Ferris State and Harding rolled their opponents. Curtis Allen ran amok in one of the most video game-like performances of the season. And the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves staked their claim in the RMAC. It was another dominating week by those in the DII football Power 10 conversation, and because of that, not much has changed.
DII football 101: Week 8 Power 10 | Player of the year watchlist | DII in the NFL
Let's get right to it. Remember, these are my rankings, which means there is no voting committee. Now that we have the regional rankings out, you can get a better feel of the selection metrics. These Power 10 rankings are not solely based on those metrics, as I also consider the good ol' fashioned eye test. The hope is that these rankings fall somewhere right in between the national and regional rankings.
The DII football Power 10: Week 9
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. Hey, shoutout to Northern Michigan. The one-win Wildcats actually had the lead at two different occasions in the first quarter, going up 14-7 with two minutes to go. Unfortunately for them, the Bulldogs piled up 63 more points on a day where seven Bulldogs found the end zone at least once. I think there should be a Carson Gulker highlight reel every week. This week, he ran for 44 yards and a touchdown and caught two receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. Not bad for a guy still listed as a quarterback.
No. 2 Harding | Previous: 2. The Bisons posted their fourth shutout of the season. In those four shutouts, they defeated their opponents by a combined score of 244-0. College football's most unstoppable rushing attack is just too much for most to handle, and it feels like we may be heading for a Ferris State vs. Harding championship game. Five different players scored a rushing touchdown this week, and Braden Jay actually caught a huge Cole Keylon touchdown pass — just his second TD pass of the season.
No. 3 Kutztown | Previous: 3. This ridiculously stingy Golden Bears defense did not post yet another shutout, but it did not allow a touchdown either, upending East Stroudsburg 49-6 and officially ending any hopes the Warriors had at the postseason. The storyline remains the same here: Kutztown's balance in all three facets of the game puts them on a whole other level than any other team in Super Region One. This week, the defense scored another touchdown, four different players rushed for a touchdown and a wide receiver threw a touchdown pass. This squad has a very Ferris State-like feel in that everyone pitches in EVERY single game.
No. 4 West Florida | Previous: 4. West Florida all but wrapped up the Gulf South with a monster 51-38 victory over nationally ranked Delta State. The Argos remain one of six undefeated teams on their quest for their first-ever undefeated season. This game got exciting and was a one-score game late in the fourth until Marcus Stokes used his legs instead of his arm to put it away with a 61-yard touchdown run with under two minutes to go.
No. 5 Pittsburg State | Previous: 5. That's seven in a row for the Gorillas, who are on a tear against one of the toughest schedules in DII football. They aren't out of the woods just yet, as the season finale against Power 10 Northwest Missouri State remains in two weeks. Even though this game was 14-10 at one point early on, there was never really a doubt that the Gorillas would pull away. This game was a defensive showcase, as the Gorillas recorded seven sacks (including two apiece from Sam Hultz and Jeremy Sharp) and a big interception return. The Gorillas have a tricky (but inconsistent) Central Missouri next week.
No. 6 Central Washington | Previous: 6. Technically, the Wildcats aren't considered amongst the remaining undefeated teams, but don't be fooled. Their lone loss was to No. 3 FCS-ranked Montana, so they are undefeated against DII football competition. That includes wins against LSC heavyweights UT Permian Basin and, this week, Angelo State, 38-21. They have Western Oregon remaining, so the Wildcats are not LSC champs just yet, but it's hard to believe that anyone outside of Harding can beat these guys in Super Region Four right now. Kennedy McGill had another monster game, throwing for 114 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 109 yards and four touchdowns.
No. 7 CSU Pueblo | Previous: 9. The ThunderWolves remained undefeated in the RMAC and quite honestly, should be undefeated on the season. I've talked at length how their lone loss was a one-pointer due to a blocked extra point, and I think the ThunderWolves win that game if it was played again. Either way, they have won seven in a row since that loss, and none of those wins were as impressive as the one over Western Colorado this weekend to get one step closer to winning the RMAC. The ThunderWolves trailed 21-7 at the half, and the RMAC's top offense scored 17 unanswered to close the game and win 24-21 on Jackson Smith's game-winning field goal as time expired.
No. 8 Northwest Missouri State | Previous: 10. The Bearcats' KPI is now higher than Minnesota Duluth and that is what the deciding factor was in this week's Power 10. Well, that and an eight-game winning streak on the heels of another blowout victory. This week it was running back Dominic Myers who had the game of his season, running for 100 yards and two scores, while catching eight balls for 62 yards and another touchdown. The Pittsburg State game to close the season should be one of the best of the year.
No. 9 Minnesota Duluth | Previous: 8. I get it. NSIC fans want to know how undefeated Augustana (SD) is behind the 8-1 Bulldogs. When things are this close between two teams, you have to look at the metrics, and Minnesota Duluth still has a higher KPI and stronger strength of schedule. Quarterback Kyle Walljasper had his fourth game in a row totaling at least four combined touchdowns in another blowout victory.
No. 10 Augustana (SD) | Previous: First five out. The Vikings finally get the Power 10 nod after hanging around just outside all season long. They improved to 9-0 with an impressive 27-14 win over Northern State, the team that beat Minnesota Duluth. That means should Augustana defeat Minnesota State this coming weekend, the Vikings will leapfrog Minnesota Duluth based on common opponents. Freshman quarterback Rich Lucero Jr. had his fourth-straight multi-touchdown game since taking over as the starter on Oct. 4.
The first five (ish) out (in alphabetical order)
- Findlay: Don't undervalue the magnitude of the 31-16 victory over Northwood. The Wolves are a good football team, and the Oilers now have wins against UIndy and Northwood ahead of next week's showdown with Ashland.
- UIndy: The Greyhounds have been rolling since that loss to Findlay, a game they still put up 35 points in defeat. This is one of the best offenses in Super Region Three.
- Virginia Union: Curtis Martin. Until some team figures out how to stop this guy, Virginia Union will win a lot of ball games.
- Western Colorado: I like the Mountaineers, and maybe it is unfair to bump them out of the top 10, but they are No. 11 for me. They needed that win against an otherwise soft schedule.
- Wingate: Doesn’t matter how you win, just that you keep doing it. The Bulldogs needed overtime, but got the job done against Lenoir-Rhyne to stay in the hunt for the SAC.
Player of the week
Offensive players of the week: Curtis Allen, Virginia Union. It is absolutely wild. The running backs that have come through Virginia Union have been among the best in DII over the past few years, but the heater that Allen is on may be the best of anyone before him. This week, Allen ran for 369 yards and five touchdowns. It is the sixth-straight game he’s rushed for more than 180 yards and has four 200-yard performances over that span. On the season, he has 1,947 yards and 25 touchdowns with two games left (assuming the Panthers are in the CIAA championship game). I would be remiss without mentioning Jack Strand of MSU Moorhead, who threw seven touchdowns while completing 76.2 percent of his passes.
Defensive player of the week: Dylan Purry, Central State. The Marauders may have only had three wins this season, but this week's victory over Edward Waters was its Super Bowl. They defeated the Tigers, a team in the first regional rankings () and Purry's three interceptions were a huge part in keeping the SIAC's third-best scoring offense at bay. ;
Freshman of the week: Jamal Wallace Jr., Charleston (WV). Wallace appeared in just his second game of the season for the Golden Eagles. He garnered just four carries... three of which he converted into touchdowns. His lone run that wasn't a touchdown, was a 14 yarder that turned into a first down for Charleston. Now that is a highly effective performance.
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