Bowie State and Virginia Union clashed in a top 25 matchup in Week 8 of the DII football season, with the Bulldogs remaining undefeated in a dominant 52-17 victory. Here is where you can find the complete schedule, rankings, top games previewed and how to watch this week's DII football showcase.
THE TOP 25:
Ouachita Baptist got the weekend rolling with a 27-13 victory over Southern Nazarene on Thursday night, becoming the first undefeated team to sneak through the weekend still unscathed. Thirteen more perfect teams will attempt to do the same on Saturday.
UNDEFEATED TRACKER: The toughest games remaining for the DII undefeated teams
TOURNEY FAQS: New bracket format, explained | How the tourney works
2022: All rankings | Latest Power 10 | Midseason review, predictions
DII IN THE NFL: Every former DII player on a 2021 53-man roster
DII HISTORY: Most played rivalries | Winningest teams | Championship history
DII football Week 8: Games to watch
West Georgia 33, West Alabama 17 | DII SHOWCASE
WHAT WE SAID: Two Gulf South Conference teams that began the year in the top 25 square off Saturday afternoon. While the year hasn't gone as anticipated for either team, there should be plenty to watch. West Georgia running back Chauncey Williams — one of our impact freshmen for 2019 — is second in the GSC in rushing with 552 yards and nine touchdowns. Jack McDaniels leads the GSC in passing with 1,573 yards for West Alabama so there could be offense a-plenty in this one.
WEEK 7 IN REVIEW: Complete schedule and results | Top performances and best stats
No. 6 Notre Dame (OH) 24, Findlay 19
WHAT WE SAID: Notre Dame (OH) should be in for a battle in a non-conference matchup with Findlay. The Oilers are 5-2 and have a potent rushing attack that's tough to maintain. Of course, the Falcons know a thing or two about rushing the football, with Jaleel McLaughlin leading DII football in total rushing yards in 2019.
DII HISTORY: Longest winning streaks | Home wins | All-time winningest teams | Most played rivalries
No. 15 Bowie State 52, No. 25 Virginia Union 17
WHAT WE SAID: With Virginia Union entering the poll, we get a top-25 showdown with big CIAA implications. The Panthers travel to Bowie State and a win would shift the tide in the conference.
Bowie State is as balanced a football team that the CIAA has to offer. The Bulldogs are currently second in scoring offense, putting up 38.1 points per game while limiting teams to just 15 points per game, tops in the conference. But Virginia Union isn't far behind, scoring 34.7 and allowing 16.1 points per contest. Panthers quarterback Khalid Morris and his top target Charles Hall are the most explosive QB-WR duo in the CIAA, but the defense will have to try and solve Bulldogs quarterback Ja'Rome Johnson, a dangerous dual-threat player.
No. 21 West Chester 28, East Stroudsburg 21
WHAT WE SAID: West Chester will have to find a way to bounce back against a 5-2 East Stroudsburg team. The problem for the Golden Rams is that the Warriors have lost those two games in consecutive weeks and will be looking to make a statement against a top 25 foe.
THE BEST STADIUMS IN DII: A bucket list of stadiums, based on fan vote
No. 11 Central Missouri 36, Pittsburg State 28
WHAT WE SAID: Pittsburg State will look to get right back into the top 25 mix. The Gorillas have the chance to rebound quickly with a game against No. 11 Central Missouri. It will complete one of the toughest stretches any team has had to endure in 2019, going from Northwest Missouri State to Fort Hays State and now the red-hot Mules.
No. 8 Indianapolis 48, Missouri S&T 7
WHAT WE SAID: UIndy is back in action after a bye week and begins its first of three games against opponents with winning records. Missouri S&T is the first of the bunch, two games removed from a big Week 6 win over FCS Texas Southern.
DII football Week 8 players to watch
Keep your eyes on these players Saturday, and be sure to check back at krikya18.com every Sunday for a rundown of the best statistical performances from the weekend.
- Last weekend, Colorado School of Mines quarterback John Matocha scored by passing the football, rushing it and even hauling one in as a receiver. He has propelled the Orediggers to a top 10 team in DII and is one of the best under center so far.
- The running game and defense gets a lot of love for UIndy, but T.J. Edwards has fit in well since transferring in from Southwest Baptist. The Greyhounds quarterback has passed for at least two touchdowns in every game and has ran one in the end zone in all but one game thus far in 2019.
- Now that they are in the top 25, pay extra attention to the Henderson State trio of QB Richard Stammetti, RB L'liot Curry, and WR Logan Moragne. The three have been stuffing the stat sheets on a regular basis and will have to continue to do so to stay ranked.
Our complete preseason Harlon Hill watchlist
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
