# 2010 NAIA Football National Championship

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.

## Tournament bracket

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