Texas A&M-Commerce players celebrate a touchdown. (RoadTripSports.com photo by Matthew Postins)
WACO, TEX.– The Division II football season finally got started this past week and Valdosta State (Ga.) keeps their hold on the No. 1 spot in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Blazers handed Albany State (Ga.) a decisive 38-3 loss to open the 2019 season and received all but one first-place vote in the first regular season Top 25 poll. The top five remained unchanged other than Tarleton State (Texas), who moves up two places to No. 5 after its 37-26 win over Stephen F. Austin (Texas).
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence.
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Three new teams entered the poll this week, starting with No. 21 Central Missouri. The Mules upset then-No. 11 Fort Hays State (Kan.) 34-30 to earn their first ranking since September 17, 2018. Next is No. 23 Pittsburg State (Kan.), who handed Central Oklahoma a 37-35 loss. The Gorillas were ranked for five weeks in 2018, with their last ranking coming on October 8. The final newcomer is No. 24 Indiana (Pa.). The Crimson Hawks beat New Haven (Conn.) 24-13 to earn their first ranking since November 5, 2018.
2019 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll — Week 2 (Sept. 9, 2019)
TEAM |
PTS. | PREV* |
| 1. Valdosta State (31) (1-0) | 799 | 1 |
| 2. Ferris State (1-0) | 732 | 2 |
| 3. Minnesota State (1-0) | 718 | 3 |
| 4. Notre Dame (OH) (1-0) | 646 | 4 |
| 5. Tarleton State (1-0) | 644 | 7 |
| 6. Ouachita Baptist (1-0) | 643 | 5 |
| 7. Northwest Missouri State (1-0) | 624 | 6 |
| 8. Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0) | 578 | 8 |
| 9. Colorado State-Pueblo (1-0) | 545 | 9 |
| 10. Grand Valley State (1-0) | 488 | 10 |
| 11. Slippery Rock (1-0) | 441 | 12 |
| 12. Texas A&M-Commerce (1-0) | 400 | 13 |
| 13. Minnesota-Duluth (1-0) | 397 | 14 |
| 14. West Georgia (1-0) | 396 | 15 |
| 15. Indianapolis (1-0) | 355 | 16 |
| 16. Midwestern State (1-0) | 331 | 20 |
| 17. Colorado Mines (1-0) | 313 | 17 |
| 18. Wingate (1-0) | 208 | 21 |
| 19. West Chester (1-0) | 189 | 22 |
| 20. West Alabama (1-0) | 173 | 24 |
| 21. Central Missouri (1-0) | 105 | NR |
| 22. Harding (0-1) | 95 | 18 |
| 23. Pittsburg State (1-0) | 84 | NR |
| 24. Indiana (PA) (1-0) | 83 | NR |
| 25. Fort Hays State (1-0) | 67 | 11 |
Dropped Out: Hillsdale (Mich.) (19), Ashland (Ohio) (23), Fairmont St. (W.Va.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Bowie St. (Md.), 56; Virginia Union, 40; Ashland (Ohio), 38; Augustana (S.D.), 30; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 24; California (Pa.), 23; Southern Arkansas, 15; Ohio Dominican, 13; West Texas A&M, 13; Colorado Mesa, 12; Angelo St. (Texas), 10; Florida Tech, 10; Emporia St. (Kan.), 9; Kutztown (Pa.), 9; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 9; Albany St. (Ga.), 5; Chadron St. (Neb.), 5; Winona St. (Minn.), 5; Central Washington, 4; Findlay (Ohio), 4; Michigan Tech, 4; Shepherd (W.Va.), 3; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 2; Eastern New Mexico, 1; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 1; Kentucky St., 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out AFCAInsider.com and subscribe to our weekly email
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