Missouri Western State Upsets No. 2 Pittsburg State
November 6, 2023
After having their PAT blocked following a potential game-tying touchdown with seven minutes left to go in their game against Missouri Western State, then-No. 2 Pittsburg State (Kan.) got the ball back and was driving with under 90 seconds left in the game when the Griffons’ Dakari Street recorded a strip-sack that was recovered by CJ Ravenell, clinching the 31-30 upset. This was Missouri Western’s first win over the Gorillas since 2019 and their first win over a top-5 team since 2018. The victory moves Missouri Western State to No. 21 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, while the loss dropped Pittsburg State to No. 8.
There are only five undefeated teams left in Division II coming into the final week of the regular season and they are all 10-0. One is No. 1 Colorado School of Mines who can clinch the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a victory over Fort Lewis (Colo.). The second is Harding (Ark.), who is tied for No. 2 in this week’s poll. The Bison can win the Great American Conference outright with a win over Arkansas Tech. No. 4 Slippery Rock (Pa.) and No. 5 Benedict (S.C.) will each play in their conference championship games. The Rock faces Kutztown (Pa.) in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while the Tigers get Albany State (Ga.) in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The final undefeated team is No. 14 Tiffin (Ohio), who can win the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with a win at Findlay (Ohio).
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 10 Next Game
1 Colorado School of Mines (26) 10-0 729 1 D. New Mexico Highlands, 77-3 Nov. 11 at Fort Lewis (Colo.)
2t. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 8-1 665 3 D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 66-10 Nov. 11 vs. No. 16 Davenport (Mich.)
2t. Harding (Ark.) (1) 10-0 665 4 D. East Central (Okla.), 48-7 Nov. 11 at Arkansas Tech
4 Slippery Rock (Pa.) (1) 10-0 598 5 D. Edinboro (Pa.), 56-18 Nov. 11 at Kutztown (Pa.)
5 Benedict (S.C.) 10-0 591 6 D. Allen (S.C.), 37-9 Nov. 11 vs. Albany St. (Ga.)
6 Ferris St. (Mich.) 7-2 562 7 D. No. 9 Davenport (Mich.), 28-10 Nov. 11 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.)
7 Central Missouri 9-1 514 11 D. Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 47-28 Nov. 11 at Lincoln (Mo.)
8 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 9-1 513 2 Lost to No. 23 Missouri Western St., 31-30 Nov. 11 vs. Central Oklahoma
9 Minnesota St. 9-1 509 10 D. Winona St. (Minn.), 49-42 Nov. 11 vs. No. 24 Minnesota-Duluth
10 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 9-1 440 12 D. Oklahoma Baptist, 55-14 Nov. 11 vs. Henderson St. (Ark.)
11 Delta St. (Miss.) 8-1 426 14 D. West Georgia, 47-13 Nov. 11 vs. Mississippi College
12 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 8-1 415 13 D. Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 27-14 Nov. 11 at No. 20 Augustana (S.D.)
13 Western Colorado 9-1 353 15 D. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 57-3 Nov. 11 at Adams St. (Colo.)
14 Tiffin (Ohio) 10-0 325 17 D. Ohio Dominican, 44-10 Nov. 11 at Findlay (Ohio)
15 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 9-1 294 16 D. Catawba (N.C.), 28-7 Nov. 11 at Tusculum (Tenn.)
16 Davenport (Mich.) 8-1 287 9 Lost to No. 7 Ferris St. (Mich.), 28-10 Nov. 11 at No. 2t Grand Valley St. (Mich.)
17 Texas-Permian Basin 9-1 278 18 D. Western New Mexico, 56-3 Nov. 11 vs. No. 23 Central Washington
18 Virginia Union (1) 9-1 243 19 D. No. 22 Virginia St., 30-20 Nov. 11 vs. Fayetteville St. (N.C.)
19 Valdosta St. (Ga.) 9-1 230 20 D. West Alabama, 20-14 Nov. 11 vs. West Georgia
20 Augustana (S.D.) 9-1 177 21 D. Northern St. (S.D.), 31-21 Nov. 11 vs. No. 12 Bemidji St. (Minn.)
21 Missouri Western St. 8-2 176 23 D. No. 2 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 31-30 Nov. 11 at Missouri Southern St.
22 Indianapolis (Ind.) 8-1 175 8 Lost to McKendree (Ill.), 21-16 Nov. 11 at Southwest Baptist (Mo.)
23 Central Washington 7-2 106 24 Idle Nov. 11 at No. 17 Texas-Permian Basin
24 Minnesota-Duluth 8-2 26 NR D. Concordia (Minn.), 44-32 Nov. 11 at No. 9 Minnesota St.
25 West Florida 7-3 25 NR D. Mississippi College, 42-14 Nov. 11 vs. Chowan (N.C.)
Dropped Out: Virginia St. (22), Mars Hill (N.C.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Charleston (W.Va.), 21; Shepherd (W.Va.), 19; Virginia St., 18; Southern Arkansas, 10; Angelo St. (Tex.), 9; Henderson St. (Ark.), 9; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 5; Mars Hill (N.C.), 5; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 4; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 3; Kutztown (Pa.), 3; Truman St. (Mo.), 3; Emporia St. (Kan.), 1; 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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After having their PAT blocked following a potential game-tying touchdown with seven minutes left to go in their game against Missouri Western State, then-No. 2 Pittsburg State (Kan.) got the ball back and was driving with under 90 seconds left in the game when the Griffons’ Dakari Street recorded a strip-sack that was recovered by CJ Ravenell, clinching the 31-30 upset. This was Missouri Western’s first win over the Gorillas since 2019 and their first win over a top-5 team since 2018. The victory moves Missouri Western State to No. 21 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, while the loss dropped Pittsburg State to No. 8.
There are only five undefeated teams left in Division II coming into the final week of the regular season and they are all 10-0. One is No. 1 Colorado School of Mines who can clinch the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a victory over Fort Lewis (Colo.). The second is Harding (Ark.), who is tied for No. 2 in this week’s poll. The Bison can win the Great American Conference outright with a win over Arkansas Tech. No. 4 Slippery Rock (Pa.) and No. 5 Benedict (S.C.) will each play in their conference championship games. The Rock faces Kutztown (Pa.) in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while the Tigers get Albany State (Ga.) in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The final undefeated team is No. 14 Tiffin (Ohio), who can win the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with a win at Findlay (Ohio).
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 10 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado School of Mines (26) | 10-0 | 729 | 1 | D. New Mexico Highlands, 77-3 | Nov. 11 at Fort Lewis (Colo.) | |
| 2t. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 8-1 | 665 | 3 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 66-10 | Nov. 11 vs. No. 16 Davenport (Mich.) | |
| 2t. | Harding (Ark.) (1) | 10-0 | 665 | 4 | D. East Central (Okla.), 48-7 | Nov. 11 at Arkansas Tech | |
| 4 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) (1) | 10-0 | 598 | 5 | D. Edinboro (Pa.), 56-18 | Nov. 11 at Kutztown (Pa.) | |
| 5 | Benedict (S.C.) | 10-0 | 591 | 6 | D. Allen (S.C.), 37-9 | Nov. 11 vs. Albany St. (Ga.) | |
| 6 | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 7-2 | 562 | 7 | D. No. 9 Davenport (Mich.), 28-10 | Nov. 11 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) | |
| 7 | Central Missouri | 9-1 | 514 | 11 | D. Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 47-28 | Nov. 11 at Lincoln (Mo.) | |
| 8 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 9-1 | 513 | 2 | Lost to No. 23 Missouri Western St., 31-30 | Nov. 11 vs. Central Oklahoma | |
| 9 | Minnesota St. | 9-1 | 509 | 10 | D. Winona St. (Minn.), 49-42 | Nov. 11 vs. No. 24 Minnesota-Duluth | |
| 10 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 9-1 | 440 | 12 | D. Oklahoma Baptist, 55-14 | Nov. 11 vs. Henderson St. (Ark.) | |
| 11 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 8-1 | 426 | 14 | D. West Georgia, 47-13 | Nov. 11 vs. Mississippi College | |
| 12 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 8-1 | 415 | 13 | D. Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 27-14 | Nov. 11 at No. 20 Augustana (S.D.) | |
| 13 | Western Colorado | 9-1 | 353 | 15 | D. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 57-3 | Nov. 11 at Adams St. (Colo.) | |
| 14 | Tiffin (Ohio) | 10-0 | 325 | 17 | D. Ohio Dominican, 44-10 | Nov. 11 at Findlay (Ohio) | |
| 15 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 9-1 | 294 | 16 | D. Catawba (N.C.), 28-7 | Nov. 11 at Tusculum (Tenn.) | |
| 16 | Davenport (Mich.) | 8-1 | 287 | 9 | Lost to No. 7 Ferris St. (Mich.), 28-10 | Nov. 11 at No. 2t Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | |
| 17 | Texas-Permian Basin | 9-1 | 278 | 18 | D. Western New Mexico, 56-3 | Nov. 11 vs. No. 23 Central Washington | |
| 18 | Virginia Union (1) | 9-1 | 243 | 19 | D. No. 22 Virginia St., 30-20 | Nov. 11 vs. Fayetteville St. (N.C.) | |
| 19 | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 9-1 | 230 | 20 | D. West Alabama, 20-14 | Nov. 11 vs. West Georgia | |
| 20 | Augustana (S.D.) | 9-1 | 177 | 21 | D. Northern St. (S.D.), 31-21 | Nov. 11 vs. No. 12 Bemidji St. (Minn.) | |
| 21 | Missouri Western St. | 8-2 | 176 | 23 | D. No. 2 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 31-30 | Nov. 11 at Missouri Southern St. | |
| 22 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 8-1 | 175 | 8 | Lost to McKendree (Ill.), 21-16 | Nov. 11 at Southwest Baptist (Mo.) | |
| 23 | Central Washington | 7-2 | 106 | 24 | Idle | Nov. 11 at No. 17 Texas-Permian Basin | |
| 24 | Minnesota-Duluth | 8-2 | 26 | NR | D. Concordia (Minn.), 44-32 | Nov. 11 at No. 9 Minnesota St. | |
| 25 | West Florida | 7-3 | 25 | NR | D. Mississippi College, 42-14 | Nov. 11 vs. Chowan (N.C.) |
Dropped Out: Virginia St. (22), Mars Hill (N.C.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Charleston (W.Va.), 21; Shepherd (W.Va.), 19; Virginia St., 18; Southern Arkansas, 10; Angelo St. (Tex.), 9; Henderson St. (Ark.), 9; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 5; Mars Hill (N.C.), 5; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 4; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 3; Kutztown (Pa.), 3; Truman St. (Mo.), 3; Emporia St. (Kan.), 1; 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.
