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Release courtesy of Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations, AFCA
WACO, TEX.– After a 20-year dry spell, Pittsburg State (Kan.) returned to the top of Division II football. The Gorillas, who had lost their last three national championship game appearances in 1992, 1995 and 2004, beat Wayne State (Mich.), 35-21, to claim its first NCAA Division II national championship since 1991. Pittsburg State (Kan.) claimed all 29 first-place votes to end the season at No. 1 in the final AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 poll for 2011. Wayne State (Mich.) used their magical run through the playoffs to finish No. 2 in the poll after being unranked when the regular season ended in November.
Winston-Salem State (N.C.) ended the season at No. 3 with a 13-1 record and a trip to the semifinals, as did No. 4 Delta State (Miss.), who finished the season with a 11-3 record after its loss to Pittsburg State (Kan.) in the semifinals. Northwest Missouri State rounds out the Top Five with an 11-3 record and an appearance in the quarterfinals. West Texas A&M jumped back into the final poll at No. 25 after beating then-No. 23 Central Missouri, 26-7, in the Lower Kanza Bowl.
| 2011 American Football Coaches Association Division II Final Coaches’ Poll – December 20, 2011 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach |
| 1. | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (29) | 13-1 | 725 | 7 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 35-21, in national championship | Tim Beck |
| 2. | Wayne St. (Mich.) | 12-4 | 696 | NR | Lost to No. 7 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 35-21, in national championship | Paul Winters |
| 3. | Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) | 13-1 | 638 | 3 | Lost to Wayne St. (Mich.), 21-14, in semifinals | Connell Maynor |
| 4. | Delta St. (Miss.) | 11-3 | 616 | 8 | Lost to No. 7 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 49-23, in semifinals | Ron Roberts |
| 5. | Northwest Missouri St. | 11-3 | 548 | 10 | Lost to No. 7 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 41-16, in quarterfinals | Adam Dorrel |
| 6. | Minnesota-Duluth | 11-3 | 541 | 9 | Lost to Wayne St. (Mich.), 31-25, in quarterfinals | Bob Nielson |
| 7. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 10-1 | 520 | 2 | Lost to No. 10 Northwest Missouri St., 38-31 OT, in second round | Bill Maskill |
| 8. | New Haven (Conn.) | 11-2 | 517 | 5 | Lost to No. 3 Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 27-7, in quarterfinals | Peter Rossomando |
| 9. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 11-1 | 466 | 1 | Lost to No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth, 24-21, in second round | John Wristen |
| 10. | Nebraska-Kearney | 10-2 | 446 | 4 | Lost to Wayne St. (Mich.), 38-26, in second round | Darrell Morris |
| 11. | Washburn (Kan.) | 10-3 | 407 | 15 | Lost to No. 7 Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 31-22, in second round | Craig Schurig |
| 12. | North Greenville (S.C.) | 11-3 | 393 | 20 | Lost to No. 8 Delta St. (Miss.), 28-23, in quarterfinals | Jamey Chadwell |
| 13. | Kutztown (Pa.) | 11-2 | 388 | 6 | Lost to No. 5 New Haven (Conn.), 44-37, in second round | Raymond Monica |
| 14. | North Alabama | 9-3 | 352 | 12 | Lost to No. 8 Delta St. (Miss.), 42-14, in second round | Terry Bowden |
| 15. | California (Pa.) | 10-3 | 325 | 17 | Lost to No. 3 Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 35-28, in second round | John Luckhardt |
| 16. | Abilene Christian (Texas) | 8-3 | 307 | 11 | Lost to No. 15 Washburn (Kan.), 52-49, in first round | Chris Thomsen |
| 17. | St. Cloud State (Minn.) | 9-3 | 290 | 14 | Lost to Wayne St. (Mich.), 48-38, in first round | Scott Underwood |
| 18. | Missouri Western St. | 9-3 | 242 | 16 | Lost to No. 10 Northwest Missouri St., 35-29, in first round | Jerry Partridge |
| 19. | Mars Hill (N.C.) | 8-3 | 224 | 19 | Lost to No. 20 North Greenville (S.C.), 58-32, in second round | Tim Clifton |
| 20. | Humboldt St. (Calif.) | 9-1 | 188 | 13 | DNQ Playoffs | Rob Smith |
| 21. | Bloomsburg (Pa.) | 9-2 | 128 | 18 | DNQ Playoffs | Danny Hale |
| 22. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 9-2 | 91 | 21 | DNQ Playoffs | Monte Cater |
| 23. | West Alabama | 8-4 | 84 | 22 | Lost to No. 12 North Alabama, 43-27, in first round | Will Hall |
| 24. | West Virginia Wesleyan | 9-2 | 51 | 24 | DNQ Playoffs | Jonas Jackson |
| 25. | West Texas A&M | 8-3 | 48 | NR | D. No. 23 Central Missouri, 26-7, in Lower Kanza Bowl | Don Carthel |
Dropped Out: Central Missouri (23), Grand
Valley St. (Mich.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Grand Valley St. (Mich.),
33; Central Missouri, 24; Saginaw Valley St.
(Mich.), 22; Albany St. (Ga.), 20; Minnesota St.-Mankato,
20; East Central (Okla.), 19; Colorado School of Mines, 12; Concord
(W.Va.), 12; Elizabeth City St. (N.C.), 10; Morehouse (Ga.), 7;
Hillsdale (Mich.), 4; Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 4;
Slippery Rock (Pa.), 4; North Carolina-Pembroke, 2; Valdosta St.
(Ga.), 1.