Colorado Mines Rolls Into D2 Playoffs at No. 1
November 13, 2023
The number one team in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll is rolling. Colorado School of Mines concluded the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record after a dominant, 82-0, performance over Fort Lewis (Colo.). In the victory, Oredigger quarterback John Matocha set a new record for total touchdowns in career across all NCAA divisions with 181, surpassing Houston’s Case Keenum and Central’s (Iowa) Blaine Hawkins. He has thrown for 155, run for 25 and caught one touchdown during his time in Golden.
Colorado School of Mines is one of four teams who finished the regular season undefeated, and all four received first-round byes in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The other three are No. 3 Harding (Ark.), No. 4 Benedict (S.C.) and No. 9 Tiffin (Ohio). The Orediggers await the winner of No. 16 Augustana (S.D.) versus No. 19 Minnesota State while Harding waits for the winner between No. 6 Central Missouri and new-No. 25 Henderson State (Ark.). Benedict, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, will take on the winner of No. 11 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) and Shepherd (W.Va.). Tiffin, who is making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2019, will get the winner of No. 15 Slippery Rock (Pa.) and East Stroudsburg (Pa.).
Dropped Out: Missouri Western St. (21), Central Washington (23)
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 11 Next Game
1 Colorado School of Mines (27) 11-0 723 1 D. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 82-0 Nov. 25 TBD
2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 9-1 679 2t D. No. 16 Davenport (Mich.), 38-0 Nov. 18 vs. No. 5 Ferris St. (Mich.)
3 Harding (Ark.) (1) 11-0 668 2t D. Arkansas Tech, 56-0 Nov. 25 TBD
4 Benedict (S.C.) (1) 11-0 629 5 D. Albany St. (Ga.), 47-10 Nov. 25 TBD
5 Ferris St. (Mich.) 8-2 587 6 D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 63-19 Nov. 18 at No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.)
6 Central Missouri 10-1 572 7 D. Lincoln (Mo.), 63-27 Nov. 18 vs. No. 25 Henderson St. (Ark.)
7 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 10-1 556 8 D. Central Oklahoma, 20-10 Nov. 18 vs. No. 17t Indianapolis (Ind.)
8 Delta St. (Miss.) 9-1 511 11 D. Mississippi College, 41-3 Nov. 18 vs. No. 23 West Florida
9 Tiffin (Ohio) 11-0 456 14 D. Findlay (Ohio), 26-7 Nov. 25 TBD
10 Western Colorado 10-1 452 13 D. Adams St. (Colo.), 45-24 Nov. 18 vs. Central Washington
11 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 10-1 403 15 D. Tusculum (Tenn.), 48-7 Nov. 18 vs. Shepherd (W.Va.)
12 Texas-Permian Basin 10-1 388 17 D. No. 23 Central Washington, 42-14 Nov. 18 vs. No. 21 Bemidji St. (Minn.)
13 Virginia Union 10-1 356 18 D. Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 21-10 Nov. 18 at Kutztown (Pa.)
14 Valdosta St. (Ga.) 10-1 349 19 D. West Georgia, 58-28 Nov. 18 vs. Limestone (S.C)
15 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 10-1 347 4 Lost to Kutztown (Pa.), 31-7 Nov. 18 vs. East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
16 Augustana (S.D.) 10-1 301 20 D. No. 12 Bemidji St. (Minn.), 38-19 Nov. 18 vs. No. 19 Minnesota St.
17t. Indianapolis (Ind.) 9-1 204 22 D. Southwest Baptist (Mo.), 41-3 Nov. 18 at No. 7 Pittsburg St. (Kan.)
17t. Minnesota-Duluth 9-2 204 24 D. No. 9 Minnesota St., 33-21 Season Complete
19 Minnesota St. 9-2 188 9 Lost to No. 24 Minnesota-Duluth, 33-21 Nov. 18 at No. 16 Augustana (S.D.)
20 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 9-2 153 10 Lost to Henderson St. (Ark.), 31-27 Season Complete
21 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 8-2 143 12 Lost to No. 20 Augustana (S.D.), 38-19 Nov. 18 at No. 12 Texas-Permian Basin
22 Davenport (Mich.) 8-2 93 16 Lost to No. 2t Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 38-0 Season Complete
23 West Florida 8-3 92 25 D. Chowan (N.C.), 52-6 Nov. 18 at No. 8 Delta St. (Miss.)
24 Charleston (W.Va.) 9-1 87 NR D. West Virginia St., 52-20 Nov. 18 vs. New Haven (Conn.)
25 Henderson St. (Ark.) 9-2 86 NR D. No. 10 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 31-27 Nov. 18 at No. 6 Central Missouri
Others Receiving Votes: Kutztown (Pa.), 46; Shepherd (W.Va.), 34; Missouri Western St., 20; Southern Arkansas, 19; Limestone (S.C.), 16; Central Washington, 14; Angelo St. (Tex.), 12; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 11; Emporia St. (Kan.), 8; Mars Hill (N.C.), 4; Truman St. (Mo.), 4; Virginia St., 4; New Haven (Conn.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 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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The number one team in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll is rolling. Colorado School of Mines concluded the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record after a dominant, 82-0, performance over Fort Lewis (Colo.). In the victory, Oredigger quarterback John Matocha set a new record for total touchdowns in career across all NCAA divisions with 181, surpassing Houston’s Case Keenum and Central’s (Iowa) Blaine Hawkins. He has thrown for 155, run for 25 and caught one touchdown during his time in Golden.
Colorado School of Mines is one of four teams who finished the regular season undefeated, and all four received first-round byes in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The other three are No. 3 Harding (Ark.), No. 4 Benedict (S.C.) and No. 9 Tiffin (Ohio). The Orediggers await the winner of No. 16 Augustana (S.D.) versus No. 19 Minnesota State while Harding waits for the winner between No. 6 Central Missouri and new-No. 25 Henderson State (Ark.). Benedict, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, will take on the winner of No. 11 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) and Shepherd (W.Va.). Tiffin, who is making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2019, will get the winner of No. 15 Slippery Rock (Pa.) and East Stroudsburg (Pa.).
Dropped Out: Missouri Western St. (21), Central Washington (23)
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 11 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado School of Mines (27) | 11-0 | 723 | 1 | D. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 82-0 | Nov. 25 TBD | |
| 2 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 9-1 | 679 | 2t | D. No. 16 Davenport (Mich.), 38-0 | Nov. 18 vs. No. 5 Ferris St. (Mich.) | |
| 3 | Harding (Ark.) (1) | 11-0 | 668 | 2t | D. Arkansas Tech, 56-0 | Nov. 25 TBD | |
| 4 | Benedict (S.C.) (1) | 11-0 | 629 | 5 | D. Albany St. (Ga.), 47-10 | Nov. 25 TBD | |
| 5 | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 8-2 | 587 | 6 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 63-19 | Nov. 18 at No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | |
| 6 | Central Missouri | 10-1 | 572 | 7 | D. Lincoln (Mo.), 63-27 | Nov. 18 vs. No. 25 Henderson St. (Ark.) | |
| 7 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 10-1 | 556 | 8 | D. Central Oklahoma, 20-10 | Nov. 18 vs. No. 17t Indianapolis (Ind.) | |
| 8 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 9-1 | 511 | 11 | D. Mississippi College, 41-3 | Nov. 18 vs. No. 23 West Florida | |
| 9 | Tiffin (Ohio) | 11-0 | 456 | 14 | D. Findlay (Ohio), 26-7 | Nov. 25 TBD | |
| 10 | Western Colorado | 10-1 | 452 | 13 | D. Adams St. (Colo.), 45-24 | Nov. 18 vs. Central Washington | |
| 11 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 10-1 | 403 | 15 | D. Tusculum (Tenn.), 48-7 | Nov. 18 vs. Shepherd (W.Va.) | |
| 12 | Texas-Permian Basin | 10-1 | 388 | 17 | D. No. 23 Central Washington, 42-14 | Nov. 18 vs. No. 21 Bemidji St. (Minn.) | |
| 13 | Virginia Union | 10-1 | 356 | 18 | D. Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 21-10 | Nov. 18 at Kutztown (Pa.) | |
| 14 | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 10-1 | 349 | 19 | D. West Georgia, 58-28 | Nov. 18 vs. Limestone (S.C) | |
| 15 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 10-1 | 347 | 4 | Lost to Kutztown (Pa.), 31-7 | Nov. 18 vs. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) | |
| 16 | Augustana (S.D.) | 10-1 | 301 | 20 | D. No. 12 Bemidji St. (Minn.), 38-19 | Nov. 18 vs. No. 19 Minnesota St. | |
| 17t. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 9-1 | 204 | 22 | D. Southwest Baptist (Mo.), 41-3 | Nov. 18 at No. 7 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | |
| 17t. | Minnesota-Duluth | 9-2 | 204 | 24 | D. No. 9 Minnesota St., 33-21 | Season Complete | |
| 19 | Minnesota St. | 9-2 | 188 | 9 | Lost to No. 24 Minnesota-Duluth, 33-21 | Nov. 18 at No. 16 Augustana (S.D.) | |
| 20 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 9-2 | 153 | 10 | Lost to Henderson St. (Ark.), 31-27 | Season Complete | |
| 21 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 8-2 | 143 | 12 | Lost to No. 20 Augustana (S.D.), 38-19 | Nov. 18 at No. 12 Texas-Permian Basin | |
| 22 | Davenport (Mich.) | 8-2 | 93 | 16 | Lost to No. 2t Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 38-0 | Season Complete | |
| 23 | West Florida | 8-3 | 92 | 25 | D. Chowan (N.C.), 52-6 | Nov. 18 at No. 8 Delta St. (Miss.) | |
| 24 | Charleston (W.Va.) | 9-1 | 87 | NR | D. West Virginia St., 52-20 | Nov. 18 vs. New Haven (Conn.) | |
| 25 | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 9-2 | 86 | NR | D. No. 10 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 31-27 | Nov. 18 at No. 6 Central Missouri |
Others Receiving Votes: Kutztown (Pa.), 46; Shepherd (W.Va.), 34; Missouri Western St., 20; Southern Arkansas, 19; Limestone (S.C.), 16; Central Washington, 14; Angelo St. (Tex.), 12; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 11; Emporia St. (Kan.), 8; Mars Hill (N.C.), 4; Truman St. (Mo.), 4; Virginia St., 4; New Haven (Conn.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 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.
