NAIA TOP-25
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- For the first time in the program’s history, Faulkner University is ranked in the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top-25 Poll. The NAIA released its weekly Top25 on Monday. Faulkner -- who received 29 voting points -- moved to No. 25 this week and is one of four Mid-South Conference teams ranked in the national poll. Joining Faulkner (3-1) in the poll from the MSC is No. 3 Georgetown College, No. 12 University of the Cumberlands and No. 19 Cumberland University. Georgetown (4-0) continues to be the top-ranked MSC team after picking up 291 voting points. The Tigers extended their regular season winning streak to 21 games on Saturday with a 27-6 win over Kentucky Christian University in Georgetown. Cumberlands (4-0) moved up two spots this week on
the heels of its 63-21 win over University of Pikeville on Saturday. The Patriots received 184 voting points from the panel of coaches that makes up the national raters. Cumberland joined the Patriots with a two-spot jump after picking up 85 voting points. The Bulldogs (3-1) beat UVa.Wise 24-17 last Saturday. Faulkner climbed to its first national ranking from just outside the Top-25 last week. The Eagles defeated Lindsey Wilson College 43-41 in Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday. Saint Xavier (Ill.) University (40) continues atop the poll with 314 voting points and all 14 first-place votes. Marian (Ind.) University is No. 2 in the poll with 301 voting points. The next NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll is scheduled to be released on Monday, Oct. 1.
RANK PREV SCHOOL 2012 POINTS 1 1 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (14) 4-0 314 2 3 Marian (Ind.) 4-0 301 3 3 Georgetown (Ky.) 4-0 291 T4 4 Morningside (Iowa) 4-0 272 T4 5 Missouri Valley 4-0 272 6 6 Benedictine (Kan.) 4-0 249 7 7 William Penn (Iowa) 4-0 242 8 11 Carroll (Mont.) 3-2 220 9 10 St. Ambrose (Iowa) 3-0 213 10 12 St. Francis (Ill.) 3-1 203 11 5 Mid American Nazarene (Kan.) 2-1 185 12 14 Cumberlands (Ky.) 4-0 184 13 9 Baker (Kan.) 4-1 166 14 8 Eastern Oregon 2-1 160 15 16 Northwestern (Iowa) 3-1 156 16 17 Montana Tech 3-1 126 17 18 Saint Francis (Ind.) 3-2 111 18 15 Grand View (Iowa) 3-2 95 T19 21 Cumberland (Tenn.) 3-1 85 T19 23 Doane (Neb.) 3-1 85 21 20 Valley City State (N.D.) 3-1 77 22 19 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 3-0 72 23 24 Kansas Wesleyan 3-1 63 24 25 Menlo (Calif.) 4-1 32 25 RV Faulkner 3-1 29 Others Receiving Votes: Friends (Kan.) 19; Hastings (Neb.) 13; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 7
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- University of the Cumberlands’ Iquan Deed (pictured above), Georgetown College’s Patrick Dougherty and Belhaven University’s James Bryan are the Mid-South Conference Football Players of the Week for the week ending Sept. 15, conference officials announced on Monday. The weekly honors are the first for all three studentathletes this season. Deed averaged 21.9 yards per carry while amassing 153 yards on the ground in Cumberlands’ 48-14 win at Union College to earn Mid-South Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The Montezuma, Ga., sophomore running back scored three times on the ground and added a fourth touchdown with his 38-yard reception to help the No. 14-ranked Patriots remain perfect this season. Deed leads the Mid-South Conference is rushing averaging 92.7 yards per game this season. His 13.2 yards per carry and 278 rushing yards are also best in the conference. Cumberlands improves to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in the MSC East Division with the win. Dougherty ended with five tackles for a loss, including three sacks in the Tigers’ 33-7 win over Lindsey Wilson College to earn the MSC Defensive Player of the Week. The Hillard, Ohio, junior defensive lineman helped the Tiger defense limit the Blue Raider rushing attack to -3 yards of net rushing. Dougherty finished the game with six tackles. Dougherty ranks third in the MSC with 3-1/2 sacks this season and fourth in the conference with 6-1/2 tackles for a loss. No. 3-ranked Georgetown improved to 3-0 on the season with the win. Bryan connected on three field goals and produced a 42-yard per punt average to earn MSC Special Teams Player of the Week. The Saucier, Miss., senior finished with field goal makes from 37, 41 and 51 yards in the Blazers’ 36-30 overtime loss to No. 25-ranked Cumberland University. In addition to averaging 42 yards per punt, Bryan finished with a long of 43 yards and pinned the Bulldogs inside the 20-yard line once. Bryan leads the MSC in punting average (46.8 yards per punt) this season and is tied for the conference lead with four field goals. Belhaven is 0-3 overall and 0-1 in the MSC West Division on the season. The next MSC Player of the Week awards are scheduled to be announced on Monday, Sept. 24.