A series of upsets and close finishes highlighted the first round of the NCAA Division II Football tournament last weekend. Three higher seeds lost on Saturday while four of the eight matches were decided by four points or fewer.
The first round was highlighted by Minnesota-Duluth's 25-21 win over defending champions Northwest Missouri State. The defending champs entered the fourth quarter with a 21-6 lead, but the home side scored 19 unanswered points in the to advance to a second round matchup with Ouachita Baptist University.
Four-time national champions Pittsburg State put on an offensive showcase on Saturday, rebounding from a 21-0 hole to defeat Harding University on Saturday. The Gorillas scored 21 points in the second and fourth quarters en route to a 59-42 victory at Carnie Smith Stadium. The MIAA co-champions will now travel to Mankato, Minnesota this weekend for a second-round match against No. 2 seed Minnesota State University-Mankato.
All second round matches will be played Saturday afternoon with the quarterfinals to be played the following weekend. The semifinal round will be played at the site of the higher seeds on December 13 and the championship match will be played at Sporting Park on Saturday, December 20. Tickets for the championship match are currently on sale and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
Second Round Schedule - Saturday, November 29
12pm - No. 1 Concord vs. No. 4 West Chester
12pm - No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 5 Valdosta State
12pm - No. 1 Ferris State vs. No. 5 Ohio Dominican
12pm - No. 2 Bloomsburg vs. No. 3 Virginia State
1pm - No. 1 Ouachita Baptist vs. No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth
1pm - No. 2 Delta State vs. No. 6 West Georgia
2pm - No. 2 Minnesota State - Mankato vs. No. 3 Pittsburg State
2pm - No. 2 Colorado State Pueblo vs. No. 6 Angelo State
