The Harding Bisons are the 2023 DII football national champions for the first time in program history. They ran away with their second-straight lopsided victory, this time defeating Colorado School of Mines, 38-7.
After three-straight thrilling DII football championship games, the last three have been put away quite early. The Orediggers and Bisons played even in the first quarter, but from there on out, it was pretty much all Harding.
Flynn Schiele with the one-hand grab!🤚 x 📽️ ESPNU/
— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII)
Harding went ahead 14-7 on the exact kind of drive that made the Bisons seemingly unbeatable this season. The Bisons ran a 17-play drive, which lasted more than 10 minutes and took up most of the second quarter that was capped off by a Braden Jay 10-yard touchdown run. In typical Harding flexbone fashion, six different players contributed a rush to the 74-yard scoring drive. It appeared the Orediggers were going to respond quickly after a Landon Walker 52-yard run got them in the red zone, but back-to-back tackles third and fourth-and-short by Bisons’ leading tackler Clark Griffin ended the threat.
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL:
Blake Delacruz had a big first half, rushing for over 100 yards in the first 30 minutes. Jay was right behind him with an 80-yard first half, but a 73-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half gave Harding two 100-yard backs with more than 27 minutes of football left. In the preview, it was said the way to beat Harding was to take them out of the flexbone, and Delacruz and Jay simply didn’t allow that to happen.
A 73-yard touchdown run for Braden Jay🔥🤩 x 📽️ ESPNU/
— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII)
Harding’s early scoring drive in the fourth quarter was highlighted by a 60-yard Delacruz run. It was one of three 60-plus-yard runs by the Bisons, one be Delacruz, one by Jay, and one by Omar Sinclair. That put Harding over 6,000 yards rushing on the season — the first college football program at any level to accomplish the feat, proving the Harding flexbone triple-option undoubtedly works. The 38 points the rushing attack scored on the Orediggers’ top-3 defense was the most Colorado School of Mines allowed all season by a wide margin. In fact, the Orediggers allowed just 31 points in their three tournament games prior to Saturday’s defeat.
We mentioned in the preview that entering the game, both the Orediggers and Bisons were among the top-3 offenses and defenses in DII football. The Harding front was atop its game, limiting an Orediggers’ team that averaged 214.2 yards rushing to just 71 — most of which came on Walker’s 52-yard scamper. Matocha had been sacked just 26 times all season, but the Bisons got to him six times as Nathaniel Wallace led the way with two of his own. They kept the All-American in check, holding Matocha to 270 yards passing, just one touchdown, and one interception of the hands of star receiver Max McLeod.
In the end, the Bisons ended the season a perfect 15-0 and national champions for the first time in program history. Scroll down to see every result and a history of champions.
2023 NCAA DII football tournament schedule, scores
- Championship: Saturday, Dec. 16, McKinney, TX
COMPLETE SEMIFINALS RECAP: Harding, Colorado School of Mines set to battle for 2023 DII football championship
- First round: Saturday, Nov. 18 | RECAP
- No. 3 Kutztown 38, Virginia Union 14
- No. 2 Charleston (WV) 52, New Haven 44
- No. 2 Grand Valley State 21, Ferris State 14
- No. 3 Valdosta State 62, Limestone 41
- No. 4 Augustana (SD) 51, Minnesota State 24
- No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne 63, Shepherd 17
- No. 4 Slippery Rock 45, East Stroudsburg 14
- No. 2 Delta State 49, West Florida 14
- Central Washington 16, No. 2 Western Colorado 13 (OT)
- No. 3 Pittsburg State 35, UIndy 14
- Bemidji State 10, No. 3 Texas Permian Basin 3
- No. 4 Central Missouri 56, Henderson State 1
- Second round: Saturday, Nov. 25 | RECAP
- No. 4 Slippery Rock 45, No. 1 Tiffin 35
- No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne 35, No. 1 Benedict 25
- No. 3 Kutztown 32, No. 2 Charleston (WV) 31
- No. 2 Grand Valley State 24, No. 3 Pittsburg State 21
- No. 3 Valdosta State 38, No. 2 Delta State* 31
- No. 1 Harding* 35, No. 4 Central Missouri 34
- No. 1 Colorado School of Mines* 56, No. 4 Augustana (SD) 10
- Central Washington 21, Bemidji State* 17
- Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 2 | RECAP
- Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 9, campus sites (All times ET)
*Host institution
2023 NCAA DII football tournament bracket
Interactive bracket | View as a PDF
Championship history
Harding is the latest to add its names to the annals of DII football lore. Here is a list of every DII national champion since its start in 1973.
YEAR | CHAMPION | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Harding | Paul Simmons | 38-7 | Colorado School of Mines | McKinney, Texas |
2022 | Ferris State | Tony Annese | 41-14 | Colorado School of Mines | McKinney, Texas |
2021 | Ferris State | Tony Annese | 58-17 | Valdosta State | McKinney, Texas |
2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
2019 | West Florida | Pete Shinnick | 48-40 | Minnesota State | McKinney, Texas |
2018 | Valdosta State | Kerwin Bell | 49-47 | Ferris State | McKinney, Texas |
2017 | Texas A&M-Commerce | Colby Carthel | 37-27 | West Florida | Kansas City, Kan. |
2016 | Northwest Missouri State | Adam Dorrel | 29-3 | North Alabama | Kansas City, Kan. |
2015 | Northwest Missouri State | Adam Dorrel | 34-7 | Shepherd | Kansas City, Kan. |
2014 | Colorado State-Pueblo | John Wristen | 13-0 | Minnesota State-Mankato | Kansas City, Kan. |
2013 | Northwest Missouri State | Adam Dorrel | 43-28 | Lenoir-Rhyne | Florence, Ala. |
2012 | Valdosta State | David Dean | 35-7 | Winston-Salem State | Florence, Ala. |
2011 | Pittsburg State | Tim Beck | 35-21 | Wayne State (Mich.) | Florence, Ala. |
2010 | Minnesota-Duluth | Bob Nielson | 20-17 | Delta State | Florence, Ala. |
2009 | Northwest Missouri State | Mel Tjeersdma | 30-23 | Grand Valley State | Florence, Ala. |
2008 | Minnesota-Duluth | Bob Nielson | 21-14 | Northwest Missouri State | Florence, Ala. |
2007 | Valdosta State | David Dean | 25-20 | Northwest Missouri State | Florence, Ala. |
2006 | Grand Valley State | Chuck Martin | 17-14 | Northwest Missouri State | Florence, Ala. |
2005 | Grand Valley State | Chuck Martin | 21-17 | Northwest Missouri State | Florence, Ala. |
2004 | Valdosta State | Christ Hatcher | 36-31 | Pittsburg State | Florence, Ala. |
2003 | Grand Valley State | Brian Kelly | 10-3 | North Dakota | Florence, Ala. |
2002 | Grand Valley State | Brian Kelly | 31-24 | Valdosta State | Florence, Ala. |
2001 | North Dakota | Dale Lennon | 17-14 | Grand Valley State | Florence, Ala. |
2000 | Delta State | Steve Campbell | 63-34 | Bloomsburg | Florence, Ala. |
1999 | Northwest Missouri State | Mel Tjeersdma | 58-52 (4ot) | Carson-Newman | Florence, Ala. |
1998 | Northwest Missouri State | Mel Tjeersdma | 24-6 | Carson-Newman | Florence, Ala. |
1997 | Northern Colorado | Joe Glenn | 51-0 | New Haven | Florence, Ala. |
1996 | Northern Colorado | Joe Glenn | 23-14 | Carson-Newman | Florence, Ala. |
1995 | North Alabama | Bobby Wallace | 27-7 | Pittsburg State | Florence, Ala. |
1994 | North Alabama | Bobby Wallace | 16-10 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | Florence, Ala. |
1993 | North Alabama | Bobby Wallace | 41-34 | Indiana (Pa.) | Florence, Ala. |
1992 | Jacksonville State | Bill Burgess | 17-13 | Pittsburg State | Florence, Ala. |
1991 | Pittsburg State | Chuck Broyles | 23-6 | Jacksonville State | Florence, Ala. |
1990 | North Dakota State | Rocky Hager | 51-11 | Indiana (Pa.) | Florence, Ala. |
1989 | *Mississippi College | John Williams | 3-0 | Jacksonville State | Florence, Ala. |
1988 | North Dakota State | Rocky Hager | 35-21 | Portland State | Florence, Ala. |
1987 | Troy | Rick Rhoades | 31-17 | Portland State | Florence, Ala. |
1986 | North Dakota State | Earle Solomonson | 27-7 | South Dakota | Florence, Ala. |
1985 | North Dakota State | Earle Solomonson | 35-7 | North Alabama | McAllen, Texas |
1984 | Troy | Chan Gailey | 18-17 | North Dakota State | McAllen, Texas |
1983 | North Dakota State | Don Morton | 41-21 | Central State (Ohio) | McAllen, Texas |
1982 | Texas State | Jim Wacker | 34-9 | UC Davis | McAllen, Texas |
1981 | Texas State | Jim Wacker | 42-13 | North Dakota State | McAllen, Texas |
1980 | Cal Poly | Joe Harper | 21-13 | Eastern Illinois | Albuquerque, N.M. |
1979 | Delaware | Tubby Raymond | 38-21 | Youngstown State | Albuquerque, N.M. |
1978 | Eastern Illinois | Darrell Mudra | 10-9 | Delaware | Longview, Texas |
1977 | Lehigh | John Whitehead | 33-0 | Jacksonville State | Wichita Falls, Texas |
1976 | Montana State | Sonny Holland | 24-13 | Akron | Wichita Falls, Texas |
1975 | Northern Michigan | Gil Krueger | 16-14 | Western Kentucky | Sacramento, Calif. |
1974 | Central Michigan | Roy Kramer | 54-14 | Delaware | Sacramento, Calif. |
1973 | Louisiana Tech | Maxie Lambright | 34-0 | Western Kentucky | Sacramento, Calif. |
*Mississippi College's participation in the 1989 Division II championship vacated by the krikya18.committee on Infractions