2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game

2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship
Harding Bisons Colorado Mines Orediggers
(15–0) (15–0)
GAC RMAC
38 7
Head coach: 
Paul Simmons		 Head coach: 
Pete Sterbick
Seed
3
Seed
1
1234Total
Harding 71410738
Colorado Mines 70007
DateDecember 16, 2023
Season2023
StadiumMcKinney ISD Stadium
LocationMcKinney, Texas
Attendance12,552
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPNU

The 2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game was a college football game played on December 16, 2023, at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas. The game determined the national champion of NCAA Division II for the 2023 season. The game was scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. CST and was broadcast by ESPNU.

The game featured the two finalists of the 28-team playoff bracket, which began on November 18, 2022. The three-seed Harding Bisons from the Great American Conference (GAC) defeated the top-seeded Colorado Mines Orediggers from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), 38–7. The win gave the Harding football program its first national championship.[1][2][3]

Teams

The participants of the 2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2023 Division II Playoffs, which began on November 18 with four 7-team brackets to determine super region champions, who then qualified for the national semifinals.[4]

National semifinals

Super region champions were reseeded 1 to 4 for the national semifinals.

Semifinals
December 9, 2023
Hosted by higher seeded team 		Championship
December 16, 2023
McKinney, Texas
      
1 Colorado Mines 35
4 Kutztown 7
1 Colorado Mines 7
2 Harding 38
3 Lenoir–Rhyne 14
2 Harding 55

Game summary

2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 3 Harding 7 14 10738
No. 1 Colorado Mines 7 0 007

at McKinney ISD Stadium • McKinney, Texas

  • Date: Saturday, December 16, 2022
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,552
  • Referee: Bryan Earl
  • TV: ESPNU
  • Box score, Recap
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Harding Colorado Mines
1 9:06 11 75 5:54 Colorado Mines Noah Roper 2-yard touchdown reception from John Matocha, Jacob Click kick good 0 7
1 3:49 9 75 5:14 Harding Jhalen Spicer 10-yard touchdown run, Grant Ennis kick good 7 7
2 4:30 17 74 10:23 Harding Braden Jay 10-yard touchdown run, Grant Ennis kick good 14 7
2 0:33 6 90 2:05 Harding Braden Jay 9-yard touchdown run, Grant Ennis kick good 21 7
3 12:58 4 87 1:59 Harding Braden Jay 73-yard touchdown run, Grant Ennis kick good 28 7
3 4:11 10 57 6:07 Harding 32-yard field goal by Grant Ennis 31 7
4 11:58 7 83 4:17 Harding Braden Jay 73-yard touchdown run, Cole Keylon kick good 38 7
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 38 7

Statistics

References

  1. ↑ Kyle Newman (December 16, 2023). "Mines blasted in Division II national title for second straight year, as Harding runs over Orediggers". The Denver Post.
  2. ↑ "Harding cruises to NCAA Division II football national championship, 38-7". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. December 16, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  3. ↑ Tryggestad, Erik (December 21, 2023). "'Great cloud of witnesses' helped propel Harding football to national title". The Christian Chronicle. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  4. ↑ "2023 Division II Football Official Bracket". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
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