No. 2 and No. 3 go down! Upsets shake up the DII football Power 10 rankings

Welcome to Upset City. The DII football Power 10 and top 25 rankings were blown up this week, as both No. 2 Central Missouri and No. 3 Pittsburg State went down. That led to a new-look top 5 in the Power 10 and opened the door for a familiar face to return to the rankings. 

Before we get into the Power 10, here's a quick look at the upsets you may have missed (all rankings per ):

🚨 UPSET ALERT. After an INT deep in Gorillas territory, goes up 10 with just over 5 mins. left. The MIAA and top 25 is looking like it may get blown up this evening!

— Wayne Cavadi (@WayneCavadi_D2)

• Central Oklahoma 57, No. 2 Central Missouri 40
• Emporia State 24, No. 3 Pittsburg State 21
• Wingate 21, No. 12 Delta State 7
• MSU Moorhead 30, No. 20 Minnesota Duluth 29

It's also worth pointing out that No. 18 Augustana (SD) lost to FCS powerhouse South Dakota State, and No. 25 CSU Pueblo lost to then-No. 4 Grand Valley State. Neither of these losses knock the Vikings nor the Thunderwolves from my top-25 ballot, but that is a total of SIX losses in the top 25. If you look at the AFCA poll, you can add the impressive Northwest Missouri State victory over No. 25 Fort Hays State. When you consider that three other teams were idle this week, that's a large percentage of losses compared to one of the lower percentages of wins in a long time. 

Why do they call him Tank?

— Wayne Cavadi (@WayneCavadi_D2)

Two quick shoutouts as well. Anderson (SC) has now played two football games in its history and has won both. Fort Lewis, which has played many football games, snapped its nation-long 40-game losing streak, winning its first game since 2019.

Now, remember: These are my rankings. There is no committee or voting body coming up with these teams, just my spreadsheets, notes from coaches and a lot of deep diving into rosters and stats. I try to blend selection committee metrics — like strength of schedule, in-region record and RPI — along with what I am seeing for an overall look at the landscape of DII football’s top teams.

The DII football Power 10: Week 2

No. 1 Harding | Previous: 1: The Bisons have played two games. They scored 59 in each outing and have allowed a grand total of seven points. That shows the depth of this squad. Five different players scored rushing touchdowns while once again, Blake Delacruz led the way with two. Through two weeks, this team is averaging just over 490 yards rushing. You pair that clock-control running attack with a hungry defense and this team will be tough to beat.

No. 2 Grand Valley State | Previous: 5: This game showed as much about CSU Pueblo as it did the Lakers. Grand Valley State went up 17-0 in what looked like it would be a runaway, but the Thunderwolves came firing back. In the end, the Lakers pick up a 24-21 top-25 victory on the road. Niles King had a huge day for the defense with a sack and three tackles for a loss. Like always, the Lakers have great depth on both sides of the ball and spread the wealth, which makes them as dangerous as ever.

No. 3 Valdosta State | Previous: 4: The Blazers improved to 3-0 with a commanding 34-0 victory over Fayetteville State. While quarterback Sammy Edwards looked good as always, it was Blake Hester who played the hero, rushing for 102 yards and three scores. It was the Blazers' first shutout since 2021 as they piled up a season-high 502 yards while allowing a mere 216. This team is well-rounded and ready for GSC play.

No. 4 Colorado School of Mines | Previous: 6: The Orediggers had fate on their side Saturday — Washburn missed two second-half field goals, including the game-tying opportunity — but a win is a win, especially on the road in the MIAA. Landon Walker ran amok with 142 yards and four touchdowns and though he didn't have a huge day, Evan Foster didn't turn the ball over and completed 80 percent of his passes in a very efficient day. Mines opens RMAC play next week.

No. 5 Minnesota State | Previous: 7: The Mavericks have played in some tough football games already, but with its 35-28 win over a very tough Wayne State (Neb), are already 3-0. They have one of the stoutest playoff resumes already, defeating two nationally ranked teams and now the Wildcats on the road. Sam Backer led the charge, rushing for 159 yards and a score, but it was quarterback Hayden Ekern's one-yard plunge with just 24 seconds on the clock that sealed the deal. The Mavericks are winning in gritty style and have been impressive thus far. 

No. 6 Slippery Rock | Previous: 9: The Rock has played two teams that were in the 2023 DII football championship tournament and have won both games rather convincingly. They have outscored their opponents 42-17 and the offense, by Slippery Rock standards, has still been relatively quiet. It feels like they may be just getting warmed up, so the two big wins already under their belt are huge.

No. 7 Kutztown | Previous: 8: The Golden Bears' defense is alive and well. They have now allowed just six points over their first two weeks after posting their first shutout of the season. The defense was relentless allowing just 22 yards on the ground, getting four sacks and two turnovers on the day. Judd Novak runs an efficient offense that gets what Kutztown needs to keep winning.

No. 8 Pittsburg State | Previous: 3: The Gorillas cling to their Power 10 status for a couple of reasons. For one, Emporia State is the real deal and is firmly cemented in the top 25 now. Secondly, the Gorillas had a chance to win this one, and the way they fought to the end with a 14-point fourth quarter shows this team has the toughness for another playoff run. Chad Dodson Jr. had a big day, tossing it for 345 yards and two scores, but ultimately the three interceptions hurt. They look to rebound against Washburn next week. 

No. 9 Central Washington | Previous: 10: It may not have been the prettiest win with mind-blowing stats, but the Wildcats opened their DII slate with a win on the road against a Colorado Mesa team that received votes in last week's AFCA poll. Tanner Volk had six tackles as the defense held the Mavericks to just 205 total yards. The Wildcats open LSC play against West Texas A&M next week.

No. 10 Ferris State | Previous: First five out: One week after losing touchdown machine Carson Gulker for the season, the Bulldogs pummeled Ashland 43-3. They have now won the past two weeks by a combined score of 99-6. This smothering defense held the Eagles to just 130 total yards (it has now allowed a mere 274 yards over the past two weeks), and Trinidad Chambliss had a monster week under center, throwing for two touchdowns while rushing for two more. The Bulldogs have a week off before heading to American International on Sept. 28.

First five out (in alphabetical order)

• Central Missouri: I am probably too harsh on the Mules, dropping them from No. 2 to No. 11, but I need to see a defense that can stop some of the potent offenses this team will face. The offense is fine: Zach Zebrowski has 940 yards passing and 12 touchdown passes in two weeks. 
• UIndy: That was a big win against an underrated Truman State team. Gavin Sukup had a 300-yard, two-touchdown day while Jon Lewis is becoming one of the division's best running backs.
• Lenoir-Rhyne: The Bears picked up a huge win against Tiffin, a team receiving votes in the last poll. The defense was tough, recording a 68-yard pick-six and a 75-yard fumble return that led to another score. 
• West Florida: The Argos were idle, nothing to see here. 
• Western Colorado: That was a battle for the Mountaineers, but they prevailed against West Texas A&M. They open RMAC play next week against Adams State.

West Texas A&M had a shot to go up on No. 16 but Cameron Cooper takes it the length of the field to the house for the pick-six!

— Wayne Cavadi (@WayneCavadi_D2)

DII football 5 stars: Stats that stood out

It was the week of the dual-threat quarterback. Drew Nash led Western Colorado to that big victory with 133 yards rushing, 185 yards passing and three scores. UMary's Sofian Massoud totaled more than 330 yards and two scores through the air and on the ground. Sioux Falls, which is now an impressive 3-0 to start the season, got a huge performance from Camden Dean, who threw for 297 yards, ran for 72 and totaled five touchdowns. Sul Ross State's Andrew Martinez also had a great all-around day (343 pass, 48 rush, four touchdowns) while Arkansas-Monticello's Demilon Brown, arguably the premier dual-threat QB in the division, threw for 205 yards, ran for 128 and totaled four scores. 

Devin Larsen and Reggie Retzlaff are apparently an unstoppable duo. The CSU Pueblo quarterback topped 300 yards again and Retzlaff was his primary target: His 147 yards this week were his fewest of the season as the star wide receiver has 552 yards and five touchdowns on 25 receptions through three weeks of the season.

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Jack Strand, who was on my Player of the Year watchlist, lit it up for MSU Moorhead. He threw for more than 400 yards, spreading the wealth to Madden Thorson (140 yards), Brady Perryman (101 yards and three touchdowns) and Gage Florence (60 yards). Kyle Walljasper, another dual-threat quarterback who had a huge day, threw for 333 yards and three scores while rushing for 30 more in the defeat. Adams State was another that had a big day totaling 400 yards (320 pass, 80 rush) and scoring thrice. Simply put, it was a week of monster stats.

It is worth pointing out that the five stars aren't simply about yards or receptions. When it comes to deciding the ultimate five stars, it comes down to overall performance, thus Limestone's Jalen Jones had an impressive day with 181 yards receiving, but there were several performances that had slightly lower yards but more scores, earning them a spot on our list. That being said, here's a look at five players from each offensive position that stuffed the box score.