# 2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game

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

## Game summary

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Harding | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| No. 1 Colorado Mines | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
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 | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 38 | 7 |

## Statistics

Team statistical comparison :
| Statistic | Harding | Colorado Mines |
| First downs | 21 | 18 |
| First downs rushing | 20 | 5 |
| First downs passing | 1 | 12 |
| First downs penalty | 0 | 1 |
| Third down efficiency | 7–11 | 7–12 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 2–2 | 0–3 |
| Total plays–net yards | 60–563 | 54–344 |
| Rushing attempts–net yards | 58–502 | 21–71 |
| Yards per rush | 8.7 | 3.4 |
| Yards passing | 46 | 270 |
| Pass completions–attempts | 2–2 | 33–24 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Punt returns–total yards | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Kickoff returns–total yards | 2–17 | 1–3 |
| Punts–average yardage | 1–36.0 | 2–41.5 |
| Fumbles–lost | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Penalties–yards | 2–17 | 2–20 |
| Time of possession | 36:10 | 23:50 |
Colorado Mines statistics :
| Bisons passing ||||||
| | C–A | Yds | TD–INT |
| Cole Keylon | 2–2 | 46 | 0–0 |
| Team | 2–2 | 46 | 0–0 |
| Bisons rushing ||||||
| | Car | Yds | TD |
| 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 | 5 |
| Bisons receiving ||||||
| | Rec | Yds | TD |
| Roland Wallace | 2 | 46 | 0 |
| Team | 2 | 46 | 0 |
Ferris State statistics :
| Orediggers passing ||||||
| | C–A | Yds | TD–INT |
| John Matocha | 24–33 | 270 | 1–1 |
| Team | 24–33 | 270 | 1–1 |
| Orediggers rushing ||||||
| | Car | Yds | TD |
| Landon Walker | 6 | 56 | 0 |
| Noah Roper | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| John Matocha | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Levi Johnson | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Team | 21 | 71 | 0 |
| Orediggers receiving ||||||
| | Rec | Yds | TD |
| 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 |