GRAND VALLEY STATE CRUISES IN TOP 10 BATTLE
October 16, 2023
Grand Valley State (Mich.) built a 35-0 lead against then-No. 1 Ferris State (Mich.) with 12 minutes left to go in the second quarter and cruised to a 49-28 victory. The Bulldogs battled back to close within a touchdown, 35-28, after three quarters, but the Laker defense played shutout football in the final stanza and their offense added two more touchdowns to win the Anchor-Bone Classic. The win moved Grand Valley State to No. 4 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Ferris State fell to No. 9.
The Bulldogs’ loss is Colorado School of Mines gain as the Orediggers are the new No. 1 team. This is the first time Colorado School of Mines has been ranked No. 1 in the AFCA poll. The Orediggers are followed by Pittsburg State (Kan.) at No. 2, Minnesota State at No. 3, and Delta State (Miss.) at No. 5.
The Statesmen have one of three Top 25 matchups this coming Saturday as they play host to No. 18 West Florida. The Argonauts had the biggest drop in the poll this week, from 6 to 18, after their 10-6 loss to West Alabama. The second Top 25 matchup is a battle of unbeatens in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as No. 3 Minnesota State travels to No. 17 Augustana (S.D.). The final matchup has No. 16 Central Missouri hosting No. 24 Emporia State (Kan.).
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 7 Next Game
1 Colorado School of Mines (28) 7-0 723 2 D. South Dakota Mines, 45-22 Oct. 21 at Black Hills St. (S.D.)
2 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 7-0 691 3 D. Missouri Southern St., 31-21 Oct. 21 at Northwest Missouri St.
3 Minnesota St. 7-0 655 4 D. Western Oregon, 45-14 Oct. 21 at No. 17 Augustana (S.D.)
4 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 5-1 618 7 D. No. 1 Ferris St. (Mich.), 49-28 Oct. 21 at Northern Michigan
5 Delta St. (Miss.) 7-0 597 8 D. North Greenville (S.C.), 49-27 Oct. 21 vs. No. 18 West Florida
6 Harding (Ark.) 7-0 577 9 D. No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 41-10 Oct. 21 at Southern Arkansas
7 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 7-0 519 10 D. Gannon (Pa.), 49-24 Oct. 21 vs. California (Pa.)
8 Benedict (S.C.) 7-0 497 11 D. Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 48-6 Oct. 21 vs. Kentucky St.
9 Ferris St. (Mich.) 4-2 486 1 Lost to No. 7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 49-28 Oct. 21 at Michigan Tech
10 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 7-0 451 12 D. Barton (N.C.), 47-3 Oct. 21 at Newberry (S.C.)
11 Indianapolis (Ind.) 6-0 427 13 D. No. 19 Truman St. (Mo.), 38-17 Oct. 21 at Quincy (Ill.)
12 Western Colorado 7-0 396 14 D. Black Hills St. (S.D.), 35-20 Oct. 21 vs. New Mexico Highlands
13 Davenport (Mich.) 6-0 338 16 D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 32-3 Oct. 21 at Mary (N.D.)
14 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 6-1 329 5 Lost to No. 9 Harding (Ark.), 41-10 Oct. 21 vs. Arkansas Tech
15 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 5-1 325 15 D. Wayne St. (Neb.), 33-23 Oct. 21 vs. Concordia (Minn.)
16 Central Missouri 6-1 298 17 D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 63-24 Oct. 21 vs. No. 24 Emporia St. (Kan.)
17 Augustana (S.D.) 7-0 222 22 D. Winona St. (Minn.), 48-28 Oct. 21 vs. No. 3 Minnesota St.
18 West Florida 5-2 221 6 Lost to West Alabama, 10-6 Oct. 21 at No. 5 Delta St. (Miss.)
19 Angelo St. (Tex.) 4-2 182 20 D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 38-16 Oct. 21 vs. Texas-Permian Basin
20 Virginia St. (1) 7-0 173 24 D. Bluefield St. (W.Va.), 39-23 Oct. 21 vs. Elizabeth City St. (N.C.)
21 Assumption (Mass.) 5-1 151 21 D. Franklin Pierce (N.H.), 21-17 Oct. 21 vs. St. Anselm (N.H.)
22 Shepherd (W.Va.) 6-1 131 23 D. Millersville (Pa.), 33-17 Oct. 21 vs. West Chester (Pa.)
23 Tiffin (Ohio) 7-0 97 NR D. Lake Erie (Ohio), 50-0 Oct. 21 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
24 Emporia St. (Kan.) 5-2 70 25 D. Washburn (Kan.), 38-23 Oct. 21 at No. 16 Central Missouri
25 Truman St. (Mo.) 6-1 62 19 Lost to No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.), 38-17 Oct. 21 vs. William Jewell (Mo.)
Dropped Out: Henderson St. (Ark.) (18)
Others Receiving Votes: Virginia Union, 45; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 42; Texas-Permian Basin, 27; Charleston (W.Va.), 21; Minnesota-Duluth, 15; Henderson St. (Ark.), 13; Southern Arkansas, 12; Missouri Western St., 10; Central Washington, 4.
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.
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Grand Valley State (Mich.) built a 35-0 lead against then-No. 1 Ferris State (Mich.) with 12 minutes left to go in the second quarter and cruised to a 49-28 victory. The Bulldogs battled back to close within a touchdown, 35-28, after three quarters, but the Laker defense played shutout football in the final stanza and their offense added two more touchdowns to win the Anchor-Bone Classic. The win moved Grand Valley State to No. 4 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Ferris State fell to No. 9.
The Bulldogs’ loss is Colorado School of Mines gain as the Orediggers are the new No. 1 team. This is the first time Colorado School of Mines has been ranked No. 1 in the AFCA poll. The Orediggers are followed by Pittsburg State (Kan.) at No. 2, Minnesota State at No. 3, and Delta State (Miss.) at No. 5.
The Statesmen have one of three Top 25 matchups this coming Saturday as they play host to No. 18 West Florida. The Argonauts had the biggest drop in the poll this week, from 6 to 18, after their 10-6 loss to West Alabama. The second Top 25 matchup is a battle of unbeatens in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as No. 3 Minnesota State travels to No. 17 Augustana (S.D.). The final matchup has No. 16 Central Missouri hosting No. 24 Emporia State (Kan.).
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado School of Mines (28) | 7-0 | 723 | 2 | D. South Dakota Mines, 45-22 | Oct. 21 at Black Hills St. (S.D.) | |
| 2 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 7-0 | 691 | 3 | D. Missouri Southern St., 31-21 | Oct. 21 at Northwest Missouri St. | |
| 3 | Minnesota St. | 7-0 | 655 | 4 | D. Western Oregon, 45-14 | Oct. 21 at No. 17 Augustana (S.D.) | |
| 4 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 5-1 | 618 | 7 | D. No. 1 Ferris St. (Mich.), 49-28 | Oct. 21 at Northern Michigan | |
| 5 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 7-0 | 597 | 8 | D. North Greenville (S.C.), 49-27 | Oct. 21 vs. No. 18 West Florida | |
| 6 | Harding (Ark.) | 7-0 | 577 | 9 | D. No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 41-10 | Oct. 21 at Southern Arkansas | |
| 7 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 7-0 | 519 | 10 | D. Gannon (Pa.), 49-24 | Oct. 21 vs. California (Pa.) | |
| 8 | Benedict (S.C.) | 7-0 | 497 | 11 | D. Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 48-6 | Oct. 21 vs. Kentucky St. | |
| 9 | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 4-2 | 486 | 1 | Lost to No. 7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 49-28 | Oct. 21 at Michigan Tech | |
| 10 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 7-0 | 451 | 12 | D. Barton (N.C.), 47-3 | Oct. 21 at Newberry (S.C.) | |
| 11 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 6-0 | 427 | 13 | D. No. 19 Truman St. (Mo.), 38-17 | Oct. 21 at Quincy (Ill.) | |
| 12 | Western Colorado | 7-0 | 396 | 14 | D. Black Hills St. (S.D.), 35-20 | Oct. 21 vs. New Mexico Highlands | |
| 13 | Davenport (Mich.) | 6-0 | 338 | 16 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 32-3 | Oct. 21 at Mary (N.D.) | |
| 14 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 6-1 | 329 | 5 | Lost to No. 9 Harding (Ark.), 41-10 | Oct. 21 vs. Arkansas Tech | |
| 15 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 5-1 | 325 | 15 | D. Wayne St. (Neb.), 33-23 | Oct. 21 vs. Concordia (Minn.) | |
| 16 | Central Missouri | 6-1 | 298 | 17 | D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 63-24 | Oct. 21 vs. No. 24 Emporia St. (Kan.) | |
| 17 | Augustana (S.D.) | 7-0 | 222 | 22 | D. Winona St. (Minn.), 48-28 | Oct. 21 vs. No. 3 Minnesota St. | |
| 18 | West Florida | 5-2 | 221 | 6 | Lost to West Alabama, 10-6 | Oct. 21 at No. 5 Delta St. (Miss.) | |
| 19 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 4-2 | 182 | 20 | D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 38-16 | Oct. 21 vs. Texas-Permian Basin | |
| 20 | Virginia St. (1) | 7-0 | 173 | 24 | D. Bluefield St. (W.Va.), 39-23 | Oct. 21 vs. Elizabeth City St. (N.C.) | |
| 21 | Assumption (Mass.) | 5-1 | 151 | 21 | D. Franklin Pierce (N.H.), 21-17 | Oct. 21 vs. St. Anselm (N.H.) | |
| 22 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 6-1 | 131 | 23 | D. Millersville (Pa.), 33-17 | Oct. 21 vs. West Chester (Pa.) | |
| 23 | Tiffin (Ohio) | 7-0 | 97 | NR | D. Lake Erie (Ohio), 50-0 | Oct. 21 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan | |
| 24 | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 5-2 | 70 | 25 | D. Washburn (Kan.), 38-23 | Oct. 21 at No. 16 Central Missouri | |
| 25 | Truman St. (Mo.) | 6-1 | 62 | 19 | Lost to No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.), 38-17 | Oct. 21 vs. William Jewell (Mo.) |
Dropped Out: Henderson St. (Ark.) (18)
Others Receiving Votes: Virginia Union, 45; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 42; Texas-Permian Basin, 27; Charleston (W.Va.), 21; Minnesota-Duluth, 15; Henderson St. (Ark.), 13; Southern Arkansas, 12; Missouri Western St., 10; Central Washington, 4.
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.
