2016 NCAA Division II Football Championship Bracket
BAY CITY, Mich. -- Two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football programs will meet in the 2016 NCAA Division II Championship Quarterfinals for the first time since 2005. The No. 1 seed Grand Valley State will face-off with its West Michigan rival in No. 2 seed Ferris State for the Super Region Four Championship and a spot in the national semifinals. The game is schedule for a 1 PM kickoff next Saturday (Dec. 3) at Lubbers Stadium on the campus of Grand Valley State University.
No. 1 GVSU appears in the third round of the football playoffs for the second consecutive year after a 55-32 victory over No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce at home in Allendale. Laker quarterback Bart Williams completed 17-of-26 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, while running back Marty Carter carried the ball 33 times for 217 yards in the win. GVSU wideout Brandon Bean also caught six balls for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Lakers racked up nearly 600 yards of total offense, including 8-of-14 on third downs and 30 first downs.
Ferris State earned a 38-17 victory over visiting Colorado Mines as the Bulldogs used a big momentum swing in the final minute of the first half. Knotted up at 10-10 with one minute remaining before halftime, Trevor Bermingham connected with Shakur Sanders for a 14-yard score to give the Bulldogs a 17-10 edge. On the ensuing possession for Mines, David Churchwell picked off a Justin Dvorak pass and returned it to the Oredigger 2-yard line where Bermingham punched it in with 13 seconds remaining in the half and a 24-10 advantage. Bermingham ended the day going 19-of-30 passing for 392 yards and two TDs along with 20 carries for 44 yards and three scores. FSU wide receiver Shakur Sanders corraled eight passes for 214 yards and a touchdown as the Bulldogs amassed 509 yards of total offense, while the defensive unit forced two interceptions and a fumble.
Grand Valley State defeated Ferris State 35-23 earlier this season back on October 8th in Allendale. The two schools met last year in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs as the Lakers upended the Bulldogs by a 38-34 margin in Big Rapids.
Note: all seeds mentioned in story are regional rankings