By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State moved up to No. 17 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday (Nov. 6). The Tigers jumped five spots in the poll after holding the No. 22 ranking last week.
Fort Hays State knocked off Northwest Missouri State this past Saturday by a score of 17-16 in Maryville. The Bearcats were previously No. 5 in the D2Football.com Poll, but slide down nine spots this week to No. 14 after the loss to the Tigers. The teams are tied for the MIAA lead at 8-2 with one week to play.
Fort Hays State plays for its second straight MIAA Championship on Saturday (Nov. 10) in Hays when it hosts Northeastern State at 2 pm. The Tigers are looking for a fifth straight win over the RiverHawks and could win consecutive conference titles for the first time since a three-year run of titles for the program all the way back in 1934, 1935, and 1936. A win would also solidify Fort Hays State’s position in the NCAA Playoffs. The Tigers are looking to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in program history.
In the AFCA Top 25 Poll released on Monday, Fort Hays State moved back into the Top 25 at No. 22, while Northwest Missouri State slipped from No. 10 to No. 19.
Below is the D2Football.com Poll for November 6, 2018.
| Team | Record | Previous | |
| 1 | Minnesota State | 10-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Ferris State | 10-0 | 2 |
| 3 | West Georgia | 10-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist | 10-0 | 4 |
| 5 | Minnesota Duluth | 10-0 | 6 |
| 6 | Valdosta State | 9-0 | 7 |
| 7 | Tarleton State | 9-0 | 10 |
| 8 | Grand Valley | 9-1 | 8 |
| 9 | CSU-Pueblo | 9-1 | 11 |
| 10 | West Chester | 9-0 | 12 |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 8-1 | 13 |
| 12 | Notre Dame | 10-0 | 14 |
| 13 | LIU-Post | 9-0 | 16 |
| 14 | Northwest Missouri | 8-2 | 5 |
| 15 | Midwestern State | 7-2 | 17 |
| 16 | Colorado Mines | 9-1 | 9 |
| 17 | Fort Hays State | 8-2 | 22 |
| 18 | Central Washington | 8-2 | 18 |
| 19 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 8-2 | 19 |
| 20 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 9-1 | 23 |
| 21 | Harding | 8-2 | 21 |
| 22 | Kutztown | 8-1 | 24 |
| 23 | Hillsdale | 9-1 | NR |
| 24 | Tiffin | 9-1 | NR |
| 25 | Slippery Rock | 9-1 | NR |