Harding makes program history, wins the 2023 DII football championship (2024)

The Harding Bisons are the 2023 DII football national champions for the first time in program history. They ran away with their second-straight lopsided victory, this time defeating Colorado School of Mines, 38-7.

After three-straight thrilling DII football championship games, the last three have been put away quite early. The Orediggers and Bisons played even in the first quarter, but from there on out, it was pretty much all Harding.

Flynn Schiele with the one-hand grab!🤚#D2FB x 📽️ ESPNU/ @MinesFootball pic.twitter.com/81k8OLUna0

— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) December 16, 2023

Harding went ahead 14-7 on the exact kind of drive that made the Bisons seemingly unbeatable this season. The Bisons ran a 17-play drive, which lasted more than 10 minutes and took up most of the second quarter that was capped off by a Braden Jay 10-yard touchdown run. In typical Harding flexbone fashion, six different players contributed a rush to the 74-yard scoring drive. It appeared the Orediggers were going to respond quickly after a Landon Walker 52-yard run got them in the red zone, but back-to-back tackles third and fourth-and-short by Bisons’ leading tackler Clark Griffin ended the threat.

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Blake Delacruz had a big first half, rushing for over 100 yards in the first 30 minutes. Jay was right behind him with an 80-yard first half, but a 73-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half gave Harding two 100-yard backs with more than 27 minutes of football left. In the preview, it was said the way to beat Harding was to take them out of the flexbone, and Delacruz and Jay simply didn’t allow that to happen.

A 73-yard touchdown run for Braden Jay🔥🤩#D2FB x 📽️ ESPNU/ @Harding_FB pic.twitter.com/HP3AhzbBcT

— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) December 16, 2023

Harding’s early scoring drive in the fourth quarter was highlighted by a 60-yard Delacruz run. It was one of three 60-plus-yard runs by the Bisons, one be Delacruz, one by Jay, and one by Omar Sinclair. That put Harding over 6,000 yards rushing on the season — the first college football program at any level to accomplish the feat, proving the Harding flexbone triple-option undoubtedly works. The 38 points the rushing attack scored on the Orediggers’ top-3 defense was the most Colorado School of Mines allowed all season by a wide margin. In fact, the Orediggers allowed just 31 points in their three tournament games prior to Saturday’s defeat.

We mentioned in the preview that entering the game, both the Orediggers and Bisons were among the top-3 offenses and defenses in DII football. The Harding front was atop its game, limiting an Orediggers’ team that averaged 214.2 yards rushing to just 71 — most of which came on Walker’s 52-yard scamper. Matocha had been sacked just 26 times all season, but the Bisons got to him six times as Nathaniel Wallace led the way with two of his own. They kept the All-American in check, holding Matocha to 270 yards passing, just one touchdown, and one interception of the hands of star receiver Max McLeod.

In the end, the Bisons ended the season a perfect 15-0 and national champions for the first time in program history. Scroll down to see every result and a history of champions.

2023 NCAA DII football tournament schedule, scores

• Championship: Saturday, Dec. 16, McKinney, TX
  • No. 2 Harding, 38, No. 1 Colorado School of Mines 7

COMPLETE SEMIFINALS RECAP:Harding, Colorado School of Mines set to battle for 2023 DII football championship

• First round: Saturday, Nov. 18 | RECAP
  • No. 3 Kutztown 38, Virginia Union 14
  • No. 2 Charleston (WV) 52,New Haven 44
  • No. 2 Grand Valley State 21,Ferris State 14
  • No. 3 Valdosta State 62, Limestone 41
  • No. 4 Augustana (SD) 51,Minnesota State 24
  • No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne 63,Shepherd 17
  • No. 4 Slippery Rock 45, East Stroudsburg 14
  • No. 2 Delta State 49,West Florida 14
  • Central Washington 16, No. 2 Western Colorado 13 (OT)
  • No. 3 Pittsburg State 35,UIndy 14
  • Bemidji State 10, No. 3 Texas Permian Basin 3
  • No. 4 Central Missouri 56,Henderson State 1
• Second round: Saturday, Nov. 25 | RECAP
  • No. 4 Slippery Rock45,No. 1 Tiffin35
  • No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne 35, No. 1 Benedict 25
  • No. 3 Kutztown 32, No. 2 Charleston (WV) 31
  • No. 2 Grand Valley State 24,No. 3 Pittsburg State 21
  • No. 3 Valdosta State 38, No. 2 Delta State* 31
  • No. 1 Harding* 35, No. 4 Central Missouri 34
  • No. 1 Colorado School of Mines* 56, No. 4 Augustana (SD) 10
  • Central Washington 21, Bemidji State* 17
• Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 2 | RECAP
  • No. 4 Slippery Rock 28, No. 3 Kutztown 16| REPLAY
  • No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne 35,No. 3 Valdosta State 7
  • No. 1 Harding 7, No. 2 Grand Valley State 6
  • No. 1 Colorado School of Mines 38, Central Washington 14
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 9, campus sites (All times ET)
  • No. 2 Harding 55,No.3 Lenoir-Rhyne 14
  • No. 1 Colorado School of Mines 35,No. 4 Kutztown 7

*Host institution

2023 NCAA DII football tournament bracket

Interactive bracket|View as a PDF

Championship history

Harding is the latest to add its names to the annals of DII football lore. Here is a list of every DII national champion since its start in 1973.

*Mississippi College's participation in the 1989 Division II championship vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions