|
(KTNC) - The Peru State Bobcat football team had the biggest jump in the fourth poll released for the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. After their 24-7 win over Avila University this past Saturday, the ‘Cats moved from 24th to 19th.
Morningside continues its reign as the top-ranked team in the nation for the fifth-straight edition of the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Monday. The Mustangs were again the unanimous selection with 14 first-place votes and 314 total points after improving to 4-0 with a 33-7 win over Midland.
The Mustangs, who rank among the top five nationally in 12 statistical categories, are looking to become the first team to last the entire season at No. 1 since former member Sioux Falls accomplished the feat in 2009. Morningside has outscored its opponents 215-59 through four games and is averaging 594.5 total yards per game. The Mustangs return to action Saturday against Hastings.
Cumberlands retains its program-best No. 2 ranking for the second-straight week with 299 points. The Patriots (5-0) picked up their third win against a ranked opponent this season after defeating then-No. 14 Lindsey Wilson, 52-45, last Saturday.
Grand View continues its climb up the Top 25, landing at No. 3 this week with 292 points. The ranking is the highest-ever for the Vikings, who started the year at No. 19. Grand View claimed arguably its biggest victory of the season over the weekend with a 48-21 win at then-No. 3 Saint Xavier.
Rounding out the top five this week are No. 4 Saint Francis and No. 5 Benedictine with 275 and 261 points, respectively. Both teams climbed two places from the third regular-season edition after picking up victories against conference opponents last weekend. For Benedictine, the ranking is its first time landing in the top five since Sept. 24, 2002 when the Ravens were No. 2.
Peru State jumped five spots from last week to highlight the positive movement within the poll. Conversely, No. 10 Saint Xavier, No. 12 Georgetown and No. 20 Doane suffered the largest drop-off, falling seven places after losing last Saturday.
For the second-straight week, four newcomers join the Top 25 – No. 21 Trinity International, No. 22 Nebraska Wesleyan, No. 23 Faulkner and No. 25 St. Francis. This is the first Top 25 ranking for Nebraska Wesleyan since 2009. The other three programs were ranked at some point in 2013.
William Penn – previously No. 22 – dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time since August 2010 to snap a streak of 42-straight mentions. The Statesmen lost to then-No. 11 St. Ambrose, 53-34, this past weekend to fall to 2-3 on the season.
Montana Western, Robert Morris and Siena Heights also fell out of the Top 25.
The Mid-States Football Association Midwest League, Heart of America Athletic Conference and Great Plains Athletic Conference are tied for the most programs in the poll with four teams each.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents.
2013 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 4 (Oct. 7)
1 1 Morningside (Iowa) (14) 4-0 314
2 2 Cumberlands (Ky.) 5-0 299
3 4 Grand View (Iowa) 5-0 292
4 6 Saint Francis (Ind.) 3-1 275
5 7 Benedictine (Kan.) 5-0 261
6 8 Missouri Valley 3-1 249
7 9 Carroll (Mont.) 4-1 235
8 10 Ottawa (Kan.) 4-1 230
9 11 St. Ambrose (Iowa) 3-1 215
10 3 Saint Xavier (Ill.) 3-2 211
11 12 Baker (Kan.) 4-1 206
12 5 Georgetown (Ky.) 2-2 175
13 16 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 5-1 162
14 15 Tabor (Kan.) 4-1 160
15 17 Concordia (Neb.) 5-0 149
16 18 Valley City State (N.D.) 4-1 132
T17 20 Friends (Kan.) 4-1 120
T17 14 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 5-1 120
19 24 Peru State (Neb.) 4-1 94
20 13 Doane (Neb.) 3-2 91
21 RV Trinity International (Ill.) 4-1 52
22 RV Nebraska Wesleyan 3-2 51
23 NR Faulkner (Ala.) 4-2 49
24 19 Montana State-Northern 4-2 43
25 RV St. Francis (Ill.) 3-2 16
Others Receiving Votes: Reinhardt (Ga.) 13; Robert Morris (Ill.) 7; Montana Western 3; Southern Oregon 3; Campbellsville (Ky.) 3; Siena Heights (Mich.) 3.
|
