By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football is back in the receiving votes section of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday (Oct. 21). The Tigers are among four MIAA teams in the receiving votes section, while two teams from the conference remain in the top 25. FHSU is currently on a five-game winning streak.
By knocking off Pittsburg State this past Saturday, Fort Hays State pulled Pitt State from the top 25. The Gorillas went into the game ranked 19th. Pittsburg State is now at the top of the receiving votes list, just on the outside the top 25 looking in. Fort Hays State is fourth among teams receiving votes, while Missouri Western is right behind as the fifth team listed receiving votes. This week’s opponent for the Tigers, Nebraska-Kearney, is also among the receiving votes list after a 24-17 win over nationally ranked Northwest Missouri State. The Lopers pushed the Bearcats from No. 7 in the poll to No. 14 this week.
Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Missouri Western, and Nebraska-Kearney all sit in a tie for third place in the MIAA standings at 5-2. Central Missouri leads the conference at 7-0, ranked No. 11 in the latest national poll, and Northwest Missouri State is second at 6-1.
Below is the AFCA Top 25 Poll for October 21, 2019.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Record | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game |
| 1. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) (30) | 7-0 | 774 | 1 | D. Florida Tech, 55-28 | Oct. 26 at North Greenville (S.C.) |
| 2. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 7-0 | 737 | 2 | D. Northwood (Mich.), 44-17 | Oct. 26 vs. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) |
| 3. | Minnesota St. | 7-0 | 708 | 3 | D. Mary (N.D.), 74-17 | Oct. 26 at Minnesota-Crookston |
| 4. | Tarleton St. (Texas) (1) | 7-0 | 663 | 4 | D. No. 20 Texas A&M-Commerce, 35-21 | Oct. 26 at Texas A&M-Kingsville |
| 5. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 7-0 | 644 | 5 | D. Oklahoma Baptist, 42-14 | Oct. 24 at Southern Nazarene (Okla.) |
| 6. | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 7-0 | 608 | 6 | D. Wheeling (W.Va.), 51-13 | Oct. 26 vs. Findlay (Ohio) |
| 7. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 7-0 | 586 | 8 | D. Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 36-23 | Oct. 26 at Limestone (S.C.) |
| 8. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 6-0 | 526 | 10 | Idle | Oct. 26 vs. Missouri S&T |
| 9t. | Colorado School of Mines | 7-0 | 519 | 11 | D. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 42-0 | Oct. 26 at Azusa Pacific (Calif.) |
| 9t. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 7-0 | 519 | 9 | D. Edinboro (Pa.), 41-30 | Oct. 26 vs. Clarion (Pa.) |
| 11. | Central Missouri | 7-0 | 421 | 14 | D. Emporia St. (Kan.), 34-27 | Oct. 26 vs. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
| 12. | Wingate (N.C.) | 7-0 | 417 | 13 | D. UNC-Pembroke, 48-38 | Oct. 26 vs. Virginia-Wise |
| 13. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 6-1 | 368 | 15 | D. Colorado Mesa, 48-22 | Oct. 26 vs. Adams St. (Colo.) |
| 14. | Northwest Missouri St. | 6-1 | 343 | 7 | Lost to Nebraska-Kearney, 24-17 | Oct. 26 vs. Lincoln (Mo.) |
| 15. | Bowie St. (Md.) | 7-0 | 337 | 16 | D. Virginia St., 24-14 | Oct. 26 vs. No. 25 Virginia Union |
| 16. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 6-1 | 311 | 17 | D. Northern Michigan, 45-17 | Oct. 26 vs. Davenport (Mich.) |
| 17. | Kutztown (Pa.) | 7-0 | 305 | 18 | D. Lock Haven (Pa.), 35-12 | Oct. 26 vs. Shippensburg (Pa.) |
| 18. | Harding (Ark.) | 6-1 | 247 | 21 | D. Southwestern Oklahoma St., 45-14 | Oct. 26 at Northwestern Oklahoma St. |
| 19. | Indiana (Pa.) | 6-1 | 209 | 22 | D. Clarion (Pa.), 59-21 | Oct. 26 vs. Gannon (Pa.) |
| 20. | West Florida | 5-1 | 177 | 24 | D. West Georgia, 30-2 | Oct. 26 at Florida Tech |
| 21. | West Chester (Pa.) | 6-1 | 151 | 12 | Lost to Shepherd (W.Va.), 35-23 | Oct. 26 vs. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) |
| 22. | Angelo St. (Texas) | 6-1 | 142 | 25 | D. West Texas A&M, 17-14 | Oct. 26 vs. Texas-Permian Basin |
| 23t. | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 6-1 | 71 | NR | D. East Central (Okla.), 48-17 | Oct. 26 at Southeastern Oklahoma St. |
| 23t. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 4-2 | 71 | 20 | Lost to No. 4 Tarleton St. (Texas), 35-21 | Oct. 26 vs. Western New Mexico |
| 25. | Virginia Union | 6-1 | 67 | NR | D. Chowan (N.C.), 41-34 | Oct. 26 at No. 15 Bowie St. (Md.) |
Dropped Out:
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (19), Minnesota-Duluth (23)
Others Receiving Votes:
Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 39; Dixie St. (Utah), 37; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 20; Fort
Hays St. (Kan.), 12; Missouri Western St., 11; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 5;
Minnesota-Duluth, 5; Truman St. (Mo.), 5; Eastern New Mexico, 4; Frostburg St.
(Md.), 4; Tiffin (Ohio), 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 3; Assumption (Mass.), 2;
Southern Arkansas, 2; Miles (Ala.), 1.