WACO, TEX.– Northwest Missouri State beat Washburn (Kan.), 49-13, moving its record to 11-0 and finished the regular season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bearcats are one of four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Division II playoffs and will have a first-round bye. The rest of the top five remained the same with Ferris State (Mich.) coming in at No. 2 followed by Ashland (Ohio), Colorado State-Pueblo and Shepherd (W.Va.).
Twenty-four of the top 25 teams earned a spot in the playoffs, with No. 21 Colorado Mesa being the only ranked team left out. No. 5 Shepherd, No. 7 West Georia and No. 9 Midwestern State (Texas) received the other three No. 1 seeds and will wait to see who their opponents are on November 28.
Central Missouri and Bowie State (Md.) dropped out of the poll this week, allowing two newcomers to jump in. Augustana (S.D.) comes in at No. 24 with a 9-2 record and is ranked for the first time since September 5, 2011. Coming in with an ever longer poll drought is No. 25 Catawba (N.C.), who was last ranked in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll on September 28, 2009. The Indians are also 9-2 on the season.
2015 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll — Nov. 16, 2015
TEAM |
PTS. | PREV |
| 1. NW Missouri State (30) (11-0) | 797 | 2 |
| 2. Ferris State (2) (10-0) | 764 | 3 |
| 3. Ashland (10-0) | 724 | 5 |
| 4. CSU-Pueblo (10-1) | 682 | 4 |
| 5. Shepherd (10-0) | 674 | 6 |
| 6. Minnesota State (10-1) | 647 | 7 |
| 7. West Georgia (10-1) | 606 | 1 |
| 8. Henderson State (10-1) | 552 | 9 |
| 9. Midwestern State (10-1) | 540 | 10 |
| 10. Slippery Rock (10-1) | 530 | 11 |
| 11. Humboldt State (9-1) | 470 | 12 |
| 12. Grand Valley State (9-2) | 407 | 13 |
| 13. Indianapolis (10-1) | 398 | 18 |
| 14. North Alabama (8-2) | 374 | 17 |
| 15. Charleston (10-1) | 356 | 19 |
| 16. Sioux Falls (9-2) | 304 | 20 |
| 17. Valdosta State (8-2) | 288 | 8 |
| 18. Emporia State (9-2) | 237 | 23 |
| 19. Assumption (10-1) | 199 | 14 |
| 20. Texas A&M-Commerce (8-3) | 186 | 24 |
| 21. Colorado Mesa (9-2) | 169 | 16 |
| 22. Carson-Newman (9-2) | 125 | 25 |
| 23. Tuskegee (8-2) | 123 | NR |
| 24. Augustana (9-2) | 78 | 15 |
| 25. Catawba (9-2) | 65 | NR |
() – Denotes first-place votes; () – Denotes current record
Dropped Out: Central Missouri (20), Bowie St. (Md.) (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana (Pa.), 36; Bowie St. (Md.), 22; Virginia Union, 19; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 6; Central Missouri, 5; McKendree (Ill.), 4; Newberry (S.C.), 4; North Greenville (S.C.), 4; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 2; Arkansas Tech, 1; Colorado School of Mines, 1; Southwestern Oklahoma St., 1.
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