UNC-Pembroke's ratings gap with Chowan runs deeper than two wins

Four wins and six wins looks like a one-game difference, but Versus has this one as anything but close. Chowan sits at No. 81 in Division II while UNC-Pembroke checks in at No. 49, a 32-spot gap that shows up everywhere in the underlying grades: the Braves of Pembroke carry an A- on offense and a B+ on defense, while Chowan grades out at C and C+ on those same units.

UNC-Pembroke has been rolling, outscoring its last five opponents by 24 points a game while going 4-1 over that stretch, and its offensive rank of 36 and defensive rank of 41 both sit comfortably inside Division II's upper third. Chowan's own profile is thinner than its 4-3 record suggests, with an offensive rank of 106, a defensive rank of 90 and a strength of schedule rank of 110 that is the softest of the two by a wide margin.

Chowan does have a signature win this year, an upset of a North Greenville team ranked 53 spots above it, and it has shown it can be noticeably better on its own field this season. None of that help applies this week, with Chowan traveling to Pembroke for a Conference Carolinas game that counts in the standings. The last meeting between these two, in October 2025, went 42-10 in UNC-Pembroke's favor, and Versus projects a similar outcome this time, with the Braves of Pembroke favored 35-17.