Pitt State remains number 1

Top Six Unchanged in AFCA Division II Coaches Poll WACO, TEX.- The top six teams in the 2004 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches Poll remained unchanged, but two upsets in the Top 10 caused a reshuffling of teams after the ninth week of action. Pittsburg State kept its No. 1 ranking after a 48-21 win over Missouri Western, but has always dangerous Central Missouri State on the schedule for next week. No. 2 Texas A&M-Kingsville, which received two of the 25 first place votes this week, stayed in the ranks of the unbeaten with a 29-22 victory over Eastern New Mexico. Northwest Missouri State stayed at No. 3 with a win over Truman State, 45-42, while No. 4 Albany State keeps its SIAC title hopes alive after a 47-7 victory over Benedict. Valdosta State beat then-No. 23 North Alabama, 24-20, and rounds out the Top 5. No. 6 North Dakota geared up for its Top 25 matchup with No. 21 Nebraska-Omaha this coming weekend with a 20-3 win over Minnesota St.-Mankato. Michigan Tech beat Ferris State, 28-6, and jumped one spot to No. 7, while No. 8 Arkansas Tech stayed unbeaten after a 28-14 win over Arkansas-Monticello. Central Oklahoma was idle this week, but jumped two spots to No. 9 in the poll. South Dakota moved up three positions to No. 10 after handing Upper Iowa a 45-12 loss. Winona State and Colorado School of Mines both jump three spots to No. 11 and No. 12, respectively. The Warriors blanked Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 42-0, while the Miners handed New Mexico Highlands a 42-17 loss. No. 13 Northwood rebounded from its first loss of the season last week by upsetting then-No. 10 Grand Valley State, 35-14. Shippensburg shut out Clarion, 44-0, and moved up three spots to No. 14, while East Stroudsburg dropped eight positions to No. 15 after their loss to West Chester. No. 16 Saginaw Valley State moved its record to 6-2 after handing Northern Michigan a 42-7 loss. Wingate moved up three spots to No. 17 after its 39-34 win over Newberry and stayed in a first-place tie with No. 18 Carson-Newman in the South Atlantic Conference. The Eagles beat Lenoir-Rhyne 47-27. Grand Valley State dropped nine spots to No. 19 after its loss to Northwood, while Tuskegee beat Lane, 27-2, and rounds out the Top 20. Nebraska-Omaha is up four spots to No. 21 after it handed then-No. 16 St. Cloud State a 28-13 loss, while Catawba falls 10 positions to No. 22 after its loss to Tusculum. Central Arkansas beat Ouachita Baptist, 35-26, and is ranked No. 23. St. Cloud State lost to Nebraska-Omaha and dropped eight spots to No. 24. West Chester makes its first appearance in the AFCA Top 25 this season at No. 25 after the Golden Rams downed then-No. 7 East Stroudsburg, 38-37, in overtime. Conference Breakdown: Great Lakes-4 (Grand Valley St., Northwood, Michigan Tech, Saginaw Valley St.), North Central-4 (St. Cloud State, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha), Gulf South-3 (Valdosta St., Arkansas Tech, Central Arkansas), Pennsylvania State Athletic-3 (East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg, West Chester), South Atlantic-3 (Catawba, Wingate, Carson-Newman), Lone Star-2 (Texas A&M-Kingsville, Central Oklahoma), Mid-America-2 (Pittsburg St., Northwest Missouri St.), Southern Intercollegiate-2 (Albany St., Tuskegee), Northern Sun-1 (Winona St.) and Rocky Mountain-1 (Colorado School of Mines). Head-to-Head Three games featuring teams ranked in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll headline this weekends action. No. 6 North Dakota travels south to face No. 21 Nebraska-Omaha for what could be the top spot in the North Central Conference. The Mavericks are 4-0 in the NCC, while the Fighting Sioux sit in a tie for second in the conference with South Dakota at 3-1. No. 7 Michigan Tech will try to keep its GLIAC title hopes alive as they host No. 16 Saginaw Valley State. The Huskies, 8-0 on the season, can clinch its first-ever GLIAC title with a win over SVSU. In the final Top 25 matchup, No. 18 Carson-Newman travels to Salisbury, N.C. to face No. 22 Catawba. The Eagles, who are in a tie for first place in the South Atlantic Conference with No. 17 Wingate, have a 4-1 league mark and are 6-2 overall. Poll Points With its 42-17 victory over New Mexico Highlands, No. 12 Colorado School of Mines moved its record to 9-0 to the start the season for the first time in school history. The Miners extend their school-record winning streak to 11 games, dating back to last season ... Freshman runningback Xavier Omon scored a touchdown on a fourth down, one-yard run with 24 seconds left in the game to give No. 3 Northwest Missouri State a 45-42 victory over Truman State in the Old Hickory Stick Game ... West Chester wide receiver Brandon Simmons earned PSAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week honors after he hauled in three touchdown catches in West Chesters 38-37 overtime win over then-No.7 East Stroudsburg. American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches Poll October 26, 2004 Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prv. Last Week Next Game 1. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (23) 8-0 617 2 D. Missouri Southern, 59-7 Oct. 23 at Missouri Western 1. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (23) 9-0 619 1 D. Missouri Western, 48-21 Oct. 30 vs. Central Missouri St. 2. Texas A&M-Kingsville (2) 7-0 595 2 D. Eastern New Mexico, 29-22 Oct. 30 vs. Abilene Christian (Tex.) 3. Northwest Missouri St. 9-0 578 3 D. Truman St. (Mo.), 45-42 Oct. 30 at Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 4. Albany St. (Ga.) 8-0 543 4 D. Benedict (S.C.), 47-7 Oct. 30 at Morehouse (Ga.) 5. Valdosta St. (Ga.) 7-1 500 5 D. No. 23 North Alabama, 24-20 Oct. 30 vs. Southern Arkansas 6. North Dakota 7-1 484 6 D. Minnesota St.-Mankato, 20-3 Oct. 30 at No. 21 Nebraska-Omaha 7. Michigan Tech 8-0 475 8 D. Ferris St. (Mich.), 28-6 Oct. 30 vs. No. 16 Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) 8. Arkansas Tech 8-0 450 9 D. Arkansas-Monticello, 28-14 Oct. 30 vs. Harding (Ark.) 9. Central Oklahoma 7-1 403 11 Idle Oct. 30 vs. Southeastern Okla. 10. South Dakota 8-1 368 13 D. Upper Iowa, 45-12 Oct. 30 vs. Minnesota-Duluth 11. Winona St. (Minn.) 8-1 353 14 D. Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 42-0 Oct. 30 vs. Wayne St. (Neb.) 12. Colorado School of Mines 9-0 352 15 D. New Mexico Highlands, 42-17 Oct. 30 vs. Mesa St. (Colo.) 13. Northwood (Mich.) 8-1 319 18 D. No. 10 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 35-14 Oct. 30 vs. Ferris St. (Mich.) 14. Shippensburg (Pa.) 8-1 313 17 D. Clarion (Pa.), 44-0 Oct. 30 vs. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 15. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 7-1 259 7 Lost to West Chester (Pa.), 38-37 OT Oct. 30 vs. Cheyney (Pa.) 16. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) 6-2 207 19 D. Northern Michigan, 42-7 Oct. 30 at No. 7 Michigan Tech 17. Wingate (N.C.) 8-1 206 20 D. Newberry (S.C.), 39-34 Oct. 30 at Presbyterian (S.C.) 18. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 6-2 184 21 D. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 47-27 Oct. 30 at No. 22 Catawba (N.C.) 19. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 6-2 181 10 Lost to No. 18 Northwood (Mich.), 35-14 Oct. 30 at Northern Michigan 20. Tuskegee (Ala.) 6-1 162 22 D. Lane (Tenn.), 27-2 Oct. 30 at Clark Atlanta (Ga.) 21. Nebraska-Omaha 7-2 156 25 D. No. 16 St. Cloud State (Minn.), 28-13 Oct. 30 vs. No. 6 North Dakota 22. Catawba (N.C.) 6-2 114 12 Lost to Tusculum (Tenn.), 42-35 Oct. 30 vs. No. 18 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 23. Central Arkansas 7-2 94 24 D. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 35-26 Oct. 30 at Arkansas-Monticello 24. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 7-2 86 16 Lost to No. 25 Nebraska-Omaha, 28-13 Idle 25. West Chester (Pa.) 7-2 71 NR D. No. 7 East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 38-37 OT Oct. 30 vs. Bloomsburg (Pa.)