WACO, TEX. – Four Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football programs continue to be ranked inside the Top 25 of 2016 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches' Poll after eight weeks of action with three programs improving their positions while Grand Valley State stayed put in the second spot for the seventh consecutive week.
No. 2 GVSU moved to a perfect 8-0 record after a 35-17 triumph on the road at Hillsdale as Marty Carter rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Ashland improved two positions in this weeks rankings following a 70-14 pummeling at Kentucky Wesleyan of the G-MAC. The Eagles racked up 693 yards of total offense, including 477 yards on the ground to go with three 100-yard rushers on the day.
Wayne State moved up three spots more spots to No. 19 in the coaches' poll after downing Saginaw Valley 42-14 holding the Cardinals to just 166 yards of total offense, including 30 rush yards. The Warriors were paced once again by senior Romello Brown who carried the rock 29 times for 159 yards and three scores. Ferris State improved to No. 22 after the conclusion of Week 8 thanks to a 42-10 victory at home over Lake Erie. The Bulldogs were guided on defense by GLIAC Player of the Week sophomore defensive end Zach Sieler who recorded 7.5 tackles for loss, including four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
| 2016 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll – October 24, 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game |
| 1. | NW Missouri St. (30) | 8-0 | 750 | 1 | D. Lindenwood (Mo.), 47-12 | Oct. 29 vs. Pittsburgh St. (Kan.) |
| 2. | Grand Valley St. | 8-0 | 717 | 2 | D. Hillsdale, 35-17 | Oct. 29 vs. Findlay |
| 3. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 7-0 | 692 | 3 | D. Concord (W.Va.), 21-7 | Oct. 29 at West Liberty (W.Va.) |
| 4. | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | 8-0 | 649 | 6 | D. Concordia-St. Paul, 51-17 | Oct. 29 at Minnesota St. |
| 5. | Harding (Ark.) | 8-0 | 614 | 7 | D. East Central (Okla.), 35-7 | Oct. 29 vs. SW Oklahoma St. |
| 6. | California (Pa.) | 7-0 | 598 | 8 | D. Gannon (Pa.), 35-14 | Oct. 29 at Mercyhurst (Pa.) |
| 7. | North Alabama | 5-1 | 541 | 10 | D. North Greenville, 52-21 | Oct. 29 at Delta St. (Miss.) |
| 8. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 6-1 | 540 | 9 | D. Angelo St. (Texas), 62-14 | Oct. 29 vs. West Texas A&M |
| 9. | Ashland | 7-1 | 507 | 11 | D. Kentucky Wesleyan, 70-14 | Oct. 29 at Michigan Tech |
| 10. | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 7-1 | 448 | 12 | D. Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 41-36 | Oct. 29 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) |
| 11. | LIU-Post (N.Y.) | 8-0 | 432 | 14 | D. American Int'l, 22-7 | Oct. 29 vs. Pace (N.Y.) |
| 12. | Indiana (Pa.) | 6-1 | 414 | 13 | D. Clarion (Pa.), 42-17 | Oct. 29 at Gannon (Pa.) |
| 13. | Midwestern St. | 6-1 | 361 | 4 | Lost to West Texas A&M, 35-27 | Oct. 29 vs. Texas-Permian Basin |
| 14. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 6-1 | 350 | 16 | D. Delta St. (Miss.), 56-27 | Oct. 29 at Florida Tech |
| 15. | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | 7-1 | 325 | 17 | D. Simon Fraser (B.C.), 57-0 | Oct. 29 vs. Central Washington |
| 16. | Assumption (Mass.) | 7-1 | 285 | 18 | D. New Haven (Conn.), 38-24 | Oct. 29 at Stonehill (Mass.) |
| 17. | Tuskegee (Ala.) | 6-1 | 258 | 5 | Lost to Kentucky St., 10-9 | Oct. 29 at Central St. (Ohio) |
| 18. | UNC-Pembroke | 7-1 | 253 | 20 | D. Catawba (N.C.), 41-31 | Oct. 29 at West Virginia St. |
| 19. | Wayne State | 7-1 | 221 | 22 | D. Saginaw Valley St., 42-14 | Oct. 29 at No. 22 Ferris St. |
| 20. | Fairmont St. (W.Va.) | 8-0 | 201 | 23 | D. Virginia-Wise, 58-3 | Oct. 27 vs. No. 25t Notre Dame |
| 21. | Minnesota-Duluth | 7-1 | 174 | 24 | D. No. 21 Bemidji St., 54-47 | Oct. 29 at Minnesota-Crookston |
| 22. | Ferris State | 6-2 | 115 | 25 | D. Lake Erie, 42-10 | Oct. 29 vs. No. 19 Wayne St. |
| 23. | Newberry (S.C.) | 7-1 | 98 | NR | D. Brevard (N.C.), 34-7 | Oct. 29 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne |
| 24. | Wingate (N.C.) | 7-1 | 55 | NR | D. Carson-Newman, 29-16 | Oct. 29 at North Greenville |
| 25t. | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 7-1 | 27 | NR | D. West Liberty (W.Va.), 30-14 | Oct. 29 at No. 20 Fairmont St. |
| 25t. | Southwest Baptist | 7-1 | 27 | NR | D. St. Joseph’s (Ind.), 61-37 | Oct. 29 vs. Missouri S&T |
Dropped Out: Henderson St. (Ark.) (15), Florida Tech (19), Bemidji St. (Minn.) (21).
Others Receiving Votes: Central Missouri, 20; Colorado School of Mines, 19; Henderson St. (Ark.), 19; Edinboro (Pa.), 8; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 7; Central Washington, 6; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; West Alabama, 5; Florida Tech, 4; Southern Arkansas, 2; Colorado Mesa, 1; Truman St. (Mo.), 1.
