VERMILLION, S.D. -- The South Dakota football team (5-1, 3-0 NCC) remained ranked 14th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II coaches poll, released earlier today. The Coyotes also stayed 11th in rankings by D2football.com and the Don Hansen National Football Gazette.

Grand Valley State (6-0) remained the top team in the country with 27 first place ballots in the AFCA poll. The AFCA Coaches poll, which is released every Tuesday during the regular season, consists of a board of 28 AFCA member head coaches from Division II schools around the country. Grand Valley State also remained No. 1 in the D2football.com and the Don Hansen Football Gazette polls.

The Coyotes defeated Central Washington, 10-7, on Oct. 7 before a Dakota Day crowd of 10,255. This week, USD heads west for a match up with Western Washington with game time set for 3 p.m. (CST) on Saturday at the DakotaDome. USD has been ranked in both the AFCA and D2football.com national polls 19 straight weeks, dating back to the first week of the 2005 season.

AFCA NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll (as of Oct. 10, 2006) 1. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 6-0 2. Northwest Missouri State 6-0 3. North Alabama 5-0 4. North Dakota 6-0 5. Valdosta State (Ga.) 5-0 6. West Texas A&M 6-0 7. Shepherd (W.Va.) 5-0 8. Bloomsburg (Pa.) 5-1 9. North Carolina Central 6-0 10. Northwood (Mich.) 6-0 11. Pittsburg State (Kan.) 5-1 12. Nebraska-Omaha 4-1 13. Chadron State (Neb.) 6-0 14. South Dakota 5-1 15. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 5-1 16. Delta State (Miss.) 5-1 17. Missouri Western State 5-1 18. Newberry (S.C.) 6-0 19. Winona State (Minn.) 5-1 20. Tiffin (Ohio) 6-0 21. Abilene Christian (Texas) 5-0 22. C.W. Post (N.Y.) 5-1 23. Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) 4-2 24. Midwestern State (Texas) 5-1 25. Henderson State (Ark.) 5-1

D2football.com Top-25 Poll (as of Oct. 10, 2006) 1. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 6-0 2. Northwest Missouri State 6-0 3. North Dakota 6-0 4. North Alabama 5-0 5. Valdosta State (Ga.) 5-0 6. North Carolina Central 6-0 7. West Texas A&M 6-0 8. Bloomsburg (Pa.) 5-1 9. Northwood (Mich.) 6-0 10. Shepherd (W.Va.) 6-0 11. South Dakota 5-1 12. Pittsburg State 5-1 13. Chadron State (Neb.) 6-0 14. Missouri Western State, 5-1 15. Nebraska-Omaha 4-1 16. Delta State (Miss.) 5-1 17. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 5-1 18. Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) 4-2 19. Newberry (S.C.) 6-0 20. Abilene Christian (Texas) 5-0 21. C.W. Post (N.Y.) 5-1 22. Henderson State (Ark.) 5-1 23. Washburn (Kan.) 4-2 24. Wingate (N.C.) 5-1 25. Tiffin (Ohio) 7-0