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.
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.
National semifinals Super region champions were reseeded 1 to 4 for the national semifinals.
Game summary
Statistics
+Team statistical comparisonStatisticHardingColorado MinesFirst downs 21 18First downs rushing 20 5First downs passing 1 12First downs penalty 0 1Third down efficiency 7–11 7–12Fourth down efficiency 2–2 0–3Total plays–net yards 60–563 54–344Rushing attempts–net yards 58–502 21–71Yards per rush 8.7 3.4Yards passing 46 270Pass completions–attempts 2–2 33–24Interceptions thrown 0 1Punt returns–total yards 0–0 0–0Kickoff returns–total yards 2–17 1–3Punts–average yardage 1–36.0 2–41.5Fumbles–lost 0–0 1–0Penalties–yards 2–17 2–20Time of possession 36:10 23:50
+Harding statisticsBisons passing Cole Keylon 2–2 46 0–0 Team 2–2 46 0–0Bisons rushing Blake Delacruz 27 212 0 Braden Jay 11 161 3 Omar Sinclair 6 74 0 Jhalen Spicer 3 23 1 Cole Keylon 7 20 1 Chauncey Martin 3 14 0 Team 58 502 5Bisons receiving Roland Wallace 2 46 0 Team 2 46 0
+Colorado Mines statisticsOrediggers passing John Matocha 24–33 270 1–1 Team 24–33 270 1–1Orediggers rushing Landon Walker 6 56 0 Noah Roper 3 9 0 John Matocha 11 5 0 Levi Johnson 1 1 0 Team 21 71 0Orediggers receiving Max McLeod 14 153 0 Flynn Schiele 2 58 0 Zach Hoffman 2 25 0 Nick Stone 2 12 0 Konnor Michelsen 1 10 0 Billy Pospisil III 1 5 0 Blake Smotherman 1 5 0 Noah Roper 1 2 1 Team 24 270 1
References