LSC Scoop Region Rankings, LSC Weekly Release and AFCA Poll

Regional Rankings
Whole lotta shaking (up) going on.  Some past matchups have been removed if the opponents have been "eliminated" from the playoff chase.  The RMAC looks good for one or possibly two teams.  The LSC will have a tougher time getting a second team in (WT's SOS is 115th in the nation, MSU's is 102nd).  The GLVC's best shot is Indianapolis, and the toughest remaining game is against Urbana.  The fun conference this year is the GLIAC.  Currently three teams reside in the top 6, and four more in our top 15.  Ashland appears to have the easiest route, with Findlay the only rated team remaining.  However, the have a weak SOS, with the 130th rated schedule for all opponents this season.  One loss could do them in.  Meanwhile Saginaw Valley and Michigan Tech have three remaining games against rated opponents, including a H2H in two weeks.  They both have strong SOS numbers (#12 & #13 respectively). Hillsdale and Grand Valley also have three rated opponents and a H2H remaining.  The GLIAC has 6 of the top 14 SOS schedules this year.

1. CSU-Pueblo (7-0) - WTAM, Chadron - upcoming  NMHU
2. New Mexico Highlands (6-0) - upcoming Chadron, CSU-Pueblo
3. Saginaw Valley (6-1) - Findlay, Wayne State - upcoming Hillsdale, Michigan Tech, Grand Valley
4. Ashland (7-0) - Indianapolis, Wayne State - upcoming Findlay,
5. Michigan Tech (5-1) - Findlay, Grand Valley - upcoming Saginaw Valley, Hillsdale, Wayne State
6. Indianapolis (5-1) - Ashland, Missouri S&T - upcoming Urbana
7. Chadron State (5-1) - CSU-Pueblo - upcoming NMHU
8. West Texas A&M (6-1) - CSU-Pueblo - upcoming  MSU
9. Midwestern State (5-1) - upcoming WTAM
10. Hillsdale (5-2) - Wayne State - upcoming Saginaw Valley, Grand Valley, Michigan Tech
11. Wayne State (4-2) - Ashland, Hillsdale, Saginaw Valley - upcoming Grand Valley, Michigan Tech
12. Missouri S&T (6-1) - Indianapolis - upcoming Urbana
13. Grand Valley (5-2) - Michigan Tech - upcoming Hillsdale, Wayne State, Saginaw Valley
14. Findlay (4-1) - Saginaw Valley, Michigan Tech - upcoming Ashland
15. Urbana (5-2) - upcoming Missouri S&T, Indianapolis

Teams picking up their third losses and almost assuredly eliminated from playoff consideration

Ferris State (3-3) - Win one, lose one all season with three tough games remaining.

Abilene Christian (4-3) - leaving D2 and the LSC on a down note.

Northwood (4-3) - three straight losses (agains ranked teams) after a 4-0 start (over poor competition)

Colorado Mines (4-3) - three losses, including a head scratcher to WNMU. Still have Chadron in week 11

Adams State (3-3) - three losses to teams still in playoff race, played Chadron very close.

This week's top matchups:
Chadron State at NMHU
Saginaw Valley at Hillsdale


LSC Football Weekly Release: WT tops standings after shutout win

LSC FOOTBALL
This week includes four Lone Star Conference games and one non-conference contest.  West Texas A&M tops the standings after a shutout victory over Abilene Christian to extend its winning streak to six games.
    

At the halfway point of the 10-game GSC-LSC First and Ten Challenge, the Gulf South Conference leads the series 3-2, with visiting teams prevailing in each game so far.  The average score has been 31-27.
    

LSC football teams are 29-30 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
Dustin Vaughan, West Texas A&M University, SR, QB, Corpus Christi, Texas, Calallen HS
Vaughan had his fourth 300-yard game or better last week as WT downed Abilene Christian 36-0 on Homecoming. He was 32 of 46 for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He had 11 yards rushing on three carries and was sacked one time. It was his fourth game with no interceptions as he has had just three for the season compared to a league-best 23 touchdown passes. For the season he is 162 of 255 with three interceptions and 23 touchdowns. He has thrown for a league-best 2231 yards. Vaughan moved into sixth all-time in school history Saturday in passing yards with 5,884. He ranks ninth nationally in passing efficiency at 165.08 and 11th nationally in total offense at 324.29. Both are conference-bests.

DEFENSIVE
Ethan Westbrooks, West Texas A&M University, JR, DE, San Leandro, Calif., Franklin HS
Westbrooks had a stellar game with a game-high three sacks for 15 yards which was a career-high in sacks in a game and yards in a game against LSC Preseason Player of the Year Mitchell Gale. He also had a team-high three quarterback hurries and has six in the past two games. He helped lead the Buffs to a season-high nine sacks (51 yards) and 14 tackles for loss (61 yards) in a 36-0 blanking of Abilene Christian.

CO-SPECIAL TEAMS
Sergio Castillo, Jr., West Texas A&M University, JR, K, La Joya, Texas, La Joya HS
Castillo had a career and Lone Star Conference season-long 56-yard field goal at the end of the first half giving the Buffs a 13-0 lead. He added a 35-yarder later in the game as WT shutout Abilene Christian 36-0 on Homecoming. Castillo, Jr., went 2-2 in field goals and has made seven-straight field goals and 10 of 12 for the season. Castillo Jr., is a perfect 31 of 31 in extra points this season. He ranks fifth all-time in scoring in school history with 219 points. He is 28 of 38 in field goals and 135 of 137 in extra points. Castillo, Jr., is a league-best 33 of 33 in extra points this season.

Blake Barnes, Tarleton State University, FR, K, Stephenville, Texas, Stephenville
Barnes cemented his place in Tarleton school history this past Saturday in the Texans’ 46-10 win over A&M-Commerce, as he tied a school record with five field goals in the victory, which is the most made in the LSC this season. Barnes got the Texans on the board with a 18-yarder in the first quarter and then tallied four-straight field goal attempts in the second and third quarters. His school record-tying field goal attempt came at the 2:26 mark of the third quarter - following a near two hour lightning delay. Barnes came out of the locker room and nailed the 38-yarder to tie the school record that has been held for 19 years.

Colorado State-Pueblo New No. 1 in Division II Coaches' Poll

Seven ranked teams lost this past weekend, including previous No. 1 Pittsburg State (Kan.), causing a big shakeup in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Colorado State-Pueblo is the new No. 1 team this week. The Thunderwolves picked up 23 first-place votes after they beat Colorado School of Mines, 35-21, and moved their record to 7-0. Winston-Salem State (N.C.) moves up to the second spot with six first-place votes. The Rams are also 7-0 after a 56-37 defeat of St. Augustine’s (N.C.). New Haven (Conn.) is No. 3 this week, followed by Bloomsburg (Pa.) at No. 4 and Northwest Missouri State at No. 5. The Bearcats beat then-No. 1 Pittsburg State (Kan.), 31-21, in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead Stadium and received one first-place vote.
With its loss, Pittsburg State (Kan.) drops to a tie with Minnesota-Duluth at No. 7. Then-No. 4 Missouri Western State fell 12 places to No. 16 after its 31-30 loss to Missouri Southern State. Miles (Ala.) enters the Division II Coaches’ Poll for the first time in school history at No. 21. The Golden Bears are 6-1 on the season after a 45-0 blowout of Kentucky State. Also entering the poll for the first time in over a year is Michigan Tech. The Huskies are ranked No. 22 and sit 5-1 after a 28-21 win over Northwood (Mich.).

2012 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – October 15, 2012

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.	Week Seven	Next Game
1.	Colorado St.-Pueblo (23)	7-0	742	2	D. Colorado School of Mines, 35-21	Oct. 20 vs. Black Hills St. (S.D.)
2.	Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) (6)	7-0	718	3	D. St. Augustine’s (N.C.), 56-37	Oct. 20 vs. Livingstone (N.C.)
3.	New Haven (Conn.)	6-0	679	5	D. Bentley (Mass.), 17-13	Oct. 18 at Stonehill (Mass.)
4.	Bloomsburg (Pa.)	7-0	651	6	D. East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 48-27	Oct. 20 at Cheyney (Pa.)
5.	Northwest Missouri St. (1)	6-1	628	7	D. No. 1 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 31-21	Oct. 20 at Missouri Southern St.
6.	Ashland (Ohio)	7-0	586	8	D. Walsh (Ohio), 30-0	Oct. 20 at Malone (Ohio)
7t.	Minnesota-Duluth	6-1	519	9	D. Minot St. (N.D.), 44-6	Oct. 20 vs. Bemidji St. (Minn.)
7t.	Pittsburg St. (Kan.)	5-1	519	1	Lost to No. 7 Northwest Missouri St., 31-21	Oct. 20 vs. No. 16 Missouri Western St.
9.	Minnesota St.-Mankato	7-0	514	10	D. Southwest Minnesota St., 34-31 2OT	Oct. 20 at Winona St. (Minn.)
10.	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	6-0	458	11	D. Arkansas-Monticello, 58-7	Oct. 20 vs. No. 25 Harding (Ark.)
11.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	7-0	438	12	D. No. 23 Harding (Ark.), 38-10	Oct. 20 vs. East Central (Okla.)
12.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	5-1	416	13	D. Angelo St. (Texas), 35-28	Oct. 20 at Abilene Christian (Texas)
13.	Shippensburg (Pa.)	7-0	384	16	D. Kutztown (Pa.), 73-35	Oct. 20 at West Chester (Pa.)
14.	California (Pa.)	6-1	347	15	D. Lock Haven (Pa.), 30-0	Oct. 20 at Gannon (Pa.)
15.	Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)	6-1	321	17	D. No. 18 Wayne St. (Mich.), 24-7	Oct. 20 at Hillsdale (Mich.)
16.	Missouri Western St.	6-1	311	4	Lost to Missouri Southern St., 31-30	Oct. 20 at No. 7t Pittsburg St. (Kan.)
17.	West Texas A&M	6-1	266	20	D. Abilene Christian (Texas), 36-0	Oct. 20 at Eastern New Mexico
18t.	Emporia St. (Kan.)	7-0	258	21	D. Lindenwood (Mo.), 13-0	Oct. 20 at Truman St. (Mo.)
18t.	Washburn (Kan.)	6-1	258	19	D. Truman St. (Mo.), 35-24	Oct. 20 at Lindenwood (Mo.)
20.	Indiana (Pa.)	6-1	197	22	D. Edinboro (Pa.), 26-10	Oct. 20 vs. Mercyhurst (Pa.)
21.	Miles (Ala.)	6-1	100	NR	D. Kentucky St., 45-0	Oct. 20 at Lane (Tenn.)
22.	Michigan Tech	5-1	87	NR	D. Northwood (Mich.), 28-21	Oct. 20 at Ferris St. (Mich.)
23.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	6-1	69	NR	D. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 31-23	Oct. 20 at Augustana (S.D.)
24.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	5-2	39	14	Lost to Northern Michigan, 38-10	Oct. 20 vs. Northwood (Mich.)
25.	Harding (Ark.)	5-1	31	23	Lost to No. 12 Henderson St. (Ark.), 38-10	Oct. 20 at No. 10 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

Dropped Out: Wayne St. (Mich.) (18), North Carolina-Pembroke (24), Shepherd (W.Va.) (25)

Others Receiving Votes: West Alabama, 29; New Mexico Highlands, 26; Wayne St. (Mich.), 23; Hillsdale (Mich.), 18; Indianapolis (Ind.), 18; Central Washington, 15; Charleston (W.Va.), 14; Tuskegee (Ala.), 14; Bentley (Mass.), 13; American International (Mass.), 11; Southern Arkansas, 7; Central Missouri, 6; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 6; Chadron St. (Neb.), 5; Mars Hill (N.C.), 4; Mercyhurst (Pa.), 3; North Carolina-Pembroke, 1; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 1.