Best/Favorite D2 football game you've attended

[Brandon]

forgive me, I've slept since then

I'm not entirely convinced that sleep is what might be causing memory issues for you. ;)

[ILoveItWhenYouCallMeLittlePoppa]

I'm not entirely convinced that sleep is what might be causing memory issues for you. ;)

:smile-big::smile-big::smile-big::smile-big:LMFAO
:smile-big::smile-big::smile-big::smile-big::smile-big:
touche, good sir. Touche.

[Raymond Franze]

The 2015 semi-final game at Shepherd vs. Grand Valley State. From watching senior quarterback Jeff Ziemba get knocked out early and wondering about the capabilities of, and handcuffs on, the backup quarterback to watching Shepherd compete in a game against a team that the Rams were to have little-to-no chance against and the emotional toll of watching Grand Valley State almost come from behind at the end of the game. The stands were packed, the upper-level walkway was two-to-three deep, the crowds along the wall on Rt. 480 was packed. The place was emotionally loud, and for a very late fall day the weather was absolutely perfect. Listening to Fats Domino's Kansas City Here I Come play on the PA system at the game while the fans were down on the field with the team was just a perfect ending.

Despite the loss, the championship game against Northwest MO State deserves a mention as well. I'm sure nerves were a factor as well as Ziemba's lingering injury, and Connor Jessop may have made it more of a game. But it wasn't a game, it was an experience. From travelling practically halfway across the country and seeing more of mid-America from the ground than I had before, taking the family up the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, attending a packed stadium (albeit mostly Bearcat fans) that seemed like an ideal venue for a national championship to the theatrics involved--again made it more than a game, but just a great story-telling adventure that despite the outcome we still look back on fondly.

2013 2nd round of the playoffs WSSU v. Shep. If you are a fan of defense find this game and watch it. It's not that either offense was bad, but both defenses were top 10 for yards allowed and in rare form for a 7-0 game. We had one chance to score and couldn't come up with a TD catch in the endzone.

I am forever grateful for that game as that was the day I was introduced to WSSU's marching band. A performance that was nothing short of phenomenal. And as a Shepherd fan, a great outcome despite the nail biting throughout.

[catbacker07]

I think we've probably been the underdog in every NC game we've played in (except maybe(just maybe) last year). Hopefully we can win a few more and maybe outgrow the mindset around D2 at some point.

A couple of things that I remember about the Cal game: I remember they had a LB (#7 - Gary Butler I believe) that was a stud. I think he and our QB had a little trash talking thing going on headed into the game. For Butler, he had a great game (led Cal in tackles with 9 and also had a TFL). In the end, though, Willie Copeland had the last laugh because we got to play another week.

I also remember the catch in the end zone our tight end Zach Parker made. ESPN highlight reel, and a heckova one handed catch.

In 2012? I could buy VSU as an underdog in the semis against Mankato, but everyone outside of the Carolinas knew VSU was going to win the title, and probably pretty easily.

[crashandannie]

[Packfootball]

The slugfest between West Georgia and CSU Pueblo Semi Final in 2014. I enjoy a defensive game. Championship game against Mankato was a very close second.

[catbacker03]

NC 1999 NW vs CN - there is no comparison, this has to be a top 3 D2 game ever...

[Redready]

https://hsusports.com/boxscore.aspx?...&path=football

I was going to say this game too. It was the best D2 game I have watched. Everybody was standing for most of the game. On that day University of Arkansas did not play and the biggest game in the state was the BOTR. Lots of media coverage. Front page story the next day.
The 2015 NC was another fun game to be at.

[ccchhhrrriiisss]

2002 National Quarterfinals - Cal-Davis vs. Javelinas in Kingsville. Great game to end a bitter playoff rivalry and send the Aggies out of D2 with the L.

That was a fantastic game. Javelina Stadium was filled and the atmosphere was electric! It was a rematch of another great game a year earlier. UC-Davis came to Javelina Stadium and defeated the Texas A&M University-Kingsville. That Davis/Kingsville rivalry was thick. Last year, I attended the game between UC-Davis and Stanford (here in Palo Alto). I still felt sore from that old rivalry.

I would add one more game:
2003 NCAA D2 Semifinal game - Grand Valley State v. Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

I really thought that Kingsville would win. During the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Javelinas had defeated Tarleton State and Central Oklahoma by a margin of 83-16. I was hoping for a Javelina victory to coincide with a North Alabama victory for a rematch of the 1994 NCAA D2 National Championship Game.

The Javelinas scored first -- a short field goal. However, they never scored again. Coach Brian Kelly (now coaching at Notre Dame) destroyed the Javelina defense and won 31-3. I had plenty of friends playing for the Javelinas that season (including one who would later be the best man at my wedding). It was one of the best squads that the Javelinas ever had. There was a real unity among the players.

Despite the loss, I felt like I was watching coaching greatness. GVS's victory was a coaching victory. I still think that the Hogs had more talent. However, they were simply outcoached by Brian Kelly. After the season, he left Grand Valley State for Central Michigan and then Cincinnati (taking them to a #3 BCS ranking) before being named the head coach of the Fighting Irish.

[BlazerLady]

2007 Carson-Newman vs. Catawba: Catawba scores with about :30 seconds left. C-N's only loss that season and STILL the biggest playoff snub in the history of D2 football.
2009 Carson-Newman vs. North Alabama in the Regional Final: Eagles went to Florence and beat Terry Bowden and his 673 Division I dropouts.
2015(maybe): Carson-Newman vs. Valdosta in the playoffs. Valdosta scored as time expired to win what was an absolutely insane game. Scoreboard operator earned his paycheck that day.

Those are probably the three best I've been to. I've been to a couple Mars Hill games because my baby sister went there. Grew up in Hickory and went to a lot of L-R games as a kid, but they sucked REALLY bad growing up. None of the L-R or Mars Hill games really come to mind.

That 2015 game was unreal. Blazers winning on the last play of the game!!!! The was the most exhausting game I have ever attended. Never yelled so much in my life!

[BlazerLady]

In the GSC Pickem that week, I picked VSU to win by 5........

[canadarican]

That 2015 game was unreal. Blazers winning on the last play of the game!!!! The was the most exhausting game I have ever attended. Never yelled so much in my life!

Xavier McFadden (#15 for C-N who got hurdled) is probably still ticked off he missed that play. C-N had so many chances to put that game away. How in the holy name of Dolly Parton do you give up 34 pts in the 4th quarter and make NO ADJUSTMENTS!!! Blew a 3 touchdown lead...

['89HOG]

That was a fantastic game. Javelina Stadium was filled and the atmosphere was electric! It was a rematch of another great game a year earlier. UC-Davis came to Javelina Stadium and defeated the Texas A&M University-Kingsville. That Davis/Kingsville rivalry was thick. Last year, I attended the game between UC-Davis and Stanford (here in Palo Alto). I still felt sore from that old rivalry.

I would add one more game:
2003 NCAA D2 Semifinal game - Grand Valley State v. Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

I really thought that Kingsville would win. During the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Javelinas had defeated Tarleton State and Central Oklahoma by a margin of 83-16. I was hoping for a Javelina victory to coincide with a North Alabama victory for a rematch of the 1994 NCAA D2 National Championship Game.

The Javelinas scored first -- a short field goal. However, they never scored again. Coach Brian Kelly (now coaching at Notre Dame) destroyed the Javelina defense and won 31-3. I had plenty of friends playing for the Javelinas that season (including one who would later be the best man at my wedding). It was one of the best squads that the Javelinas ever had. There was a real unity among the players.

Despite the loss, I felt like I was watching coaching greatness. GVS's victory was a coaching victory. I still think that the Hogs had more talent. However, they were simply outcoached by Brian Kelly. After the season, he left Grand Valley State for Central Michigan and then Cincinnati (taking them to a #3 BCS ranking) before being named the head coach of the Fighting Irish.

I'll have to go with the '89 game against Texas State. My buddy (later my best-man) and I drove up to Austin to pick up his brother then down to San Marcos. It was Johnny Bailey's last year and the Hogs were loaded with talent. The stadium was packed with what appeared to be about 18K Bobcat fans. We started on our 20 after a touchback on the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage they stuff Bailey at the line of scrimmage and the stadium erupted. Their defense was chest pounding, taunting, finger pointing (this was before the taunting rules) and really fired up. On the next play from scrimmage we pitch out to Bailey and he races untouched for 80 yards. At about the 10-15 yard line he turns around and waves at the defense chasing him. The entire stadium (except for a the couple thousand Javelina fans) was just deflated.

[ccchhhrrriiisss]

The 2009 Hillsdale vs Grand Valley State. The Lakers came to Hillsdale undefeated, ranked number one in the nation. They were cocky, self-assured and, yes, they were good. But a missed 49-yard field goal attempt as time expired gave the big upset win to the Chargers and Frank "Muddy" Waters Field exploded with students and fans running on to the field to celebrate with the players. You can still find Live Stream webmaster Jim Measles' play-by-play call of that field goal on You Tube. Sensational win for Hillsdale, terrible defeat for Grand Valley. However, as most Laker fans will tell you, they knocked the Chargers out of the second round of the playoffs by beating Hillsdale at Grand Valley.

I remember reading about that game. In terms of D2 football, Grand Valley State has always been a "Goliath" that many would-be Davids would like to see fall. Even if only momentarily, Hillsdale was David that day!

BTW, I met a student from Hillsdale this summer at a tech company in the Silicon Valley. He was wearing a Hillsdale sweatshirt while he earned some extra cash for school. He was surprised that I had even heard of Hillsdale. I mentioned reading about that football game; and, I told him that I appreciate the school's mission.

[Brandon]

I remember reading about that game. In terms of D2 football, Grand Valley State has always been a "Goliath" that many would-be Davids would like to see fall.

That depends on how long a person has been following D2 football.

In 2001, I was talked out of naming Curt Anes as first team AA quarterback because of the perceived weakness of "that league" and "that team" because of the previous history. It's funny how things change.