Another week, another DII football Power 10 team falls. UT Permian Basin was stunned by Western Oregon, bumping the Falcons from their Power 10 perch. That opened the door for CSU Pueblo to make its long-awaited return to the top 10.
DII football 101: Week 6 Power 10 | Player of the year watchlist | DII in the NFL
There were several games that flipped last week's field of 32 projections on its head that didn't have Power 10 implications, but certainly disrupted the bracketology. Wingate defeated Emory & Henry and could be in control of the SAC. Frostburg State, which fell out of the conversation with a loss last week, upended Charleston (WV) in triple overtime and now has the edge in an open MEC. North Greenville, my preseason pick to earn the automatic bid in Conference Carolinas, has turned around its surprising 1-3 start with three wins in a row, this week's coming against nationally ranked UNC Pembroke in upset fashion. Saginaw Valley State upset Grand Valley State in the Battle of the Valleys and may have bumped the Lakers from the national rankings conversation, but certainly bumped them out of the Power 10. Lastly, Benedict remained undefeated against Edward Waters and solidified its chances in a balanced SIAC.
What does this week's Power 10 look like? There wasn't much change at the top and there were several idle teams, so there was not much movement to be had. Remember, these are my rankings, which means there is no voting committee. It is just me, my spreadsheets, and endless notes from coaches and other media members. I try to combine the selection metrics — like KPI, strength of schedule and common opponents, just to name a few — with the eye test for a ranking that falls somewhere between the national media polls and the regional rankings that come out in November.
The DII football Power 10: Week 7
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. Michigan Tech was one of the tougher opponents on the Bulldogs' schedule, and they won by 28 points. This was a fun one to watch as current freshman sensation quarterback Wyatt Bower threw two touchdown passes to former freshman sensation quarterback Carson Gulker who has become the Swiss-army knife of DII football players. Next week is the big one as the Bulldogs host Grand Valley State in the Anchor-Bone Classic, but I’m not sure anyone can slow down this freight train right now.
No. 2 Harding | Previous: 2. The Bisons had a test in Week 7 against Henderson State, and it was close in the first half. And then Andrew Miller happened, who ran for 298 yards and four touchdowns to give the Bisons a commanding 35-10 victory. There is simply no one remaining on their schedule that will slow the flexbone down and they should enter the tournament undefeated through regular season play.
No. 3 Kutztown | Previous: 3. Kudos to Millersville for actually mustering two scores against DII football’s second-best scoring defense and top 5 total defense. There doesn’t seem to be a team in the PSAC that can hang with the Golden Bears which is one of the most balanced teams in DII in every facet of the game. Quarterback Judd Novak threw for 287 interception-less yards with two touchdowns, running back Steven Burkhardt had another two touchdown day, and the defense held Millersville to just 208 yards and got in on the scoring with a safety. This team looks semifinals ready right now.
No. 4 West Florida | Previous: 4. The Argos were stuck in a back-and-forth battle in their first GSC matchup of the year. A thrilling finish saw West Florida score last in the final minute against nationally ranked West Alabama to move to 7-0. Quarterback Marcus Stokes had another big game, completing 67 percent of his passes for 327 yards, no interceptions, and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to Tyree Holloway with 56 seconds to go.
No. 5 Pittsburg State | Previous: 5. Thats six in a row for the Gorillas after their 0-2 start, and the last five haven't been particularly close. This week it was a 44-20 romp of Missouri Western. They don't put up big stats and don't have a Harlon Hill candidate on the roster, but they are balanced in every facet of the game, allowing them to control the tempo and play Gorillas football. The season-ending matchup against Northwest Missouri State is set to be a huge one.
No. 6 Central Washington | Previous: 6. It looked like the Wildcats may be suffering from an upset hangover after their big win over UTPB last weekend, as this high-scoring offense only mustered seven first-half points and was actually trailing for a bit in the third quarter. But like all good teams, they found a way and per usual, that way was led by dual-threat quarterback Kennedy McGill who threw for a touchdown and rushed one in to get the Wildcats a 24-21 win and remain undefeated in DII play.
No. 7 Western Colorado | Previous: 7. The Mountaineers are now 7-0 and after their 34-13 dismantling of South Dakota Mines, they haven't won a ball game by fewer three scores all season. Drew Nash had another monster day, throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 40 yards and another score. You can say the Mountaineers have played a favorable strength of schedule, but the way they have dominated it should speak volumes. They have a tough three-week run coming with Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo and Chadron State ahead of them.
No. 8 Minnesota Duluth | Previous: 9. The Bulldogs were idle at the right time, allowing them to recover from the stunner to Northern State last week. They remain slightly ahead of the Mavericks thanks to their 17-14 win earlier this season.
No. 9 Minnesota State | Previous: 10. The Mavericks were also idle this weekend. Expanding on this ranking, not only does the head-to-head matter, but the Mavericks have played a slightly softer SoS than Minnesota Duluth and are ranked just behind the Bulldogs in the KPI. Another loss by the Bulldogs, however, will change all of that.
No. 10 CSU Pueblo | Previous: First five out. The ThunderWolves return to the Power 10 party after another massive win. They have scored 203 points over the past four weeks and have scored fewer than 31 points once all season — and that was a 29-24 win over Central Missouri. This is one of the more potent offenses in DII, and it is paired with a stout defense that allows just 16.4 points per game. The battle for the RMAC should be a good one down the stretch.
The first five (ish) out (in alphabetical order)
- Augustana (SD): The Vikings were idle and remain undefeated. Nothing to see here.
- Findlay: This is the first time the Oilers have ever made an appearance in the Power 10 rankings. That happens when you are 7-0 and have a signature win over UIndy.
- Northwest Missouri State: The Bearcats are back in the Power 10 for the first time in two-and-a-half seasons. The 52-3 thumping of Fort Hays State was a big win in Super Region Four, and Zechariah Owens was to thank, throwing for 63 yards and a touchdown while running for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
- UIndy: The Greyhounds have been nearly flawless minus the aforementioned loss to Findlay. This offense has scored at least 56 points three weeks in a row and is really clicking.
- Virginia Union: Curtis Allen may be the offensive player of the year. The running back reeled off his third 200-yard game in the past three weeks and scored three more touchdowns. He hasn't had a game yet this season where he hasn't rushed for multiple scores.
Player of the week
Offensive player of the week: Hezekiah Harris, Southern Arkansas. There were a lot of big numbers in the Power 10. Curtis Allen, Andrew Miller and Zechariah Owens were considered (you can see their numbers above), as was West Liberty's Hunter Patterson, who ran for 247 yards and three touchdowns. However, Southern Arkansas is playing itself into the Super Region Four portion of the bracket and every win matters. Harris made sure that happened, throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 152 yards and two touchdowns, all while completing 84.2 percent of his passes.
Defensive player of the week: Malcolm Liufau, Western Oregon. There may have been bigger days statistically than the Wolves' linebacker put up, but he led his team to the biggest upset of the week. Liufau recorded five tackles, one sack, snagged an interception and forced a fumble in the final seconds to keep UTPB out of the end zone and secure Western Oregon's first win over a ranked opponent in a decade.
Freshman of the week: Wyatt Bower, Ferris State. You have to wonder what Bower’s stats would look like if Ferris State wasn’t beating opponents by 40 points per game. Bower hasn’t had to go the distance in many starts, but he is still putting up Harlon Hill-esque numbers. This week, Bower threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 74 more with another touchdown. He has yet to throw an interception in 2025.
