Good luck trying to figure out D2 football in North Carolina so far this season. It has been an exciting ride for sure, but an unpredictable roller coaster at the same time.
Wingate was picked to win the South Atlantic Conference, and the Bulldogs already have three losses – and may already be in danger of losing out on the playoffs. Lenoir-Rhyne blasted Virginia Union on opening night but lost two of its next three games.
UNC Pembroke beat No. 9 Valdosta State 44-41 but lost 10-7 to a Fayetteville State squad that got beat by Valdosta 38-9.Mars Hill was picked last among North Carolina’s four teams in the SAC but they’re the only undefeated D2 program in the state right now with league wins over Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne.
A roller coaster indeed.
So here we are at Week 4 of the North Carolina D2 football season with several crucial games on deck that could further sort out the conference picture in the CIAA and South Atlantic. Here are the matchups and what we’re watching today. As games start, we’ll fill in scores, and add notes and observations once the action wraps up.
🔗 Jump To: Today’s D2 Games | Live Scoreboard | What We’re Watching Today
🏆 More Scores: Full North Carolina College Scoreboard
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📅 North Carolina D2 Football Today | Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
🔥CIAA Football Games Today
Bowie State 34, Elizabeth City State 23 – FINAL
Records: Bowie State 1-3 | ECSU 0-4
Elizabeth City State took a 23-21 lead with 7:50 to play in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Josef Manley to Shamar Sutton. But the Vikes never scored again, while Bowie State returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown (John Thompson) and got a 29-yard rushing TD from Maximus Jones.
Shaw 28, Livingstone 27 – FINAL (OT)
Records: Livingstone 2-3 | Shaw 4-1
Livingstone scored first in overtime on a 1-yard run from Maliq Staten and tacked on a Jason Zapata extra point. Shaw answered when Alexander Marsh found Jeffrey McDonald for a touchdown. Shaw opted to go for two and the win, and Fabian Diggs paid it off with a two-point conversion run. Trey Thorpe rushed for 120 yards and a TD for the Bears.
Virginia Union 14, Fayetteville State 0 – FINAL
Records: Virginia Union 4-1 | Fayetteville State 2-3
In a rematch of the 2023 CIAA title game, VUU kept the Broncos off the scoreboard to win their fourth game in a row. Fayetteville did its part on the defensive end but only managed 93 yards of total offense, went 2-of-13 on third down and had to punt nine times. Terrell Ford had 11 tackles for FSU.
Virginia State 49, Winston-Salem State 19 – FINAL
Records: WSSU 0-5 | Virginia State 4-1
Tory Woodbury’s first season as the Rams’ head coach continues to be tough-sledding. WSSU earned a season high in points but struggling to contain Virginia State, which finished with 492 yards of total offense. Chancellor Smith had eight solo tackles and 13 total stops for WSSU.
Also Today: Lincoln (PA) 20, Bluefield State 7 (Final).
⚡South Atlantic Conference Games Today
Mars Hill 10, Carson-Newman 6 – FINAL
Records: Mars Hill 4-0 | Carson-Newman 4-1
Mars Hill remained the only unbeaten Division II team in North Carolina, grinding out a 10-6 road victory over previously unbeaten Carson-Newman. The Lions’ stifling defense held Carson-Newman to 178 rushing yards and no passing yards. The Eagles, ranked No. 16 had been averaging 333.8 yards per game on the ground.
Carson-Newman led 6-3 at the half. The winning points for Mars Hill came courtesy of a 5-yard TD pass from Lukas Kachilo-to-Charlie Guinade with 14:53 left in the fourth. Guinade made 12 catches for 167 yards.
Anderson 42, Lenoir-Rhyne 22 – FINAL
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne 2-3 | Anderson 4-1
Location: Anderson, SC
Despite a 331-yard passing day from Wells Bettenhausen and two TD runs from Eddie Clark, the Bears lost for the third time this season. Anderson quarterback Wilson Edwards threw four TD passes in the winning effort, finishing with 353 yards through the air.
Mikel McClellan caught 11 passes for 132 yards, his third time over 100 yards for the season. But miscues nullified some solid individual efforts. Lenoir-Rhyne turned the ball over twice.
“This was a disappointing performance today,” head coach Doug Socha said afterwards. “We had a solid week of practice but there were too many errors. Big plays on our defense and inconsistent execution on offense.”
Tusculum 27, Catawba 22 – FINAL
Records: Catawba 2-3 | Tusculum 3-2
The Indians turned a 21-3 deficit into a 22-21 lead, getting touchdowns on a 53-yard blocked field goal return by DeWayne Gissendanner and a punt return by Drew Searls. But Tusculum answered with a 15-yard TD run by Cam Ferguson with 4:22 left to steal the game back.
Wingate 41, UVA Wise 27 – FINAL
Records: UVA Wise 0-5 | Wingate 2-3
Wingate rallied from deficits of 20-7 and 27-14 in the second half to get back into the win column after two conference defeats. Jason Willis rushed for 177 yards and scored touchdowns on runs of 38, 21, 11 and 54 yards. Three of his scores came in the second half.
Also Today: Newberry 28, Emory & Henry 14 (Final).
💪 Conference Carolinas Games Today
UNC Pembroke 24, Monroe 6 – FINAL
Records: Monroe 1-3 | UNC Pembroke 4-1
The Braves only managed 38 offensive plays against the former JUCO program, which moved up to D2 this season. Jake Davids gave UNCP a 7-6 halftime lead with a 45-yard touchdown run. Britton Pascoe sealed it with a 52-yard fumble recovery score in the fourth quarter. Fred Giles made eight tackles for the Braves, with three tackles-for-loss and a sack.
West Alabama 17, Barton 7 – FINAL
Records: West Alabama 4-1 | Barton 1-4
Barton’s points came in the third quarter on a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown by Cameron Royal. The Bulldogs struggled to move the ball against the West Alabama defense, earning just 48 rushing yards and 121 total yards. Barton was 1-of-13 on third down and missed two field goals. Kylyn Brown had 14 tackles for the Bulldogs and forced a fumble.
Also Today: North Greenville 41, Ferrum 10 (Final), Shorter 31, Erskine 24
📊 Live Scoreboard: North Carolina D2 Football
Games for Saturday, Sept. 26 | Refresh your browser for the latest updates
| AWAY | SCORE | HOME | SCORE | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIAA TEAMS | ||||
| Bluefield State | 14 |  WSSU | 43 | FINAL |
| Virginia State | 76 |  Shaw | 13 | FINAL |
 ECSU | 7 |  Fayetteville St | 43 | FINAL |
| Lincoln (PA) | 6 |  JCSU | 40 | FINAL |
 Livingstone | Idle | Next: vs ECSU, Saturday, Oct. 24 | ||
| SOUTH ATLANTIC | ||||
| Newberry | 20 |  Mars Hill | 7 | FINAL |
 Catawba | 37 | Anderson | 33 | FINAL |
 Wingate | 20 |  Lenoir-Rhyne | 17 | FINAL |
| CONF CAROLINAS | ||||
| Erskine | 7 |  Chowan | 37 | FINAL |
 UNCP | 59 |  Barton | 0 | FINAL |
What We’re Watching Today
🔥 Game of the Day: Mars Hill at Carson-Newman
Two unbeatens. Both 2-0 in conference play. Carson-Newman just rushed for 500 yards in a 42-7 win over UVA Wise. Mars Hill, meanwhile, held Lenoir-Rhyne to 16 net rushing yards, had seven sacks and won 15-7. The winner is sitting pretty in the SAC standings heading into October.
👀 CIAA game to watch: Virginia Union at Fayetteville State
The CIAA expanded championship weekend from two to four teams for 2026. Durham will now host a league title game and a third-place contest in mid-November. VUU vs. Fayetteville State was the actual CIAA championship game in 2023, and this year’s head-to-head could play a big role in determining who will be slotted where for that final conference weekend in Durham.,
📈 Can UNCP build on the upset?
The Braves just beat No. 9 Valdosta State 44-41. Now comes the classic danger after a huge win: taking care of business against Monroe, which is moving into Division II this season after years as a NJCAA Division I (junior college) powerhouse.
🐻 Is Shaw for real?
Shaw might be the most improved Division II team in North Carolina. The Bears are 3-1 and have won three straight under coach Lamar Manigo. They’ve done it with an offense averaging 31.5 points and more than 400 yards per game, including a rushing attack led by Fabian Diggs and Trey Thorpe.
Livingstone should provide an interesting test. The Blue Bears have won two straight and have shown a knack for turning games into physical, grind-it-out affairs. Both teams enter Saturday 1-1 in CIAA play, making this an early opportunity for one of them to establish itself in the conference race.
🚨 Desperation time for Wingate?
At 1-3, this is becoming a must-win type of afternoon against 0-4 UVA Wise. Wingate likely will have to win out and hope for help to contend for a post-season spot. This could be a good weekend to build momentum toward the stretch run.
