LOSSES IN BOTTOM 15 CAUSE RESHUFFLING IN DIVISION II COACHES’ POLL

WACO, TEXAS -- Five losses among teams in the bottom half of the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll caused a reshuffling of rankings after the seventh week of action. Grand Valley State still claims the top spot after a 59-7 win over Mercyhurst.

No. 2 North Dakota scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes of play to come from behind and beat Minnesota State-Mankato, 38-34, and remain undefeated on the year. North Alabama dismantled Ouachita Baptist, 40-7, and remained in the third position. No. 4 Chadron State extended its record to 6-0 after blanking Western New Mexico, 21-0, while No. 5 Valdosta State moved to 5-0 with a 33-21 win over Southern Arkansas.

Nebraska-Omaha was idle and stays in the sixth spot. No. 7 Carson-Newman beat Mars Hill, 49-28, as it prepares for a Top 25 clash against No. 12 Catawba this Saturday. Delta State remained in the eighth position after a 43-14 win over Arkansas Tech. No. 9 Northwest Missouri State scored a touchdown on fourth and one to beat then-No. 16 Pittsburg State, 37-34 in overtime, at the Fall Classic at Arrowhead. No. 10 West Texas A&M handed then-No. 12 Midwestern State is first loss of the season, in a 25-20 decision.

No. 11 California (Pa.) is 6-0 on the season after beating then-No. 18 Indiana (Pa.), 38-12. No. 12 Catawba beat then-No. 19 Newberry, 28-18, and moves up one spot in the poll, as did No. 13 Tarleton State, who defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville, 31-21, for the first time in Kingsville, Texas. No. 14 Abilene Christian handed Northeastern State a 58-7 loss in a Lone Star Conference crossover game. West Chester is up two positions to No. 15 this week after the Golden Rams beat Millersville, 42-14.

Midwestern State tumbled four spots to No. 16 after its loss to No. 10 West Texas A&M, while Tuskegee moved up three rungs to No. 17 as the Golden Tigers moved to 5-0 with a 33-10 victory over Morehouse. No. 18 Shepherd beat Charleston, 49-13, and moved to second place in the WVIAC. No. 19 Wingate beat future South Atlantic Conference member Brevard, 51-7, while No. 20 Virginia Union moved its record to 6-0 with a 30-17 win over Johnson C. Smith.

Mesa State and Coaches’ Poll newcomer Central Washington are tied at No. 21 this week. The Mavericks are 6-0 after 38-13 win over Dixie State, while CWU held on to upset then-No. 22 South Dakota in a 45-40 shootout. Pittsburg State fell seven spots to No. 23 after its loss to No. 9 Northwest Missouri State, while No. 24 Indiana (Pa.) tumbled six positions after its loss to No. 11 California (Pa.). No. 25 Tiffin beat Kentucky Wesleyan, 35-17, and reappears in the Coaches’ Poll after a three-week layoff.

Conference Breakdown: Lone Star-4 (West Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Abilene Christian, Midwestern State); Gulf South-3 (North Alabama, Valdosta State, Delta State); North Central-3 (North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Central Washington); Pennsylvania State Athletic-3 (California (Pa.), West Chester, Indiana (Pa.)); South Atlantic-3 (Carson-Newman, Catawba, Wingate); MIAA-2 (Northwest Missouri State, Pittsburg State); Rocky Mountain Athletic-2 (Chadron State, Mesa State); Central Intercollegiate Athletic-1 (Virginia Union); Great Lakes Football-1 (Tiffin); Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic-1 (Grand Valley State); Southern Intercollegiate Athletic-1 (Tuskegee); West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic-1 (Shepherd).

Head-to-Head
Four games featuring teams ranked in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll highlight this weekend’s action. The first match-up is a Top 10 tilt as No. 2 North Dakota hosts No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha. UNO has won the last three meetings, but the Sioux have the all-time series lead with a 19-16 mark. In the second Top 10 match-up, No. 5 Valdosta State plays host to No. 8 Delta State. The Statesmen ended a five-game losing streak to Valdosta State with a 35-28 win last season, but have not won in Valdosta since 2000.

The lead in the South Atlantic Conference title chase is on the line in the third Top 25 match-up as No. 12 Catawba travels to No. 7 Carson-Newman. The Eagles own the series lead by a 31-8-1 mark, but Catawba took last year’s contest, 24-22. The final Top 25 match-up is another key Lone Star Conference tilt as No. 13 Tarleton State plays host to No. 16 Midwestern State. The Texans look to stay unbeaten and keep pace with conference leader West Texas A&M, while Midwestern State will look to rebound after their first loss of the season to the previously mentioned WTAM Buffaloes.

Poll Points
Chadron State’s Danny Woodhead became college football’s all-time leading rusher while leading the Eagles to a 21-0 victory over Western New Mexico. Woodhead carried 34 times for 208 yards to increase his career rushing total to 7,441 yards, 88 more than R. J. Bowers of Grove City (Pa.) accumulated from 1997 through 2000.