GRR: Davenport
Davenport is heading to the DII national championship, having won the fall title after two exhilarating games last weekend. A ferocious second half was needed against Bloomsburg in the semifinals, but the 41-26 victory pit the Panthers against perennial fall finalist Winona.
Davenport has held Goff Rugby Report’s #1 DII ranking since the onset of the fall season, and Saturday’s 132-3 win over Slippery Rock in the Round of 32 helped the Panthers’ case for staying atop the list.
Old Mid-South Rivals Arkansas State and Davenport meet for the final game of the two teams’ fall seasons, and it has the feel of something of a final exam for the semester, too.
Notre Dame College will face off with St. Bonaventure this weekend, while Davenport University takes a weekend off before a big fall finale.
Davenport is the top-ranked team in Division II, and sometimes that spot can be a lonely place in terms of competition. But Davenport and Notre Dame College, now a DI varsity program, have shared a healthy rivalry that has helped both teams stay sharp over the years. On Saturday, however, the Panthers showed that their claws are a little sharper and banked a 26-12 win over the Falcons.