BY FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The latest release of the D2Football.com Top 25 on Monday (Oct. 28) has Fort Hays State back in its Top 25. After an 0-2 start to the 2019 season dropped the Tigers from both the D2Football.com and AFCA Top 25 Polls, the Tigers jump back into the D2Football.com poll this week at No. 25 following six straight wins.
The Tigers held a No. 8 ranking in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll to start the year and a loss to Central Missouri pushed the Tigers down to No. 22. A Week 2 loss to Missouri Western dropped the Tigers from the poll following two weeks of play. FHSU has won six straight since the tough start to earn its way back into the poll. Central Missouri (No. 13) and Northwest Missouri State (No. 16) give the MIAA three teams inside the Top 25.
Fort Hays State continues to receive votes in the AFCA Top 25 Poll for a second straight week. The Tigers are the sixth-highest listed team in the receiving votes section, sharing the spot with Missouri Western. Both the Tigers and Griffons are 6-2 on the year and both received six points in the poll this week. Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri State remain in the Top 25, holding the No. 11 and No. 14 spots respectively. FHSU began the season No. 11 in the AFCA Poll, dropped to No. 25 after its Week 1 loss, then fell out of the poll entirely before jumping back into the receiving votes section last week after its win over Pittsburg State.
Fort Hays State heads on the road this week for a meeting with Lincoln University. Game time is set for 1 pm in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Below is the D2Football.com Top 25 for October 28, 2019.
| Rank | Team | Record | Last Week |
| 1 | Valdosta State | 8-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Ferris State | 8-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Minnesota State | 8-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist | 8-0 | 4 |
| 5 | Tarleton State | 8-0 | 5 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 8-0 | 6 |
| 7 | Indianapolis | 7-0 | 7 |
| 8 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 8-0 | 8 |
| 9 | Colorado School of Mines | 8-0 | 9 |
| 10 | Slippery Rock | 8-0 | 10 |
| 11 | CSU-Pueblo | 7-1 | 11 |
| 12 | Wingate | 8-0 | 12 |
| 13 | Central Missouri | 8-0 | 13 |
| 14 | Harding | 7-1 | 14 |
| 15 | Grand Valley | 7-1 | 15 |
| 16 | Northwest Missouri State | 7-1 | 16 |
| 17 | Bowie State | 8-0 | 17 |
| 18 | Kutztown | 8-0 | 18 |
| 19 | Angelo State | 7-1 | 19 |
| 20 | West Florida | 6-1 | 20 |
| 21 | Indiana (Pa.) | 7-1 | 21 |
| 22 | West Chester | 7-1 | 22 |
| 23 | Henderson State | 7-1 | 23 |
| 24 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 6-2 | 24 |
| 25 | Fort Hays State | 6-2 | NR |
Below is the AFCA Top 25 Poll for October 28, 2019.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Record | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game |
| 1. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) (29) | 8-0 | 772 | 1 | D. North Greenville (S.C.), 20-15 | Nov. 9 vs. No. 20 West Florida |
| 2. | Ferris St. (Mich.) (1) | 8-0 | 737 | 2 | D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 34-10 | Nov. 2 at Michigan Tech |
| 3. | Minnesota St. | 8-0 | 706 | 3 | D. Minnesota-Crookston, 81-0 | Nov. 2 vs. Wayne St. (Neb.) |
| 4. | Tarleton St. (Texas) (1) | 8-0 | 689 | 4 | D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 45-33 | Nov. 2 vs. Midwestern St. (Texas) |
| 5. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 8-0 | 648 | 5 | D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 27-13 | Nov. 2 vs. Southern Arkansas |
| 6. | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 8-0 | 605 | 6 | D. Findlay (Ohio), 24-19 | Nov. 2 at Frostburg St. (Md.) |
| 7. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 8-0 | 572 | 7 | D. Limestone (S.C.), 28-20 | Nov. 2 vs. No. 12 Wingate (N.C.) |
| 8. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 7-0 | 552 | 8 | D. Missouri S&T, 48-7 | Nov. 2 at Lindenwood (Mo.) |
| 9. | Colorado School of Mines | 8-0 | 528 | 9t | D. Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 49-27 | Nov. 2 at South Dakota Mines |
| 10. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 8-0 | 509 | 9t | D. Clarion (Pa.), 41-6 | Nov. 2 vs. California (Pa.) |
| 11. | Central Missouri | 8-0 | 459 | 11 | D. Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 36-28 | Nov. 2 at Nebraska-Kearney |
| 12. | Wingate (N.C.) | 8-0 | 429 | 12 | D. Virginia-Wise, 45-13 | Nov. 2 at No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) |
| 13. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 7-1 | 386 | 13 | D. Adams St. (Colo.), 52-12 | Nov. 2 at Fort Lewis (Colo.) |
| 14. | Northwest Missouri St. | 7-1 | 356 | 14 | D. Lincoln (Mo.), 56-9 | Nov. 2 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.) |
| 15. | Bowie St. (Md.) | 8-0 | 336 | 15 | D. No. 25 Virginia Union, 52-17 | Nov. 2 vs. Lincoln (Pa.) |
| 16. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 7-1 | 312 | 16 | D. Davenport (Mich.), 27-7 | Nov. 2 vs. William Jewell (Mo.) |
| 17. | Kutztown (Pa.) | 8-0 | 299 | 17 | D. Shippensburg (Pa.), 55-5 | Nov. 2 at No. 22 West Chester (Pa.) |
| 18. | Harding (Ark.) | 7-1 | 267 | 18 | D. Northwestern Oklahoma St., 47-13 | Nov. 2 vs. East Central (Okla.) |
| 19. | Indiana (Pa.) | 7-1 | 217 | 19 | D. Gannon (Pa.), 35-0 | Nov. 2 at Seton Hill (Pa.) |
| 20. | West Florida | 6-1 | 190 | 20 | D. Florida Tech, 38-14 | Nov. 2 vs. North Greenville (S.C.) |
| 21. | Angelo St. (Texas) | 7-1 | 140 | 22 | D. Texas-Permian Basin, 65-7 | Nov. 2 at Adams St. (Colo.) |
| 22. | West Chester (Pa.) | 7-1 | 136 | 21 | D. East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 28-21 | Nov. 2 vs. No. 17 Kutztown (Pa.) |
| 23. | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 7-1 | 89 | 23t | D. Southeastern Oklahoma St., 41-27 | Nov. 2 at Arkansas-Monticello |
| 24. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 5-2 | 57 | 23t | D. Western New Mexico, 62-21 | Nov. 2 at West Texas A&M |
| 25. | Truman St. (Mo.) | 7-1 | 16 | NR | D. William Jewell (Mo.), 49-27 | Nov. 2 vs. McKendree (Ill.) |
Others Receiving Votes: Tiffin (Ohio), 12; Frostburg St. (Md.), 9; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 9; West Texas A&M, 9; Virginia Union, 7; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Missouri Western St., 6; Southern Arkansas, 4; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 3; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 3.