Published: November 18, 2008 09:10 am      

Bulldogs shut out of bowl game

Navarro goes from No. 1 to out of the postseason

The Navarro Bulldogs went into Saturday’s Southwest Junior College Football Conference championship game ranked No. 1 in the nation.

They lost to Blinn, and 48 hours later, coach Nick Bobeck and his one-loss team found out they’re not going to a bowl game.

It was a stunning development for the 10-1 Bulldogs, whose 49-24 loss to Blinn on Saturday at Tiger Stadium ended up being much more costly than not getting to play for a national championship. It’s also odd considering the Bulldogs went to the Pilgrim’s Pride Bowl last year with an 8-3 record. It was their first bowl appearance in six years.

“It’s kind of a slap in the face really,” Bobeck said. “It’s disappointing for the kids. It’s not often you’re No. 1 in the country for seven weeks and don’t make a bowl game. It’s a rough deal. It’s kind of a joke.”

There are eight bowl games across the nation for junior college teams, including the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in Copperas Cove. The Bulldogs also expected to draw interest from the Mississippi Bowl in Biloxi, Miss.

Bobeck said it was his understanding that Blinn and Fort Scott, Kan. will play in the Heart of Texas Bowl and Mississippi Gulf Coast and Georgia Military will play in the Mississippi Bowl.

The Bulldogs, who held on to the No. 1 spot in the NJCAA/JCFootball.com Top 20 for seven consecutive weeks, will drop out of the top spot when the new poll is released today.

Navarro’s slow start Saturday against Blinn ended up costing the Bulldogs dearly. They trailed 28-0 at halftime and 35-0 early in the third quarter before scoring 24 unanswered points to get back in the game.

NC beat reporter Rob Ludwig offers an in-depth look at Navarro’s lack of a bowl bid on page 9 of today’s Daily Sun.

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Todd Wills may be reached by e-mail at twills@corsicanadailysun.com.