We've rolled through two true weeks of D2 football, or three if you're a real fan (shoutout Week 0). We've learned a lot these past few weeks: Who was over-ranked or under-ranked in preseason polls, the SAC is a land of chaos and Roosevelt is pretty good.
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The excitement has just begun, and this weekend begins a series of chaos. Here are five predictions for D2 football this weekend:
Four GLIAC Teams Will Stay Perfect
This might be a bold prediction as we head into game four for these teams, but I can back up my claim. We’ll make this short and sweet.
What’s not a bold prediction is that No. 1 Ferris State will continue their 33-game win streak as they host NAIA Kentucky Christian. The Knights are currently 1-2 this season, opening the 2026 campaign with a 44-24 victory over D2 Kentucky Wesleyan. They fell to FCS Morehead State and Chicago State, with scoring exceeding a total of 80 points in each game (combined scores).
No. 7 Grand Valley State also hosts an NAIA school in Week 3. Judson University (IL) will take the turf in Allendale, Mich. for their second game of the season. The Eagles fell 77-14 to Madonna in their first game of the season.
Davenport is rolling through the early season, and they’re ready for more, especially after upsetting No. 17 Indianapolis 19-12 last week - their highest-ranked win in program history. They face GLIAC foe Northern Michigan in a non-conference matchup this weekend in Marquette, Mich. The Wildcats are currently 0-3 under first-year head coach Matt Janus.
Last but not least, Roosevelt will continue to surprise us all by extending their win streak as they host D3 WIAC opponent UW-Stout. The Blue Devils are 2-0 this season with wins at Dubuque (34-20) and versus Augustana College (IL) (37-34). Although both teams are without a loss, Roosevelt QB Carl Bew, as well as the home-field advantage, will carry the Lakers to another W.
Angelo State Will Come Out On Top In The West Texas Showdown
We’re nervous about this one, too. However, one of these winless teams will add a W to their 0-2 records.
West Texas A&M enters LeGrand Stadium in San Angelo, Texas, fresh off a bye week and two ranked losses. They opened the season at home on Aug. 27, falling in a 52-21 decision to then-No. 12 Western Colorado. The Buffaloes hit the road the next week and lost 56-14 to then-No. 10 Grand Valley State.
Angelo State opened their season in an eerily similar way. They dropped a 35-14 decision to Fort Hays State in their home opener on Aug. 27. Then, they traveled to then-No. 9 Western Colorado. The Mountaineers only prevailed by a two-point margin of victory, defeating the Rams 23-21 on Sept. 3. Angelo State also enters competition fresh off a bye week.
Pittsburg State Pulls Out Its First Win
It’s about time for the Gorillas to win. Ranked at No. 4 in the preseason, Pittsburg State has narrowly lost every matchup since Week 0.
During Weeks 0 and 1, the Gorillas dropped back-to-back home games to No. 1 Ferris State (42-12) on Aug. 27 and to Emporia State (21-10) on Sept. 5. Most recently, they lost by just one point in a 24-23 decision to the West Alabama (Sept. 12) on the road.
This week, they play Fort Hays State in their second MIAA faceoff of the season. The Tigers are 1-1 on the season and enter the matchup off a bye week. Their most recent matchup was to ranked Colorado State-Pueblo, falling 35-17 at home. They claimed a 35-14 road win over Angelo State the week prior (Aug. 27).
Putting the WIN in Wingate
Our D2 Game of the Week has fans conflicted - which 1-win SAC team do they root for?
Well, I vote Wingate.
Wingate opened conference play during Week 2 and narrowly fell 23-24 to RV Carson-Newman. The Bulldogs had 297 yards of offense, 278 of which were courtesy of QB Brooks Brien. They held a 13-12 edge in first downs, but Carson-Newman’s defense got the best of the ‘Dogs, holding them to four-for-14 on third down and three-for-four on fourth.
Newberry also opened conference play, yet fell short, in Week 2, handing the Bishops’ Trophy to SAC opponent Lenoir-Rhyne in a 21-14 decision. The Wolves led nearly every single stat line, but it was still LR that ended up on top.
Ashland Will Bounce Back
The Eagles enter Week 3 without a win to their name, but I have confidence that they’ll bounce back this week. Or at least, I think they will.
Ashland opens G-MAC play on Saturday at home versus Ohio Dominican (1-1). The Eagles lost their first two games against ranked teams Indiana (PA) and Grand Valley State by 10 points apiece. Ohio Dominican’s sole win came at the expense of FCS Morehead State in a 42-40 decision. Ashland is 9-5 all-time against ODU in the series dating back to 2010, and they have won each of the last four meetings.
There Will Be A D3-D2 Upset
It’s not often you see an in-season D2/D3 matchup. It’s even less often you see the D3 school upset their D2 opponent. However, this might just happen on Saturday as Wayne State (MI), a D2 team in the GLIAC, hosts D3 WIAC opponent UW-La Crosse.
The Warriors and Eagles both fell under new leadership entering the 2026 campaign, and both have been unable to secure a win this season; however, the similarities stop there.
This season, the Eagles have lost by a combined 11 points against top-15 ranked teams, whereas the Warriors have been shut out by both opponents they have faced.
UW - La Crosse is coming off a very successful few seasons; former head coach Matt Janus led the Eagles to five consecutive postseason appearances, going 5-5 in the national playoffs from 2021-2025. The Eagles were projected to place second in the WIAC Preseason Poll as they entered the Michael Zweifel era. Following Week 1 of competition, FloCollege placed them at No. 23 in the D3 Top 25.
Wayne State has unfortunately not been afforded such luxuries in recent years. Since Paul Winters parted ways with the program in 2022, two coaches have stepped into the role, the most recent being Terrence Isaac, Sr., this season. The team’s last postseason appearance was in 2011; they fell to Pittsburg State at home in the NCAA D2 National Championship game. They were projected to finish last in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
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