GSC/Conference Carolinas Week Seven Preview & Picks

October 16th, 2025 3:00am

We are over halfway through the 2025 season already - can you believe it?! - and the conference standings for both the Gulf South and Conference Carolinas are taking shape. Four teams remain in the Top 25 - No. 4 West Florida, No. 13 West Alabama, No. 19 UNC Pembroke, and No. 21 Delta State - but some big time matchups this weekend could reshape the rankings. I’ve got West Florida and Pembroke on upset watch as both face tough tests on the road that could eventually affect playoff seeding in the postseason.

Last Week’s Results
Home team in bold
*denotes Conference Carolinas game

• North Greenville 30, Erskine 0*

• Barton 34, Ferrum 20*

• The Citadel 38, Valdosta State 14

• No. 22 UNC Pembroke 52, Shorter 21

• No. 5 West Florida 40, Chowan 10

Must-See Matchup

^No. 4 West Florida (6-0, 0-0 GSC) at No. 13 West Alabama (5-0, 0-0 GSC) | Livingston, Ala. | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 7:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video

The Argos continue to roll on following last week’s 30-point victory over Chowan, where quarterback Marcus Stokes accounted for six total touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) and the defense held CU to just 181 yards of offense with 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. The rushing duo of TJ Lane and Jay Sharp has been dominant all season long, combining for 697 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while Lane also has 140 receiving yards and three touchdowns. As good as West Florida is offensively, the defense remains one of the top units in football, as opponents are averaging a measly 258.2 yards of total offense per game, including 36.5 yards per game on the ground.

West Alabama has been waiting patiently (maybe not so patiently?) to get back on the field after a bye week followed by the postponement of a scheduled contest against Lincoln (Calif.), which has kept the team away from competition for two weeks in a row. When they are in action, the Tigers are as dangerous as anyone, averaging 394 points and 429.4 yards per game on offense while outscoring opponents by an average margin of 14 points per game.  West Alabama takes care of the ball, having only turned it over three times in five games, while the defense has racked up 15 sacks and six takeaways in the same timespan.

The Gulf South Conference schedule kicks off in a big way with two heavyweights matching up in prime time. The real question is - which West Florida team do we see on Saturday? The Argos' average margin of victory at home is 26.3 points compared to just 12 points per game on the road. I’m taking West Alabama in the upset this week as they’ve spent two weeks preparing for this matchup and should be chomping at the bit to get back in action.

My pick: No. 13 West Alabama

Week 7 Schedule at a Glance
All times Eastern
*denotes Conference Carolinas game
^denotes Gulf South Conference game

Saturday, Oct. 18 

*No. 19 UNC Pembroke (6-1, 3-0 CC) at North Greenville (3-3, 3-0 CC) | Tigerville, S.C. | 2:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

The Braves have cracked the Top 20 and rightfully so after a 52-21 win over Shorter last week, the program’s fifth straight win by more than 30 points. Sophomore quarterback Tre Robinson was again leading the charge, passing for 296 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 65 more yards and an additional score on the ground. In addition to Robinson’s prowess on offense, the UNCP defense has been a star in its own right this year, giving up just 153.1 passing yards per game with 56 tackles for loss and 17 takeaways across seven games. Add in a dangerous return man like Jordan Marcucci (33.5 yards per kickoff return), and the Braves are as complete a team as any in the region.

Another week, another ranked opponent for the Trailblazers of North Greenville. NGU is coming off its second straight win, earning a 30-0 victory over Erskine a week ago for the program’s first shutout performance since the 2021 season. The defense was dominant, holding Erskine to less than 200 yards of total offense while tallying seven tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions. On the other side of the ball, the Trailblazers offense has found its groove with three straight outings of 30 or more points, as quarterback Dylan Ramirez has 789 passing yards and nine total touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) over the same span with just one interception, while running back Reggion Bennett has been the perfect compliment with 212 rushing yards, 41 receiving yards, and two touchdowns of his own.

Both programs were picked as preseason co-champions of Conference Carolinas, so this may not be the last time we see them matched up against one another in 2025. The edge goes to UNC Pembroke in this meeting, but don’t be surprised if North Greenville finds a way to pull off the upset in front of a packed Homecoming crowd.

My pick: No. 19 UNC Pembroke

Ferrum (2-4) at No. 21 Delta State (5-1) | Cleveland, Miss. | 2:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video

Ferrum got off to a slow start last week, trailing 17-0 at the half before eventually falling 34-20 to Barton at home. As bad as the first half was for the Panthers, the second half saw them put up 20 points on 257 total yards as quarterback Eli Foutz completed a season-high 21 passes on 29 attempts for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Ferrum showed the ability to pass the ball effectively if its patented run game gets stalled, but the offense still runs through the backfield, as evidenced by its average of 40 rush attempts per game. Defensively, the Panthers' secondary is limiting the opposition to just 188.1 yards per game through the air, but the front seven has just nine sacks on the year.

The Statesmen are back in action after a week away from the field. Delta State is riding the heels of back-to-back shutouts where they’ve outscored the competition 97-0 in a two-week span despite the absence of starting quarterback Cole Kirk in both games. Overall, DSU is limiting teams to 12.1 points and 270.7 yards per game, including a measly 88 yards per game on the ground. The defensive line has punished opposing offenses to the tune of 49 tackles for loss, while the defensive backfield has six interceptions in six games.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Delta State take advantage of an undersized Ferrum program and pitch a third straight shutout. The Panthers are still finding their footing in Division II and this weekend may provide another “Welcome” moment in their transition upward.

My pick: No. 21 Delta State

*Erskine (0-6, 0-2 CC) at Shorter (1-6, 0-3 CC) | Rome, Ga. | 4:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Erskine is still in search of its first win this season, but despite last week’s loss to North Greenville, there were a few bright spots to build on. Running back Logan Coldren broke through in a big way, logging a career-high 103 rushing yards on just 21 carries, while the defense showed life with four pass breakups and two sacks. The Achilles heel continues to be quarterback play as Ryan Killmer is completing just 57% of his pass attempts with 11 interceptions through six games. Defensively, the Flying Fleet has given up over 300 passing yards per game and 20 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks this year.

The Hawks are in the midst of a three-game losing streak after falling to League-leader UNC Pembroke last Saturday, giving up 52 points and over 550 yards of total offense to the Braves. Just like Erskine, Shorter relies on its run game. Lanear McCrary, Jr. (183 yards, two touchdowns) and Carlos Mann (103 yards, one touchdown) each carried the load on the ground. Quarterback Jeb Well had just one passing yard on six completions with an interception a week ago and has recorded a 51% completion rate this season with only 634 yards, five touchdowns, and eight interceptions. 

This contest figures to be a slow, low-scoring affair as both sides boast run-heavy offenses. However, the Hawks’ defense - 45 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 13 takeaways - has more than enough talent to keep Erskine’s lackluster offense in check.

My pick: Shorter

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

Playing without starting quarterback Maurice Smith, Jr. certainly didn’t do Chowan any favors in last week’s road loss to then-No. 5 West Florida. The offense struggled all day, gaining just 181 total yards while giving up 11 tackles for loss and five sacks, and the defense allowed 533 total yards to the Argos. I’m not sure about Smith, Jr.'s status for this week, but if the offensive line can’t protect whoever is under center (44 tackles for loss, 20 sacks given up in six games), it won’t matter who is calling the plays. Additionally, Chowan’s defense hasn’t been able to slow down any opposing ball carriers as they’ve given up 5.3 yards per rush attempt and 21 touchdowns on the ground.

Barton notched a tally in the win column last week, putting together its most complete performance of the year in a 14-point win on the road. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 17-0 lead in the first half and finished the game with 34 points and a season-high 431 yards of total offense, including 248 yards on the ground. Running back Jackson Parrish led the charge with 218 yards on just 27 carries (8.1 ypc) and a touchdown, while quarterback Al Lee finally found his groove, throwing for 183 yards and two touchdowns with another score on the ground. Linebacker Keno Jones was a standout as usual, finishing with seven total tackles, including four tackles for loss and two sacks. This week, the Bulldogs face a Chowan offense without its starting quarterback and a defense that has struggled to stop the run all season long.

Head Coach Chip Hester and the Barton Bulldogs have a great chance to pick up back-to-back wins this week as they are sure to find success on the ground, control the clock, and celebrate in front of the home crowd in Wilson.

My pick: Barton

BYE WEEK: Valdosta State

Gulf South Players to Watch

• Spencer Arceneaux, West Alabama, Sr., QB – It’s been two weeks, but the last time we saw Arceneaux, all he did was account for five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) in a 52-point outing against North Greenville. The senior is dangerous with both his arm and legs, accounting for 1,293 passing yards and 16 touchdowns (with just one interception), while also rushing for 425 yards and eight scores on the ground. The Tigers will need the best version of Arceneaux this week as they face one of the nation’s top defensive units in West Florida. 

• Alex Larry, Delta State, Jr., DL – Going up against a run-heavy offense like Ferrum on Saturday means that Larry will have every opportunity to fill the stat sheet. The junior lineman figures to play a prominent role this weekend, adding to his already strong season stat line of 20 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks for a run defense allowing less than 100 yards per contest.

• Walker Robinson, West Florida, Sr., LB – Robinson does it all for the Argo defense, leading the attack with 43 total tackles to go along with 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and two pass breakups. The senior has totaled five or more tackles in all but one game this season and may be called upon in a ‘spy’ role on Saturday as UWF hopes to keep the aforementioned Spencer Arceneaux from doing any damage with his legs.

Conference Carolinas Players to Watch

• Cillian Bonner, North Greenville, Fr., K – Points may be at a premium in Saturday’s clash with UNC Pembroke, so Bonner will need to continue his strong start to the season if North Greenville can’t get into the endzone. The Irish import is nearly perfect in 2025, going 8-for-9 on field goal attempts with a long of 37, while also making all 17 of his PATs.

• Isi Etute, UNC Pembroke, r-Jr., EDGE – The former Virginia Tech commit and NJCAA National Champion has been a one-man wrecking crew for UNC Pembroke’s defense this season. Through seven games, the 22-year-old has 29 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two forced turnovers. He has the strength and speed to be even more disruptive against a North Greenville offensive line that has struggled at times with bigger opposing lines.

• Jackson Parrish, Barton, So., RB – As I’ve alluded to above, Parrish and the rest of the Barton backfield have a chance at a big day on Saturday, facing off against a Chowan defense that has been gashed for over 230 yards per game on the ground. Parrish has rushed for 100 or more yards in three of the last four games, and we know that the Bulldogs want to pound the ground with the sophomore as the bell cow back.

Conference Carolinas Standings

Gulf South Conference Standings