2020–21 NAIA football national championship

The 2020–21 NAIA football national championship was a four-round, sixteen team tournament played between April 17 and May 10, 2021. The tournament concluded with a single game, played as the 65th Annual NAIA Football National Championship.

The championship game was played at Eddie Robinson Stadium in Grambling, Louisiana, between the 11–1 No. 6 Northwestern Red Raiders, representing Northwestern College from Orange City, Iowa, and the undefeated No. 3 Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders, representing Lindsey Wilson College from Columbia, Kentucky. This was the second time the championship game was played at this venue with the previous year's game also taking place there. The game was played on May 10, 2021, with kickoff at 6:00 p.m. EST (5:00 p.m. local CST).

Teams

Northwestern (IA)

The Northwestern Red Raiders, led by 5th-year head coach Matt McCarty, entered the national championship game as the No. 6 seed. They were seeking to win their third national championship overall and first non-NAIA Division II national championship, having won in 1973 and 1983. They entered the game 11–1, 8–1 in GPAC play.

2020 Northwestern (IA) Football
Sep. 12	at No. 1 Morningside*	L 31–45
Sep. 19	Dakota Wesleyan*	W 50–16
Sep. 3	at No. 18 Dordt*	W 49–7
Oct. 17	Concordia (NE)*	W 31–17
Oct. 24	at Doane*	W 35–14
Oct. 31	Midland*	W 43–14
Nov. 7	at Hastins*	W 62–10
Nov. 14	Briar Cliff*	W 38–21
Nov. 23	Jamestown*	W 49–0
NAIA Playoffs (No. 6 seed)
Apr. 17	No. 10 Dickinson State	W 31–7
Apr. 24	at No. 2 Grand View	W 27–24
May 10	at No. 1 Morningside	W 44–41

Lindsey Wilson

Main article: 2020 Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders football team

The Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders, led by 11th-year head coach Chris Oliver, entered the national championship game as the No. 3 seed and were looking to win the program's first-ever NAIA National Championship. They entered the game 10–0, 7–0 in MSC Bluegrass Division play.

2020 Lindsey Wilson Football
Feb. 12	Pikeville*	W 49–0
Feb. 26	No. 17 Cumberlands (KY)*	W 45–10
Mar. 5	at No. 19 Georgetown (KY)*	W 35–14
Mar. 12	at Cumberland (TN)*	W 56–22
Mar. 19	Thomas More*	W 52–20
Apr. 1	at Campbellsville*	W 49–21
Apr. 9	Bethel (TN)*	W 49–7
NAIA Playoffs (No. 3 seed)
Apr. 17	No. 14 Bethel (KS)	W 42–10
Apr. 24	No. 5 Concordia (MI)	W 49–27
May 1	No. 4 Keiser	W 38–14

Series history

This game was both teams' first time playing each other.

Game summary

2020 NAIA Football National Championship Game

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Northwestern (IA)	0	7	6	0	13
No. 3 Lindsey Wilson	7	10	14	14	45

at Eddie Robinson Stadium • Grambling, Louisiana

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2023
Game time: 6:00 p.m. EST (5:00 p.m. CST)
Game weather: • Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: Calm
Game attendance: 1,241
Referee: Craig Demaree

Game information
First Quarter (4:48) LWC – Cameron Dukes 1-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:38; Lindsey Wilson 7–0) Second Quarter (12:21) LWC – Ian Sauter 33-yard kick (Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:48; Lindsey Wilson 10–0) (7:13) LWC – Noel Patterson 41-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:11; Lindsey Wilson 17–0) (0:11) NWC – Blake Fryar 1-yard pass to Konner McQuillan, Eli Sader kick (Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 7:02; Lindsey Wilson 17–7) Third Quarter (11:26) LWC – Cameron Dukes 2-yard run, Eli Sader kick (Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:34; Lindsey Wilson 24–7) (8:20) LWC – Kobe Belcher 1-yard run, Eli Sader kick (Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 0:39; Lindsey Wilson 31–7) (0:38) NWC – Blake Fryar 11-yard pass to Shane Solberg, Michael Storey 2-point pass failed (Drive: 11 plays, 99 yards, 5:03; Lindsey Wilson 31–13) Fourth Quarter (7:53) LWC – Cameron Dukes 3-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 14 plays, 45 yards, 7:45; Lindsey Wilson 38–13) (4:09) LWC – Cameron Evans 6-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:36; Lindsey Wilson 45–13)

Game information

First Quarter

(4:48) LWC – Cameron Dukes 1-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:38; Lindsey Wilson 7–0)

Second Quarter

(12:21) LWC – Ian Sauter 33-yard kick (Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:48; Lindsey Wilson 10–0)
(7:13) LWC – Noel Patterson 41-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:11; Lindsey Wilson 17–0)
(0:11) NWC – Blake Fryar 1-yard pass to Konner McQuillan, Eli Sader kick (Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 7:02; Lindsey Wilson 17–7)

Third Quarter

(11:26) LWC – Cameron Dukes 2-yard run, Eli Sader kick (Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:34; Lindsey Wilson 24–7)
(8:20) LWC – Kobe Belcher 1-yard run, Eli Sader kick (Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 0:39; Lindsey Wilson 31–7)
(0:38) NWC – Blake Fryar 11-yard pass to Shane Solberg, Michael Storey 2-point pass failed (Drive: 11 plays, 99 yards, 5:03; Lindsey Wilson 31–13)

Fourth Quarter

(7:53) LWC – Cameron Dukes 3-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 14 plays, 45 yards, 7:45; Lindsey Wilson 38–13)
(4:09) LWC – Cameron Evans 6-yard run, Ian Sauter kick (Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:36; Lindsey Wilson 45–13)

Statistics

Statistics	NWC	LWC
First downs	16	17
Total yards	231	347
Rushes–yards	32–74	40–190
Passing yards	157	157
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	22–32–0	18–24–0
Time of possession	28:50	31:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwestern (IA)	Passing	Blake Fryar	22/32, 157 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Blake Fryar	18 carries, 38 yards
	Receiving	Cade Moser	6 receptions, 54 yards
Lindsey Wilson	Passing	Cameron Dukes	18/24, 157 yards
	Rushing	Darius Clark	4 carries, 70 yards
	Receiving	Jaylen Boyd	4 receptions, 50 yards

Postseason playoffs

A total of sixteen teams were selected to participate in the single-elimination tournament from across the country, with invitations that were revealed on Sunday, November 17, 2019. The field included twelve conference champions who received automatic bids. The field was then filled with at-large selections that were awarded to the highest ranked teams that were not conference champions. First-round seedings were based on the final regular-season edition of the 2020 NAIA Coaches' Poll, with certain minor modifications given based on travel and geographic considerations. Each subsequent round also saw minor modifications based on travel and the geography of the remaining teams.

Quarterfinal pairings were announced by the NAIA on November 23, after the first round results were known.

Semifinal pairings were announced by the NAIA on November 30, soon after completion of the day's quarterfinal games.

1st Round April 17, 2021			Quarterfinals April 24, 2021			Semifinals May 1, 2021			Championship May 10, 2021

3	Lindsey Wilson	42

14	Bethel (KS)	10
			3	Lindsey Wilson	49

			5	Concordia (MI)	27
5	Concordia (MI)	21

12	Georgetown	7
						3	Lindsey Wilson	38

						4	Keiser	14
4	Keiser	63

15	Arizona Christian	21
			4	Keiser	42

			8	Reinhardt	14
8	Reinhardt	40

9	Marian (IN)	29
									3	Lindsey Wilson	45

									6	Northwestern (IA)	13
1	Morningside	55

16	Carroll	0
			1	Morningside	45

			7	Baker	29
7	Baker	59

10	Olivet Nazarene	54
						1	Morningside	41

						6	Northwestern (IA)	44
2	Grand View	38

13	Dordt	10
			2	Grand View	24

			6	Northwestern (IA)	27
6	Northwestern (IA)	31

11	Dickinson State	7

Notes

Game was played on May 10, 2021, due to COVID-19.

References

"NFF Recognizes 2020-21 FCS and NAIA National Champions". National Football Foundation. May 18, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
"Blue Raiders Claim First Football National Championship". NAIA. May 10, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
"Northwestern (Iowa) vs. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) - Box Score - 2021-05-10". NAIA. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
"2020 Football Championship Schedule". NAIA. Retrieved November 20, 2023.

NAIA football

Seasons

1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970–1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Division I	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
Division II	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
Women's flag	2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Championships

1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970–1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Division I	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
Division II	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

Records & statistics

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