Week 0 preview: 5 DII football matchups to watch

The DII football season kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 29 with a slew of very interesting matchups. With the extra week, leagues like the MIAA and NSIC now have the opportunity for some huge non-conference matchups, which gives us a pair of top-25 showdowns right out of the gate.

Here’s a look at some of the games to watch this week.

Full DII football scoreboard for Week 0

The big ones

Minnesota State at Northwest Missouri State, Aug. 29. The first of our top-25 matchups of the opening weekend features a pair of DII football powerhouses playing a rare (for them) non-conference regular-season matchup. Northwest Missouri State is coming off its first season not in the tournament since 2003, while Minnesota State is looking to return to the bracket despite some big changes.

These two have met 17 times, but not once since 2012. Although the Mavericks have the slight series edge, 9-8, it has been all Bearcats in recent years, winning seven of the last eight, with the Mavericks winning that last 2012 showdown in the tournament. Both these teams lost two of the best running backs from last season as the Bearcats’ Jay Harris and Mavericks’ Shen Butler-Lawson have moved on. Both teams have a tough road ahead in two conferences that are absolutely stacked at the top this season.

The Vikings have fewer questions to answer, with quarterback Hayden Eckern back under center and preseason All-American Marshall Foerner blocking for him. Defensively, Maven Kretche is a beast and should be able to cause havoc in a new-look Bearcats’ backfield. The Bearcats’ offense from 2023 is completely depleted as there will be a new quarterback, running back, and wide receivers; however, the defense — always a strong point for head coach Rich Wright — returns a bunch, including Jake Fisher who tied for the team lead with six sacks last season.

Ferris State at Pittsburg State, Aug. 31. This is a big one, as the Gorillas (No. 3) and Bulldogs (No. 4) were both top-5 teams in…