October 18th, 2026 3:00am
Photo: West Liberty’s Hunter Patterson set a single game school record with 359 rushing yards
By Chuck Bitner, D2Football.com
We entered the weeked with several high profile matchups in the Top 25. Here is a look at how the ranked teams made out on Saturday.
No. 1 Ferris State spotted No. 13 Grand Valley State a 17-0 lead, but the Bulldogs would then score 34 unanswered to pull away from their rivals and win the Anchor-Bone Classic. Two first quarter fumbles led directly to GVSU touchdowns and put Ferris State in an unfamiliar position: Trailing, for the first time all year. But the Bulldogs stuck to their game plan, forced some of their own takeaways, and kept Grand Valley’s offense in check for most of the day. The win is the third straight for Ferris State in the Anchor-Bone Classic and 37th consecutive win overall. They improve to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the GLIAC. The Lakers are now in playoff mode, with a 5-2 record and little hope of winning the GLIAC title and its automatic bid to the playoffs.
No. 2 Harding was never really challenged in a 46-16 home win over No. 18 Henderson State. The Reddies entered the contest undefeated and seemingly the biggest obstacle remaining between Harding and another GAC championship. Malik Young ripped off explosive plays early that kept Henderson State on the back foot all day. Young finished the game with 214 yards - a program record for rushing yards in a single game by a quarterback - and a pair of touchdowns.
No. 5 CSU Pueblo went over 70 points for the second straight game. The Thunderwolves threw eight touchdown passes, to eight different receivers in a win over New Mexico Highlands. Navi Bruzon threw six of the TD passes.
No. 7 Central Washington had a comfortable lead of 35-13 in the first half of their road trip to Texas A&M Kingsville. But the Javelinas stayed patient and came all the way back to tie the score late in the fourth quarter. CWU won it with a field goal in the final two minutes. Three players rushed for more than 100 yards: Ryder Bumgarner (165) and Antione Lee (110) for Central Washington and Levi Fontenot (167) for TAMUK. Christian Kretz, the defending D2football.com offensive player of the week, added 218 receiving yards and two TD for the Javelinas.
No. 8 Slippery Rock used an explosive opening quarter to put rival No. 23 IUP in a 21-0 hole. To their credit, the Crimson Hawks punched back, drawing within 3 in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for IUP, things unraveled quickly. Turnovers allowed the Rock to score three touchdowns in less than four minutes and pull away for a 42-26 win. The Rock now has sole possession of first place in the PSAC West.
No. 9 Emporia State was struggling to get the offense moving in the first half, but a defensive score on a fumble recovery got things going in the second half. It wasn’t pretty, but the Hornets found a way against Central Oklahoma and finished strong in a 23-16 win. They remain unbeaten at 7-0 and 5-0 in the MIAA.
No. 12 Davenport stayed perfect with a 59-21 win at Roosevelt. Cephus Harris scored four touchdowns and rushed for 169 yards. Harris is averaging 198 rushing yards per game.
No. 15 Michigan Tech won the Miners Cup game over rival Northern Michigan. Northern scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to draw closer but Tech was comfortably ahead most of the day, winning 56-33. The Huskies have won 16 straight in this series.
Western Oregon snapped a four-game losing streak with an upset win at No. 19 UT Permian Basin. The defensive form we’d seen back in the early weeks of the season returned as the Wolves controlled the line of scrimmage and left little doubt in a 38-19 road victory.
No. 20 Carson-Newman allowed just 10 first downs and 188 total yards to Emory & Henry in a 31-10 home victory. The Eagles rushed for 377 yards and added 0 passing yards. Just the way they like it. Joshua Adams scored three of the Eagles’ four TDs.
No. 21 Edward Waters avoided the curse of the newly ranked team a week ago (because they didn’t play) but it caught up with them. Benedict had the measure of them all day, leading by 32 at halftime. Benedict would go on to win 45-24. I picked Edward Waters to win this, but I also said I’d like Benedict’s chances if they commit to the run game - they rushed for 238 yards with a 6.4 yards per carry average in this win.
No. 22 North Greenville held Shorter to just 114 total yards in a 31-3 home win. The teams combined for 25 total penalties in this one.
Bloomsburg went on the road and upset No. 24 Shepherd by a final of 27-21. The Huskies defense forced three turnovers and surrendered only nine first downs. A big difference in the game was Bloom’s defense getting off the field and Shepherd’s defense doing the opposite. The Huskies held possession for 42:43.
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West Liberty’s magical season continues. The Hilltoppers beat West Virginia Wesleyan to maintain sole possession of first place in the MEC. Hunter Patterson set a new program single-game rushing record with 359 yards on 26 carries, while scoring three touchdowns. He also set new school records for touchdowns scored and total points scored in a career.
Tiffin was down 20-3 to Walsh heading into the fourth quarter but pulled one out of the fire with a furious rally. The Dragons scored four touchdowns in the last twelve minutes of the game, including the winner with just 0:07 on the clock. Walsh has now lost three in a row, but Tiffin is keeping pace in the G-MAC, just one game behind Northwood.
Speaking of Northwood, they ran their record to 7-0 and 5-0 the G-MAC with a 41-7 win over Lake Erie. Ethan Hamby passed for 342 yards with 3 TD. Carter Minix caught nine balls for 156 and a score.
Black Hills State won the 141st Black Hills Brawl over South Dakota Mines. The Yellow Jackets were shutout in the second half but made their first half lead hold up in a 21-13 outcome. This was the sixth straight win for the road team in this series.
California and Clarion were locked in a tight battle all day with the difference never exceeding seven points. California pulled it out 26-20 in double-OT. Turnovers doomed Clarion, including fumbles on their final two possessions in regulation and the second OT.
Ouachita Baptist receiver Eli Holmes-Holt needed just four touches to accumulate 120 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers beat Arkansas-Montiello 62-10.
UNC Pembroke blanked Barton 59-0. Josh Erlich threw five TD passes for the Braves, two of them to standout Malik Brown. UNCP had 14 tackles for loss in the shutout.
Colorado Mines won at Colorado Mesa, 31-24, to reclaim the Nyikos Cup. Joseph Capra was 25-for-32 for 278 yards and four touchdowns. Preston Kyle kicked a 60-yard field goal for the Orediggers. It is the longest kick made in Division II this season and the longest by a Mines player since 1973.
Three teams remain tied at the top of the Northeast 10 standings. Assumption won a critical battle with Southern Connecticut 25-14 on the road. Franklin Pierce is right there with them following a 42-7 win over Post. Pace is also 3-0 in the league standings following a win over AIC.
After a dreadful 0-3 start to the season, Delta State has pulled themselves off the deck the three straight wins. They won at Ferrum, 24-7 on Saturday.
Virginia Union made their case for returning to the Top 25 with a 48-7 beatdown at Bowie State. The Panthers defense allowed just 137 total yards of offense, forced seven punts and six 3-and-out possessions.
Frostburg State's season hasn't gone according to plan, but a 32-22 win over Charleston may help turn things around. The Bobcats are two games behind in the MEC, but Charleston still has hope despite the loss. The Eagles are just 3-4 overall, but 3-1 in league play.
Midwestern State won a back-and-forth battle with LSC rival Angelo State, 36-32. The Mustangs won the turnover battle 3-0 and Kaden Brown passed for 383 yards and three TD. MSU is still in the running with an LSC record of 4-1, 5-2 overall.
Newberry handed Mars Hill a second straight loss, 20-7. Neither offense was impressive in a game that featured 15 combined punts.
Washburn was down by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to Central Missouri. The ‘Bods may have pulled off an improbable comeback if not for Marlon Lindsay’s 90-yard kickoff return for the Mules, breaking up the Washburn momentum. UCM hung on for a 49-43 win. Washburn’s Logan Madden passed for 441 yards and three TD.
Upper Iowa stayed in the hunt in the GLVC race. The Peacocks downed Southwest Baptist to move to 3-1 in league play, tied with Truman State and William Jewell.
A few weeks ago, Shaw was looking good at 4-1. After a third straight loss, they’ve slid to 4-4 and things are getting worse each week. Rahsaan Matthews, Jr. threw for 305 yards and five touchdowns in Virginia State’s 76-13 dismantling of the Bears on Saturday.
A week after upsetting nationally ranked IUP on the road, Lock Haven lost at home to Edinboro. The Fighting Scots snapped a four game losing streak with the 42-35 win.
In the only Thursday night game of the week, East Central rallied in the fourth quarter to win at Oklahoma Baptist. The Tigers had been shut out through three quarters but scored 17 unanswered to escape with a 17-10 win.
Wingate beat Lenoir-Rhyne on the road, 20-17. For nearly a decade this was the game to cirlce on the SAC calendar but its a mid-pack battle this season. Wingate evened their record at 4-4 but LR must win their last three games to pull off a winning season.
Ashland showed some offense we hadn’t seen all season. They scored 48 in a win over Thomas More. D.J. Harvey had a monster game with 191 receiving yards and touchdown on eight receptions.
Madden Irving rushed for an even 200 yards on 22 carries in Truman State’s win over Quincy. The Bulldogs are just 3-4 overall but still in the mix for the GLVC championship at 3-1 in the standings.
Defense ruled the day for Fayetteville State in the Broncos home win over Elizabeth City State. Osirus Rhodes had three tackles for loss and Zyking Patillo had two INTs , including a 50-yard pick-six. The Broncos allowed only 73 yards to the Vikings all day.
A pair of fourth quarter touchdowns lifted Catawba to a 37-33 win over Anderson. Catawba has been hot and cold all season, but if they can sustain the momentum, they have Carson-Newman at home next.
Multiple teams picked up their first win over the season on Saturday. Nebraska-Kearny won at Southern Missouri, 16-13. Winston-Salem State won at home over hapless Bluefield State, 43-14. Missouri S&T beat McKendree 28-21 for their first countable win of the year.
The NSIC had a league-wide bye week.
Thats all for now. We’ll see you Sunday night for Inside D2Football.
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