DELTA STATE USES DOMINANT GROUND GAME IN TOP 25 WIN
October 9, 2023
The Delta State (Miss.) offense rushed for 417 yards and the defense came away with three turnovers to give the Statesmen a 49-25 victory over conference rival Valdosta State (Ga.). Delta State remains No. 8 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, but the loss dropped the Blazers out of the poll.
There wasn’t much movement this week as the top 16 teams all won or were idle. Ferris State (Mich.) still sits No. 1 after beating Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), 38-17. The Bulldogs have one of two Top 10 matchups this coming weekend as they travel to No. 7 Grand Valley State (Mich.) for the annual Anchor-Bone Classic. The two teams split their games last season with GVSU winning during the regular season while FSU won in the playoffs.
The other Top 10 matchup is for first place in the Great American Conference as No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) travels to No. 9 Harding (Ark.). The Bison, who lead the nation in scoring (52.3 ppg) and rushing offense (381 ypg), lead the overall series at 33-26-4, but Ouachita Baptist won last year’s meeting, 21-13, and have won three of the last four meetings.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 6 Next Game
1 Ferris St. (Mich.) (27) 4-1 747 1 D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 38-17 Oct. 14 at No. 7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.)
2 Colorado School of Mines (3) 6-0 720 2 D. Colorado Mesa, 52-0 Oct. 14 vs. South Dakota Mines
3 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 6-0 667 3 D. No. 20 Emporia St. (Kan.), 33-25 Oct. 14 at Missouri Southern St.
4 Minnesota St. 6-0 639 4 D. Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 24-21 Oct. 14 vs. Western Oregon
5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 6-0 622 5 D. East Central (Okla.), 31-14 Oct. 14 at No. 9 Harding (Ark.)
6 West Florida 5-1 583 6 D. Shorter (Ga.), 42-3 Oct. 14 at West Alabama
7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 4-1 566 7 D. Kentucky St., 65-7 Oct. 14 vs. No. 1 Ferris St. (Mich.)
8 Delta St. (Miss.) 6-0 556 8 D. No. 19 Valdosta St. (Ga.), 49-25 Oct. 14 vs. North Greenville (S.C.)
9 Harding (Ark.) 6-0 525 9 D. Northwestern Oklahoma, 62-0 Oct. 14 vs. No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
10 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 6-0 476 10 D. Mercyhurst (Pa.), 75-31 Oct. 14 at Gannon (Pa.)
11 Benedict (S.C.) (1) 6-0 420 11 D. Miles (Ala.), 27-24 Oct. 12 vs. Fort Valley St. (Ga.)
12 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 6-0 384 13 D. Limestone (S.C.), 31-28 OT Oct. 14 vs. Barton (N.C.)
13 Indianapolis (Ind.) 5-0 373 12 D. William Jewell (Mo.), 59-17 Oct. 14 at No. 19 Truman St. (Mo.)
14 Western Colorado 6-0 358 15 D. South Dakota Mines, 43-20 Oct. 14 vs. Black Hills St. (S.D.)
15 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 4-1 329 14 Idle Oct. 14 at Wayne St. (Neb.)
16 Davenport (Mich.) 5-0 305 16 D. Northern Michigan, 28-12 Oct. 14 at Wayne St. (Mich.)
17 Central Missouri 5-1 266 18 D. Nebraska-Kearney, 38-14 Oct. 14 at Northeastern St. (Okla.)
18 Henderson St. (Ark.) 5-1 180 22 D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 42-28 Oct. 14 vs. Southern Arkansas
19 Truman St. (Mo.) 6-0 163 24 D. Quincy (Ill.), 33-27 Oct. 14 vs. No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.)
20 Angelo St. (Tex.) 3-2 127 21 Idle Oct. 14 at Texas A&M-Kingsville
21 Assumption (Mass.) 4-1 109 23 D. American International (Mass.), 38-14 Oct. 14 at Franklin Pierce (N.H.)
22 Augustana (S.D.) 6-0 103 NR D. Southwest Minnesota St., 38-6 Oct. 14 at Winona St. (Minn.)
23 Shepherd (W.Va.) 5-1 98 25 D. Lock Haven (Pa.), 27-10 Oct. 14 at Millersville (Pa.)
24 Virginia St. 6-0 83 NR D. Bowie St. (Md.), 44-16 Oct. 14 vs. Bluefield St. (W.Va.)
25 Emporia St. (Kan.) 4-2 79 20 Lost to No. 3 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 33-25 Oct. 14 vs. Washburn (Kan.)
Dropped Out: Minnesota-Duluth (17), Valdosta St. (Ga.) (19)
Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St. (Ga.), 51; Tiffin (Ohio), 46; Virginia Union, 40; Missouri Western St., 33; Minnesota-Duluth, 30; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 24; Texas-Permian Basin, 20; Charleston (W.Va.), 18; Tuskegee (Ala.), 6; Central Washington, 2; Barton (N.C.), 1; Southern Arkansas, 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 Delta State (Miss.) offense rushed for 417 yards and the defense came away with three turnovers to give the Statesmen a 49-25 victory over conference rival Valdosta State (Ga.). Delta State remains No. 8 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, but the loss dropped the Blazers out of the poll.
There wasn’t much movement this week as the top 16 teams all won or were idle. Ferris State (Mich.) still sits No. 1 after beating Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), 38-17. The Bulldogs have one of two Top 10 matchups this coming weekend as they travel to No. 7 Grand Valley State (Mich.) for the annual Anchor-Bone Classic. The two teams split their games last season with GVSU winning during the regular season while FSU won in the playoffs.
The other Top 10 matchup is for first place in the Great American Conference as No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) travels to No. 9 Harding (Ark.). The Bison, who lead the nation in scoring (52.3 ppg) and rushing offense (381 ypg), lead the overall series at 33-26-4, but Ouachita Baptist won last year’s meeting, 21-13, and have won three of the last four meetings.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 6 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (27) | 4-1 | 747 | 1 | D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 38-17 | Oct. 14 at No. 7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines (3) | 6-0 | 720 | 2 | D. Colorado Mesa, 52-0 | Oct. 14 vs. South Dakota Mines | |
| 3 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 6-0 | 667 | 3 | D. No. 20 Emporia St. (Kan.), 33-25 | Oct. 14 at Missouri Southern St. | |
| 4 | Minnesota St. | 6-0 | 639 | 4 | D. Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 24-21 | Oct. 14 vs. Western Oregon | |
| 5 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 6-0 | 622 | 5 | D. East Central (Okla.), 31-14 | Oct. 14 at No. 9 Harding (Ark.) | |
| 6 | West Florida | 5-1 | 583 | 6 | D. Shorter (Ga.), 42-3 | Oct. 14 at West Alabama | |
| 7 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 4-1 | 566 | 7 | D. Kentucky St., 65-7 | Oct. 14 vs. No. 1 Ferris St. (Mich.) | |
| 8 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 6-0 | 556 | 8 | D. No. 19 Valdosta St. (Ga.), 49-25 | Oct. 14 vs. North Greenville (S.C.) | |
| 9 | Harding (Ark.) | 6-0 | 525 | 9 | D. Northwestern Oklahoma, 62-0 | Oct. 14 vs. No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | |
| 10 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 6-0 | 476 | 10 | D. Mercyhurst (Pa.), 75-31 | Oct. 14 at Gannon (Pa.) | |
| 11 | Benedict (S.C.) (1) | 6-0 | 420 | 11 | D. Miles (Ala.), 27-24 | Oct. 12 vs. Fort Valley St. (Ga.) | |
| 12 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 6-0 | 384 | 13 | D. Limestone (S.C.), 31-28 OT | Oct. 14 vs. Barton (N.C.) | |
| 13 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 5-0 | 373 | 12 | D. William Jewell (Mo.), 59-17 | Oct. 14 at No. 19 Truman St. (Mo.) | |
| 14 | Western Colorado | 6-0 | 358 | 15 | D. South Dakota Mines, 43-20 | Oct. 14 vs. Black Hills St. (S.D.) | |
| 15 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 4-1 | 329 | 14 | Idle | Oct. 14 at Wayne St. (Neb.) | |
| 16 | Davenport (Mich.) | 5-0 | 305 | 16 | D. Northern Michigan, 28-12 | Oct. 14 at Wayne St. (Mich.) | |
| 17 | Central Missouri | 5-1 | 266 | 18 | D. Nebraska-Kearney, 38-14 | Oct. 14 at Northeastern St. (Okla.) | |
| 18 | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 5-1 | 180 | 22 | D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 42-28 | Oct. 14 vs. Southern Arkansas | |
| 19 | Truman St. (Mo.) | 6-0 | 163 | 24 | D. Quincy (Ill.), 33-27 | Oct. 14 vs. No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.) | |
| 20 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 3-2 | 127 | 21 | Idle | Oct. 14 at Texas A&M-Kingsville | |
| 21 | Assumption (Mass.) | 4-1 | 109 | 23 | D. American International (Mass.), 38-14 | Oct. 14 at Franklin Pierce (N.H.) | |
| 22 | Augustana (S.D.) | 6-0 | 103 | NR | D. Southwest Minnesota St., 38-6 | Oct. 14 at Winona St. (Minn.) | |
| 23 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 5-1 | 98 | 25 | D. Lock Haven (Pa.), 27-10 | Oct. 14 at Millersville (Pa.) | |
| 24 | Virginia St. | 6-0 | 83 | NR | D. Bowie St. (Md.), 44-16 | Oct. 14 vs. Bluefield St. (W.Va.) | |
| 25 | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 4-2 | 79 | 20 | Lost to No. 3 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 33-25 | Oct. 14 vs. Washburn (Kan.) |
Dropped Out: Minnesota-Duluth (17), Valdosta St. (Ga.) (19)
Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St. (Ga.), 51; Tiffin (Ohio), 46; Virginia Union, 40; Missouri Western St., 33; Minnesota-Duluth, 30; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 24; Texas-Permian Basin, 20; Charleston (W.Va.), 18; Tuskegee (Ala.), 6; Central Washington, 2; Barton (N.C.), 1; Southern Arkansas, 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.
