UTPB Back In Top 25 After Upset of Northeastern State
October 5, 2026
UT Permian Basin took a 17-14 lead into halftime against then-No. 21t Northeastern State and never looked back, winning 38-27. The Falcon defense was the difference in the game as they recorded five interceptions, including four straight on four NSU drives, and held the RiverHawks to just 13 points over the final 43 minutes of the game. With the win, UT Permian Basin returns to the poll at No. 23 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while Northeastern State falls out.
There was very little movement in the poll this week as only three top 25 teams lost. The top eight teams stayed put with Ferris State still on top. Only Emporia State and Indiana (Pa.) flipped positions in the top 10 even though both teams won.
Newberry and Walsh joined Northeastern State as casualties to the top 25, allowing two new teams to be ranked. Central Missouri comes in at No. 24 after beating Central Oklahoma, 33-31, and moving its record to 4-1. The Mules will get to test their new ranking this coming Saturday as they travel to No. 14 Northwest Missouri State.
Northern State makes its first-ever appearance in the AFCA poll at No. 25. The Wolves are 5-1 on the season after beating Bemidji State, 16-9, with perineal power Minnesota-Duluth on deck as their next opponent.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 5 Next Game
1 Ferris St. (31) 5-0 775 1 D. Northern Michigan, 42-0 Oct. 10 vs. Saginaw Valley St.
2 Harding 5-0 744 2 D. East Central, 42-21 Oct. 10 vs. Southeastern Oklahoma
3 Kutztown 5-0 704 3 D. Shippensburg, 59-7 Oct. 10 vs. Lackawanna
4 CSU Pueblo 6-0 672 4 D. Adams St., 72-7 Oct. 17 vs. New Mexico Highlands
5 Minnesota St. 6-0 651 5 D. Concordia-St. Paul, 49-7 Oct. 10 at Winona St.
6 Grand Valley St. 5-0 628 6 D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 69-3 Oct. 10 at No. 19 Michigan Tech
7 Western Colorado 6-0 572 7 D. New Mexico Highlands, 52-24 Oct. 17 vs. Fort Lewis
8 Slippery Rock 5-0 554 8 D. Gannon, 49-10 Oct. 10 vs. Seton Hill
9 Emporia St. 5-0 499 10 D. Missouri Western, 34-22 Oct. 10 at Missouri Southern
10 Indiana (Pa.) 5-0 476 9 D. Edinboro, 46-44 (2OT) Oct. 10 vs. Lock Haven
11 Davenport 5-0 464 11 D. Saginaw Valley St., 37-27 Oct. 10 vs. Northern Michigan
12 Northwood 5-0 385 14 D. Kentucky Chrisitan, 59-14 Oct. 10 at Tiffin
13 Central Washington 3-2 378 12 D. Angelo St., 41-14 Oct. 10 vs. Midwestern St.
14 Northwest Missouri St. 3-1 376 13 Idle Oct. 10 vs. No. 24 Central Missouri
15 North Greenville 5-0 325 17 D. UNC Pembroke, 42-41 Oct. 10 vs. Chowan
16 Findlay 4-1 308 16 D. Ohio Dominican, 41-3 Oct. 10 vs. Ashland
17 Henderson St. 5-0 273 19 D. Southwestern Oklahoma, 38-33 Oct. 10 at Northwestern Oklahoma
18 Valdosta St. 4-1 243 18 D. Erskine, 56-0 Oct. 24 vs. Shorter
19 Michigan Tech 4-1 213 20 D. Roosevelt, 57-28 Oct. 10 vs. No. 6 Grand Valley St.
20 Mars Hill 5-0 190 21t D. Tusculum, 42-40 (4OT) Oct. 10 at Emory & Henry
21 Carson-Newman 5-1 146 23 D. Lenoir-Rhyne, 20-17 (OT) Oct. 10 vs. Anderson (S.C.)
22 West Alabama 5-1 124 24 D. Chowan, 29-26 Oct. 17 at West Florida
23 UT Permian Basin 4-1 117 NR D. No. 21t Northeastern St., 38-27 Oct. 10 at West Texas A&M
24 Central Missouri 4-1 59 NR D. Central Oklahoma, 33-31 Oct. 10 at No. 14 Northwest Missouri St.
25 Northern St. 5-1 42 NR D. Bemidji St., 16-9 Oct. 10 at Minnesota-Duluth
Dropped Out: Newberry (15), Northeastern St. (21t), Walsh (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Virginia Union, 40; Benedict, 24; Minnesota-Duluth, 24; Northeastern St., 14; Shepherd, 14; Wayne St. (Neb.), 10; West Liberty, 9; Virginia St., 7; Newberry, 4; Midwestern St., 3; Tiffin, 3; Johnson C. Smith, 2; East Central, 1; Edward Waters, 1; South Dakota Mines, 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.
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UT Permian Basin took a 17-14 lead into halftime against then-No. 21t Northeastern State and never looked back, winning 38-27. The Falcon defense was the difference in the game as they recorded five interceptions, including four straight on four NSU drives, and held the RiverHawks to just 13 points over the final 43 minutes of the game. With the win, UT Permian Basin returns to the poll at No. 23 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while Northeastern State falls out.
There was very little movement in the poll this week as only three top 25 teams lost. The top eight teams stayed put with Ferris State still on top. Only Emporia State and Indiana (Pa.) flipped positions in the top 10 even though both teams won.
Newberry and Walsh joined Northeastern State as casualties to the top 25, allowing two new teams to be ranked. Central Missouri comes in at No. 24 after beating Central Oklahoma, 33-31, and moving its record to 4-1. The Mules will get to test their new ranking this coming Saturday as they travel to No. 14 Northwest Missouri State.
Northern State makes its first-ever appearance in the AFCA poll at No. 25. The Wolves are 5-1 on the season after beating Bemidji State, 16-9, with perineal power Minnesota-Duluth on deck as their next opponent.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 5 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (31) | 5-0 | 775 | 1 | D. Northern Michigan, 42-0 | Oct. 10 vs. Saginaw Valley St. | |
| 2 | Harding | 5-0 | 744 | 2 | D. East Central, 42-21 | Oct. 10 vs. Southeastern Oklahoma | |
| 3 | Kutztown | 5-0 | 704 | 3 | D. Shippensburg, 59-7 | Oct. 10 vs. Lackawanna | |
| 4 | CSU Pueblo | 6-0 | 672 | 4 | D. Adams St., 72-7 | Oct. 17 vs. New Mexico Highlands | |
| 5 | Minnesota St. | 6-0 | 651 | 5 | D. Concordia-St. Paul, 49-7 | Oct. 10 at Winona St. | |
| 6 | Grand Valley St. | 5-0 | 628 | 6 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 69-3 | Oct. 10 at No. 19 Michigan Tech | |
| 7 | Western Colorado | 6-0 | 572 | 7 | D. New Mexico Highlands, 52-24 | Oct. 17 vs. Fort Lewis | |
| 8 | Slippery Rock | 5-0 | 554 | 8 | D. Gannon, 49-10 | Oct. 10 vs. Seton Hill | |
| 9 | Emporia St. | 5-0 | 499 | 10 | D. Missouri Western, 34-22 | Oct. 10 at Missouri Southern | |
| 10 | Indiana (Pa.) | 5-0 | 476 | 9 | D. Edinboro, 46-44 (2OT) | Oct. 10 vs. Lock Haven | |
| 11 | Davenport | 5-0 | 464 | 11 | D. Saginaw Valley St., 37-27 | Oct. 10 vs. Northern Michigan | |
| 12 | Northwood | 5-0 | 385 | 14 | D. Kentucky Chrisitan, 59-14 | Oct. 10 at Tiffin | |
| 13 | Central Washington | 3-2 | 378 | 12 | D. Angelo St., 41-14 | Oct. 10 vs. Midwestern St. | |
| 14 | Northwest Missouri St. | 3-1 | 376 | 13 | Idle | Oct. 10 vs. No. 24 Central Missouri | |
| 15 | North Greenville | 5-0 | 325 | 17 | D. UNC Pembroke, 42-41 | Oct. 10 vs. Chowan | |
| 16 | Findlay | 4-1 | 308 | 16 | D. Ohio Dominican, 41-3 | Oct. 10 vs. Ashland | |
| 17 | Henderson St. | 5-0 | 273 | 19 | D. Southwestern Oklahoma, 38-33 | Oct. 10 at Northwestern Oklahoma | |
| 18 | Valdosta St. | 4-1 | 243 | 18 | D. Erskine, 56-0 | Oct. 24 vs. Shorter | |
| 19 | Michigan Tech | 4-1 | 213 | 20 | D. Roosevelt, 57-28 | Oct. 10 vs. No. 6 Grand Valley St. | |
| 20 | Mars Hill | 5-0 | 190 | 21t | D. Tusculum, 42-40 (4OT) | Oct. 10 at Emory & Henry | |
| 21 | Carson-Newman | 5-1 | 146 | 23 | D. Lenoir-Rhyne, 20-17 (OT) | Oct. 10 vs. Anderson (S.C.) | |
| 22 | West Alabama | 5-1 | 124 | 24 | D. Chowan, 29-26 | Oct. 17 at West Florida | |
| 23 | UT Permian Basin | 4-1 | 117 | NR | D. No. 21t Northeastern St., 38-27 | Oct. 10 at West Texas A&M | |
| 24 | Central Missouri | 4-1 | 59 | NR | D. Central Oklahoma, 33-31 | Oct. 10 at No. 14 Northwest Missouri St. | |
| 25 | Northern St. | 5-1 | 42 | NR | D. Bemidji St., 16-9 | Oct. 10 at Minnesota-Duluth |
Dropped Out: Newberry (15), Northeastern St. (21t), Walsh (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Virginia Union, 40; Benedict, 24; Minnesota-Duluth, 24; Northeastern St., 14; Shepherd, 14; Wayne St. (Neb.), 10; West Liberty, 9; Virginia St., 7; Newberry, 4; Midwestern St., 3; Tiffin, 3; Johnson C. Smith, 2; East Central, 1; Edward Waters, 1; South Dakota Mines, 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.
