November 14th, 2025 10:00am
Week 11 in Conference Carolinas and the Gulf South Conference brings everything into focus as championship dreams hang in the balance. Contenders will have to fight to stay alive in the playoff race and control their path to a conference title. In Conference Carolinas, a tight race during the regular season sets up a matchup where one mistake could shift the entire outcome. Down in the GSC, a powerhouse program and dark-horse threat collide in a must-win battle that promises drama from kickoff to the final whistle. With titles on the line, Week 11 is where memories will be made.
Last Week’s Results
Home team in bold
*denotes Conference Carolinas game
^denotes Gulf South Conference game
Must-See Matchup
UNC Pembroke (8-2, 5-1 CC) at North Greenville (6-4, 6-0 CC) | Tigerville, S.C. | 1:00 p.m. | Stats | Video
The Braves have been away from the action for two weeks after a bye in Week 10, having more than enough time to get healthy and prepare for this week’s rematch with North Greenville. Last time out, UNC Pembroke put up 34 points and 448 total yards of offense, including 251 on the ground, in a 24-17 win over Barton. UNCP is Conference Carolinas’ top offense in terms of both points (32.8) and total yards (423.7) per game, while also ranking first in scoring defense (16.7) and yards allowed (295.2) per game.
North Greenville has two straight wins under its belt after last week’s 35-33 scare at the hands of Short on the road. Quarterback Dylan Ramirez put on a show with 375 passing yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 68 yards on 17 carries. During the 2025 season, NGU ranks second among League schools in points (27.8) and total yards (403.1) per game while also being the second-best defense in terms of points allowed (23.7) and yards allowed (327) per game. The Trailblazers are one of the best in the country at taking advantage of an opponent’s mistakes, placing 12th among NCAA Division II programs with a +1 turnover margin.
October’s regular-season matchup between these two teams saw a completely dominant performance on the field by North Greenville to come away with the upset over then-No. 19 UNC Pembroke. The two sides remain the cream of the crop among Conference Carolinas programs, but it’s hard to beat a team twice in the same season. Younts Stadium will be packed on Saturday afternoon and energy will be high as both sides push for a playoff spot.
My pick: UNC Pembroke
Week 11 Schedule at a Glance
All times Eastern
^denotes Gulf South Conference game
Saturday, Nov. 15
Concord (3-7) at Ferrum (4-6) | Ferrum, Va. | 2:00 p.m. | Stats | Video
Concord enters Saturday’s finale on a two-game losing streak after falling by a 31-17 score to Fairmont State a week ago. The Mountain Lions gave up 461 total yards of offense and turned the ball over twice in the defeat; however, star defensive lineman Xavier Ellison continued to shine with 11 total tackles and a tackle for loss. Concord has struggled to stop the run for much of the 2025 season, allowing 183.7 yards per game and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
Ferrum won a double overtime thriller last week against Chowan, scoring a season-high 40 points in the victory. Receiver Tyrik Bryan had a breakout performance, catching five passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Eli Foutz had his first career 300-yard passing game with four touchdowns. On defense, the Panthers collected a pair of sacks and an interception.
Inconsistency has been the story on offense for Ferrum as the Panthers have four games of 20 or more points but 10 or fewer points on three separate occasions. I believe Foutz and the rest of the offense can ride the momentum from last week’s game and tally a non-conference win to end the season.
My pick: Ferrum
Northeastern State (7-3) at West Alabama (5-3) | Livingston, Ala. | 2:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video
The Riverhawks have now won five games in a row after last week’s 44-10 victory over McKendree. Northeastern State was dominant on both sides of the ball, outgaining McKendree 433-202 in total yardage, collecting four sacks and two interceptions on defense. Offensively, All-American Cam Woods continued to shine with nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. In 10 games this season, the senior has 38 receptions for 696 yards and eight touchdowns.
West Alabama had its third week off this season after yet another no-show by Lincoln (Calif.). The last time we saw the Tigers, they lost by a 45-35 score to Valdosta State on Nov. 1 in Georgia. Running back Brayden Jenkins rushed for a season-high 127 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown, while quarterback Spencer Arceneaux threw for 223 yards and a touchdown as well as rushing for 104 yards of his own.
It’s been a tale of two halves of the season for West Alabama as the Tigers opened 5-0 before losing three straight conference games to sit at the bottom of the table. On the flip side, Northeastern State is in a groove, both offensively and defensively, and I don’t see them giving up that momentum in the regular season finale.
My pick: Northeastern State
Shorter (2-8) at Kentucky State (8-2) | Frankfort, Ky. | 2:00 p.m. | Stats | Video
Shorter put up a good fight last week before falling by a 35-33 score to Conference Carolinas front-runner North Greenville. The Hawks rushed for 253 yards, led by redshirt-sophomore back Lanear McCrary Jr., who carried the ball 20 times for 189 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns. McCrary, Jr. has 878 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the year; however, the Shorter run defense has been the shining star, limiting opponents to just 118.1 yards per game without allowing an individual opponent to rush for over 100 yards in any game this year.
The Thorobreds caused plenty of controversy this week, backing out of a previously contracted game with Delta State to take on Shorter in hopes of improving their playoff chances. Kentucky State is riding a seven-game winning streak after defeating Lane College 55-0 last weekend. The KSU defense collected 10 tackles for loss and four sacks, while the offense had over 500 total yards as quarterback Denim Johnson threw three touchdown passes in the win.
Kentucky State should tally an easy win here, playing on its home field with superior talent on both sides of the ball. However, don’t expect the regional committee to reward them for weakening their strength of schedule just to get an extra mark in the win column.
My pick: Kentucky State
^Valdosta State (5-4, 2-0 GSC) at No. 4 West Florida (9-0, 2-0 GSC) | Pensacola, Fla. | 3:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video
Valdosta State continues to roll after last weekend’s 27-23 upset victory over then-No. 24 Delta State inside Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Running back Corey Reddick, Jr. had his strongest performance of the year, rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown on just 18 carries, while the defense held DSU to a season-low 86 rushing yards and forced two turnovers. During the team’s current three-game win streak, the Blazers have forced eight total turnovers, including four fumble recoveries and four interceptions.
The Argos are back in action after a bye week and are looking to remain perfect with a Gulf South title on the line. Quarterback Marcus Stokes has over 2,500 passing yards and 23 touchdowns this season, while also rushing for seven scores. The defense remains as one of the best in the nation, allowing just 254.7 total yards per game, including 43.8 rushing yards to the competition.
With the way the season started for VSU, it’s certainly a surprise to see them in a position to claim the outright GSC Championship. However, their luck comes to an end this weekend as West Florida is a Top 5 program on both sides of the ball and is practically unbeatable at home. Given that UWF has also had two weeks to prepare for this game, I expect the Argos to be firing on all cylinders.
My pick: No. 4 West Florida
Erskine (1-9) at Allen (5-5) | Columbia, S.C. | 5:00 p.m. | Stats | Video
Erskine has now lost three in a row after last week’s 37-7 drubbing at the hands of Barton, but the Flying Fleet gets one more chance to add to the win total this week. Against BC, the offense was stifled to the tune of 246 total yards, including just 72 total yards on the ground from a running game that has been a strength of late. The offensive line struggled mightily all day, giving up four tackles for loss and three sacks as the run game was able to produce just 2.9 yards per carry.
On the other side, Allen enters with a chance to have a winning season and currently rides a three-game win streak after a 53-30 win over Edward Waters. The Yellow Jackets had an astonishing 39 points in the second half of play, finishing the contest with six rushing touchdowns on offense and forcing four total turnovers on defense. The Allen defense has 19 takeaways this season and 33 total sacks, led by defensive standout Amarie Fleming, who has 18 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in 10 games.
The Yellow Jackets should take advantage of their size advantage on both sides of the ball and finish the season above .500 for the first time since the 2023 season.
My pick: Allen
Chowan (3-7) at Barton (3-7) | Wilson, N.C. | 6:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video
The Hawks’ defense let them down once again in last week’s loss to Ferrum, giving up 40 points and 529 total yards of offense. Chowan gave up four touchdown passes and over 15 yards per completion to the Panthers; however, the offense was able to keep pace with close to 400 total yards and three touchdown passes of their own. Unfortunately, Chowan threw three interceptions, including one costly turnover late in the fourth quarter. This year, CU is allowing a League-worst 219.3 rushing yards per game, and the offensive line has given up 67 tackles for loss and almost three sacks per game to opposing defenses.
Barton was in control from start to finish in last week’s 30-point victory over Erskine, recording almost 500 total yards of offense and 7.6 yards per play on offense. The defense held Erskine to just 72 rushing yards and just 246 total yards as defensive lineman Bailey Carraway broke out with six tackles, three tackles for loss, and three sacks in the game.
If the Bulldogs’ run game is working and the quarterback play avoids mistakes, Barton is an intriguing team to watch. Last time these two sides met, Barton came away with a 28-21 victory on the heels of a 200-yard rushing performance from star back Jackson Parrish, which I expect to be the same outcome this time around.
My pick: Barton
Gulf South Players to Watch
Rance Conner, Valdosta State, Sr., DB – Conner continues to shine for the Valdosta State defense that has turned things around in recent weeks. The experienced defensive back does it all for the Blazers, totaling 34 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, four pass breakups, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. VSU will need to slow down a UWF passing attack that is one of the nation’s strongest, and Conner will have to play his best for VSU to have a shot.
JT Hooten, West Alabama, So., LB – West Alabama has been on a downhill slide in recent weeks, with inconsistent play on both sides of the ball. However, Hooten has been a constant source of production throughout the year with 65 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery. The sophomore may be asked to drop into coverage more than usual on Saturday when UWA faces an All-American talent at tight end, and his versatility will be key if the Tigers hope to end 2025 on a high note.
Marcus Stokes, West Florida, r-So., QB – Stokes is putting together one of the better seasons in UWF history, guiding the Argos to a perfect record behind almost 2,500 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns. Accuracy is key for the redshirt-sophomore as he is completing almost 63 percent of his pass attempts, but has thrown at least one interception in six games this year. Mistakes must be avoided against an opportunistic Valdosta State defense with championship hopes on the line.
Conference Carolinas Players to Watch
Jackson Parrish, Barton, So., RB– As I’ve said before, any running back that is facing the Chowan defense will be featured as a Player to Watch, and this week just so happens to be one of the best backs in the League. Parrish leads all Conference Carolinas runners with 1,011 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Last time out against the Hawks, the sophomore had 221 rushing yards and three scores in a dominant performance.
Dylan Ramirez, North Greenville, Sr., QB –Ramirez is the unquestioned leader for the Trailblazers and provides poise and experience at the most important position on the field. He leads all conference members with 2,486 passing yards and has thrown for 20 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions, while also rushing for four more touchdowns. Against UNCP in mid-October, the senior had 202 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 42 yards on the ground.
Tre Robinson, UNC Pembroke, So., QB – Robinson will be looking to prove that his last performance against North Greenville was a fluke. In the first meeting of 2025, the sophomore was benched in the second half after struggling to complete 13-of-28 passes with two interceptions. Robinson is a threat through the air and on the ground for the Braves, and if UNCP wants to raise the Conference Carolinas trophy, he’ll need to play his best on Saturday.
Conference Carolinas Standings
Team | Conference | Overall | Streak |
North Greenville | 6-0 | 6-4 | W2 |
UNC Pembroke | 5-1 | 8-2 | W2 |
Ferrum | 3-3 | 4-6 | W1 |
Barton | 3-3 | 3-7 | W1 |
Chowan | 2-4 | 3-7 | L1 |
Shorter | 1-5 | 2-8 | L1 |
Erskine | 1-5 | 1-9 | L3 |
Gulf South Conference Standings
Team | Conference | Overall | Streak |
West Florida | 2-0 | 9-0 | W9 |
Valdosta State | 2-0 | 5-4 | W3 |
Delta State | 1-2 | 7-3 | L2 |
West Alabama | 0-3 | 5-3 | L3 |