Colorado School of Mines is back in the national championship game for a second year in a row. The Orediggers' opponent, Harding, is making its championship game debut. Both teams will clash for their first-ever DII football national championship.
Here's a quick look at how the semifinals went down on Saturday. Also, be sure to keep reading for a quick preview of Wednesday's inaugural Florida Beach Bowl.
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Harding dominates Lenoir-Rhyne, 55-14
One week after struggling to score at all, Harding exploded for a 35-point first half to put the game out of reach early. In fact, the game started similarly to the way Harding's quarterfinals game ended. The Bisons' flexbone offense methodically marched down the field and quarterback Cole Keylon punched it in on fourth and goal from inches out — his 10th rushing touchdown in the past six games. Harding was then successful on a surprise onsides on the ensuing kickoff and marched right back down for a quick 14-0 lead.
In the semifinals preview, it was pointed out that these were two of the better rushing attacks in DII football, with Harding leading all three divisions with more than 400 yards on the ground per game. That certainly was the Bisons' advantage in the first half, rushing for 228 yards and limiting the Bears to -8 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes. Harding never took the pedal off the metal, with a pair of 100-yard rushers in Blake Delacruz joining Keylon in racking up a total of 431 rushing yards. Keylon also threw the rare Harding touchdown pass, connecting on a 65-yard connection to Roland Wallace to open the second half. Harding even entered the DII football record books, breaking Lenoir-Rhyne's single-season rushing record with its 5,565th yard on the ground to close the third quarter. Andrew Miller had the run that put the Bisons in the record book.
𝙃𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 𝙈𝘼𝘿𝙀 in Division 2 Football 👏 has officially broken the record for most rushing yards in a single season with 5️⃣5️⃣6️⃣5️⃣ and counting
— Division 1 Rejects (@D1_Rejects)
The incredible season continues 🦬
Lenoir-Rhyne had chances, but ultimately committed too many penalties to overcome. Wide receiver Deondre Lester had a huge game, pulling in eight receptions for 139 yards and one of the Bears' two scores, and even led the Bears in rushing with his lone 12-yard scramble. Harding heads to Texas with the longest active winning streak in DII football at 18 straight wins.
Colorado School of Mines routs Kutztown, 35-7
John Matocha did John Matocha things right out of the gate in the Orediggers' second national semifinals win in as many years. The Harlon Hill Trophy-winning quarterback set more records in leading five scoring drives — while being responsible for four of the scores himself — in the big victory over Kutztown.
Matocha threw for 292 yards, completing 81 percent of his passes for three scores while adding a rushing touchdown to his monster day. His second touchdown pass broke Tyson Bagent's record for career touchdown passes and he now has 161. That makes Matocha college football's all-time leader in both passing and total touchdowns. His primary target wasn't Max McLeod as usual as Flynn Schiele went off for 181 yards and two scores. The defense was, as usual, on point, allowing just 292 total yards and that lone 41-yard touchdown run by Kutztown's quarterback Judd Nelson. Nolan Reeve added to his career sack total with yet another quarterback tackle and now has 42.5, the most among active players.
👑 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗖𝗛𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 🐐
— Mines Football (@MinesFootball)
With his second passing touchdown this afternoon, John Matocha moves past former Shepherd QB Tyson Bagent for the most passing touchdowns in college football history!
This game could have gotten away early, but Kutztown's defense at least slowed the Orediggers' attack. The Golden Bears had a few opportunities to score and keep it close, but costly turnovers allowed Colorado School of Mines to pull ahead. Colorado School of Mines had some injuries down the stretch to monitor this week, but the Orediggers look ready for the big game next week.
DII football stars of the week
| Player | Position | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| John Matocha | QB | 292 pass, 25 rush, 4 total TD |
| Blake Delacruz | RB | 147 rush, 2 TD |
| Flynn Schiele | WR | 181 receiving, 2 TD |
Bowl game preview: The Inaugural Florida Beach Bowl
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m. ET | | STATS
This Wednesday, the halfway point to the DII football championship game, Fort Valley State and Johnson C. Smith head to DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale for the first-ever Florida Beach Bowl. The bowl game pits one HBCU team from the SIAC versus one from the CIAA.
Fort Valley State finished second in the SIAC behind Benedict at 7-3. The Wildcats had a strong offense, scoring 30.4 points per game this season. Johnson C. Smith finished second in the CIAA Southern Division, tied for the third-best record in the conference at 7-3. The Golden Bulls were one of the most-improved teams in DII football, picking up five wins after a 2-7 finish to the 2022 season. Johnson C. Smith was driven by its defense, allowing just about 16 points per game, with its defense or special teams scoring three touchdowns over the final two weeks.
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