Black Hills Brawl highlights 5 can't-miss DII football games this week

With only 32 teams making the DII football championship bracket, there are pivotal postseason matchups every weekend. However, sometimes it’s not about that. Sometimes, it’s just good old-fashioned rivalries that fuel the weekly lineup.

DII football 101: Week 4 Power 10 | Player of the year watchlist | DII in the NFL 

This week we have just that. DII football’s oldest rivalry, the Black Hills Brawl, pits South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State against each other. Elsewhere, Tuskegee and Morehouse meet for the 113th time in program history, and Augustana (SD) and Sioux Falls face off in the Key to the City game, highlighting the slate of must-see games.

Remember, there are usually more than five games of importance each Saturday. However, the focus here is to narrow down five per week that stand out and have a meaningful DII storyline historically or can affect the regional rankings.

5 can’t-miss DII football games: Week 4

All times ET

Augustana (SD) at Sioux Falls, 2 p.m.

The Vikings are 5-0 and sit at No. 13 in the D2 Football top 25. However, Augustana has yet to play a team with a winning record, so Sioux Falls may be its first real test. That said, Sioux Falls is reeling amid a schedule no team should envy. The Cougars have fallen to nationally ranked Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State in consecutive weeks, and the Vikings are the third straight top 25 team they face. Now is as good a time as ever to snap out of the slump.

Matchup to watch: Gunnar Hensley vs. Camden Dean. Hensley is on absolute fire. He’s thrown for at least two touchdowns a game and is second in the NSIC with 1,419 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. The remarkable part is that he has yet to throw an interception. Dean, Sioux Falls' field general, was sensational in his first three games, throwing for over 200 yards in each with no interceptions and totaling 12 touchdowns on the air and ground. He hasn’t scored a touchdown in two games, so whichever quarterback shows up their best will likely lead their team to victory.

Number to know: 4-8. Both teams play in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, hence the “Key to the City” game. The rivalry renewed annually in 2012. While Augustana has become tournament regulars the past several years, the Vikings have not fared well in this game, going 4-8. Augustana has won the last two, so is Sioux Falls due?

Lenoir-Rhyne at Valdosta State, 4 p.m.

If you follow , you already know the importance of this game. Both of these programs are no strangers to the tournament, but there is a good chance that the loser of this game falls out of the tournament equation.

Lenoir-Rhyne has dropped two in a row, and it was nearly three, save a last-second field goal to win over Emory & Henry on Sept. 13. The Bears have three wins, which means there is no room for error, and they have to win out. Valdosta State is 2-2, but the Blazers' two losses have come to potential tournament teams, which means another one could be an unsurmountable hill to climb. 

Matchup to watch: Both defenses. Both Lenoir-Rhyne and Valdosta State have plenty of capable players on offense to score in bunches. Bears quarterback Khamoni Robinson is an electric dual-threat, and Zayvion Turner-Knox and L.J. Turner are a force in the backfield. Corey Reddick Jr. and Eric Watts each have over 200 yards rushing through two games, combining for seven scores. However, both defenses are allowing plenty of points. The Bears allow the third-most points per game in the SAC (25.4) while Valdosta State allows 22.5 points per game, third in the four-team GSC. Whichever team steps up and makes the key stop could walk away the winner. 

Number to know: 35-7. That was the final score the last time these two met, in favor of the Bears on their run to the 2023 national semifinals. These two have met only three times in their history, and all three have been in the tournament. Lenoir-Rhyne finally won one in 2023 after losing 61-21 in the 2018 Super Region Two finals. Considering what's on the line, this is another playoff-type game between the two. 

Mars Hill at Catawba, 6 p.m.

Catawba had three wins a season ago, so this 4-1 start is rather impressive. Mars Hill went 5-4 and is off to a 3-1 start in 2025. If you had said in the preseason this would be a showdown with first place in a loaded SAC on the line, I don't think many would have believed you. 

Mars Hill is the lone remaining team that is undefeated in conference play. The Lions have a huge win against nationally ranked Carson-Newman, which looms large in a conference with six one-loss teams. Catawba hasn't played the toughest schedule, but the Indians are rolling with a ton of momentum after a 63-point performance last weekend. 

Matchup to watch: Catawba's ground game vs. Mars Hill rush defense. In that 63-point win for Catawba last weekend, the Indians had a pair of running backs eclipse the 100-yard mark in Kevin Lalin (140 yard, one touchdown) and Marquece Williams (126 yards, two touchdowns). Catawba has been pounding the ball on the ground for 260.8 yards per game, while the Mars Hill defense has been rather stout against the run, allowing just 118.3 yards per game on the ground. This is very well where the battle will be won.

Number to know: 5. These two teams have faced each other five times since the 2018 season. Mars Hill has won every one of those matchups, and they haven't been particularly close, with Mars Hill putting up an average margin of victory of 19.2 points. Now would be as good a time as ever for Catawba to reverse that trend. 

UT Permian Basin at Angelo State 7 p.m.

This is the game of the week. Not only are there postseason implications on the line, but the winner of this could also be the winner of the Lone Star Conference. Both teams enter the game at 4-0 and have a win over a nationally ranked team to their credit. 

Last week, UTPB's head coach Kris McCullough joined a . The Rams are cruising in off a 56-point performance and are clicking offensively, even without Harlon Hill hopeful Braeden Fuller under center. His backup quarterback threw for five touchdowns last week.

Matchup to watch: All of it, just take it all in. A quick look at the scoring stats show how evenly matched these two are. Angelo State scores 39.0 points per game, while UTPB drops 38.8. UTPB has the best scoring defense in the LSC, allowing just 16.5 points per game. The No. 2 scoring defense is Angelo State, allowing 18.5 points per game. UTPB quarterback Kanon Gibson has been highly efficient through the air, throwing for eight touchdowns and no interceptions. The Rams' Kaeden Smith has also thrown for eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Angelo State's defense has picked the ball off seven times, while UTPB has snagged the ball six. The numbers are eerily close, so expect this one to go wire to wire. 

Number to know: One. That's how many times UTPB has defeated Angelo State in the history of this matchup. Keep in mind, UTPB is relatively young, beginning its tenure in 2016, but the Rams hold a 7-1 edge all time. Additionally, in each of those seven victories, the Rams have won by no fewer than two scores. History doesn't favor UTPB, but this may be the best Falcons team we've seen yet.

South Dakota Mines at Black Hills State, 8 p.m.

There are no playoff implications in this one, as both teams enter the 140th Black Hills Brawl at 1-4. But this is DII football's oldest rivalry and typically makes for some good college football. The last four meetings have been split 2-2 between the RMAC rivals, and for the most part have been relatively close. 

Matchup to watch: Quarterback Luke Duby vs. the Hardrockers pass defense. The Yellow Jackets' gunslinger has been impressive through five starts, more than halfway to matching his totals from all of last season. He's second in the RMAC in passing with 1,234 yards and a 141.2 rating while tossing 11 touchdowns to five interceptions. His leading receiver, TJ Chukwurah, leads the RMAC with 558 yards receiving (second-most in DII) and has scored at least one touchdown per game. The Hardrockers allow the second-most passing yards per game in the RMAC at 269.4, so Duby should have himself quite the day.

Number to know: 65-63-11. That's the record between these two through the first 139 matchups in South Dakota Mines' favor. That's about as even as it gets, although the Hardrockers have a slight edge over the last 10, winning six. No matter the records or playoff implications (or lack thereof), this rivalry is always worth watching. 

BONUS GAME OF THE WEEK: Tuskegee at Morehouse. Much like the Black Hills Brawl, neither Tuskegee nor Morehouse are in the postseason conversation right now. However, this is the most lopsided of DII football's oldest rivalries, with Tuskegee leading the series 74-30-8. The Golden Tigers have won the last three in dominating fashion and are looking to snap a three-game losing streak after a 2-0 start.