GSC/Conference Carolinas Week 10 Preview & Picks

November 7th, 2025 7:00am

Week 10 brings high stakes and heavy hits across Conference Carolinas and the Gulf South Conference, as teams battle to solidify potential playoff positions and prove they belong among the region’s elite. Although the championship finale is set in stone, the Conference Carolinas schedule promises to provide offensive fireworks and defensive grit in pivotal matchups that could still reshape the standings. Down south, the GSC’s powerhouses collide in a statement game that could have a bearing on postseason implications.

*reminder that Week 11 matchups for some Conference Carolinas schools will be determined upon completion of Week 10, as the League entered into a two-year agreement with the SIAC that articulates that two Conference Carolinas institutions that do not qualify for the 2025 conference championship will travel to two SIAC institutions that do not qualify for their league championship during week 11 of the season on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. 

Last Week’s Results
Home team in bold
*denotes Conference Carolinas game
^denotes Gulf South Conference Game

• No. 4 West Florida 51, No. 16 Delta State 38^

• North Greenville 27, Ferrum 0*

• Valdosta State 45, No. 23 West Alabama 35^

• Chowan 34, Erskine 30*

• UNC Pembroke 34, Barton 17*

Must-See Matchup

^No. 24 Delta State (7-2, 1-1 GSC) at Valdosta State (4-4, 1-0 GSC) | Valdosta, Ga. | Nov. 8 | 4:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video

The Statesmen’s recent run of success came to an end last week against No. 4 West Florida as the defense gave up 51 points and 475 total yards of offense to the Argos, one of the nation’s most prominent offensive units. On the flip side, the DSU offense continued to roll with 38 points as wide receiver Curtis Rearden broke free for 207 yards and three touchdowns on just three catches. Despite the setback, Delta State is still outsourcing opponents on average by an 18.8 point margin on the year.

Valdosta State has now won two in a row and evened its second record at 4-4 following last week’s Gulf South victory over West Alabama. The Blazers put up 45 points on 415 total yards and have now averaged 31.3 points per game since inserting Jameson Holcomb into the lineup as the starting quarterback. Last week’s win wasn’t without its negatives as the defense allowed a whopping 552 yards, including 329 rushing yards, to West Alabama.

Delta State’s strength is in its run game, where the backfield averages 175.9 yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry, and after VSU’s weak performance versus the run last week the Statesmen have to be salivating. Whether it is Garrett Ames or Cole Kirk under center this week, they’ll need to be on top of their game to keep up with a Valdosta State offense that has found its groove of late. DSU’s defense may have just enough of an edge to win a close game on the road against a Blazer program with surprise playoff aspirations in mind.

My pick: No. 24 Delta State

Week 10 Schedule at a Glance
All times Eastern
*denotes Conference Carolinas game

Saturday, Nov. 8 

*Ferrum (3-6, 2-3 CC) at Chowan (3-6, 2-3 CC) | Murfreesboro, N.C. | 1:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Ferrum’s offense stalled a week ago against North Greenville, gaining just 131 total yards and turning the ball over three times. The defense was no better, allowing 418 total yards, including 289 yards on the ground, and giving up 5.2 yards per play on the day. Freshman linebacker DeAndre Watson had his best day as a Panther, tallying six total tackles with one tackle for loss, one sack, and two quarterback hurries.

Chowan snapped a four-game losing streak with last week’s home win over Erskine, as redshirt-freshman receiver Dominic Haney transitioned into a role under center and finished with 32 passing yards, 64 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns. The defense collected six tackles for loss and two sacks, while junior Isaiah Fulton returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown and fellow junior Antwone Godley returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 82 yards for the eventual game-winning score with 48 seconds remaining.

Both defenses rank middle of the pack among League members in total defense; however, Ferrum’s offense ranks last in points and total yards per game. While it is a mystery who the Hawks will have under center on Saturday, I think Chowan’s experience and explosiveness will be just enough to collect a second straight win.

My pick: Chowan

*Erskine (1-8, 1-4 CC) at Barton (2-7, 2-3 CC) | Wilson, N.C. | 5:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video

Senior Day did not go as planned for Erskine as the Flying Fleet fell by a 34-30 score at home to Chowan, giving up 14 points in the final quarter of play. The Flying Fleet outgained Chowan 326-243 in total yards; however, the Hawks scored on a 55-yard interception return in the third quarter and an 82-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter to overcome the lack of offense. Erskine running back Logan Coldren continued to run wild, rushing for 100 yards on 23 carries - his fourth 100-yard performance of the year - quarterback Ryan Killmer bounced back with a three-touchdown performance through the air.

Barton’s has now lost two in a row after last week’s defeat at the hands of UNC Pembroke, where the defense gave up 441 total yards, including 251 yards on the ground to a UNCP team that entered the contest averaging 156.4 rushing yards per game. The Bulldogs did throw two touchdown passes in the game, but threw another interception, bringing their season totals in the passing game to eight touchdowns and nine interceptions so far. 

Erskine seems to be finding a bit of a rhythm on offense lately, while Barton’s offensive identity is rooted in a run game that has been a bit up and down all season long. This may be a high-scoring affair as both defenses struggle to get stops, but if the Flying Fleet can’t correct their turnover problem - 15 interceptions and six lost fumbles - Barton may even it’s Conference Carolinas record with a win.

My pick: Barton

*North Greenville (5-4, 5-0 CC) at Shorter (2-7, 1-4 CC) | Rome, Ga. | 7:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

The North Greenville defense collected its second shutout of the season last week against Ferrum, forcing three total turnovers to keep the team’s Conference Carolinas record unblemished. NGU relied on a strong run game last week, posting 289 rushing yards and three touchdowns, led by Kimon O’Sullivan’s career-high 108 rushing yards and one touchdown each from Reggion Bennett, Elijah Crockett, and Deshawn Tompkins. The Trailblazers continue to be among the best in the nation at taking the ball away, ranking fourth in NCAA Division II with a 1.33 turnover margin on the year.

Shorter snapped a four-game losing streak with last week’s dominant performance against Barton, winning their first League contest on the heels of a standout performance from quarterback Jeb Wells, who threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns while running backs Lanear McCrary, Jr., and Carlos Mann each had 100-yard rushing performances. The Hawks’ strength has been on defense this season, holding opponents to just 342.1 yards per game and ranking first among conference schools in rushing defense with just 115.9 yards allowed per game on the ground.

North Greenville must avoid looking ahead to next week’s Conference Carolinas Championship game, especially with a team like Shorter on the schedule. The Hawks have nothing to lose this weekend and have a bit of momentum on their side, along with a strong defense. However, the Trailblazers force turnovers with ease, and Shorter has given the ball away 21 times in just nine games, so I expect NGU to continue creating havoc on defense, leading to another League victory.

My pick: North Greenville

BYE WEEK: UNC Pembroke, No. 4 West Florida, West Alabama

Gulf South Players to Watch

• Taylon Doss, Delta State, Sr., DB – Doss was all over the field last week, registering a season-high 14 tackles, including one tackle for loss, to go along with a forced fumble and a 10-yard fumble recovery. The senior is a leader for a defensive unit allowing less than 20 points per game, having totaled 46 tackles, four tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and an interception across nine games.

• Jameson Holcomb, Valdosta State, Jr., QB – Holcomb has led the offense to an average of 40 points per game over the last two weeks, both wins for the Blazers, throwing for three touchdowns without a turnover. He’s a big part of the Valdosta State turnaround late in the season, and if the Blazers want to continue a push for the postseason, Holcomb will have to remain on top of his game this week to pull off the upset.

• Curtis Rearden, Delta State, Sr., WR – Rearden is the Statesmen’s leading receiver by a large margin, accumulating almost 200 more yards than the next closest receiver. A big part of that is last week’s 207-yard performance, where he also scored three touchdowns to bring his season total to seven scores in eight games during the 2025 season.

Conference Carolinas Players to Watch

• Keno Jones, Barton, Jr., LB– Jones had 12 more tackles last week, bringing his season total to 105 stops, which ranks fifth in the country. In addition to his tackle totals from a week ago, Jones also had two tackles for loss and recovered a fumble 36 yards for a score. He’ll have plenty of chances to add to his stat sheet this week against an Erskine offense that wants to run the ball but also commits quite a few turnovers. 

• Jahylen Lee, Ferrum, Jr., RB – Ferrum’s leading rusher, Lee has 425 yards and three touchdowns on the year. After being held to just one yard last week, he has a great chance to bounce back this Saturday against a Chowan defense that ranks near the bottom of the country in stopping the run. Lee should be able to make some noise when he gets the ball in his hands this weekend and take advantage of a weak front seven on the opposing side of the field.

• Bryson Oliver, North Greenville, r-Sr., LB – One of the main reasons North Greenville ranks so high amongst national leaders in turnover margin is the play of Oliver at the second level of the defense. The experienced linebacker has 42 tackles in nine games, including 3.5 tackles for loss, to go along with two fumble recoveries and an interception. In total, the NGU defense has forced 20 total turnovers, including 11 interceptions and nine forced fumbles.

Conference Carolinas Standings

Gulf South Conference Standings