Week 0 of the DII football season is just about in the books, and what an opener it has been. Ferris State won its 15th game in a row, avenging its last loss and doubling up a very good Pittsburg State team. Other national powers 鈥 like Lenoir-Rhyne and West Florida, Angelo State and Fort Hays State, and Minnesota State and Northwest Missouri State 鈥 went head to head in key matchups with super region implications, while UT Permian Basin 鈥 who was tabbed a sleeper in the preseason 鈥 upset No. 7 Central Oklahoma.
The Power 10 was a little lower on the Bronchos than the national polls, and the primary reason was the defense. Last year, the Bronchos allowed more than 32 points per game 鈥 the most of any tournament team 鈥 and lost a lot of veteran talent on that defense. It showed as UTPB was able to reel off 21 unanswered points in the final 20 minutes to win 34-14, bumping the Bronchos from the Power 10.
There are two Week 0 games remaining as of this typing. Miles faces Virginia Union in a matchup where the winner will likely be top 25 bound. Tuskegee will kick off against Winston-Salem State in the Red Tails Classic. While both should be terrific football games, none of the teams are in the Power 10 conversation right now, so we can move forward with the first Power 10 of the regular season.
If you are new to the Power 10, here is your weekly disclaimer. 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 鈥 like KPI, strength of schedule and common opponents, just to name a few 鈥 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 0
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. The Bulldogs came out and looked like no time had passed. The defending champs won by double digits over nationally ranked Pittsburg State, 34-17. Redshirt freshman quarterback Wyatt Bower was introduced to the DII football world, throwing for 112 yards, leading all rushers with 99 yards, and totaling three touchdowns. His offensive line may be the best in DII. The Bulldogs could drop 60 points next week at Lake Erie.
No. 2 Harding | Previous: 2. The Bisons begin their season this coming Thursday on the road at Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Rangers allowed nearly 200 yards rushing per game a year ago, so expect Harding to be off and running right from the start.
No. 3 West Florida | Previous: 3. I was higher than most on the Argos, and they showed why in their Friday night opener. A 21-point first quarter led to a romp of nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne. That is a huge win in Super Region Two that will weigh heavily later in the season. Corey Scott 鈥 one of my Harlon Hill hopefuls 鈥 went off for 172 yards and a touchdown.
No. 4 Grand Valley State | Previous: 4. This was a good warmup for the new-look Lakers. A new full-time quarterback under center, a new running back leading the backfield, some new defenders filling big gaps 鈥 there were questions a plenty... that were answered less than 10 minutes into the season. Andrew Schuster threw for two first quarter touchdowns, Syone Usma-Harper ran for 83 yards and a touchdown and the defense caused three interceptions. The Lakers look ready for the next challenge.
No. 5 CSU Pueblo | Previous: 8. I gave Western Colorado the nod in the preseason rankings because there were question marks around the Roman Fuller-to-Reggie Retzlaff connection. Well, Fuller hit Retzlaff for two touchdowns and the defense pitched a shutout, toppling South Dakota Mines 43-0. This team now has the edge in the RMAC.
No. 6 Kutztown | Previous: 6. The Golden Bears will have to wait to start their run at a third-straight PSAC title. They began the season at No. 6 for a reason, and not playing Week 0 won鈥檛 drop them this week.
No. 7 Western Colorado | Previous: 5. West Texas A&M always makes it a tricky win, and the Mountaineers had their hands full with the Buffs in their opener. However, the defense clamped down, and Western Colorado scored 17 unanswered to win 45-28. Quarterback Drew Nash had a monster game, throwing for 190 yards, rushing for 95 yards and totaling five touchdowns.
No. 8 Minnesota State | Previous: First five out. I admittedly said I was too low on the Mavericks in the preseason Power 10, and they proved me right in their opener. This should have been a preseason Power 10 team. Minnesota State went up 21-0 in the first half against Northwest Missouri State and never looked back. New quarterback Mitchell Thompson threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns 鈥 the bulk of which went to TreShawn Watson who caught 155 yards and one touchdown 鈥 and Sam Backer ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns. The Mavericks take a lot of momentum into its Minot State matchup next week.
No. 9 Slippery Rock | Previous: 9. The Rock kicks off in New Hampshire at Franklin Pierce this Friday night. We shall see what the new-look Rock looks like in a road test.
No. 10 Angelo State | Previous: 10. The Rams picked up a tremendous win for Super Region Four standings come selection time. Fort Hays State entered the season as a sleeper, and the defending LSC champs took care of business against a very good team, 28-7. Braeden Fuller, a Harlon Hill candidate a year ago, threw for three touchdowns, while Marquis Brown went off leading the defense, recording 13 tackles, two of which were for a loss, and intercepting a pass.
The first five out (in alphabetical order)
- Augustana (SD): The Vikings enter the mix after a thrilling victory over Missouri Western in the final seconds. There were a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball, and they should resilience in the come-from-behind win.
- Carson-Newman: The Eagles ran for 345 yards and won big, 41-10. That running game is going to shorten the game for opponents on offense and give the Eagles a chance to win every week.
- Central Washington: I'm still higher on the Wildcats than the national polls, but I'm not sleeping on a team that has made the playoffs in two-straight seasons and has Kennedy McGill leading the offense.
- UIndy: Gavin Sukup threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns at a 76-percent rate. He is going to lead the Greyhounds far and earn many an accolade before the season is over.
- Lenoir-Rhyne: I'm letting the Bears hang around for one more week. I am higher than the national polls on the Argos, and that is who the Bears lost to 鈥 let's see how they respond next week against Tusculum.
Fell out: Bemidji State, Central Oklahoma, Pittsburg State
Offensive player of the week: Jack Strand, MSU Moorhead. There were a lot of great player performances to choose from, but Strand had a big day that helped MSU Moorhead erase a 21-0 deficit and led the Dragons to victory. He had to throw the ball 48 times and impressively completed 73 percent of his passes, totaling 336 yards through the air to go with six touchdowns. After a mid-first quarter interception, he was nearly flawless.
Defensive player of the week: Joe Marano, Michigan Tech. There were some big numbers dropped this weekend, but Marano gets the nod because of the magnitude of his performance. The Huskies upset Bemidji State 鈥 which was both nationally ranked and in the preseason first five out 鈥 and it was in large part because the defense didn't allow a score in the second half. Marano had two big sacks, and recorded seven tackles, as the Huskies stunned the DII football championship regulars.
Freshman of the week: Jeffery Jones, New Mexico Highlands. The "rookie" running back ran for a 61-yard touchdown that would stand as the game winner for the Cowboys. He totaled 223 yards on 11.7 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. Welcome to DII football.
