DII football Saturday: Super Region champs and bowl winners crowned

Welcome to a new age of DII football. The national semifinals have become a place that is quite familiar in recent years, with many of the same faces making it to DII football's final four. Ferris State, Valdosta State, West Florida, Shepherd, Northwest Missouri State — you could predict a final four in August and have a fairly strong chance at getting three or four teams right.

None of them are here in 2023. While Colorado School of Mines is back attempting to finally win it all, the other three teams joining are back in unfamiliar territory with minimal — if any — semifinal experience. 

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL:

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All that is to say we will have a brand-new, first-time national champion in DII football this year. 

There were also three DII football bowl games played this weekend that we can't overlook. Here's your Sunday rundown of the weekend that was.

The DII football quarterfinals: How the day was won

Super Region One

For the second time in four weeks, Kutztown dominated its way to victory over Slippery Rock, this time winning 28-16. This was a historic win for the Golden Bears as they advanced to their first national semifinals in program history.

There was some intense action that came early in the game in an 8-minute window in the first quarter. Kutztown and Slippery Rock exchanged scores about four minutes apart, only to see Kutztown pull ahead pretty much for good with 4:05 remaining in the first quarter. The two exchanged second-quarter touchdowns as well, but it was all the Kutztown the rest of the way.

This was such a bizarre finish as Slippery Rock outgained the Golden Bears by nearly 300 yards and simply couldn't find the end zone. The Rock even had a chance to cut the lead to a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but Kutztown held them just short on a fourth-and-10 inside the red zone with minutes remaining. The Golden Bears held the Slippery Rock offense scoreless in the second half and picked off the highly efficient Brayden Long for a thrilling 100-yard interception run that ultimately sealed Slippery Rock's fate. Kutztown quarterback Judd Novak had a big day, leading the charge by throwing for 127 yards, rushing for 29 more, and accounting for three of the four Kutztown scores. 

Super Region Two

The Lenoir-Rhyne Bears are heading back to the national semifinals for the first time in a decade. The last time the Bears made an appearance in the semis (2013), they wound up losing to Northwest Missouri State in the national championship game. 

What can you say about the Bears at this point... aside from the fact that this offense is unstoppable? They are averaging 44.3 points per playoff game and were on the winning side of yet another lopsided victory, downing semifinals regular Valdosta State 35-7. It was another huge day on the ground for the Bears as Zayvion Turner-Knox (148 rushing yards, three touchdowns) and Dwayne McGee (108 rushing yards, two touchdowns) combined for all the scoring.

Now, the weather was miserable as a relentless downpour bothered both passing games all day, but this Bears' defense cannot be overlooked. It held the No. 21 offense in DII football — one that averaged more than 400 yards per game — to a mere 145 total yards, including a net total of two rushing yards. It was an impressive all-out attack from the Bears on both sides of the ball. 

Super Region Three

If you like defensive battles, then this was the game of the day for you. Thanks to a very late touchdown, Harding is advancing to its first semifinals since 2017, defeating Grand Valley State 7-6.

Both of these teams were top offenses in DII football for the 2023 season. The two each averaged more than 400 yards a game, combining for 878.1 yards on average per week. They were also both top-five scoring offenses this season, each averaging well north of 40 points per game this year. So, the final score of a combined 13 points and neither team reaching 275 total yards tells you most of what you need to know about how this game went down.

Grand Valley State's defense held its own pretty much the entire way. An impressive "two-minute drill" at the end of the first half by Lakers' quarterback Cade Peterson set up a field goal as time expired to put the Lakers up 6-0, a lead they would hold until 3:52 left in the game. Even then, it took a fourth-down run from Cole Keylon to put the Bisons up 7-6 and seal the day. With an injured Peterson watching on the sidelines, the Lakers couldn't come back and this Harding team — now an impressive 13-0 — is set to face Lenoir-Rhyne next week in a battle of high-scoring offenses and stingy defenses. 

Super Region Four

The Colorado School of Mines quest for perfection and its first national championship continues. The Orediggers dominated the second half to down Central Washington 38-14 and move on to its third-straight semifinals. 

Kudos to the Wildcats. The road warriors of the 2023 DII football championship looked like they were going to be a pest to the Orediggers and possibly pull off yet another surprise victory. They blocked an early punt in the end zone and quarterback Kennedy McGill led two scoring drives to take Central Washington into the half tied at 14 with the nation's No. 1 team. Perhaps more impressive is that they kept reigning Harlon Hill Trophy winner John Matocha and wide receiver Max McLeod out of the end zone — the first time in his record-setting career Matocha finished a game without throwing a touchdown.

The All-American did find pay dirt though, rushing in one of five Orediggers' touchdowns on the ground. Both running backs — Noah Roper and Landon Walker — joined him in the end zone, scoring a pair of touchdowns each. The defense played its part as well: The Orediggers out-rushed the Wildcats 255-7.

Semifinals matchups: Saturday, Dec. 9 (Both games will be on ESPN+)

• No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 2 Harding, 12 p.m. ET
• No. 4 Kutztown at No. 1 Colorado School of Mines, 3:30 p.m. ET

DII gone bowling

Ashland won the America's Crossroads Bowl. The Eagles ended the season on fire, finishing at 9-3 with eight wins in a row after defeating McKendree 23-20. This bowl game pits the highest-ranked teams not in the DII football championship from the G-MAC and GLVC and it is the first time in the four-year history the G-MAC left victorious. Ashland defensive end Michael Shimek broke College Football Hall of Famer Bill Royce's program record with four sacks in one game, helping control the Eagles' tempo. Ashland rallied for nine points in the final 2:07 to come from behind and win the game. Quarterback Trevor Bycznski threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns, most of which went to Eagles wide receiver Jent Joseph. 

Braden Gleason — who was predicted to be the best quarterback in DII football right here on krikya18.com in the preseason — sure showed why in the final game of his career. The All-American gunslinger led Emporia State to a 55-24 victory over Southern Nazarene in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl by throwing for 405 yards and six touchdowns (both Heritage Bowl records) and adding a seventh score on the ground. Not to be outdone, Southern Nazarene's elusive quarterback Gage Porter had a record-setting day on the ground, rushing for 257 yards and three touchdowns. While Central Missouri's Zach Zebrowski's 2023 numbers were mind-boggling, Gleason ends the season with very impressive 4,178 passing yards, 47 touchdowns, and just three interceptions, ending his career second all-time in MIAA career passing yards with 11,518 yards passing. 

Southern Arkansas routed its way to victory, downing Missouri Western 43-27 in the Live United Bowl. The Muleriders' star running back Jariq Scales had another monster day, rushing for 172 yards and a touchdown, but wasn't alone. He was joined by Kadyn Roach in the century club: Roach added 149 yards rushing and a touchdown himself. The Muleriders dominated just about every aspect of the game, outgaining the Griffons 552-372 and winning the turnover battle 3-0.