GSC/Conference Carolinas Week Three Preview & Picks

September 18th, 2025 7:00am

North Greenville opened Conference Carolinas play with a win last weekend, as we saw the first League football game in 51 years take place on the field. UNC Pembroke made national noise with an upset over previously ranked Delta State, and West Alabama and West Florida continued to beat up on the competition with statement wins at home. This week has another Conference Carolinas matchup on tap, as well as some key crossover games sure to provide fireworks in Week Three.

Last Week’s Results

Home team in bold
*denotes Conference Carolinas game

• No. 18 West Alabama 28, Charleston 24

• UNC Pembroke 25, No. 19 Delta State 21

• Ferrum 14, Shaw 6

• Valdosta State 56, Chowan 3

• Presbyterian 42, Erskine 14

• No. 7 West Florida 39, Shorter 13

• North Greenville 41, Barton 28*

Must-See Matchup

No. 4 West Florida (3-0) at North Greenville (1-1) | Tigerville, S.C. | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 7:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

One of Saturday’s premier night games pits two League favorites against one another as familiar foes, West Florida of the Gulf South heads north to take on Conference Carolinas’ front-runner, North Greenville, on its home turf. Last weekend, the Trailblazers evened their season record with a 13-point win over Barton, while the Argo remained perfect on the season in a 39-13 rout of Shorter.

West Florida has been one of the most dominant teams to start the 2025 season, outscoring opponents by an average of just over 23 points per game, putting up 431 yards per game on offense behind the two-headed running back monster that has become TJ Lane and Jay Sharp. Lane has 303 all-purpose yards (173 rushing, 130 receiving) and three total touchdowns, while Sharp has recorded 285 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns of his own. Quarterback Marcus Stoke is nearing the 1,000-yard mark after just three games, and has nine touchdowns, but his five interceptions prove that he still has some work to do.

North Greenville had opened the season with a nine-point outing and a 41-point showing, albeit against two very different opponents in Delta State and Barton. When things are good for NGU, they are excellent as quarterback Dylan Ramirez leads the way with 516 yards (65%) and four touchdowns through the air. However, the Trailblazers have yet to score a touchdown on the ground thus far, and that isn’t likely to change on Saturday against a UWF squad allowing just 51 rushing yards per game.

The Argos may need to shake off a bit of lag from the long road trip, but for a team built to control the game on both sides of the ball like West Florida is, they should come away from Tigerville with their unblemished record intact.

My pick: No. 4 West Florida

Week 3 Schedule at a Glance
All times Eastern
*denotes Conference Carolinas game

Saturday, Sept. 20 

Virginia University of Lynchburg (1-2) at Shorter (0-3) | Rome, Ga. | 12:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Not much to write about for Virginia University of Lynchburg, as the team’s website shows no statistics for the season and a schedule that lets us know the Dragons just defeated an unaccredited Barber Scotia College last Saturday. 

On the other side, Shorter is looking for its first win of the 2025 season after opening the season with losses to Anderson University, Savannah State, and West Florida. There haven’t been too many bright spots for the Hawks so far, but they were able to put up 20 points last week against the Argos, including a 14-point fourth quarter against the UWF reserves. Redshirt-sophomore running back Lanear McCrary, Jr. had his best game to date in the outing with 117 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries.

Shorter should be able to pick up its first win of the season with an easy home win, hopefully building some momentum heading into the start of Conference Carolinas play next week.

My pick: Shorter

Delta State (2-1) at Fort Valley State (0-2) | Fort Valley, Ga. | 3:00 p.m. | Audio

For the first time this season, Delta State has fallen out of the Top 25 after a 25-21 road loss to an unranked UNC Pembroke team a week ago. Fort Valley State is still looking to get a tally in the win column, opening the year with consecutive losses to West Alabama and Clark Atlanta by a combined 15 points.

The Statesmen looked uncharacteristically out of sorts in last week’s loss, committing two turnovers and missing a field goal attempt. Despite the struggles, DSU was in front until a UNCP touchdown with a minute left gave the Braves a win. Quarterback Cole Kirk struggled a bit with two interceptions and just 46 rushing yards, but the defense did its part in forcing three turnovers.

FVSU’s run game has been its strength despite the two early-season losses, as strong play in the trenches has led to 172.5 rushing yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry out of the backfield. Freshman quarterback Don Hudson, Jr. leads the charge with 119 yards on 23 carries, while also passing for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Delta State should be eager to get back in the win column after being upset last week, and I fully expect the Statesmen to take out all their frustration on Saturday against Fort Valley State.

My pick: Delta State

Erskine (0-2) at Brevard (1-1) | Brevard, N.C. | 4:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Erskine has not had the best start to 2025, with back-to-back losses coming against Anderson and NCAA FCS Presbyterian College. The Fleet are being outscored by an average of 28 points per game and have four turnovers in just two games. Redshirt-sophomore wide out Tonk Dorsey picked up where he left off last season, hauling in 13 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown as the team’s primary playmaker.

Brevard picked up its first win of the year last week against fellow NCAA Division III member Sewanee on the road. The Tornados have always been known for their run game, and 2025 is no different. The offense averages 123.5 yards per game behind sophomore running back Zion Fauntleroy-McDaniel, who leads the charge with 33 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown, as well as catching a touchdown pass in the season opener.

The Flying Fleet defense has had its bumps and bruises through the first two weeks of the year, and I expect that to continue on Saturday evening. Don’t be surprised to see Brevard put up over 200 yards on the ground alone in a home victory over the downtrodden Erskine program.

My pick: Brevard

*Ferrum (1-2, 0-0 CC) at UNC Pembroke (2-1, 0-0 CC) | Pembroke, N.C. | 6:00 p.m. | Stats | Video

Ferrum and UNC Pembroke each open up Conference Carolinas play this weekend, riding high after each side secured a win on its home field a week ago. Ferrum defeated Shaw of the CIAA 14-6 to collect the program’s first win at the Division II level, while Pembroke knocked off then-No. 19 Delta State with a fourth-quarter comeback.

The Panthers' run game continues to be the star, averaging 115 yards per game on the ground, led by junior running back Jahylen Lee’s 130 all-purpose yards. Pembroke’s balanced offensive attack has yielded a mixed bag of results, averaging 251.7 passing yards and 138.7 rushing yards per game. This unit will go as far as quarterback Tre Robinson takes them, as the sophomore leads the team with 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 29 carries while completing 58 percent of his pass attempts for 601 yards and five touchdowns. In last week’s upset of Delta State, Robinson willed his team to victory with two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns.

UNC Pembroke should have its way in this one with a superior offense and defense. Momentum is on the side of the Braves, who will be playing in front of their home crowd for a third straight week.

My pick: UNC Pembroke

Barton (0-3) at No. 18 West Alabama (3-0) | Livingston, Ala. | 7:00 p.m. | Audio | Stats | Video

Despite a 0-3 start, Barton may have some optimism on offense as its point total has increased each week. Last week against North Greenville, the Bulldogs’ ground game finally found its footing as sophomore running back Jackson Parrish broke through for 104 yards and three touchdowns on just 25 carries. The defense has been Barton’s Achilles heel. Apart from linebacker Keno Jones (43 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery), this unit has been a disaster, allowing 34.7 points and 445.3 yards per game.

West Alabama, on the other hand, is a perfect 3-0, picking up a statement win over perennial playoff contender, the University of Charleston, in the team’s home opener last Saturday. Senior quarterback Spencer Arceneaux has been almost unstoppable through three games, completing 56 percent of his pass attempts for 526 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 222 rushing yards on 27 carries (8.2 ypc) and four additional touchdowns. Defensively, the Tigers already have 10 sacks, led by the duo of Elijah Dunn and Exavier McDowell, who have combined for five tackles for loss and four sacks up front.

Barton won’t pick up its first win of the season this week, as a long road trip south mixed with a wide talent gap between the lines provides the right recipe for West Alabama to remain unbeaten.

My pick: No. 18 West Alabama

BYE WEEK: Chowan, Valdosta State

Gulf South Players to Watch

• Spencer Arceneaux, West Alabama, Sr. QB – Arceneaux’s dual threat capabilities have been on full display this season as the senior has thrown for 526 yards and four scores while rushing for 222 yards and another four touchdowns. This week, he faces off against a Barton defense that has given up over 100 points just three games into the season and is sure to provide plenty of opportunity for big plays under the lights.

• TJ Lane, West Florida, r-So, RB – Lane does it all for the Argos on offense, collecting 303 all-purpose yards (173 rushing, 130 receiving) and three total touchdowns. On Saturday, he faces off against a Shorter defense that is giving up almost 140 rushing yards per game to opponents, which means we might see the sophomore explode for some big numbers.

• Curtis Rearden, Delta State, Sr., WR – Delta State quarterback Cole Kirk garners the majority of the attention for the Statesmen offense, but one reason he is so successful is the big-play ability of Rearden. The No. 1 option in this offense, Rearden has just eight catches on the year, but has turned those touches into 190 yards (23.8 ypc) and three touchdowns. Look for Rearden and the rest of the DSU offensive unit to pop for big plays downfield against Fort Valley State.

Conference Carolinas Players to Watch

• Keno Jones, Barton, Jr., LB – Jones was a man on a mission last week, racking up 19 tackles against North Greenville. The junior already has 43 tackles in 2025, surpassing his 2024 season total just three games into the year. He will have plenty of chances to add to that total on Saturday as the Bulldogs look to contain a West Alabama offense that is putting up strong numbers to start the season.

• Mikey Matos, Shorter, So., DE – Not much has gone right for this Shorter team to start the year, but Matos has done his part on the defensive side of the ball to disrupt the opposition. The second-year defensive end already has 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Matched up against an inferior VUL squad on Saturday provides Matos the chance to wreak extra havoc in the backfield.

• Dylan Ramirez, North Greenville, Sr., QB – After a subpar start in the season opener, Ramirez was back to his old self in last week’s win over Barton. The experienced signal caller was an efficient 20-for-28 with 287 yards and three touchdowns, completing at least one pass to eight different receivers. NGU needs the best version of Ramirez this weekend when they welcome No. 4 West Florida to Younts Stadium.

Conference Carolinas Standings

Gulf South Conference Standings