Ouachita Baptist Earns Upset to Move up in the AFCA Top 25
September 26, 2022
Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) earned a hard-fought 21-13 victory over then-No. 7 Harding (Ark.) to move into sole possession of first place in the Great American Conference. The Tiger defense played a key role in the win, holding Harding scoreless in the second half and limiting the Bison offense to just three minutes of time in the fourth quarter. Ouachita Baptist moved up to No. 6 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Harding fell to No. 16.
The Top 5 has a different look this week thanks to Northwest Missouri State’s upset loss to Central Oklahoma, 23-14. The loss dropped the Bearcats from No. 2 to No. 12. Ferris State (Mich.) is still No. 1 with 29 first-place votes, but Grand Valley State (Mich.) takes over at No. 2, followed by Angelo State (Tex.), Shepherd (W.Va.) and West Georgia.
New No. 2 Grand Valley State gets to test their new rank as they host one of two Top 25 matchups this coming weekend. The Lakers will host No. 17 Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) in a key Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game. The final Top 25 matchup is a big one in the Gulf South Conference as No. 13 Valdosta State (Ga.) travels to newly ranked and No. 25 Delta State (Miss.).
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 Ferris St. (Mich.) (29) 3-0 749 1 D. Waldorf (Iowa), 69-3 Oct. 1 at Findlay (Ohio)
2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) 4-0 719 3 D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 48-9 Oct. 1 vs. No. 17 Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
3 Angelo St. (Tex.) 4-0 686 4 D. West Texas A&M, 34-14 Oct. 1 at Western Oregon
4 Shepherd (W.Va.) 4-0 649 5 D. Kutztown (Pa.), 42-35 Oct. 1 at Shippensburg (Pa.)
5 West Georgia 3-0 623 8 D. West Alabama, 22-7 Oct. 1 vs. Mississippi College
6 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 4-0 605 9 D. No. 7 Harding (Ark.), 21-13 Oct. 1 at Northwestern Oklahoma St.
7 Newberry (S.C.) 4-0 553 10 D. Erskine (S.C.), 32-14 Oct. 1 at Carson-Newman (Tenn.)
8 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 4-0 526 11 D. Seton Hill (Pa.), 30-2 Oct. 1 at Indiana (Pa.)
9 Ashland (Ohio) 3-0 477 12 D. Quincy (Ill.), 34-14 Oct. 1 vs. Northwood (Mich.)
10 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 4-0 421 14 D. Emporia St. (Kan.), 14-13 Oct. 1 vs. Missouri Southern St.
11 Augustana (S.D.) 4-0 402 13 D. Northern St. (S.D.), 21-13 Oct. 1 vs. Sioux Falls (S.D.)
12 Northwest Missouri St. 3-1 384 2 Lost to Central Oklahoma, 23-14 Oct. 1 vs. Missouri Western St.
13 Valdosta St. (Ga.) 3-1 328 15 D. Shorter (Ga.), 34-30 Oct. 1 at No. 25 Delta St. (Miss.)
14t. Indianapolis (Ind.) 3-0 321 16 D. Ohio Dominican, 44-38 Oct. 1 vs. Southwest Baptist (Mo.)
14t. West Florida 2-1 321 6 Lost to Delta St. (Miss.), 45-42 2OT Oct. 1 vs. North Greenville (S.C.)
16 Harding (Ark.) 3-1 310 7 Lost to No. 9 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 21-13 Oct. 1 vs. Oklahoma Baptist
17 Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) 4-0 258 19 D. Michigan Tech, 35-13 Oct. 1 at No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.)
18 Notre Dame (Ohio) 3-1 245 17 D. West Virginia St., 48-13 Oct. 1 vs. Charleston (W.Va.)
19 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 3-1 244 18 D. Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 34-13 Oct. 1 at Virginia-Wise
20 Virginia Union 4-0 172 22 D. Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 31-28 Oct. 1 vs. St. Augustine’s (N.C.)
21 Albany St. (Ga.) 3-1 171 20 D. Clark-Atlanta (Ga.), 35-0 Oct. 1 vs. Miles (Ala.)
22 Colorado School of Mines 2-2 163 21 D. Colorado St.-Pueblo, 45-17 Oct. 1 at Chadron St. (Neb.)
23 Nebraska-Kearney 3-1 108 25 D. Central Missouri, 38-6 Oct. 1 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.)
24 New Haven (Conn.) 3-1 80 23 D. Bentley (Mass.), 21-13 Oct. 1 at St. Anselm (N.H.)
25 Delta St. (Miss.) 4-0 78 NR D. No. 6 West Florida, 45-42 2OT Oct. 1 vs. No. 13 Valdosta St. (Ga.)
Dropped Out: Henderson St. (Ark.) (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana (Pa.), 38; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 34; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 33; Washburn (Kan.), 16; Midwestern St. (Tex.), 9; Henderson St. (Ark.), 5; Wayne St. (Neb.), 5; Western Colorado, 5; Benedict (S.C.), 4; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 3; Truman St. (Mo.), 3; Minnesota St., 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.
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Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) earned a hard-fought 21-13 victory over then-No. 7 Harding (Ark.) to move into sole possession of first place in the Great American Conference. The Tiger defense played a key role in the win, holding Harding scoreless in the second half and limiting the Bison offense to just three minutes of time in the fourth quarter. Ouachita Baptist moved up to No. 6 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Harding fell to No. 16.
The Top 5 has a different look this week thanks to Northwest Missouri State’s upset loss to Central Oklahoma, 23-14. The loss dropped the Bearcats from No. 2 to No. 12. Ferris State (Mich.) is still No. 1 with 29 first-place votes, but Grand Valley State (Mich.) takes over at No. 2, followed by Angelo State (Tex.), Shepherd (W.Va.) and West Georgia.
New No. 2 Grand Valley State gets to test their new rank as they host one of two Top 25 matchups this coming weekend. The Lakers will host No. 17 Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) in a key Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game. The final Top 25 matchup is a big one in the Gulf South Conference as No. 13 Valdosta State (Ga.) travels to newly ranked and No. 25 Delta State (Miss.).
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (29) | 3-0 | 749 | 1 | D. Waldorf (Iowa), 69-3 | Oct. 1 at Findlay (Ohio) |
| 2 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) | 4-0 | 719 | 3 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 48-9 | Oct. 1 vs. No. 17 Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) |
| 3 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 4-0 | 686 | 4 | D. West Texas A&M, 34-14 | Oct. 1 at Western Oregon |
| 4 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 4-0 | 649 | 5 | D. Kutztown (Pa.), 42-35 | Oct. 1 at Shippensburg (Pa.) |
| 5 | West Georgia | 3-0 | 623 | 8 | D. West Alabama, 22-7 | Oct. 1 vs. Mississippi College |
| 6 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 4-0 | 605 | 9 | D. No. 7 Harding (Ark.), 21-13 | Oct. 1 at Northwestern Oklahoma St. |
| 7 | Newberry (S.C.) | 4-0 | 553 | 10 | D. Erskine (S.C.), 32-14 | Oct. 1 at Carson-Newman (Tenn.) |
| 8 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 4-0 | 526 | 11 | D. Seton Hill (Pa.), 30-2 | Oct. 1 at Indiana (Pa.) |
| 9 | Ashland (Ohio) | 3-0 | 477 | 12 | D. Quincy (Ill.), 34-14 | Oct. 1 vs. Northwood (Mich.) |
| 10 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 4-0 | 421 | 14 | D. Emporia St. (Kan.), 14-13 | Oct. 1 vs. Missouri Southern St. |
| 11 | Augustana (S.D.) | 4-0 | 402 | 13 | D. Northern St. (S.D.), 21-13 | Oct. 1 vs. Sioux Falls (S.D.) |
| 12 | Northwest Missouri St. | 3-1 | 384 | 2 | Lost to Central Oklahoma, 23-14 | Oct. 1 vs. Missouri Western St. |
| 13 | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 3-1 | 328 | 15 | D. Shorter (Ga.), 34-30 | Oct. 1 at No. 25 Delta St. (Miss.) |
| 14t. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 3-0 | 321 | 16 | D. Ohio Dominican, 44-38 | Oct. 1 vs. Southwest Baptist (Mo.) |
| 14t. | West Florida | 2-1 | 321 | 6 | Lost to Delta St. (Miss.), 45-42 2OT | Oct. 1 vs. North Greenville (S.C.) |
| 16 | Harding (Ark.) | 3-1 | 310 | 7 | Lost to No. 9 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 21-13 | Oct. 1 vs. Oklahoma Baptist |
| 17 | Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) | 4-0 | 258 | 19 | D. Michigan Tech, 35-13 | Oct. 1 at No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
| 18 | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 3-1 | 245 | 17 | D. West Virginia St., 48-13 | Oct. 1 vs. Charleston (W.Va.) |
| 19 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 3-1 | 244 | 18 | D. Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 34-13 | Oct. 1 at Virginia-Wise |
| 20 | Virginia Union | 4-0 | 172 | 22 | D. Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 31-28 | Oct. 1 vs. St. Augustine’s (N.C.) |
| 21 | Albany St. (Ga.) | 3-1 | 171 | 20 | D. Clark-Atlanta (Ga.), 35-0 | Oct. 1 vs. Miles (Ala.) |
| 22 | Colorado School of Mines | 2-2 | 163 | 21 | D. Colorado St.-Pueblo, 45-17 | Oct. 1 at Chadron St. (Neb.) |
| 23 | Nebraska-Kearney | 3-1 | 108 | 25 | D. Central Missouri, 38-6 | Oct. 1 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) |
| 24 | New Haven (Conn.) | 3-1 | 80 | 23 | D. Bentley (Mass.), 21-13 | Oct. 1 at St. Anselm (N.H.) |
| 25 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 4-0 | 78 | NR | D. No. 6 West Florida, 45-42 2OT | Oct. 1 vs. No. 13 Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
Dropped Out: Henderson St. (Ark.) (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana (Pa.), 38; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 34; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 33; Washburn (Kan.), 16; Midwestern St. (Tex.), 9; Henderson St. (Ark.), 5; Wayne St. (Neb.), 5; Western Colorado, 5; Benedict (S.C.), 4; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 3; Truman St. (Mo.), 3; Minnesota St., 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.
