# 2012 Great Plains Athletic Conference football season

The 2012 Great Plains Athletic Conference football season is made up of 10 United States college athletic programs that compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) under the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for the 2012 college football season. Morningside College of Iowa completed the regular season undefeated to win the conference championship and advance to the 2012 NAIA Football National Championship. Northwestern came in second in conference play and also qualified for the championship tournament, but lost in the first round to the Marian Knights by a score of 42–32.

## Regular season
### Early Games

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| August 25, 2012 | 6:00 PM | No. 13 Benedictine | Concordia | Davis Field • Fayette, Missouri | L 45–37 | – |
| August 30, 2012 | 7:00 PM | Valley City State University | No. 8 Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa | W 7–49 | – |
| August 30, 2012 | 7:00 PM | Southwestern | No. 10 Northwestern | DeValois Stadium • Orange City, Iowa | W 0–49 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### #13 Benedictine at Concordia (NE)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Benedictine | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
| Concordia (NE) | 6 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 37 |
Opposing team kickers Zach Keenan (Benedictine) and Kenny Zoeller (Concordia) combined to score 20 of the 82 points in this game.
Leading 9–7, Concordia fumbled in the end zone and Benedictine's Hayden Smith jumping on it for a touchdown and took a 14-9 lead.
Benedictine put on 407 yards in total offense and went 8–16 on third down, while Concordia managed 295 total offensive yards and 5–14 on third down attempts. The final score was a victory for Benedictine 49–36.

#### Southwestern at #10 Northwestern (IA)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Southwestern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #10 Northwestern (IA) | 20 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 49 |
Tenth ranked Northwestern hosted the Southwestern College Moundbuilders on a Thursday night game in front of 2,347 fans. Southwestern entered the game with optimism of a victory and breaking a losing streak.
Northwestern dominated play the entire game. Head coach Kyle Achterhoff led his team to 649 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per play while holding Southwestern to 156 yards and no points. Southwestern's Ceth Bannister managed a 64-yard punt in the game as a bright spot for Southwestern. The final score was 49–0 with Northwestern winning.

### Week 1

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 1, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Briar Cliff | Doane | Simon Field • Crete, Nebraska | 28–41 | – |
| September 1, 2012 | 1:00 PM | St. Mary | Nebraska Wesleyan | Abel Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | W 20–25 | – |
| September 1, 2012 | 6:00 PM | Dordt | Waldorf College | A. David Bolstorff Field • Forest City, Iowa | W 1–0 | – |
| September 1, 2012 | 7:00 PM | Dakota State University | Dakota Wesleyan | Joe Quintal Field • Mitchell, South Dakota | W 14–40 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 2

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 8, 2012 | 12:00 PM | Nebraska Wesleyan | Midland | Memorial Field • Fremont, Nebraska | 3–7 | – |
| September 8, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Graceland University | Briar Cliff | DakotaDome • Vermillion, South Dakota | L 24–17 | – |
| September 8, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dakota Wesleyan | Concordia | Davis Field • Fayette, Missouri | 26–23 | – |
| September 8, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Hastings | Dordt | Open Space Park Football Field • Sioux Center, Iowa | 20–7 | – |
| September 8, 2012 | 7:00 PM | Northwestern | No. 8 Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa | 7–34 | – |
| September 8, 2012 | 7:00 PM | Dakota State University | Doane | Simon Field • Crete, Nebraska | W 14–35 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 15, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Briar Cliff | No. 22 Dakota Wesleyan | Joe Quintal Field • Mitchell, South Dakota | L 13–24 | – |
| September 15, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dordt | Midland | Memorial Field • Fremont, Nebraska | 7–26 | – |
| September 15, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Doane | Northwestern | DeValois Stadium • Orange City, Iowa | 14–28 | – |
| September 15, 2012 | 6:00 PM | No. 4 Morningside | Nebraska Wesleyan | Abel Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | 35–10 | – |
| September 15, 2012 | 6:00 PM | Concordia | Hastings | Lloyd Wilson Field • Hastings, Nebraska | 26–34 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 22, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Hastings | Briar Cliff | DakotaDome • Vermillion, South Dakota | 34–24 | – |
| September 22, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Midland | No. 4 Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa | 0–42 | – |
| September 22, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dordt | Concordia | Davis Field • Fayette, Missouri | 12–52 | – |
| September 22, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Nebraska Wesleyan | Doane | Simon Field • Crete, Nebraska | 24–38 | – |
| September 22, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dakota State University | Northwestern | DeValois Stadium • Orange City, Iowa | W 12–47 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 29, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Briar Cliff | Dordt | Open Space Park Football Field • Sioux Center, Iowa | 33–29 | – |
| September 29, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Doane | Midland | Memorial Field • Fremont, Nebraska | 27–7 | – |
| September 29, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dakota Wesleyan | Hastings | Lloyd Wilson Field • Hastings, Nebraska | 30–40 $^0$ | – |
| September 29, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Northwestern | Nebraska Wesleyan | Abel Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | 33–27 $^{1OT}$ | – |
| September 29, 2012 | 4:00 PM | Concordia | Dakota State University | Trojan Field • Madison, South Dakota | W 28–7 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 6, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Concordia | Briar Cliff | DakotaDome • Vermillion, South Dakota | 45–12 | – |
| October 6, 2012 | 1:00 PM | No. 4 Morningside | Doane | Simon Field • Crete, Nebraska | 28–3 | – |
| October 6, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dordt | Dakota Wesleyan | Joe Quintal Field • Mitchell, South Dakota | 31–45 | – |
| October 6, 2012 | 1:30 PM | Midland | Northwestern | DeValois Stadium • Orange City, Iowa | 20–39 | – |
| October 6, 2012 | 4:00 PM | Hastings | Dakota State University | Trojan Field • Madison, South Dakota | W 55–19 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 13, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dakota State University | Briar Cliff | DakotaDome • Vermillion, South Dakota | L 35–28 | – |
| October 13, 2012 | 1:00 PM | No. 11 Northwestern | Concordia | Davis Field • Fayette, Missouri | 16–17 | – |
| October 13, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Nebraska Wesleyan | Dordt | Open Space Park Football Field • Sioux Center, Iowa | 27–7 | – |
| October 13, 2012 | 2:00 PM | Dakota Wesleyan | No. 4 Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa | 7–63 | – |
| October 13, 2012 | 4:00 PM | Hastings | Midland | Memorial Field • Fremont, Nebraska | 20–17 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 20, 2012 | 12:00 PM | Midland | Mayville State University | Jerome Berg Field • Mayville, North Dakota | 40–40 | – |
| October 20, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Briar Cliff | No. 18 Northwestern | DeValois Stadium • Orange City, Iowa | 7–57 | – |
| October 20, 2012 | 1:00 PM | No. 4 Morningside | Hastings | Lloyd Wilson Field • Hastings, Nebraska | 53–23 | – |
| October 20, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Concordia | Nebraska Wesleyan | Abel Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | 6–16 | – |
| October 20, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dakota State University | Dordt | Open Space Park Football Field • Sioux Center, Iowa | W 7–24 | – |
| October 20, 2012 | 7:00 PM | Doane | Dakota Wesleyan | Joe Quintal Field • Mitchell, South Dakota | 24–28 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 9

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 27, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Nebraska Wesleyan | Briar Cliff | DakotaDome • Vermillion, South Dakota | 35–14 | – |
| October 27, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Midland | Concordia | Davis Field • Fayette, Missouri | 14–23 | – |
| October 27, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dordt | No. 4 Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa | 0–41 | – |
| October 27, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Hastings | Doane | Simon Field • Crete, Nebraska | 16–48 | – |
| October 27, 2012 | 7:00 PM | No. 16 Northwestern | No. 25 Dakota Wesleyan | Joe Quintal Field • Mitchell, South Dakota | W 41–13 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 10

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 3, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Briar Cliff | Midland | Memorial Field • Fremont, Nebraska | 20–28 | – |
| November 3, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Concordia | No. 4 Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa | 0–50 | – |
| November 3, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Doane | Dordt | Open Space Park Football Field • Sioux Center, Iowa | 55–6 | – |
| November 3, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dakota Wesleyan | Nebraska Wesleyan | Abel Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | 0–17 | – |
| November 3, 2012 | 1:00 PM | No. 17 Northwestern | Hastings | Lloyd Wilson Field • Hastings, Nebraska | 45–6 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Week 11

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 10, 2012 | 1:00 PM | No. 3 Morningside | Briar Cliff | DakotaDome • Vermillion, South Dakota (Senior Day) | 62–0 | – |
| November 10, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Midland | Dakota Wesleyan | Joe Quintal Field • Mitchell, South Dakota | 14–21 | – |
| November 10, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Concordia | Doane | Simon Field • Crete, Nebraska | 7–17 | – |
| November 10, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Dordt | No. 14 Northwestern | DeValois Stadium • Orange City, Iowa | 7–55 | – |
| November 10, 2012 | 1:00 PM | Nebraska Wesleyan | Hastings | Lloyd Wilson Field • Hastings, Nebraska | 21–14 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Post-season
### NAIA FCS Playoffs - First Round

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 17, 2012 | Northwestern | Marian (IN) | St.Vincent Health Field • Indianapolis, Indiana (NAIA FCS Playoffs - First Round) | 32–42 | – |
| November 17, 2012 | Montana Tech | Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa (NAIA FCS Playoffs - First Round) | 35–40 | – |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### NAIA FCS Playoffs - Quarterfinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| November 24, 2012 | | Southern Oregon | Morningside | Elwood Olsen Stadium • Sioux City, Iowa (NAIA FCS Playoffs - Quarterfinals) | | 44–47 $^{1OT}$ | – | |
| $^#$Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||