Benedict Stays Undefeated with Strong Second Half

Tied 17-17 at half with Savannah State (Ga.), Benedict’s A’chean Durant took the second half kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and the Tigers never looked back, scoring two more times in a 38-17 victory. The win secured Benedict’s spot in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game on November 11. The Tigers are ranked No. 6 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.

Colorado School of Mines looked like the No. 1 team in the nation after a dominant, 42-7, victory over then-No. 9 Western Colorado. The Orediggers received 26 first-place votes and moved to 9-0 while the loss dropped the Mountaineers to No. 15. Three other first-place votes went to No. 2 Pittsburg State (Kan.), No. 3 Grand Valley State (Mich.), and new No. 5 Slippery Rock (Pa.).

For the second straight week, four new teams enter the Top 25 with three of them making their first appearance after several years. Missouri Western State was last ranked on November 11, 2013, and comes in at No. 23 while No. 24 Central Washington was last ranked on November 5, 2018. No. 25 Mars Hill (N.C.) had the longest wait. The Lions last appeared in the AFCA Top 25 on December 19, 2011, the final poll for that season.

Dropped Out: West Florida (18), Shepherd (W.Va.) (20), Truman St. (Mo.) (21), Minnesota-Duluth (25)

Others Receiving Votes: West Florida, 33; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 30; Minnesota-Duluth, 24; Shepherd (W.Va.), 19; Henderson St. (Ark.), 10; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 8; Angelo St. (Tex.), 7; Southern Arkansas, 5; Truman St. (Mo.), 4; Charleston (W.Va.), 2; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 2; New Haven (Conn.), 1.