. The 2010 season begins with three teams nationally ranked in the NAIA: Ottawa (8th), McPherson (12th), and Friends (15th).
Bethany Bethany is coming off a 4–6 season and finished the spring practices looking to fill key offensive positions at the quarterback and running back positions in an effort to "ramp up a running game that basically was non-existent the second half of the season." In week 4, Bethany plays outside of the NAIA against NCAA Division III team MacMurray College.
Bethel First-year coach Travis Graber takes over a team that completed the season with 3 wins and 7 losses. Graber was the team's Defensive Coordinator in 2009 and was promoted to the job after head coach Mike Moore resigned.
Friends Friends University begins 2010 with long-time coach Monty Lewis. The program ended 2009 with 8 wins and 2 losses and a third-place finish in the conference. Seven defensive starters return from the previous year that ranked second in rushing defense (50.8 yapg) and total defense (220.5 yapg) in the NAIA.
Kansas Wesleyan Head coach Dave Dallas begins the season bringing in 21 freshman recruits and 3 additional Junior College transfers.
McPherson McPherson completed the 2009-year with a record of 9 wins and 2 losses (8–1 in conference play) with a second-place finish in the conference and post-season playoff appearance for the first time. Returning players include Aaron Laffite who was first in the country last year in scoring per game (12.7).
Ottawa The Ottawa University Braves return as the prior year's conference champion with thirteen of the previous year's starters. In 2009 the team lost their only game in the second round of the NAIA playoffs and begins ranked No. 8 nationally in the pre-season poll. They completed a record of 11–1. Wide receiver Clarence Anderson was named to the Sporting News Preseason NAIA All-American Team for 2010 and head coach Kent Kessinger is in his seventh year at the program.
Saint Mary Saint Mary's disappointing 3–7 record in 2009 ended with a win. Head Coach Lance Hinson returns for his sixth season.
Southwestern Ken Crandall begins the season for the Moundbuilders with a new stadium as Sonner Stadium is being renovated. The "Builders" have lost 13 straight road games dating back to 2007.
Sterling Sterling comes off the 2009 season with a fourth-place finish in the conference and a 6–4 record.
Tabor The Tabor Bluejays football team play their home games in Joel Wiens Stadium located in Hillsboro, Kansas. Tabor's previous year produced a winless 0–10 season. The head coach for the 2010 season is Mike Gardner. 2010 marks Gardner's return to Tabor from the Malone Pioneers in Canton, Ohio. Gardner coached the Bluejays for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. In his previous tenure at the program, Gardner led the Bluejays to back-to-back conference championships and was nationally ranked both years.
Schedule Index to colors and formattingKCAC member wonKCAC member lostWinning team in bold
Week 0 NAIA football typically plays bowl games in the pre-season as a regular season game. This tradition began with the now defunct Wheat Bowl and has continued with the College Fanz First Down Classic.
#24 Baker at No. 8 Ottawa (College Fanz First Down Classic)
The start of the 2010 NAIA football season began at People's Bank Field in Ottawa, Kansas for the College Fanz First Down Classic game between two nationally ranked teams: No. 8 Ottawa and No. 24 Baker. This game marked the first time the two schools met in football for 17 years. Ottawa began the game by returning the kickoff for a touchdown and let the entire game to a 24–14 victory.
Offensively the teams were closely matched statistically: Ottawa produced 375 yards of total offense to Baker's 408; Baker managed to record 19 first downs while Ottawa achieved 20; third down conversions were 5–16 for Baker, 9–23 for Ottawa. Statistically, the major marked difference was in penalties: Baker had 16 penalties and gave up 144 yards, where Ottawa had a mere 4 penalties that gave up 28 yards.
Week 1
Saint Mary at Southern Nazarene
Southern Nazarene set a school record with 556 total yards, 418 of which were passing. The final score was 63–17, with 36 points scored in the second quarter alone.
Southern Nazarene had lost the week prior to Eastern New Mexico by a score of 21–59, placing Southern Nazarene to a record of 1–1. Saint Mary's record for the season was 0–1, as this was the season opener.
Haskell at No. 12 McPherson
The twelfth-ranked McPherson Bulldogs held Haskell scoreless for the entire game. Haskell was able to achieve 8 first downs for the game, compared to McPherson's 25. Haskell's total offense was only 142 yards, where McPherson achieved 407 total yards. Haskell was 1–14 on third down conversions, where McPHerson was 5–12.
The final score of Haskell 0/McPherson 45 put Haskell's record to 0–2 and McPherson to 1–0.
Panhandle State at Southwestern
Southwestern opened the season in newly renovated Richard L. Jantz Stadium against NCAA Division II Panhandle State. Panhandle State ended the game with negative punting yards (−43) from a single punt, but managed 14–21 on third down conversions, where Southwestern was 0–8 on third down. Panhandle State achieved exactly 500 yards in total offense compared to Southwestern's 279. The final score of 32–27 put Panhandle State to 1–1 for the season and Southwestern to 0–1.
Week 2
Bethany at Saint Mary
The Bethany Terrible Swedes scored 21 points in the third quarter against Saint Mary in their 51–27 victory. Their first score came on a 30-yard field goal. Later in the first quarter, Saint Mary came up with a 19-yard pass for a touchdown to take the lead by a score of 3–7. Still in the first quarter, Bethany returned a kick for a touchdown to take the lead 9–7 (the extra point attempt was blocked).
In the second quarter, Saint Mary took the lead again by scoring a touchdown to bring the score to 14–9. Bethany answered with two back-to-back touchdowns, which left the score 23–14 and led for the remainder of the game. Saint Mary would score two more touchdowns and produce 420 yards of total offense, but it would not be enough to overcome Bethany's seven touchdowns.
Southwestern at Sterling
Sterling College gave up 4 fumbles and 1 interception, but still managed to record a 28–17 victory over Southwestern. Sterling's Rashard Colquit scored a touchdown on a 35-yard run in the first quarter and maintained the lead for the remainder of the game.
Southwestern produced 319 yards in total offense to Sterlings 291. Southwestern also managed 2–4 on fourth down conversions, and 5–19 on third down conversions. After the game, Southwestern dropped to a record of 0–2 (0–1 KCAC) and Sterling was 1–0 (1–0 KCAC).
#9 Ottawa at Bethel
The Ottawa Braves took a national ranking of No. 9 and traveled to play Bethel College. The visiting team handled the Threshers with a final score of 62–23. Ottawa scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and seven in the third quarter. Two of the touchdowns in the third period were kick returns for a touchdown, another was a 100-yard interception return.
Bethel did not score until the third quarter, when they recorded two touchdowns. Bethel later scored the last touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter when Jason Vail succeeded with a 5-yard run.
Both teams managed over 300 yards of total offense, most of it passing. Ottawa recorded 302 yards passing and Bethel ended at 299 yards passing.
#12 McPherson at Friends
Nationally ranked McPherson College traveled to Friends University and delivered a victory by a score of 52–20. In the first period, Andy Skinner caught a 76-yard pass from quarterback Shane Mascarenas. Travis Eason completed the conversion with a successful kick and McPherson led 7–0, and held the lead for the remainder of the game.
McPherson produced 501 yards of total offense and averaged 8.9 yards per play. They scored a total of 7 touchdowns (3 rushing, 4 passing) and punted once for 28 yards. Friends managed to build only 244 yards of total offense for 3.2 yards per play and punted six times for a total of 224 yards. Friends did successfully complete 2 of 3 fourth-down conversions but gave up 3 interceptions on 43 attempts.
Kansas Wesleyan at Tabor
Tabor College took the lead with a Sean Rothwell 19-yard field goal in the first quarter, but it would be the only time the team would have the lead for the rest of the game. On the next play, Kansas wesleyan's Horace Carter returned the kickoff for 77 yards to take the lead 7–3. Kansas Wesleyan maintained the lead for the remainder of the game that concluded in a score of 23 to 20.
Both teams managed over 300 yards of total offense and each scored 2 touchdowns. The game marked the return of Tabor head coach Mike Gardner and put Tabor to 0–1 for the season while Kansas Wesleyan became 1–0.
Week 3
Peru State vs Sterling
After a scoreless first quarter, Doug Dunn of Sterling kicked a 17-yard field goal help his team take the lead 3–0. Peru State answered with two consecutive scores in the second and third to pull ahead 10–3. Sterling then tied with a 20-yard run by Levi Cockle and Dunn's extra point to set the score 10–10. The final touchdown in the 4th quarter by Sterling let the game 17–10.
The close score was matched by close statistics for the squads. Both teams produced under 250 yards of total offense. Peru State had 5 punts averaging 27 yards, where Sterling had six punts averaging 39 yards.
Saint Mary vs Kansas Wesleyan
Kansas Wesleyan scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and a toal of 45 points in the first half to defeat conference opponent Saint Mary by a final score of 17–59.
Kansas Wesleyan put down 537 yards of total offense in 81 plays, averaging 6.6 yards per play. 279 of those yards were rushing, the remaining 258 by passing. Three players for Kansas Wesleyan rushed for over 50 yards.