Benedict Stays Undefeated with Strong Second Half
October 30, 2023
Tied 17-17 at half with Savannah State (Ga.), Benedict’s A’chean Durant took the second half kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and the Tigers never looked back, scoring two more times in a 38-17 victory. The win secured Benedict’s spot in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game on November 11. The Tigers are ranked No. 6 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Colorado School of Mines looked like the No. 1 team in the nation after a dominant, 42-7, victory over then-No. 9 Western Colorado. The Orediggers received 26 first-place votes and moved to 9-0 while the loss dropped the Mountaineers to No. 15. Three other first-place votes went to No. 2 Pittsburg State (Kan.), No. 3 Grand Valley State (Mich.), and new No. 5 Slippery Rock (Pa.).
For the second straight week, four new teams enter the Top 25 with three of them making their first appearance after several years. Missouri Western State was last ranked on November 11, 2013, and comes in at No. 23 while No. 24 Central Washington was last ranked on November 5, 2018. No. 25 Mars Hill (N.C.) had the longest wait. The Lions last appeared in the AFCA Top 25 on December 19, 2011, the final poll for that season.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 9 Next Game
1 Colorado School of Mines (26) 9-0 720 1 D. No. 9 Western Colorado, 42-7 Nov. 4 vs. New Mexico Highlands
2 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (1) 9-0 694 2 D. Sioux Falls (S.D.), 55-6 Nov. 4 at No. 23 Missouri Western St.
3 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) 7-1 662 3 D. Michigan Tech, 44-13 Nov. 4 at Wayne St. (Mich.)
4 Harding (Ark.) 9-0 637 4 D. Southeastern Oklahoma St., 55-0 Nov. 4 vs. East Central (Okla.)
5 Slippery Rock (Pa.) (1) 9-0 582 6 D. Clarion (Pa.), 42-14 Nov. 4 at Edinboro (Pa.)
6 Benedict (S.C.) 9-0 573 5 D. Savannah St., 38-17 Nov. 4 vs. Allen (S.C.)
7 Ferris St. (Mich.) 6-2 534 8 D. American International (Mass.), 56-0 Nov. 4 at No. 9 Davenport (Mich.)
8 Indianapolis (Ind.) 8-0 503 10 D. Upper Iowa, 35-7 Nov. 4 vs. McKendree (Ill.)
9 Davenport (Mich.) 8-0 484 11 D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 24-21 Nov. 4 vs. No. 7 Ferris St. (Mich.)
10 Minnesota St. 8-1 437 13 D. Southwest Minnesota St., 30-12 Nov. 4 at Winona St. (Minn.)
11 Central Missouri 8-1 406 15 D. Missouri Southern St., 42-21 Nov. 4 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.)
12 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 8-1 399 14 D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 49-28 Nov. 4 vs. Oklahoma Baptist
13 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 7-1 353 16t D. No. 25 Minnesota-Duluth, 38-31 Nov. 4 vs. Minnesota St.-Moorhead
14 Delta St. (Miss.) 7-1 322 16t Idle Nov. 4 at West Georgia
15 Western Colorado 8-1 321 9 Lost to No. 1 Colorado School of Mines, 42-7 Nov. 4 vs. Fort Lewis (Colo.)
16 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 8-1 291 7 Lost to Wingate (N.C.), 34-30 Nov. 4 vs. Catawba (N.C.)
17 Tiffin (Ohio) 9-0 282 19 D. Walsh (Ohio), 40-13 Nov. 4 at Ohio Dominican
18 Texas-Permian Basin 8-1 228 22 D. Western Oregon, 28-16 Nov. 4 at Western New Mexico
19 Virginia Union 8-1 210 23 D. Bluefield St. (W.Va.), 57-12 Nov. 4 vs. No. 22 Virginia St.
20 Valdosta St. (Ga.) 8-1 207 24 D. No. 18 West Florida, 31-28 Nov. 4 at West Alabama
21 Augustana (S.D.) 8-1 183 12 Lost to Wayne St. (Neb.), 14-12 Nov. 4 at Northern St. (S.D.)
22 Virginia St. 8-1 86 NR D. Lincoln (Pa.), 75-25 Nov. 4 at No. 19 Virginia Union
23 Missouri Western St. 7-2 69 NR D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 44-0 Nov. 4 vs. No. 2 Pittsburg St. (Kan.)
24 Central Washington 7-2 54 NR D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 21-17 Nov. 11 at No. 18 Texas-Permian Basin
25 Mars Hill (N.C.) 7-1 43 NR D. Virginia-Wise, 49-24 Nov. 4 at Tusculum (Tenn.)
Dropped Out: West Florida (18), Shepherd (W.Va.) (20), Truman St. (Mo.) (21), Minnesota-Duluth (25)
Others Receiving Votes: West Florida, 33; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 30; Minnesota-Duluth, 24; Shepherd (W.Va.), 19; Henderson St. (Ark.), 10; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 8; Angelo St. (Tex.), 7; Southern Arkansas, 5; Truman St. (Mo.), 4; Charleston (W.Va.), 2; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 2; New Haven (Conn.), 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.
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Tied 17-17 at half with Savannah State (Ga.), Benedict’s A’chean Durant took the second half kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and the Tigers never looked back, scoring two more times in a 38-17 victory. The win secured Benedict’s spot in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game on November 11. The Tigers are ranked No. 6 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Colorado School of Mines looked like the No. 1 team in the nation after a dominant, 42-7, victory over then-No. 9 Western Colorado. The Orediggers received 26 first-place votes and moved to 9-0 while the loss dropped the Mountaineers to No. 15. Three other first-place votes went to No. 2 Pittsburg State (Kan.), No. 3 Grand Valley State (Mich.), and new No. 5 Slippery Rock (Pa.).
For the second straight week, four new teams enter the Top 25 with three of them making their first appearance after several years. Missouri Western State was last ranked on November 11, 2013, and comes in at No. 23 while No. 24 Central Washington was last ranked on November 5, 2018. No. 25 Mars Hill (N.C.) had the longest wait. The Lions last appeared in the AFCA Top 25 on December 19, 2011, the final poll for that season.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 9 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado School of Mines (26) | 9-0 | 720 | 1 | D. No. 9 Western Colorado, 42-7 | Nov. 4 vs. New Mexico Highlands | |
| 2 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (1) | 9-0 | 694 | 2 | D. Sioux Falls (S.D.), 55-6 | Nov. 4 at No. 23 Missouri Western St. | |
| 3 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) | 7-1 | 662 | 3 | D. Michigan Tech, 44-13 | Nov. 4 at Wayne St. (Mich.) | |
| 4 | Harding (Ark.) | 9-0 | 637 | 4 | D. Southeastern Oklahoma St., 55-0 | Nov. 4 vs. East Central (Okla.) | |
| 5 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) (1) | 9-0 | 582 | 6 | D. Clarion (Pa.), 42-14 | Nov. 4 at Edinboro (Pa.) | |
| 6 | Benedict (S.C.) | 9-0 | 573 | 5 | D. Savannah St., 38-17 | Nov. 4 vs. Allen (S.C.) | |
| 7 | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 6-2 | 534 | 8 | D. American International (Mass.), 56-0 | Nov. 4 at No. 9 Davenport (Mich.) | |
| 8 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 8-0 | 503 | 10 | D. Upper Iowa, 35-7 | Nov. 4 vs. McKendree (Ill.) | |
| 9 | Davenport (Mich.) | 8-0 | 484 | 11 | D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 24-21 | Nov. 4 vs. No. 7 Ferris St. (Mich.) | |
| 10 | Minnesota St. | 8-1 | 437 | 13 | D. Southwest Minnesota St., 30-12 | Nov. 4 at Winona St. (Minn.) | |
| 11 | Central Missouri | 8-1 | 406 | 15 | D. Missouri Southern St., 42-21 | Nov. 4 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | |
| 12 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 8-1 | 399 | 14 | D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 49-28 | Nov. 4 vs. Oklahoma Baptist | |
| 13 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 7-1 | 353 | 16t | D. No. 25 Minnesota-Duluth, 38-31 | Nov. 4 vs. Minnesota St.-Moorhead | |
| 14 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 7-1 | 322 | 16t | Idle | Nov. 4 at West Georgia | |
| 15 | Western Colorado | 8-1 | 321 | 9 | Lost to No. 1 Colorado School of Mines, 42-7 | Nov. 4 vs. Fort Lewis (Colo.) | |
| 16 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 8-1 | 291 | 7 | Lost to Wingate (N.C.), 34-30 | Nov. 4 vs. Catawba (N.C.) | |
| 17 | Tiffin (Ohio) | 9-0 | 282 | 19 | D. Walsh (Ohio), 40-13 | Nov. 4 at Ohio Dominican | |
| 18 | Texas-Permian Basin | 8-1 | 228 | 22 | D. Western Oregon, 28-16 | Nov. 4 at Western New Mexico | |
| 19 | Virginia Union | 8-1 | 210 | 23 | D. Bluefield St. (W.Va.), 57-12 | Nov. 4 vs. No. 22 Virginia St. | |
| 20 | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 8-1 | 207 | 24 | D. No. 18 West Florida, 31-28 | Nov. 4 at West Alabama | |
| 21 | Augustana (S.D.) | 8-1 | 183 | 12 | Lost to Wayne St. (Neb.), 14-12 | Nov. 4 at Northern St. (S.D.) | |
| 22 | Virginia St. | 8-1 | 86 | NR | D. Lincoln (Pa.), 75-25 | Nov. 4 at No. 19 Virginia Union | |
| 23 | Missouri Western St. | 7-2 | 69 | NR | D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 44-0 | Nov. 4 vs. No. 2 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | |
| 24 | Central Washington | 7-2 | 54 | NR | D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 21-17 | Nov. 11 at No. 18 Texas-Permian Basin | |
| 25 | Mars Hill (N.C.) | 7-1 | 43 | NR | D. Virginia-Wise, 49-24 | Nov. 4 at Tusculum (Tenn.) |
Dropped Out: West Florida (18), Shepherd (W.Va.) (20), Truman St. (Mo.) (21), Minnesota-Duluth (25)
Others Receiving Votes: West Florida, 33; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 30; Minnesota-Duluth, 24; Shepherd (W.Va.), 19; Henderson St. (Ark.), 10; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 8; Angelo St. (Tex.), 7; Southern Arkansas, 5; Truman St. (Mo.), 4; Charleston (W.Va.), 2; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 2; New Haven (Conn.), 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.
