Weekly Football release, LSC Scoop Regional Rankings, and AFCA Poll

WT-MSU to play for LSC Championship

LSC Office

LSC FOOTBALL
Three Lone Star Conference games and a trio non-conference contests are on tap this week.  The spotlight will be on Canyon, Texas, as West Texas A&M hosts Midwestern State in a top-25 showdown Saturday for the LSC Championship.   The Buffaloes have won eight straight games, while the Mustangs tout a seven-game winning streak.
    

Non-conference action includes three GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge contests with Texas A&M-Kingsville at Valdosta State Thursday, plus Abilene Christian hosting West Alabama and Tarleton State at North Alabama on Saturday.  The TAMUK-VSU game will be available on ESPN3, and Tarleton-UNA on ESPN3 and ESPN GamePlan.
    

After six contests of the 10-game GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge, the series is even at 3-3, with WT winning at West Georgia last week to continue the trend of the visiting teams prevailing.
    

LSC football teams are 38-39 overall this season.  The squads are 2-3 combined versus the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams, which are also in NCAA Super Regional Four.

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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M University, JR, QB, Corpus Christi, Texas, Calallen HS
Vaughan tied his season and career-high with five touchdown passes as he helped bring the Buffaloes back from a 14-7 first quarter deficit for a 52-28 win at West Georgia extending the Buffs’ tie for seventh-longest current winning streak to eight games. Vaughan had five touchdown passes versus Western State in the second game of the season. WT tied the series at 3-3 in the GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge. Vaughan’s 331 yards gives him 6,536 for his career as he is 888 yards away from fifth all-time in school history for career passing yards. He has 30 touchdowns on the year and just five interceptions with a league-high 2883 yards. He is ninth nationally in passing efficiency for the year (165.90) and 12th in total offense (324.11).

DEFENSIVE
Taylor McCuller, West Texas A&M University, JR, LB, Red Oak, Texas, Red Oak HS
McCuller had a career-high and West Texas A&M season-best 20 total tackles, which is also tops in the LSC this year, with eight solo stops at WT won 52-28 at West Georgia Saturday. He helped lead the team to 96 total tackles and 38 solo tying WT’s season-high and helped lead the defense to five sacks for 34 yards and nine tackles for loss for 49 yards. The Buff defense recovered a fumble and had two quarterback hurries. In addition, McCuller and the Buffalo defense held UWG, the 23rd-best rushing team in the country coming in, to 151 yards rushing over 80 yards below its per game average at 223.14. The Buff rush defense is 28th nationally, while total defense is 19th in the country and leads the nation in sacks and is third in tackles for loss.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Matt Stoll, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, JR, K, College Station, Texas, A&M Consolidated HS
Stoll had two first quarter field goals against Angelo State of 45 and 44 yards. The 45-yard field was the longest of the season and first over 40-yards this season.  He added four extra points in the Javelinas victory.  Stoll kicked his career-long field goal of 49 yards against ASU a year ago. He is closing in on the single-season record for field goals. With at least two games remaining, Stoll has 15 field goals, the single-season mark is 16 set by Walter Rule in 1985.

LSC Scoop Super Region 4 Poll - Week 9

NCAA regional rankings in (red)

1. (2) CSU-Pueblo (9-0) - NMHU, at Western State
2. (1) Ashland (9-0) - at Tiffin, Notre Dame
3. (4) Indianapolis (7-1) - Delta State, at Urbana
4. (3) Chadron State (7-1) - at Fort Lewis, Colorado Mines
5. (5) West Texas A&M (8-1) - Midwestern State, at Texas A&M-Commerce
6. (8) Midwestern State (7-1) - at West Texas A&M, West Georgia
7. (10) New Mexico Highlands (7-1) - at CSU-Pueblo, WNMU
8. (6) Saginaw Valley (7-2) - Wayne State, at Saginaw Valley
9. (9) Grand Valley (7-2) - at Northern Michigan, Grand Valley
10. (7) Missouri S&T (8-1) - at St. Josephs, at So. Dakota Mines

All other teams have at least three losses and no realistic chance at playoffs.  CSU-Pueblo and Ashland look to be locks, even with a loss in the final two weeks.  No one else has that kind of cushion, but a combination of losses from teams around them doesn't automatically eliminate any of the top 6 teams.

Could the RMAC get three teams in?  It's possible if New Mexico Highlands upsets CSU-Pueblo and those two and Chadron don't stub their toes in the final week.

Could the LSC get two teams in?  Also possible, if NMHU loses this weekend, and SVSU and Grand Valley drop on of their remaining games.  Not sure if Missouri S&T would jump over the WTAM-MSU loser.

Seven Top 25 Upsets Cause Reshuffling in Division II Poll

For the second time in three weeks, seven Top 25 teams lost causing a reshuffling of the rankings in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The top three spots remained the same, with Colorado State-Pueblo staying No. 1 with 24 first-place votes. Winston-Salem State (N.C.) still sits No. 2, with six first-place votes, followed by No. 3 New Haven (Conn.). Then-No. 4 Bloomsburg (Pa.) was upset by new No. 7 Shippensburg (Pa.), 49-42, causing both Northwest Missouri State and Ashland (Ohio) to move up one spot apiece, to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
This week, there are five Top 25 matchups that will have a say in who wins conference titles. The first game is No. 4 Northwest Missouri State hosting No. 20 Emporia State (Kan.), with the winner having a leg up in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) title chase. The second matchup has No. 6 Minnesota State-Mankato hosting No. 17 Sioux Falls (S.D.) with first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division on the line. First place in the Lone Star Conference is at stake when No. 12 West Texas A&M plays host to No. 10 Midwestern State (Texas), while No. 11 Missouri Western State and No. 25 Washburn (Kan.) play in another key MIAA matchup. The final Top 25 matchup has No. 15 Miles (Ala.) facing No. 23 Tuskegee (Ala.), with first place in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division at stake.

2012 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – October 29, 2012

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.	Week Eight	Next Game
1.	Colorado St.-Pueblo (24)	9-0	744	1	D. Colorado Mesa, 48-10	Nov. 3 vs. New Mexico Highlands
2.	Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) (6)	9-0	720	2	D. Shaw (N.C.), 62-31	Nov. 3 at Fayetteville St. (N.C.)
3.	New Haven (Conn.)	8-0	689	3	D. Southern Connecticut St., 48-9	Nov. 3 at American International (Mass.)
4.	Northwest Missouri St.	8-1	632	5	D. No. 16t Washburn (Kan.), 56-6	Nov. 3 vs. No. 20 Emporia St. (Kan.)
5.	Ashland (Ohio)	9-0	628	6	D. Findlay (Ohio), 42-21	Nov. 3 at Tiffin (Ohio)
6.	Minnesota St.-Mankato	9-0	591	7	D. Wayne St. (Neb.), 42-35	Nov. 3 vs. No. 17 Sioux Falls (S.D.)
7.	Shippensburg (Pa.)	9-0	542	10	D. No. 4 Bloomsburg (Pa.), 49-42	Nov. 3 vs. Cheyney (Pa.)
8.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	9-0	532	9	D. Southern Arkansas, 44-36	Nov. 10 vs. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
9.	Minnesota-Duluth	8-1	519	8	D. Minnesota-Crookston, 38-14	Nov. 3 vs. Mary (N.D.)
10.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	7-1	462	11	D. Eastern New Mexico, 51-28	Nov. 3 at No. 12 West Texas A&M
11.	Missouri Western St.	8-1	454	12	D. No. 15 Emporia St. (Kan.), 57-28	Nov. 3 vs. No. 25 Washburn (Kan.)
12.	West Texas A&M	8-1	418	14	D. West Georgia, 52-28	Nov. 3 vs. No. 10 Midwestern St. (Texas)
13.	Bloomsburg (Pa.)	8-1	403	4	Lost to No. 10 Shippensburg (Pa.), 49-42	Nov. 3 vs. West Chester (Pa.)
14.	Indiana (Pa.)	8-1	377	16t	D. Clarion (Pa.), 45-0	Nov. 3 at Gannon (Pa.)
15.	Miles (Ala.)	8-1	330	18	D. Stillman (Ala.), 49-13	Nov. 3 vs. No. 23 Tuskegee (Ala.)
16.	Harding (Ark.)	7-1	302	19	D. Arkansas Tech, 76-23	Nov. 3 at Southeastern Oklahoma St.
17.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	8-1	254	21	D. Upper Iowa, 54-41	Nov. 3 at No. 6 Minnesota St.-Mankato
18.	Pittsburg St. (Kan.)	6-2	176	22	D. Truman St. (Mo.), 20-6	Nov. 3 vs. Lindenwood (Mo.)
19.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	7-2	163	23	D. No. 24 Hillsdale (Mich.), 42-23	Nov. 3 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.)
20.	Emporia St. (Kan.)	8-1	161	15	Lost to No. 12 Missouri Western St., 57-28	Nov. 3 at No. 4 Northwest Missouri St.
21.	West Alabama	7-2	133	NR	D. Delta St. (Miss.), 37-7	Nov. 3 at Abilene Christian (Texas)
22.	California (Pa.)	7-2	115	13	Lost to Slippery Rock (Pa.), 28-26	Nov. 3 at Mercyhurst (Pa.)
23.	Tuskegee (Ala.)	7-1	74	NR	D. Clark Atlanta (Ga.), 14-0	Nov. 3 at No. 15 Miles (Ala.)
24.	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	7-2	71	NR	D. Shorter (Ga.), 37-6	Nov. 1 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
25.	Washburn (Kan.)	7-2	60	16t	Lost to No. 5 Northwest Missouri St., 56-6	Nov. 3 at No. 11 Missouri Western St.

Dropped Out: Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) (20), Hillsdale (Mich.) (24), Charleston (W.Va.) (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Indianapolis (Ind.), 37; Missouri S&T, 36; Chadron St. (Neb.), 31; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 27; American International (Mass.), 22; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 17; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 7; Charleston (W.Va.), 5; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 5; New Mexico Highlands, 4; Shepherd (W.Va.), 4; Mars Hill (N.C.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Hillsdale (Mich.), 1; Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 1.