After an impressive 38-0 win over Arkansas Tech to start the season and a 28-23 victory over seventh-ranked Harding in Searcy on Sunday, the Southern Arkansas Muleriders are nationally ranked at No. 25 in the American Football Coaches Association’s Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll which was released on Monday.
The Muleriders are back in the national spotlight for the first time since being ranked No. 22 nationally in last season’s AFCA DII Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll. SAU, with two games played, boasts the GAC’s best scoring defense (11.5 ppg) and top total defense (273.5 ypg).
Additionally, they own the league’s third-best scoring offense (33.0 ppg) and the sixth-best total offense (380.5 ypg).
SAU prepares for a road trip to Oklahoma on Saturday, where they will play a 6 p.m. against Southwestern Oklahoma State (1-1) .
Harding (1-1) sipped to No. 21 in the poll, while the Ouachita Baptist Tigers have climbed to No. 14 in the rankings.
SAU, OBU and Oklahoma Baptist are both 2-0 on the season and in league play.
UAM, Harding, Henderson State, Southeastern Oklahoma, Southern Nazarene and Southwestern Oklahoma State are all 1-1, while Arkansas Tech, East Central Oklahoma and Northwestern Oklahoma State are winless in league action so far at 0-2.
Games scheduled for this week are Arkansas Tech at Oklahoma Baptist, Harding at Southern Nazarene, OBU at Southeastern Oklahoma, Henderson State at Northwestern Oklahoma and UAM at East Central Oklahoma.
All games, except two, will start at 6 p.m. Tech at Oklahoma Baptist and Harding at Southern Nazarene will kickoff at 1 p.m.
AFCA Division II Coaches Poll
Record Pts Pvs
Texas A&M-Commerce (26) 2-0 812 1
Minnesota St. 2-0 780 3
Indiana (Pa.) 2-0 722 4
Northwest Missouri St. 2-0 719 6
Grand Valley St. 2-0 684 8
Ferris St. 2-0 658 9
Midwestern St. 2-0 656 10
West Alabama 2-0 558 11
Colorado St.-Pueblo 2-0 531 12
West Georgia 2-0 485 13
Winona St. 2-0 470 15
Ohio Dominican 2-0 391 17
West Florida 1-1 384 2
Ouachita Baptist 2-0 326 19
Central Washington 1-1 304 16
Minnesota-Duluth 2-0 259 24
Fort Hays St. 1-1 245 5
West Chester 2-0 206 23
Colorado Mesa 2-0 201 25
Central Missouri 1-1 199 21
Harding 1-1 182 7
Indianapolis 1-1 169 22
Pittsburg St. 2-0 126 NR
Sioux Falls 1-1 112 14
SAU 2-0 92 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Colorado School of Mines 67; Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 64; Valdosta St. (Ga.) 63; Notre Dame (Ohio) 54; Findlay (Ohio) 35; Tarleton St. (Texas) 31; Florida Tech 24; Kutztown (Pa.) 20; Wingate (N.C.) 19; Ashland (Ohio) 16; Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 16; Shippensburg (Pa.) 13; Shepherd (W.Va.) 12; Fairmont St. (W.Va.) 1; Edinboro (Pa.) 3; Emporia St. (Kan.) 3; Texas A&M-Kingsville 2; Missouri Western St. 1.