GSC/Conference Carolinas Week Three Preview & Picks

September 11th, 2025 7:00am

It is officially crossover season as the Gulf South Conference and Conference Carolinas get into the thick of their 2025 scheduling alliance. Three of the four GSC programs are featured in the D2Football.com Top 25, while a few hungry Conference Carolinas teams are looking to make noise of their own in Week 2 of the 2025 season.

* Going forward, this column will be a combination of both the Gulf South Conference and Conference Carolinas to avoid repetition as the two leagues honor a scheduling alliance announced last summer.

Last Week’s Results
*home team in bold

• West Virginia State 28, Barton 14 

• No. 22 West Alabama 38, Chowan 28

• Anderson 35, Erskine 7

• VMI 42, Ferrum 7

• UNC Pembroke 31, Fayetteville State 24

• Savannah State 13, Shorter 0

• No. 24 Delta State 41, North Greenville 9

• Johnson C. Smith 28, No. 14 Valdosta State 16

• No. 8 West Florida 28, Kentucky Wesleyan 7

Must-See Matchup

Charleston (1-1) at No. 18 West Alabama (2-0) | Livingston, Ala. | Saturday, Sept. 13 | 2:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Perennial MEC power Charleston opened the season at No. 22 in the D2Football.com poll, but following a loss to then-No. 12 California (PA) last week on the road, the Golden Eagles have fallen from the ranks. On the other sideline, West Alabama has risen to No. 18 overall after consecutive wins away from home.

This week, the Tigers host their 2025 home opener behind the skills of quarterback Spencer Arceneaux (313 passing yards, 132 rushing yards, five total touchdowns) and a defense allowing just 276.5 yards per game to the opposition with eight sacks in just two games. Charleston’s offense is averaging nearly 30 points and 350 total yards per game; however, quarterback Ean Hamric was an inefficient 6-for-21 with two interceptions in last week’s road loss.

In a matchup of two first-year head coaches, the edge goes to West Alabama’s Scott Cochran who has the UWA offense matching the intensity of a defense that has been at the top of the game for years.

My pick: No. 18 West Alabama

Week Two Schedule at a Glance
*all times Eastern

Saturday, Sept. 13 

No. 19 Delta State (2-0) at UNC Pembroke (1-1) | Pembroke, N.C. | 1:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Delta State has been nothing short of dominant to start the 2025 season, surging on both sides of the ball—averaging 36 points per game while holding opponents to just 16 points Their offense features an efficient ground game with 182.5 rushing yards per contest and a potent passing attack, averaging nearly 9.85 yards per attempt behind the leadership of quarterback Cole Kirk (539 passing yards, 139 rushing yards, five total touchdowns).

Pembroke will present DSU with its toughest test to date, as the Braves picked up an in-state win over Fayetteville State a week ago. Wide receiver Malik Brown has been the story thus far, catching seven passes for 204 yards (29.1 ypc) and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tre Robinson has shown dual-threat ability, completing 62 percent of his pass attempts for 396 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 62 yards and a score.

Last week, DSU Head Coach Derek Cooley became the program’s all-time leader in career wins, and I expect him to add to that number this weekend. Pembroke has shown flashes of promise early on this year, but they haven’t faced a team with the combined experience and talent level of the Statesmen.

My pick: No. 19 Delta State

Shaw (0-1) at Ferrum (0-2) | Ferrum, Va. | 1:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Ferrum’s first official Division II season has gotten off to a rocky start with losses to Catawba College and Virginia Military Institute by an average margin of -33.5 points per game. Similarly, Shaw opened its season last week with a 51-7 drubbing at the hands of playoff contender Albany State, where the Bears gave up 487 total yards of offense to the Golden Rams, including 311 yards on the ground.

Shaw’s weakness in stopping the run plays to Ferrum’s strength of a ground-and-pound attack. The Panthers are known for establishing a run game, and despite their opening-season struggles, they have averaged 117 rushing yards per game. The Bears will have the size advantage, but that may not translate to success if there’s a repeat defensive performance from Week One. Additionally, Shaw quarterback Justin Wheeler must improve on his 10-for-28 performance and reduce the turnovers (two interceptions in the season opener).

 This matchup offers both teams a chance to reset and right the ship before it’s too late. My gut says Ferrum can build on some positives from last week’s matchup with Division I VMI, control the tempo, and claim its first win of the program’s Division II era.

My pick: Ferrum

Valdosta State (1-1) at Chowan (1-1) | Murfreesboro, N.C. | 1:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Welp, Valdosta State’s double-digit loss to Johnson C. Smith last week knocked the team from the Top 25, putting them in an unfamiliar position on the outside looking in. Chowan has looked the part of a program on the rise, splitting games with Elizabeth City State and then-No. 22 West Alabama at home.

The Hawks remain on their home field to welcome former GSC foe Valdosta State as quarterback Maurice Smith, Jr. looks to continue his hot start - the experienced signal caller has amassed 504 passing yards (62%) and three touchdowns as well as 73 rushing yards and a score across the season’s first two games. The Blazers are allowing 28 points per game to opponents, and the offense has three turnovers in two contests, leading to a lack of possession time and close contests.

Chowan has looked like the better team - VSU needed a late field goal in the season opener to come away with a win - and the competition for both sides early in the season has been comparable. If the Hawks want to be taken seriously, a statement win over Valdosta State is sure to open some eyes.

My pick: Chowan

Erskine (0-1) at Presbyterian (2-0) | Clinton, S.C. | 7:00 p.m. | Stats | Video (ESPN+)

Last week’s opener was ugly for Erskine, amassing just 241 yards and committing three turnovers in a 34-7 loss to Anderson on the road. NCAA Division I FCS member Presbyterian, however, has been red hot to start the season with upset wins over Mercer and Furman for a perfect 2-0 mark.

The Blue Hose are now averaging over 289 passing yards and 141 rushing yards per game, with a balanced and explosive offense behind quarterback Collin Hurst. The Florida native is completing 64 percent of his passes for 554 yards and six touchdowns thus far, but four interceptions have put a blemish on those efficiency marks. Erskine didn’t have much in the way of positivity in the first game of the year, but the defensive front was able to log four quarterback hurries, showing an ability to get after the opposing passer.

Presbyterian is going to run away with this one, and I expect a lot of points on the board very early in this South Carolina Showdown.

My pick: Presbyterian

Shorter (0-2) at No. 7 West Florida (2-0) | Pensacola, Fla. | 7:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video

Shorter’s start to the season has been nothing to write home about as the Hawks have scored just seven points in two weeks of play. In stark contrast, West Florida is averaging 38 points per game and outscoring the competition by an average of 24 points per game.

UWF quarterback Marcus Stokes had a rough go of it last week, throwing two interceptions, but running back Jay Sharp continued his hot start to the season with 81 yards and a touchdown on just 16 carries, while also catching three passes for 97 yards and two scores out of the backfield.

West Florida holds an unblemished 8–0 advantage since their first meeting in 2016, including a decisive 35–16 home win last October. That record should easily move to 9-0 after Saturday’s showdown in the Sunshine State.

My pick: No. 7 West Florida

Barton (0-2) at North Greenville (0-1) | Tigerville, S.C. | 7:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Saturday night’s finale is a true Conference Carolinas clash between Barton and North Greenville, two programs looking to get into the win column for the first time this year. Barton’s suffered two early losses after being outscored 63-21 across the first two games, while NGU’s lone loss came last weekend to then-No. 24 Delta State on the road.

The Bulldogs’ one potent run game is averaging just 30.5 yards per game and 1.6 yards per attempt, while quarterback Trevor Nored has already thrown two interceptions. Those turnovers have to be minimized this weekend as BC faces off against an opportunistic North Greenville defense that forced Delta State into three turnovers a week ago. The Trailblazer offense couldn’t find a rhythm, having to play from behind after a 27-2 halftime deficit. 

NGU’s offense flashed big play potential in the first game of the year with five plays covering 20 yards or more downfield, including a 61 yard score from quarterback Dylan Ramirez to Landon Goodwin. The Trailblazers should have their way with a defeated Bulldog defense under the lights in Younts Stadium and give head coach Nate Garner his first career win.

My pick: North Greenville

Gulf South Players to Watch

• Spencer Arceneaux, West Alabama, Sr. QB – Arceneaux earned GSC Offensive Player of the Week honors after passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns while adding 80 yards and two scores on the ground in a win over Chowan. The senior signal caller has put himself in the early-season Harlon Hill discussion with 313 passing yards, 132 rushing yards, and five total touchdowns for the Tigers.

• Alex Larry, Delta State, Jr, DL – Larry was honored as the GSC Defensive Player of the Week, rebounding from a slow start in the season opener to collect seven tackles (five solo), 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in a win over North Greenville. Larry is a big reason why the Statesmen have held opponents to just 84.5 rushing yards per game and two yards per rush to start the year.

• Jay Sharp, West Florida, r-Jr., RB – Sharp’s rise to starting running back has gone a long way to pacing the West Florida offense early in the season. The Argos relied on Sharp’s versatility last week as the redshirt-junior totaled 213 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns in the win over Kentucky Wesleyan. Sharp will have plenty of chances to shine again this weekend against Shorter’s porous defense.

Conference Carolinas Players to Watch

• Malik Brown, UNC Pembroke, So., WR – Brown opened the season with four receptions for 93 yards and a score against Wingate and followed up that performance with three catches for 111 yards and another touchdown against Fayetteville State. The Braves need Brown to break loose for a few more big plays to keep up with Delta State on Saturday.

• Keno Jones, Barton, Jr., LB – The Bulldogs have had a rough start to the season, being outscored 63-21 in two losses. However, Barton’s defense isn’t solely to blame for the shortcomings to start 2025, as Jones’ 24 tackles and one forced fumble lead a defense that barely comes off the field. 

• Tre Robinson, UNC Pembroke, So., QB – Robinson has started his sophomore season off strong, completing 62 percent of his passes for almost 400 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. If he hopes to pull off an upset on Saturday, those numbers will need to remain near perfect.

Conference Carolinas Standings

Gulf South Conference Standings