WACO, Texas – Despite an upset loss to Edinboro (Pa.) in the season opener, the West Liberty University football team held onto a spot in this week’s NCAA Division II Top 25 grid poll compiled by the American Football Coaches Association.
The Hilltoppers slipped from No. 7 to a tie for No. 20 with Carson-Newman (Tenn.) in the latest poll, which was released late Monday afternoon. Edinboro, which had received votes in last week’s poll, vaulted into the Top 25 at No. 24 on the strength of Saturday’s 20-19 victory at Russek Field.
Two other West Virginia Conference teams are now listed among those receiving votes.
Shepherd, which knocked off defending PSAC champion Shippensburg in its season opener, got 10 votes this week while Concord, off to a 2-0 start, picked up 2 votes. Those are the first votes Concord has ever received in an NCAA Division II coaches’ poll.
There was a change at the top of the poll as defending national champion Northwest Missouri State was knocked out of the No. 1 spot with a 16-7 loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Grand Valley State (Mich.) is the new No. 1 team with 21 of the 26 first-place votes. Grand Valley edged West Texas A&M, 34-31, in a Top 10 showdown last week.
Minnesota-Duluth (1-0) moved up to No. 2 with a pair of first-place votes while North Alabama (1-0), which plays at Glenville State this week, got the other three first-place votes and moved up to No. 3. California (Pa.) and Abilene Christian round out the top five.
Coach Roger Waialae’s Hilltoppers will try to get back on track Saturday against another tough non-conference foe when West Liberty travels to perennial Northeast-10 power Southern Connecticut State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in New Haven, Conn.
American Football Coaches Association
NCAA Division II Poll
(Sept. 6, 2010)
School W-L Pts LW
1. Grand Valley State (21) 1-0 641 2
2. Minnesota-Duluth (2) 1-0 616 3
3. North Alabama (3) 1-0 605 4
4. California (Pa.) 1-0 565 5
5. Abilene Christian 1-0 551 6
6. Texas A&M-Kingsville 1-0 503 14
7. West Alabama 2-0 471 10
8. NW Missouri State (22) 0-1 419 1
9. West Texas A&M 0-1 356 8
10. Tuskegee (Ala.) 1-0 348 15
11. Hillsdale (Mich.) 1-0 342 16
12. Central Washington 1-1 337 13
13. Midwestern State (Texas) 1-0 312 17
14. Missouri Western 1-0 294 19
15. Washburn (Kan.) 1-1 269 9
16. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) 0-1 232 11
17. UNC-Pembroke 1-0 219 23
18. Minnesota St.-Mankato 1-0 200 18
19. Winona State (Minn.) 1-0 129 24
20. WEST LIBERTY 0-1 119 7
(tie) Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 1-1 119 20
22. Wayne State (Neb.) 1-0 115 25
23. Nebraska-Kearney 1-1 106 NR
24. Edinboro (Pa.) 1-0 84 NR
25. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 1-0 81 NR
Also receiving votes: Valdosta St. (Ga.) 77; Nebraska-Omaha 58; Bemidji St. (Minn.) 51; Central Missouri 30; Augustana (S.D.) 24; West Chester (Pa.) 24; Delta St. (Miss.) 23; Ashland (Ohio) 22; Morehouse (Ga.) 18; Texas A&M-Commerce 14; Colorado School of Mines 11; Albany St. (Ga.) 10; SHEPHERD 10; Tarleton St. (Texas) 10; Indiana (Pa.) 9; Tusculum (Tenn.) 6; Shaw (N.C.) 5; Wayne St. (Mich.) 5; C.W. Post (N.Y.) 4; CONCORD 2; Colorado St.-Pueblo 1; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 1; Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 1; St. Augustine’s (N.C.) 1.