No. 3 Pittsburg State Holds Off Conference Rival
September 18, 2023
Pittsburg State (Kan.) took the lead, 38-31, with 1:48 left to go in the game, but Central Missouri drove 65 yards and scored, drawing within one point with 25 seconds left on the clock. The Mules decided to go for a game-winning two-point conversion, but their toss sweep was stopped by the Gorilla defense and Pittsburg State held on for the win. The Gorillas remain undefeated and No. 3 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Ferris State (Mich.) is still No. 1 despite losing a close 17-10 contest to FCS-member Montana. Colorado School of Mines remains in the second spot, but Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and Minnesota State move up into the Top 5 because West Florida lost to another FCS opponent, Florida A&M, and dropped from No. 4 to No. 7.
Then-No. 15 Northwest Missouri State lost to Fort Hays State (Kan.), 17-6, this past Saturday. The loss dropped the Bearcats out of the AFCA Top 25 Poll for the first time since November 11, 2003, which ended a streak of 242 straight weeks being ranked in the coaches’ poll. Northwest Missouri State has appeared in 284 AFCA polls, the most of any school in Division II.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 3 Next Game
1 Ferris St. (Mich.) (23) 2-1 740 1 Lost to Montana, 17-10 Sept. 30 vs. Northern Michigan
2 Colorado School of Mines (7) 3-0 726 2 D. Adams St. (Colo.), 70-7 Sept. 23 at Colorado St.-Pueblo
3 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 3-0 687 3 D. Central Missouri, 38-37 Sept. 23 vs. Nebraska-Kearney
4 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 3-0 622 5 D. Southern Arkansas, 52-24 Sept. 23 at Arkansas-Monticello
5 Minnesota St. 3-0 590 6 D. Minot St. (N.D.), 52-25 Sept. 23 vs. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.)
6 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 2-1 568 7 D. No. 19 Assumption (Mass.), 43-7 Sept. 30 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
7 West Florida 2-1 564 4 Lost to Florida A&M, 31-10 Sept. 23 vs. West Georgia
8 Delta St. (Miss.) 3-0 555 8 D. Mississippi Valley St., 35-7 Sept. 23 vs. Shorter (Ga.)
9 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 3-0 510 10 D. Winona St. (Minn.), 36-10 Sept. 23 at Mary (N.D.)
10 Harding (Ark.) 3-0 475 11 D. Arkansas-Monticello, 59-19 Sept. 23 at No. 20 Henderson St. (Ark.)
11 Emporia St. (Kan.) 3-0 450 12 D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 38-0 Sept. 23 vs. Central Oklahoma
12 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 3-0 407 13 D. Millersville (Pa.), 42-21 Sept. 23 at Seton Hill (Pa.)
13 Shepherd (W.Va.) 3-0 366 14 D. California (Pa.), 44-34 Sept. 23 vs. Kutztown (Pa.)
14 Benedict (S.C.) 3-0 354 16 D. Lane (Tenn.), 54-7 Sept. 23 at Chowan (N.C.)
15 Virginia Union 3-0 307 17 D. Livingstone (N.C.), 28-20 Sept. 23 vs. Fayetteville St. (N.C.)
16 Indianapolis (Ind.) 2-0 280 18 D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 28-7 Sept. 23 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
17 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 3-0 250 20 D. Erskine (S.C.), 62-0 Sept. 23 at Carson-Newman (Tenn.)
18 Texas A&M-Kingsville 3-0 249 21 D. Western New Mexico, 30-9 Sept. 23 at Texas-Permian Basin
19 Western Colorado 3-0 194 25 D. No. 22 Colorado St.-Pueblo, 30-14 Sept. 23 at Chadron St. (Neb.)
20 Henderson St. (Ark.) 3-0 177 23 D. Arkansas Tech, 27-24 Sept. 23 vs. No. 10 Harding (Ark.)
21 Davenport (Mich.) 2-0 134 24 Idle Sept. 23 vs. William Jewell (Mo.)
22 Angelo St. (Tex.) 1-2 110 9 Lost to Central Washington, 27-24 Sept. 23 vs. Western New Mexico
23 Minnesota-Duluth 3-0 96 NR D. Sioux Falls (S.D.), 42-34 Sept. 23 at Southwest Minnesota St.
24 Assumption (Mass.) 2-1 64 19 Lost to No. 7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 43-7 Sept. 30 vs. Pace (N.Y.)
25 Central Missouri 2-1 35 NR Lost to No. 3 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 38-37 Sept. 23 at Washburn (Kan.)
Dropped Out: Northwest Missouri St. (15), Colorado St.-Pueblo (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St. (Ga.), 34; Tuskegee (Ala.), 33; Truman St. (Mo.), 32; Augustana (S.D.), 30; Virginia St., 28; Northwest Missouri St., 23; Indiana (Pa.), 17; West Georgia, 11; Tiffin (Ohio), 8; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 5; Central Washington, 4; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 4; Mars Hill (N.C.), 4; Missouri Western St., 3; Ashland (Ohio), 2; Notre Dame (Ohio), 2.
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.
« « Previous PostNext Post » »
Pittsburg State (Kan.) took the lead, 38-31, with 1:48 left to go in the game, but Central Missouri drove 65 yards and scored, drawing within one point with 25 seconds left on the clock. The Mules decided to go for a game-winning two-point conversion, but their toss sweep was stopped by the Gorilla defense and Pittsburg State held on for the win. The Gorillas remain undefeated and No. 3 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Ferris State (Mich.) is still No. 1 despite losing a close 17-10 contest to FCS-member Montana. Colorado School of Mines remains in the second spot, but Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and Minnesota State move up into the Top 5 because West Florida lost to another FCS opponent, Florida A&M, and dropped from No. 4 to No. 7.
Then-No. 15 Northwest Missouri State lost to Fort Hays State (Kan.), 17-6, this past Saturday. The loss dropped the Bearcats out of the AFCA Top 25 Poll for the first time since November 11, 2003, which ended a streak of 242 straight weeks being ranked in the coaches’ poll. Northwest Missouri State has appeared in 284 AFCA polls, the most of any school in Division II.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 3 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (23) | 2-1 | 740 | 1 | Lost to Montana, 17-10 | Sept. 30 vs. Northern Michigan | |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines (7) | 3-0 | 726 | 2 | D. Adams St. (Colo.), 70-7 | Sept. 23 at Colorado St.-Pueblo | |
| 3 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 3-0 | 687 | 3 | D. Central Missouri, 38-37 | Sept. 23 vs. Nebraska-Kearney | |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 3-0 | 622 | 5 | D. Southern Arkansas, 52-24 | Sept. 23 at Arkansas-Monticello | |
| 5 | Minnesota St. | 3-0 | 590 | 6 | D. Minot St. (N.D.), 52-25 | Sept. 23 vs. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) | |
| 6 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 2-1 | 568 | 7 | D. No. 19 Assumption (Mass.), 43-7 | Sept. 30 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) | |
| 7 | West Florida | 2-1 | 564 | 4 | Lost to Florida A&M, 31-10 | Sept. 23 vs. West Georgia | |
| 8 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 3-0 | 555 | 8 | D. Mississippi Valley St., 35-7 | Sept. 23 vs. Shorter (Ga.) | |
| 9 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 3-0 | 510 | 10 | D. Winona St. (Minn.), 36-10 | Sept. 23 at Mary (N.D.) | |
| 10 | Harding (Ark.) | 3-0 | 475 | 11 | D. Arkansas-Monticello, 59-19 | Sept. 23 at No. 20 Henderson St. (Ark.) | |
| 11 | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 3-0 | 450 | 12 | D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 38-0 | Sept. 23 vs. Central Oklahoma | |
| 12 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 3-0 | 407 | 13 | D. Millersville (Pa.), 42-21 | Sept. 23 at Seton Hill (Pa.) | |
| 13 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 3-0 | 366 | 14 | D. California (Pa.), 44-34 | Sept. 23 vs. Kutztown (Pa.) | |
| 14 | Benedict (S.C.) | 3-0 | 354 | 16 | D. Lane (Tenn.), 54-7 | Sept. 23 at Chowan (N.C.) | |
| 15 | Virginia Union | 3-0 | 307 | 17 | D. Livingstone (N.C.), 28-20 | Sept. 23 vs. Fayetteville St. (N.C.) | |
| 16 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 2-0 | 280 | 18 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 28-7 | Sept. 23 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) | |
| 17 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 3-0 | 250 | 20 | D. Erskine (S.C.), 62-0 | Sept. 23 at Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | |
| 18 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 3-0 | 249 | 21 | D. Western New Mexico, 30-9 | Sept. 23 at Texas-Permian Basin | |
| 19 | Western Colorado | 3-0 | 194 | 25 | D. No. 22 Colorado St.-Pueblo, 30-14 | Sept. 23 at Chadron St. (Neb.) | |
| 20 | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 3-0 | 177 | 23 | D. Arkansas Tech, 27-24 | Sept. 23 vs. No. 10 Harding (Ark.) | |
| 21 | Davenport (Mich.) | 2-0 | 134 | 24 | Idle | Sept. 23 vs. William Jewell (Mo.) | |
| 22 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 1-2 | 110 | 9 | Lost to Central Washington, 27-24 | Sept. 23 vs. Western New Mexico | |
| 23 | Minnesota-Duluth | 3-0 | 96 | NR | D. Sioux Falls (S.D.), 42-34 | Sept. 23 at Southwest Minnesota St. | |
| 24 | Assumption (Mass.) | 2-1 | 64 | 19 | Lost to No. 7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 43-7 | Sept. 30 vs. Pace (N.Y.) | |
| 25 | Central Missouri | 2-1 | 35 | NR | Lost to No. 3 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 38-37 | Sept. 23 at Washburn (Kan.) |
Dropped Out: Northwest Missouri St. (15), Colorado St.-Pueblo (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St. (Ga.), 34; Tuskegee (Ala.), 33; Truman St. (Mo.), 32; Augustana (S.D.), 30; Virginia St., 28; Northwest Missouri St., 23; Indiana (Pa.), 17; West Georgia, 11; Tiffin (Ohio), 8; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 5; Central Washington, 4; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 4; Mars Hill (N.C.), 4; Missouri Western St., 3; Ashland (Ohio), 2; Notre Dame (Ohio), 2.
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.
