More top-25 upsets rock the DII football Power 10 rankings

Another week of the DII football season saw more of the same. Harding and Ferris State rolled up a ton of points (and allowed very little) while more top-25 football teams were stunned. That leads to Western Colorado making its first-ever appearance in the DII football Power 10 rankings. 

Before we get to the latest rankings, here’s a quick look at the major upsets this past Saturday (all rankings per D2Football.com):

• Sioux Falls 40, No. 4 Minnesota State 36: After two close losses to nationally ranked Bemidji State and Minot State, the Cougars are back in the win column with the upset. Quarterback Camden Dean threw for 304 yards and four scores while rushing for 78 yards and another touchdown with the bulk of his work going to Carter Slykhuis (147 receiving and two scores). There are no undefeated teams in the NSIC.
• Colorado Mesa 14, No. 7 Colorado School of Mines 13: The Mavericks were trailing 13-0 heading into the fourth quarter when quarterback Liu Aumavae led two scoring drives for the win. For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Orediggers are not the first-place team in the RMAC. 
• Emory & Henry 31, No. 11 Lenoir-Rhyne 20: Previewed in last week’s newsletter as one of the games of the week, the Wasps delivered the upset and keep their division title hopes alive. The Wasps scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, including 14 in the last 29 seconds to take the lead and then ice the upset. 
• Fort Hays 31, Central Missouri 21: The Tigers picked up their second victory over a nationally ranked team in 2024 with this stunner over the Mules. Though the Tigers’ defense couldn’t really stop reigning Harlon Hill winner Zach Zebrowski from another huge day (471 passing, three touchdowns), their quarterback Caleb Heavner impressed in victory, throwing for 302 yards, rushing for 97 and totaling three touchdowns. 
• Northern State 14, No. 16 Bemidji State 13: The Wolves beat Bemidji State for the first time in 10 years, but this one was right down to the wire. The Beavers scored on the final drive of the game but failed to convert the two-point conversion for the win.  

Now, on with the show. 

The DII football Power 10: Week 5

No. 1 Harding | Previous: 1: I don’t even know what to say. This defense has allowed two field goals and a touchdown this season. In five weeks. That’s it. Meanwhile, the Bisons have scored 304 points and rushed for 2,348 yards while scoring nine more touchdowns (39) than the number of first downs allowed (30). Not one running back — including All-Americans Blake Delacruz and Braden Jay — got more than 10 carries in this balanced attack and Cole Keylon actually threw for three scores this week. This is simply utter domination.

No. 2 Grand Valley State | Previous: 2: That’s two lopsided victories in a row in two must-win games for the Lakers. This week, Khalil Eichelberger was the star, rushing for 104 yards and catching two touchdown passes as well. The defense has been superb thus far and the offense simply gets the job done week in and week out. This will be a tough team to beat.

No. 3 Valdosta State | Previous: 3: The Blazers were back on track after missing last week’s game due to Hurricane Helene. Sammy Edwards threw for 348 yards and two scores and rushed for another, and the defense allowed just 195 total yards. The Blazers haven’t played a close game yet and should keep rolling next week at North Greenville. 

No. 4 Ferris State | Previous: 4: Since their opening day loss at Power 10 Pittsburg State, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 238-26. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for three touchdowns to three different receivers and ran for another, while the defense picked the ball off three times, returning one for a score. The Bulldogs are in full Bulldog mode right now.

No. 5 Slippery Rock | Previous: 7: I don’t care how close it was or how late the lead came, a win over a nationally ranked, undefeated team is a big win. Among the wins in The Rock’s 5-0 start are two victories over 2024 playoff teams and this weekend’s thrilling 33-32 victory over No. 24 Indiana (PA). Brayden Long found Mike Solomon for the game-winner with just 12.9 seconds left and IUP missed the 54-yard field goal for the win, allowing Slippery Rock to extend its PSAC West win streak to 14 games. 

No. 6 Pittsburg State | Previous: 9: The Gorillas came out after their bye week and took a little while to get going. After trailing 13-10 in the third quarter, they scored 21 consecutive points to pull away with a 31-20 victory. Alex Gaskill’s big 44-yard pick-six iced the game and keep the Gorillas on pace with Central Oklahoma (and a slew of others) in what is looking like a MIAA that could go down to the wire. 

No. 7 Kutztown | Previous: 8: The second PSAC power to climb the rankings this week is Kutztown. Now 5-0, the Golden Bears got a 32-point victory over a Bloomsburg team that was off to a surprising 3-1 start. The defense allowed 212 yards and 10 first downs and Judd Novak threw for four touchdowns. It feels like we are heading to another Slippery Rock vs. Kutztown PSAC championship game. 

No. 8 Central Washington | Previous: 10: The Wildcats are just scoring points by the boatload, this week scoring 44 in a 16-point victory. Both quarterback Kennedy McGill and running back Tyler Flanagan topped the century mark rushing while combining for three touchdowns on the ground. We’ll see what the Wildcats can do as they enter the heart of the LSC schedule this coming week against UT Permian Basin. 

No. 9 Minnesota State | Previous: 5: The loss was a stunner for sure, but the Mavericks are still the team to beat in Super Region Four. It’s getting tighter with Central Washington and Western Colorado playing tough football, but these Mavericks opened the season with four big wins for the resume. Let’s not forget, they didn’t get stomped this week, they put up 36 points in the loss and still had a chance to win it. The NSIC is wide open, but even with the loss the Mavericks look strong. 

No. 10 Western Colorado | Previous: First five out: This is more based on eye test than metrics as the Mountaineers have benefitted from a softer schedule to start the season. They still have to face Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo and Colorado Mesa, so there are quite a few unknowns. Here’s what we do know: Western Colorado is 5-0, has outgained its opponents by 1,041 yards, outscored its opponents by 130 points and have a multi-quarterback system that makes it really hard for defenses to prepare. 

First five out (in alphabetical order)

• Carson-Newman: The Eagles may be the best team in Super Region Two right now and with Lenoir-Rhyne, Bemidji State and Central Missouri losing, they climb the rankings. 
• Charleston (WV): Chavon Wright had another monster game, and the Golden Eagles are 5-0.
• Colorado School of Mines: This is a very different Orediggers team than the past few seasons, so they get to hang around the top 10 for a little longer, likely No. 11. 
• Central Oklahoma: I may actually have the Bronchos too low. Jett Huff is a Harlon Hill candidate in my book, and they are just pummeling teams. A win in the “Adam Dorrel Bowl” next week against Northwest Missouri State may see them jump into the top 10. 
• Ouachita Baptist: The Tiger train just keeps rolling, and until someone slows it down just a little, tough schedule or not, this is a top team in DII.

DII football 5 stars: Stats that stood out

There were a lot of big playmakers this week. Lock Haven’s Jack Ostrowsky erupted for 470 yards passing with four touchdowns to four different receivers, including two 100-yard days from Corahn Alleyn and T’iar Young. Lake Erie’s Alec Lewis also had a 400-yard, four-touchdown day connecting with three receivers (Tae’Shaun Johnson, Ali Lee Jr., Keyshawn Johnson) for 100-plus yards. Opposite Lake Erie, Walsh had two backs rush for 100 yards and a score. 

Henderson State’s Andrew Edwards amassed six passing touchdowns in a tremendous win. Isaiah Knowles of Albany State (GA) also slung it, throwing for 372 yards and six scores with Jamill Williams (156 receiving, two touchdowns) and Devon Dorsey (105 yards, two scores) being the primary recipients. Central Oklahoma’s Jett Huff had his fourth game with at least three touchdown passes, as Ashton Schumann and Terrill Davis both went over 100 yards and scored on passing touchdowns from Huff. Defensively, how about the Fort Valley State defense holding Edward Waters to -37 yards rushing on the day?

Here are more big stats from the week that was.