MIAA teams return to DII football. More DII cross country champs crowned. Here’s

There were plenty of thrills on Halloween around the world of DII sports. Nebraska-Kearney prevailed in its DII football season opener against Pittsburg State in a game that came down to the wire. Two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams found themselves in a second-half shootout, with Chadron State coming out on top, 37-22. And several cross country programs maintained their dominance as two more conference’s championship meets were decided.

In case you missed it, here’s what went down as well as a look ahead to a monster weekend in DII football. 

Nebraska-Kearney, Chadron State pick up DII football wins

Nebraska-Kearney 31, Pittsburgh State 26
UNK and Pittsburg State faced off in the first MIAA football action of the season. The Lopers ended a 12-game drought against the Gorillas in a thriller that came down to Pittsburg State’s final drive. We watched from start to finish and brought you an instant reaction for stats, highlights and takeaways from the MIAA opener. You can read more by clicking the link below:

GO DEEPER: 3 things to know about the MIAA football opener 

Chadron State 33, South Dakota Mines 22
This was a rather ho-hum game for the first 30 minutes. After a scoreless first quarter, the Eagles entered halftime with a 9-3 lead. Then the fireworks began as the two teams combined for 47 points and 427 yards in the second half. Chadron State’s running backs Jalen Starks and Christopher Busby found the end zone four times to get the Eagles over .500 on the season and a perfect 2-0 against the Hardrockers.

Several other DII teams were in action in cross-division matchups. Follow our weekly scoreboard for all the action. 

A huge Week 7 awaits with the most DII football matchups of the season slated to play. Let’s take a look at the weekend ahead. 

Saturday, Nov. 7 (all times Eastern)
Western Colorado at Colorado Mesa | 3 p.m. 
The Mountaineers get their first DII football matchup after falling to FCS Stephen F. Austin in their 2020 opener on Saturday. Colorado Mesa looks to get back on track after a week off. The last time the Mavericks took the field, they dropped the first game of the Tremaine Jackson head coaching era. Running back Jesse Rodriquez has been an absolute machine for Mesa, scoring in each of his three games and already amassing 415 yards on the ground.

South Dakota Mines at Black Hills State | 3 p.m.
Black Hills State hasn’t played in two weeks after canceling its October 22 match against Chadron State due to coronavirus concerns, so this game is a question mark. If it does get played, it will be the 136th Black Hills Brawl. Mines took the first meeting earlier this season as Hardrockers star running back Ahmad Lewis totaled 236 yards and two touchdowns. It is the oldest played rivalry in DII football.

Chadron State at Nebraska-Kearney | 4 p.m.
This week’s winners meet up in an exciting inter-conference showdown as RMAC and MIAA teams collide. The Eagles will have to find an answer for…