2011 NAIA Football National Championship
| 2011 Russell Athletic NAIA Football National Championship | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 17, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Barron Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Rome, Georgia | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Jimmy Coy, Saint Xavier (Offense) Patrick Appino, Saint Xavier (Defense) |
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| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS College Sports Network | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Andy Demetra (Play By Play) Doug Chapman (Color Analysis) Peter Young (Sideline Report) |
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The 2011 NAIA Football National Championship was played on December 17, 2011 as the 56th Annual Russell Athletic NAIA Football National Championship.
The championship game was played at Barron Stadium in Rome, Georgia. The game featured the Saint Xavier Cougars, playing in the title match for the first time. Their opponent was the Carroll Fighting Saints, the defending national champion who was appearing in the title game for the 8th time in the past 10 years. Carroll was attempting to win a record-tying 7th national title. In a tightly played contest, Saint Xavier prevailed, 24-20.
A total of sixteen teams participated in a single-elimination tournament from across the country. Placement in the tournament was based on the final edition of the NAIA Coaches' Poll with the exception of #16 William Penn and #17 Northwestern (Iowa) being passed over for #18 Grand View, who qualified by winning the Mid-States Football Association Division Championship.
Two teams represented schools named "Saint Francis"—one team from Illinois and the other from Indiana.
Top-ranked Marian defeated Grand View 31–0. Marian scored 10 points in the first quarter and kept their opponent from scoring any points on their way to the shutout. Marian put down 392 yards of total offense and held Grand View to a mere 41.
Saint Francis (IL) defeated Morningside 21–17 in the first round.
MidAmerica Nazarene and Southern Nazarene began their national title hopes in the first round on November 19, 2011. Both teams met previously this season during week 7 on October 15. MidAmerica has a 5–8 record in postseason play and Southern Nazarene is in their first postseason game.
MidAmerica Nazarene and Southern Nazarene began their national title hopes in the first round on November 19, 2011. MidAmerica Nazarene took the lead in the first quarter when Sean Ransburg managed a 33-yard run for a touchdown and held the lead for the remainder of the game, including Kyle Cobb's 50 yard interception for a touchdown in the second quarter.
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