Football Regional Rankings, AFCA Poll, LSC Weekly Football Release

NCAA Regional Rankings Super Region 4 (10-5-2012)

1. Colorado State - Pueblo
2. Ashland
3. Chadron State
4. Midwestern State
5. Indianapolis
6. West Texas A&M
7. Missouri S&T
8. Grand Valley State
9. New Mexico Highlands
10. Saginaw Valley

Four New Teams Enter Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll

With eight of the bottom 15 teams in last week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll losing this past weekend, it opened the door for four new teams to enter the poll this week.

Making its first appearance ever in the Top 25 is Indianapolis (Ind.) at No. 19. The Greyhounds are 8-2 and riding an eight-game win streak heading into the final week of the regular season. The second newcomer is No. 20 Missouri S&T, also making its first ever appearance in the poll. The Miners are 9-1, with their only loss coming from their conference rival, No. 19 Indianapolis. The third new team this week is No. 21 Chadron State (Neb.), who’s last appearance in the poll was on September 14, 2009. The final newcomer is No. 24 Carson-Newman (Tenn.). The Eagles are 7-2 on the season and last made an appearance on September 19, 2011.

Colorado State-Pueblo still sits at No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week after its 31-17 victory over New Mexico Highlands moved their record to 10-0. No. 2 Winston-Salem State (N.C.) is also 10-0 after beating Fayetteville State (N.C.), 41-8. New Haven (Conn.) remains in the No. 3 spot and will face American International (Mass.) for a second consecutive week for the Northeast 10 Conference title. No. 4 Northwest Missouri State received one first-place vote this week as it prepares to face No. 11 Missouri Western State for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association title. No. 5 Ashland (Ohio) is 10-0 and clinched the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title for the first time in school history.


2012 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – November 5, 2012

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.	Week Eight	Next Game
1.	Colorado St.-Pueblo (23)	10-0	743	1	D. New Mexico Highlands, 31-17	Nov. 10 at Western St. (Colo.)
2.	Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) (6)	10-0	721	2	D. Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 41-8	Nov. 10 vs. Elizabeth City St. (N.C.)
3.	New Haven (Conn.)	9-0	683	3	D. American International (Mass.), 37-6	Nov. 10 vs. American International (Mass.)
4.	Northwest Missouri St. (1)	9-1	650	4	D. No. 20 Emporia St. (Kan.), 55-10	Nov. 10 vs. No. 11 Missouri Western St.
5.	Ashland (Ohio)	10-0	626	5	D. Tiffin (Ohio), 49-21	Nov. 10 vs. Notre Dame (Ohio)
6.	Minnesota St.-Mankato	10-0	590	6	D. No. 17 Sioux Falls (S.D.), 27-13	Nov. 10 vs. Upper Iowa
7.	Shippensburg (Pa.)	10-0	565	7	D. Cheyney (Pa.), 61-9	Nov. 10 at No. 13 Indiana (Pa.)
8.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	9-0	511	8	Idle	Nov. 10 vs. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
9.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	8-1	500	10	D. No. 12 West Texas A&M, 52-48	Nov. 10 vs. West Georgia
10.	Minnesota-Duluth	9-1	487	9	D. Mary (N.D.), 53-14	Nov. 10 vs. Northern St. (S.D.)
11.	Missouri Western St.	9-1	450	11	D. No. 25 Washburn (Kan.), 56-28	Nov. 10 at No. 4 Northwest Missouri St.
12.	Bloomsburg (Pa.)	9-1	408	13	D. West Chester (Pa.), 24-23	Nov. 10 at Slippery Rock (Pa.)
13.	Indiana (Pa.)	9-1	390	14	D. Gannon (Pa.), 38-35	Nov. 10 vs. No. 7 Shippensburg (Pa.)
14.	Harding (Ark.)	8-1	359	16	D. Southeastern Oklahoma St., 31-9	Nov. 10 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St.
15.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	8-2	286	19	D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 35-13	Nov. 10 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
16.	Tuskegee (Ala.)	8-1	273	23	D. No. 15 Miles (Ala.), 27-17	Nov. 10 vs. Fort Valley St. (Ga.)
17.	West Texas A&M	8-2	270	12	Lost to No. 10 Midwestern St. (Texas), 52-48	Nov. 10 at Texas A&M-Commerce
18.	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	8-2	236	24	D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 38-31	Regular Season Complete
19.	Indianapolis (Ind.)	8-2	168	NR	D. Delta St. (Miss.), 33-18	Nov. 10 at Urbana (Ohio)
20.	Missouri S&T	9-1	150	NR	D. St. Joseph’s (Ind.), 41-22	Nov. 10 at South Dakota Mines
21.	Chadron St. (Neb.)	8-2	127	NR	D. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 45-20	Nov. 10 vs. Colorado School of Mines
22.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	8-2	123	17	Lost to No. 6 Minnesota St.-Mankato, 27-13	Nov. 10 vs. Wayne St. (Neb.)
23.	Miles (Ala.)	8-2	117	15	Lost to No. 23 Tuskegee (Ala.), 27-17	Regular Season Complete
24.	Carson-Newman (Tenn.)	7-2	83	NR	D. Tusculum (Tenn.), 66-36	Nov. 10 vs. Mars Hill (N.C.)
25.	Emporia St. (Kan.)	8-2	69	20	Lost to No. 4 Northwest Missouri St., 55-10	Nov. 10 at Washburn (Kan.)

Dropped Out: Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (18), West Alabama (21), California (Pa.) (22), Washburn (Kan.) (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Shepherd (W.Va.), 38; Charleston (W.Va.), 31; Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 22; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 19; Washburn (Kan.), 14; West Alabama, 10; Mars Hill (N.C.), 8; California (Pa.), 6; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 5; Southern Arkansas, 3; American International (Mass.), 2; Bentley (Mass.), 2; Lindenwood (Mo.), 2; Mercyhurst (Pa.), 2; New Mexico Highlands, 1.

LSC Football Weekly Release: MSU earns share of LSC title

LSC FOOTBALL
The 2012 Lone Star Conference football season wraps up this week with four league contests and the final GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge game.  Midwestern State clinched a share of the LSC title with a four-point win over West Texas A&M last week.  The Buffs would earn a share of the championship with a win over Texas A&M-Commerce.
    The Angelo State at Tarleton State contest on Saturday will be web streamed live on FoxSportsSouthwest.com.  The Rams and Texans sport identical 4-3 LSC marks, which has them tied with Texas A&M-Kingsville for third place.
    The final GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge matchup is this week with MSU hosting West Georgia.  After nine of the 10 games, the LSC leads the series 5-4 and has outscored the GSC 280-267 for an average score of 31-30.  The 10 contests include: Valdosta State at Angelo State (VSU 43-10); Abilene Christian at Delta State (ACU 34-28); Midwestern State at West Alabama (MSU 42-27); Delta State at Tarleton State (DSU 38-35); North Alabama at Texas A&M-Kingsville (UNA 21-16); West Texas A&M at West Georgia (WT 52-28); Texas A&M-Kingsville at Valdosta State (VSU 38-31); Tarleton State at North Alabama (TSU 38-28); West Alabama at Abilene Christian (ACU 22-16 (OT)); and West Georgia at Midwestern State (Sat, Nov. 10).
    LSC football teams are 43-43 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.

• Click here for the complete release

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Brandon Kelsey, Midwestern State University, SR, QB, Arlington, Texas, Arlington HS
Kelsey led the 10th ranked Mustangs to a share of their second consecutive Lone Star Conference Championship with a 52-48 victory over No. 12 West Texas A&M, the first time since 2004 that MSU has won in Canyon. The signal caller for the Mustangs’ Pony Express, Kelsey tallied 348 yards of total offense with his fourth career 200-100 game, going 14-of-22 passing for a career-high 248 yards and rushing 14 times for 100 yards. He rushed for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth in leading the Mustangs to 565 yards of total offense, the second-highest of the season for MSU and the team’s fifth 500-yard offensive performance of the year. His 348 yards was the second-best total offense game of his career as the Mustangs also claimed their third LSC title in the last four seasons.

DEFENSIVE
Matt Ellerbrock, Midwestern State University, SR, LB, Garland, Texas, North Garland HS
Ellerbrock helped lead the Mustangs defense as No. 10 Midwestern State downed No. 12 West Texas A&M 52-48 in Canyon to repeat as Lone Star Conference Champions. Ellerbrock was second on the MSU tackle chart with eight stops, but led the team with 2.5 tackles for losses of nine yards, including a sack of quarterback Dustin Vaughan for eight yards lost, recorded a quarterback hurry, recovered a fumble and led the team with three pass breakups. Ellerbrock’s sack of Vaughan was on the Buffs final drive of the game that helped MSU preserve the win for MSU’s third LSC Championship during Ellerbrock’s four seasons.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Marqui Christian, Midwestern State University, FR, Coverage, Spring, Texas, Spring HS
Christian, a safety and an outside rusher on the 10th ranked Mustangs punt return team, scooped a muffed punt snap and returned it 18 yards for the game winning touchdown with 55 seconds to play as Midwestern State defeated No. 12 West Texas A&M 52-48 to win a share of their second consecutive Lone Star Conference Championship. After both WT punter Kevin Van Voris and teammate Thomas Carper bobbled the ball after the bad snap, Christian scooped up the ball and led a parade of Mustangs into the end zone for MSU’s second touchdown in the final 2:09 to overcome a 10-point deficit for the win.