University of Sioux Falls defensive lineman Mike Hartley just knew it was going to be a good day last Saturday in Rome, Ga., when he woke up and looked outside the morning he was to take the field for the NAIA football national championship.

"When we woke up and saw it was raining, that was enough to put smiles on all our faces," Hartley said. "It was perfect."

The Cougars were playing a Carroll College team that had they had never beaten, but Hartley was confident. He played in last year's 17-9 loss to Carroll in the national title tilt after dislocating a finger early in the game, and drew on that experience as the Cougars captured their third NAIA national title with a 23-7 victory. Sioux Falls also won national titles in 1996 and 2006.

"I definitely had memories of last year," Hartley said. "We knew that these guys were going to be tough. I had memories of them coming off the ball strong and fast. For two weeks leading up to the game I had that in my mind and we just came out and took control of the game pretty early on."

The Cougars were absolutely dominant on defense this year, giving up just 5.8 points per game and 144 yards of rushing in 13 regular season games, but Hartley and the rest of his defensive linemen felt just a little underappreciated throughout the season.

"Under the circumstances, the way it happened and the scene it happened in, was incredible. It was a complete rematch from the year before and the whole year the d-line especially has been questioned and doubted, so for one of our guys (Drew DeGroot) to scoop up the football and score a touchdown to clinch the game? It's like watching your best friend or brother running it in. To have everyone telling us all year that we weren't big enough, weren't strong enough or fast enough, and then to get it done, that was special."

Hartley, a graduate of St. Thomas More High School and the son of Randy and Wendy Hartley, was also a member of the 2006 national championship team at Sioux Falls, but he said that the contributions he made to the 2008 team made winning this season much more special. Hartley appeared in eight games for the Cougars as a freshman and recorded 10 tackles and two sacks in addition to playing special teams.

"I was just a special teams guy and didn't get to step on the field a whole lot," Hartley said of 2006. "Still, I was happy to be a part of that team and see those guys win it all, but this one was a whole lot better for me because you're working for it all year. I'm just so grateful for the experience, everybody worked so hard and it's just a great feeling. You could really tell that all of our hearts were in this one."

Hartley, a junior exercise science major, will be back next season as the Cougars look to repeat. They will bring the same defensive intensity and philosophy to the field in 2009 - the same philosophy that has helped make them an NAIA national power.

"First of all every week it's the same as far as a defensive goal," Hartley said. "Its 11:30 and we don't accept anything less. That means we've got 11 guys arriving at the ball and we're trying to get a three and out. We're ballhawking, trying to strip the ball and take it to the house. In a game earlier this year, there was a fumble and I just fell on the ball. I had to hear about that all season long so I'm just waiting for another chance to make a play."