Minnesota State Mankato to face reigning champs in Division II playoffs

The Minnesota State Mankato football team has reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs for the second consecutive season by repeating their approach from 2024 — with two victories on the road over ranked opponents.

In 2024, the Mavericks won at Augustana and CSU Pueblo to reach the quarterfinals. The Mavericks started this year’s playoffs with a 37-14 victory at No. 12 Findlay (Ohio). They followed up that win with a 35-27 victory at No. 8 Indianapolis.

In a news conference following the victory over Indianapolis, Mavericks coach Todd Hoffner said, “We had numerous players who could have been player of the game. Lot of great things happened today. I’m really proud of our coaches for what they did. Defense was out there all day and came up big against an explosive UIndy offense. Very tough to hold them down, and them getting 27 is [a] pretty admirable day for us defensively.”

Unlike last year, where the Mavericks played a home game in the quarterfinals, this year the Mavericks are on the road again as they travel to Big Rapids, Mich., to face defending national champion Ferris State at noon Saturday.

It will be just the second meeting between the programs. Ferris State defeated the Mavericks 42-25 in 2018 in Mankato in the Division II semifinals.

Ferris State, which has won the national title three times in the past four seasons, brings a 27-game winning streak into Saturday’s game. The Bulldogs, who haven’t lost since losing their 2024 season opener to Pittsburg State, defeated Valdosta State 49-14 in last year’s championship game. Valdosta defeated the Mavericks 35-21 in the semifinals.

The Bulldogs, who have reached the quarterfinals eight times in the past nine seasons, have a 27-game home winning streak.

The MIAC champion Royals (11-0), who had a first-round bye, defeated Coe 51-26 last weekend at home to advance.

Wisconsin-Platteville (9-2), one of three teams that tied for second in the WIAC, also had a first-round bye. The Pioneers defeated Alma 24-7 at home last weekend to advance.

The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the quarterfinals on Dec. 13 and face the winner of the North Central (Ill.)/Wisconsin-La Crosse contest. North Central is the defending D-III national champion.

WIAC champion Wisconsin-River Falls, in the D-III playoffs for the first time since 1996, will play host to MIAC runner-up St. John’s on Saturday in the third round.

The Falcons (10-1), who had a first-round bye, defeated Chapman 58-7 at home last weekend to advance. The win, which gave the Falcons 10 victories in a season for the first time, was just their second postseason victory and first since 1995.