2010 NAIA football national championship

2010 Russell Athletic NAIA Football National Championship
Carroll Fighting Saints Sioux Falls Cougars (13–0) (13–0) 10 7 Head coach:  Mike Van Diest Head coach:  Jed Stugart Coaches 2 Coaches 1
1 2 3 4 Total Carroll 0 7 0 3 10 Sioux Falls 0 7 0 0 7
Date	December 18, 2010
Season	2010
Stadium	Barron Stadium
Location	Rome, Georgia
MVP	Gary Wagner, Carroll (Offense) Eric Anderson, Sioux Falls (Defense)
Referee	Les Anderson Scott Richardson Jim Scifres Jim Rogers Gary Schildmeyer Brett Henninger Kirt Shay
Attendance	6,000
United States TV coverage
Network	CBS College Sports Network

The 2010 NAIA football national championship was played on December 18, 2010, as the 55th Annual Russell Athletic NAIA Football National Championship.

The championship game was played at Barron Stadium in Rome, Georgia. The Carroll Fighting Saints won the championship over the Sioux Falls Cougars by a score of 10–7. With their 6th championship, Carroll moved to within one of the all-time NAIA records of seven held by Texas A&I. The win also snapped Sioux Falls' 42-game winning streak; their last loss was at Carroll's hands in the 2007 NAIA championship game.

Sixteen teams from across the United States participated in a single-elimination tournament.

Scoring Summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Carroll Fighting Saints Sioux Falls Cougars 2 8:47 3 84 0:58 Carroll Fighting Saints Gary Wagner 83-yard touchdown run, Tom Yaremko kick Good 7 0 2 3:02 11 63 5:45 Sioux Falls Cougars Jordan Taylor 1-yard touchdown run, Braden Wieking kick Good 7 7 4 7:47 15 53 7:15 Carroll Fighting Saints 22-yard field goal by Tom Yaremko 10 7 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. Carroll Fighting Saints Sioux Falls Cougars

Tournament bracket

	1st round November 20					Quarterfinals November 27					Semifinals December 4					Championship December 18
	1	Sioux Falls (SD) (10–0)	33
	16	Northwestern Oklahoma State (8–2)	14
						1	Sioux Falls (SD)	27
						12	McKendree (IL)	7
	6	McPherson (KS) (10–0)	14
	12	McKendree (IL) (8–2)	38
											1	Sioux Falls (SD)	38
											4	MidAmerica Nazarene	0
	4	MidAmerica Nazarene (10–0)	27
	17	Georgetown (KY) (8–2)	24
						4	MidAmerica Nazarene	34
						7	Morningside (IA)	10
	7	Morningside (IA) (9–1)	38
	9	Dickinson State (9–1)	17
																1	Sioux Falls (SD)	7
																2	Carroll (MT)	10
	2	Carroll (MT) (10–0)	35
	18	Azusa Pacific (6–3)	21
						2	Carroll (MT)	38
						11	Marian (IN)	6
	8	Ottawa (KS) (9–1)	20
	11	Marian (IN) (9–2)	35
											2	Carroll (MT)	27
											3	Saint Xavier (IL)	5
	3	Saint Xavier (IL) (11–0)	66
	20	Cumberlands (KY) (7–3)	19
						3	Saint Xavier (IL)	40
						10	Saint Francis (IN)	21
	5	Lindenwood (MO) (9–1)	38
	10	Saint Francis (IN) (9–1)	46

•  * denotes OT.

Game details

First round

#11 Marian at No. 8 Ottawa

	1	2	3	4	Total
#11 Marian	7	7	14	7	35
#8 Ottawa	7	13	0	0	20

Ottawa completed its worst game on offense in terms of total yards for the season, only coming up with 246. Ottawa did manage to take the lead twice, but in the third quarter Marian would take the lead for good.

Defensively, Ottawa's Eric Wilson returned a 98-yard interception for a touchdown but the final score would fall 15 points short to end at 35–20.

#12 McKendree at No. 6 McPherson

	1	2	3	4	Total
#12 McKendree	14	7	10	7	38
#6 McPherson	7	0	7	0	14

McKendree took off to a 14 point lead in the first quarter and maintained the lead for the remainder of the game, dumping McPherson for their second first-round playoff loss in two years. It was the first loss for McPherson in the season, which ended with a final record of 10–1.

McKendree scored five touchdowns and claimed victory in the end with a final score of 38–14.