Findlay 10-0 for first time since 1997
November 10, 2025
It took a stout defensive performance, but Findlay moved to 10-0 for the first time since 1997 with a hard-fought 14-3 victory over then-No. 15 Ashland. The Oilers scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, then held the Eagles offense to only one field goal in the third quarter to take the victory. It was Findlay’s first win against a top 25 opponent since they moved to NCAA Division II, and it at least guarantees them a share of Great Midwest Athletic Conference title. The Oilers can win the title outright with a victory against Tiffin on Saturday. Findlay moves up to No. 8 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Ashland falls five spots to No. 20.
The top four teams remained the same with Ferris State still on top despite going to two overtimes to beat Saginaw Valley State, 51-45. The changes come from fifth on down as seven top 25 teams got beat, causing a big shakeup in the poll. Then-No. 5 Augustana (S.D.) was blown out by Minnesota State, 45-21, and dropped to No. 13, one spot ahead of the Mavericks, who moved up two spots to No. 14. Western Colorado lost their second straight game, this time to newly ranked and No. 22 Chadron State, 27-24 in overtime, dropping the Mountaineers seven places to No. 18.
Then-No. 20 Slippery Rock lost to Edinboro, 38-8, and dropped out of the top 25, as did then-No. 21 Delta State, who got beat by Valdosta State, 27-23. Then-No. 22 Angelo State dropped its fourth contest of the season, this time to Western Oregon, 31-7, allowing the Wolves to enter at No. 24 while the Rams fell out. Then-No. 24 Assumption also fell out of the top 25 after losing the de facto Northeast-10 championship game to Bentley, 20-17.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 11 Next Game
1 Ferris St. (29) 10-0 773 1 D. Saginaw Valley St., 51-45 2OT Nov. 15 at Davenport
2 Harding (2) 10-0 745 2 D. Southern Nazarene, 52-14 Nov. 15 at Arkansas Tech
3 West Florida 9-0 706 3 Idle Nov. 15 vs. Valdosta St.
4 Kutztown 10-0 687 4 D. Bloomsburg, 35-27 Nov. 15 vs. Indiana (Pa.)
5 Colorado St.-Pueblo 9-1 635 6 D. Colorado School of Mines, 41-34 OT Nov. 15 vs. No. 22 Chadron St.
6 Central Washington 9-1 621 7 D. Sul Ross St., 73-7 Nov. 15 at No. 24 Western Oregon
7 Pittsburg St. 8-2 564 8 D. Central Missouri, 48-35 Nov. 15 vs. No. 12 Northwest Missouri St.
8 Findlay 10-0 562 9 D. No. 15 Ashland, 14-3 Nov. 15 vs. Tiffin
9 Virginia Union 9-1 495 10 D. Virginia St., 14-3 Nov. 15 vs. No. 16 Johnson C. Smith
10 UIndy 9-1 468 12 D. Southwest Baptist, 66-21 Nov. 15 vs. Upper Iowa
11 Minnesota-Duluth 9-1 441 13 D. Bemidji St., 42-28 Nov. 15 at Minot St.
12 Northwest Missouri St. 9-1 437 14 D. Missouri Western St., 38-7 Nov. 15 vs. No. 7 Pittsburg St.
13 Augustana (S.D.) 9-1 402 5 Lost to No. 16 Minnesota St., 45-21 Nov. 15 at Wayne St. (Neb.)
14 Minnesota St. 8-2 388 16 D. No. 5 Augustana (S.D.), 45-21 Nov. 15 vs. MSU Moorhead
15 UT Permian Basin 8-2 326 17 D. Eastern New Mexico, 47-34 Nov. 15 vs. Sul Ross St.
16 Johnson C. Smith 9-1 300 18 D. Livingstone, 26-21 Nov. 15 vs. No. 9 Virginia Union
17 Albany St. 9-1 269 19 D. Fort Valley St., 48-3 Nov. 15 vs. No. 23 Benedict
18 Western Colorado 8-2 232 11 Lost to Chadron St., 27-24 OT Nov. 15 vs. Colorado Mesa
19 Newberry 9-1 187 25 D. Carson-Newman, 28-21 Regular Season Complete
20 Ashland 8-2 162 15 Lost to No. 9 Findlay, 14-3 Nov. 15 vs. Lake Erie
21 Grand Valley St. 6-3 145 23 D. Michigan Tech, 18-15 Nov. 15 vs. Roosevelt
22 Chadron St. 8-2 138 NR D. No. 11 Western Colorado, 27-24 OT Nov. 15 at No. 5 Colorado St.-Pueblo
23 Benedict 9-1 111 NR D. Savannah St., 16-13 2OT Nov. 15 at No. 17 Albany St.
24 Western Oregon 8-2 88 NR D. No. 22 Angelo St., 31-7 Nov. 15 vs. No. 6 Central Washington
25 UNC Pembroke 8-2 63 NR Idle Nov. 15 at North Greenville
Dropped Out: Slippery Rock (20), Delta St. (21), Angelo St. (22), Assumption (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana (Pa.), 32; Upper Iowa, 28; Slippery Rock, 16; Delta St., 14; Frostburg St., 14; California (Pa.), 10; Angelo St., 4; West Alabama, 4; Wingate, 4; Assumption, 3; Catawba, 1.
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It took a stout defensive performance, but Findlay moved to 10-0 for the first time since 1997 with a hard-fought 14-3 victory over then-No. 15 Ashland. The Oilers scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, then held the Eagles offense to only one field goal in the third quarter to take the victory. It was Findlay’s first win against a top 25 opponent since they moved to NCAA Division II, and it at least guarantees them a share of Great Midwest Athletic Conference title. The Oilers can win the title outright with a victory against Tiffin on Saturday. Findlay moves up to No. 8 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Ashland falls five spots to No. 20.
The top four teams remained the same with Ferris State still on top despite going to two overtimes to beat Saginaw Valley State, 51-45. The changes come from fifth on down as seven top 25 teams got beat, causing a big shakeup in the poll. Then-No. 5 Augustana (S.D.) was blown out by Minnesota State, 45-21, and dropped to No. 13, one spot ahead of the Mavericks, who moved up two spots to No. 14. Western Colorado lost their second straight game, this time to newly ranked and No. 22 Chadron State, 27-24 in overtime, dropping the Mountaineers seven places to No. 18.
Then-No. 20 Slippery Rock lost to Edinboro, 38-8, and dropped out of the top 25, as did then-No. 21 Delta State, who got beat by Valdosta State, 27-23. Then-No. 22 Angelo State dropped its fourth contest of the season, this time to Western Oregon, 31-7, allowing the Wolves to enter at No. 24 while the Rams fell out. Then-No. 24 Assumption also fell out of the top 25 after losing the de facto Northeast-10 championship game to Bentley, 20-17.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 11 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (29) | 10-0 | 773 | 1 | D. Saginaw Valley St., 51-45 2OT | Nov. 15 at Davenport | |
| 2 | Harding (2) | 10-0 | 745 | 2 | D. Southern Nazarene, 52-14 | Nov. 15 at Arkansas Tech | |
| 3 | West Florida | 9-0 | 706 | 3 | Idle | Nov. 15 vs. Valdosta St. | |
| 4 | Kutztown | 10-0 | 687 | 4 | D. Bloomsburg, 35-27 | Nov. 15 vs. Indiana (Pa.) | |
| 5 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 9-1 | 635 | 6 | D. Colorado School of Mines, 41-34 OT | Nov. 15 vs. No. 22 Chadron St. | |
| 6 | Central Washington | 9-1 | 621 | 7 | D. Sul Ross St., 73-7 | Nov. 15 at No. 24 Western Oregon | |
| 7 | Pittsburg St. | 8-2 | 564 | 8 | D. Central Missouri, 48-35 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 12 Northwest Missouri St. | |
| 8 | Findlay | 10-0 | 562 | 9 | D. No. 15 Ashland, 14-3 | Nov. 15 vs. Tiffin | |
| 9 | Virginia Union | 9-1 | 495 | 10 | D. Virginia St., 14-3 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 16 Johnson C. Smith | |
| 10 | UIndy | 9-1 | 468 | 12 | D. Southwest Baptist, 66-21 | Nov. 15 vs. Upper Iowa | |
| 11 | Minnesota-Duluth | 9-1 | 441 | 13 | D. Bemidji St., 42-28 | Nov. 15 at Minot St. | |
| 12 | Northwest Missouri St. | 9-1 | 437 | 14 | D. Missouri Western St., 38-7 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 7 Pittsburg St. | |
| 13 | Augustana (S.D.) | 9-1 | 402 | 5 | Lost to No. 16 Minnesota St., 45-21 | Nov. 15 at Wayne St. (Neb.) | |
| 14 | Minnesota St. | 8-2 | 388 | 16 | D. No. 5 Augustana (S.D.), 45-21 | Nov. 15 vs. MSU Moorhead | |
| 15 | UT Permian Basin | 8-2 | 326 | 17 | D. Eastern New Mexico, 47-34 | Nov. 15 vs. Sul Ross St. | |
| 16 | Johnson C. Smith | 9-1 | 300 | 18 | D. Livingstone, 26-21 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 9 Virginia Union | |
| 17 | Albany St. | 9-1 | 269 | 19 | D. Fort Valley St., 48-3 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 23 Benedict | |
| 18 | Western Colorado | 8-2 | 232 | 11 | Lost to Chadron St., 27-24 OT | Nov. 15 vs. Colorado Mesa | |
| 19 | Newberry | 9-1 | 187 | 25 | D. Carson-Newman, 28-21 | Regular Season Complete | |
| 20 | Ashland | 8-2 | 162 | 15 | Lost to No. 9 Findlay, 14-3 | Nov. 15 vs. Lake Erie | |
| 21 | Grand Valley St. | 6-3 | 145 | 23 | D. Michigan Tech, 18-15 | Nov. 15 vs. Roosevelt | |
| 22 | Chadron St. | 8-2 | 138 | NR | D. No. 11 Western Colorado, 27-24 OT | Nov. 15 at No. 5 Colorado St.-Pueblo | |
| 23 | Benedict | 9-1 | 111 | NR | D. Savannah St., 16-13 2OT | Nov. 15 at No. 17 Albany St. | |
| 24 | Western Oregon | 8-2 | 88 | NR | D. No. 22 Angelo St., 31-7 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 6 Central Washington | |
| 25 | UNC Pembroke | 8-2 | 63 | NR | Idle | Nov. 15 at North Greenville |
Dropped Out: Slippery Rock (20), Delta St. (21), Angelo St. (22), Assumption (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana (Pa.), 32; Upper Iowa, 28; Slippery Rock, 16; Delta St., 14; Frostburg St., 14; California (Pa.), 10; Angelo St., 4; West Alabama, 4; Wingate, 4; Assumption, 3; Catawba, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
