Ten top 25 teams lost over the weekend propelling the Northwest Missouri State football team to the No. 1 spot as announced by the AFCA on Monday.
The Bearcats took a blowout, 73-7 win over Lincoln on Saturday to stay perfect on the season at 3-0 and extend their MIAA record winning streak to 48 games. Northwest has also won 12 straight regular season games the most in the nation after Albany State (Ga.) and Abilene Christian each lost.
ACU fell, 23-17 in a battle of top five teams to then No. 4 North Alabama who moved up two spots to No. 2. Behind the Lions, who received two first-place votes, was Shepherd (W. Va.) moving from No. 7 to No. 3, followed by Bloomsburg at No. 4 and Valdosta State at No. 5.
Along with the Bearcats three other MIAA schools are ranked in the top 25 including Washburn who moved to No. 8 after a come from behind win at Missouri Southern. Pittsburg State moved to No. 15 after narrowly escaping with a, 27-26 win at Truman, while No. 20 Central Missouri also needed late game heroics to pull a, 45-38 win over Emporia State.
Last year’s runner-up, Delta State moved back into the top 10 at No. 6 and picked up the final first-place tally followed by Nebraska-Kearney at No. 7 and MIAA rival Washburn. At is No. 8. Wayne State (Mich), who knocked off then-No. 22 Michigan Tech while Abilene Christian rounds out the top 10. Former No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth was shutout, 7-0 by Wayne State (Neb.) dropping the Bulldogs to No. 11.
The Bearcats have now been ranked 17 weeks at No. 1 in the AFCA top 25 poll. Northwest was last ranked in the top spot opening the 2010 season, which was the first time the Bearcats were ranked No.1 since the 2000 season.
Northwest returns home to host Fort Hays State this Saturday at 1 p.m. in the first ever Blackout at Bearcat Stadium.