November 1st, 2026 5:00am
Missouri Southern celebrates their first win over Pittsburg State since 2013 (Photo: Albright Film)
By Chuck Bitner, D2Football.com
Week Nine of the D2 Football season delivered a bevy of results that will impact conference standings and the NPI ratings that will eventually determine our playoff field. Let’s take a look at some of the notable happenings from around the country.
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No. 1 Ferris State faced a Top 15 opponent for the third week in a row as No. 12 Davenport came to town. Davenport took their first loss of the season, but the defense kept them in the fight from start to finish. Ferris State played without starting quarterback Wyatt Bower and were limited to a season-low 23 points and just 259 total yards. The Bulldogs didn’t reach a double-digit lead for the first time until six minutes remained in the contest. The win marks 39 in row for Ferris State, just one shy of the all-time division II record. Cephus Harris scored twice and rushed for 162 yards for Davenport
No. 20 East Stroudsburg ended several streaks with Saturday’s win over No. 4 Kutztown. They ended Kutztown’s regular season winning streak at 38 games, their PSAC East winning streak, which dated to 2022 and most importantly, snapped KU’s 11-game winning streak over the Warriors. ESU did it with a tenacious defense that never allowed Kutztown to establish the consistency they’re known. The Golden Bears finished the day with 457 total yards, but also punted nine times. East Stroudsburg had to settle for a lot of field goals but they took the points when they could and it added up. Ty Quintois hit a single-game school record six field goals to put enough points to build a double digit lead they held for most of the second half. Kutztown rallied with 15 points in the fourth quarter and tied the game with just 0:31 remaining. The Warriors’ offense came through on the OT with just their second touchdown of the day. The defense then finished it with a turnover on downs. The win locks up the PSAC east division for the Warriors. They will face Slippery Rock on Nov. 14 for the PSAC.
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State throttled No. 9 Emporia State, 59-14. The Bearcat offense had a slow start to the day but the defense helped get things going with two defensive touchdowns in the first half (both fumble recoveries returned) and added a third TD with a pick-six early in the third quarter. The offense picked up steam as well, churning out 321 rushing yards. The Bearcats and Hornets are now tied atop the MIAA standings at 6-1 in league play.
Johnson C. Smith knocked off No. 22 Virginia State in overtime. Fabian Duncan rushed for 203 yards and a pair of scores, including the walk-off game winner in OT. Rahsaan Matthews, Jr. passed for 476 yards and 3 TD in the loss for Virginia State. The Golden Bulls and Trojans are now tied for second place in the CIAA standings with one week left in the regular season. The CIAA championship game will be played on Nov. 14.
Here are some of the top results from around the Top 25
No. 2 Harding ran through Oklahoma Baptist for their ninth straight win. On a muddy track, the Bisons rushed for 414 yards and held their opponent to 6 rushing yards. Andrew Miller set a new Harding record for touchdowns in a career with his 69th rushing touchdown. He had three total on the day while also surpassing 1,000 yards for the season. He is the third Bison in program history to rush for over 1,000 yards in three separate seasons.
No. 5 CSU Pueblo ended up in a fight with Black Hills State but the Thunderwolves’ offense was too tough to catch. Marcellus Honeycutt, Jr. needed just five grabs to roll up 168 yards with two touchdowns. Dedrek Taylor-Adkins added 112 yards and a score.
No. 8 Slippery Rock secured the outright PSAC West title with a 48-14 win at Clarion. The Rock put up 626 total yards with JayJay Jordan topping 225 on the ground with a pair of TDs. The Rock will host East Stroudsburg on Nov. 14 for the PSAC Championship.
No. 11 Northwood held off a resurgent Ashland offense, 45-42. The two squads combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense. Despite the loss, Ashland’s Chris Maloney rushed for 222 yards and DJ Harvey hauled in nine catches for 174 yards with three TD.
No. 13 Valdosta State trailed visiting West Alabama 24-0 at halftime but rallied with a 28-0 run to stun the Tigers. Champ Harris passed for 304 yards and rushed for 75 in the comeback victory.
No. 14 Michigan Tech broke a 20-20 tie with Saginaw Valley State after a 71-yard drive with just 1:51 remaining. The Huskies finished it off for a 27-20 win to get to 7-2 for the season.
No. 17 Carson-Newman rolled over Catawba, 41-7. The Eagles did it their way with 368 rushing yards and 0 passing yards. Defensively, Brady Weatherly was a force with two sacks and two forced fumbles.
No. 18 North Greenville beat Erskine 45-10 to stay in front in Conference Carolinas. The Trailblazers next game is out of conference, but it will be a meaningful one that should have a big influence on the SR2 rankings. They’re at No. 13 Valdosta State on Saturday.
Southeastern Oklahoma State is a team that hasn’t gotten enough respect for the season they’ve had so far. The Savage Storm entered the weekend 6-2 with the only losses to Ouachita Baptist (23-17) and Harding (38-24). The Storm picked up a good win Saturday afternoon knocking off No. 21 Henderson State 35-27. Southeastern closes the year with Southern Arkansas and East Central, both winnable games.
No. 23 West Liberty lost for the first time since Week 0, falling to Fairmont State, 34-17. Hunter Patterson set a new West Liberty program record for touchdowns in a career (44) and also set a new single-season rushing record. He currently stands at 1,529 yards. The Hilltoppers remain in first place in the MEC standings even with the loss.
No. 25 Augustana fended off Northern State on the road, 31-24. This game was close and competitive the whole way. The score was tied at the end of the first, second and third quarters. Augie had the only points in the fourth. This matchup also gave us a good look at two of the top contenders for the Harlon Hill Award, and they delivered. Northern State’s Hank Kraft carried 24 times and put up an incredible 329 yards. He had breakaway touchdown runs of 96 and 80 yards. On the other side, Augustana’s Gunnar Hensley was 22 of 38 for 316 yards, a passing touchdown and the game-winning rushing touchdown.
Here is a look at some happenings from around the rest of the country
Colorado Mesa outdueled New Mexico Highlands, 59-46. The Cowboys took the loss, but Collin Stucki stood out with 507 passing yards and 5 TD. Owen Smith and Brian Spotwood, II both had over 100 receiving yards. Mesa’s Cole Hansen completed only nine passes, but they were good for 305 yards and four TD.
Missouri Southern earned a second straight win and second MIAA win. The Lions beat Pitt State 23-13. It is the program’s first win over Pitt State since 2013 and only the second since 1993. Kason Messenger had four tackles for loss and two sacks for the Lions. David Bethune ignited a spark early in the fourth quarter with a 91-yard kickoff return for touchdown.
UT Permian Basin bounced back from consecutive losses with a 20-10 home win over Angelo State. It wasn’t pretty, but the Falcons are still in the fight for a playoff spot at 5-2 against D2 opponents.
Midwestern State is also still alive in the playoff race. They won impressively on the road, 37-14 at TAMUK to climb to 7-2 overall and 6-1 in the LSC. All five Midwestern State touchdowns were Kaden Brown TD passes. On the other side, Christian Kretz set a new single season receiving yards record for the Javelinas with 1,172 yards.
Assumption climbed to 5-0 in the Northeast10 standings with another dominant win. They beat Post 38-10. Franklin Pierce is still in the fight as well. They bounced back from last week’s disappointment with a commanding 48-14 win over Southern Connecticut State. Giovanni Winters passed for 326 yards and 5 TD in the win. Joseph Mugovero continued his big season with 134 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Franklin Pierce is at Assumption this coming Saturday with a lot on the line.
William Jewell and Truman State continue to lead the GLVC standings. Both won their games on Saturday and remain tied at 5-1 in league play. They face each other this Saturday with first place and a potential playoff bid on the line.
It may be too late for UIndy to make a run to the postseason but they did win their fourth in a row, 73-34 over Quincy. Garrett Sherrel rushed for 211 yards and 3 TD.
Northeastern State put up a program record 676 yards of total offense in a 59-10 win over Langston (NAIA). Mikail Trotter and Jordan Schelling both rushed for over 100 yards. This was a 10-0 ball game at the half, but the Riverhawks scored touchdowns on seven consecutive drives in the second half.
Concord had their eyes on a potential playoff spot heading into the weekend at 6-2, but a loss to Wheeling may have doomed their efforts.
Chowan’s Tyler Adkins passed for 452 yards and three TD in the Hawks’ 28-21 win over Ferrum. A win next week at home over Shorter would deliver a winning season for the first time since 2022.
California was just 2-3 at midseason but the Vulcans still have life following a fourth straight win. They trounced Lock Haven 41-7. Backup quarterback Sam Stoner played well throwing for 234 yards and four TD in relief of Eric Gibson, Jr. who did not play.
Washburn keeps inching closer to the top of the MIAA. The Ichabods beat MoWest 55-40 and currently sit third in the standings behind Northwest and Emporia. Tre Calhoun and Nathan Lewis, Jr. were the weapons for Washburn, combining for 306 receiving yards and four TD.
Tiffin’s playoff hopes took a big hit on Saturday with a 21-14 loss at home to Lake Erie. The Storm’s Jason Hewlett had 11 tackles and 3 tackles for loss. It was just the second conference win of the year for Lake Erie.
Grand Valley State ended a three game skid with a 45-22 road win at Roosevelt. In the Harlon Hill watch, Kellen Reed had 12 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
East Stroudsburg’s win over Kutztown means Bloomsburg is eliminated from the PSAC East race, but the Huskies still have playoff aspirations. Their overtime win over West Chester was their seventh of the season, the most wins in a single campaign since 2017.
West Virginia Wesleyan continues to defy expectations. The Bobcats jumped all over Charleston, building a 21-0 lead in the first half and sailing home with a 42-13 win. Its their fourth win of the season. Liam McGuire passed for five touchdowns.
UVA-Wise has only two wins this year, but they’re good ones. The Highland Cavs won at Newberry a couple of weeks ago and upset Mars Hill on Saturday for their first home win of 2026. Despite the loss, Mars Hill’s Jamarion Farrior had a big day with 12 total tackles and five tackles for loss.
Bemidji State hasn’t had the season they wanted, but they got a good win on Saturday, knocking off MSU Moorhead, 37-34. Connor Carver passed for 323 yards and rushed for 173, totaling 4 touchdowns.
Dawson Forgy rushed for 181 yards and three TD in Wayne State’s 54-14 win over Concordia St. Paul. At 7-2, the Wildcats are still in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Shaw’s season fell off a cliff weeks ago but somehow keeps getting worse. The Bears lost to Bluefield State on Saturday. The good news about that is it was the first win of the year for The Big Blue.
Northwestern Oklahoma put a scare into Ouachita Baptist. The Rangers didn’t have enough for the upset, but we’re going to acknowledge 31-24 as progress as they still work towards a first win. Not a great look for Ouachita, but Chris Henley had a big day with 222 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Shepherd scored with just 0:11 remaining to sink Shippensburg, 35-32. The remarkable thing about it? That game winner was an 80-yard play.
Elizabeth City State batted in five runs to beat Winston-Salem State 5-0. It is the fourth time in nine games that the Rams have been shutout.
Wingate’s Xavier Jackson caught five balls for 170 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs win over Anderson. It hasn’t been a vintage season for the Bulldogs but they still have a shot to finish in the top three of the SAC standings.
Walsh snapped a four game skid with a 29-25 win over Ohio Dominican.
And we’ll close with this. Millersville beat Lackawanna 31-28 to snap a losing streak that dated back to the final game of the 2024 season. It is the first win at The Ville for head coach Drew Folmar who is an alumnus and one of the most decorated players in program history.
That's all for now. Be sure to join us Sunday night at 8pm, eastern for the weekend recap on Inside D2Football.
Chuck Bitner is the national columnist for D2football.com and host of Inside D2Football. Questions or comments for Chuck can be directed to [email protected]