TWO UPSETS IN TOP 15 CAUSE SHAKEUP IN DIVISION II COACHES’ POLL

WACO, TEX.-- Nebraska-Omaha upset Northwest Missouri State and California (Pa.) beat Bloomsburg to cause a reshuffling of teams in week three of the 2007 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll.

No. 1 Grand Valley State’s game against Ashland was cancelled due to lighting, but the Lakers still hold onto the top spot after receiving 26 of a possible 28 first place votes. North Dakota takes over as No. 2 this week after posting a 37-10 win over Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) member, Southern Utah. No. 3 North Alabama started their season off with a 43-24 win over Tusculum. No. 4 Valdosta State blanked Fort Valley State, 69-0, while No. 5 Chadron State pounded FCS member Northern Colorado, 31-0.

Pittsburg State and Delta State were both idle this week, but both teams move up one spot to No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Nebraska-Omaha jumps three positions to No. 8 after its come-from-behind win over then-No. 2 Northwest Missouri State, 25-21. No. 9 Carson-Newman and No. 10 Shepherd were idle and stay in their same positions from last week.

Northwest Missouri State falls nine places to No. 11 after its loss to Nebraska-Omaha. No. 12 Newberry is up two spots after beating Bowie State, 41-7, while Northwood stays at No. 13 after its 21-17 win over Findlay. West Texas A&M dismantled Adams State, 63-20, and moves up two spots to No. 14. California (Pa.) beat then-No. 12 Bloomsburg, 31-13, for the first time since 1984 and jumped five spots to No. 15.

Midwestern State handed Southwestern Oklahoma State its first loss of the season, 47-10, and moved up to No. 16. In another Lone Star Conference matchup, Tarleton State upset then-No. 16 Southeastern Oklahoma State, 41-17, and jumped up five places to No. 17. No. 18 Catawba moved its record to 3-0 this season with a 46-7 victory over Livingstone. South Dakota rebounded from its week one loss to beat Winona State, 49-28, and moved to No. 19 this week. Tiffin rose three spots to No. 20 after beating Glenville State, 34-14.

Abilene Christian handed FCS member, Texas State, a 45-27 loss and jumped from No. 24 to No. 21 in the Coaches’ Poll. No. 22 Southern Connecticut State also moved up three spots after its 31-24 win over conference rival, Bentley. West Chester fell from No. 15 to No. 23 this week after its 41-14 loss to Delaware. Wingate jumps into the poll for the first time this year after the Bulldogs moved to 3-0 with a 33-30 win over FCS member, Davidson. Bloomsburg fell 13 spots to No. 25 after its loss to California (Pa.).

Conference Breakdown: The Lone Star Conference (West Texas A&M, Midwestern State, Tarleton State, Abilene Christian) and South Atlantic Conference (Carson-Newman, Newberry, Catawba, Wingate) have the most representatives in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll with four. Other conferences represented include: Gulf South-3 (North Alabama, Valdosta State, Delta State); North Central-3 (North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, South Dakota); Pennsylvania State Athletic-3 (California (Pa.), West Chester, Bloomsburg); Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic-2 (Grand Valley State, Northwood); MIAA-2 (Pittsburg State, Northwest Missouri State); Great Lakes Football-1 (Tiffin); Northeast 10-1 (Southern Connecticut State); Rocky Mountain Athletic-1 (Chadron State); West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic-1 (Shepherd).

Poll Points
Midwestern State quarterback Daniel Polk threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more to lead the Mustangs to a 47-10 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State. Polk became MSU’s all-time leader in touchdown’s accounted for at 56 ... Senior runningback Alex Haynes rushed for a school record 255 yards to lead Newberry to a 41-7 victory over Bowie State ... AFCA All-American Weston Dressler became North Dakota’s all-time leader in career receiving yards, surpassing Ron Gustafson, who had 2,281 yards from 1971-74. Dressler, who caught five passes for 79 yards, currently has 2,286 career receiving yards ... Valdosta State defeated Fort Valley State, 69-0, marking the largest margin of victory in VSU history while the 69 points were just one shy of the school record of 70, set in a 70-12 win over Delta State in 2001. The shutout marked the 17th time in school history, and the first time since 2003, that the Blazers blanked an opponent ... West Texas A&M quarterback Keith Null connected on 27-of-42 passes for a on a career-high 379 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Buffs to a 63-20 victory over Adams State ... South Dakota earned its 20th straight home victory in the Coyotes’ 49-28 win over Winona State ... Wingate tailback Nelson Woods rushed for a career-high 184 yards on 28 carries, and scored two touchdowns, in the Bulldogs’ 33-30 win over Davidson ... Southern Connecticut State runningback Brandon Toles recorded his 13th straight 100-yard rushing game as he totaled 161 yards on 21 carries in the Owls’ 31-24 victory over Bentley.