KANSAS CITY, September 18 — The STADIONIC NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, released from Kansas City during week three of the NAIA football season, holds Grand View (Iowa) at No. 1 and Keiser (Fla.) at No. 2 — and shuffles every other spot in the Top 10. Grand View, the defending national champion, collected all thirteen first-place votes and extended its winning streak to thirty-one games.
The Vikings are allowing just 4.7 points per game, second-best in the NAIA, and opponents have managed only 37 yards per game on the ground. They host No. 9 Benedictine (Kan.) on Saturday.
Keiser improved to 1-1 with a 48-7 win over Bethel (Tenn.), scoring 24 points in each half, collecting 31 first downs, and piling up 495 yards of total offense with 349 coming on the ground.
Montana Tech climbs, Lindsey Wilson leans on its rusher
Montana Tech moved up two spots to No. 3 after navigating a rugged early-season schedule. The Orediggers rank fifth nationally in opponent scoring at 7.0 points per game, and Levi Torgerson leads the NAIA with 25 receptions. The Yotes have paired one of the NAIA’s most productive offenses with a stingy defense during their unbeaten start, ranking seventh nationally in both scoring at 50.0 points per game and opponent scoring at 10.0 points per contest.
Lindsey Wilson features the NAIA’s leading rusher in Davontaye Saunders, the only player to top 500 yards through three games. Saunders averages 171.3 yards per game and 11.4 yards per carry and shares the national scoring lead with eight touchdowns.
The Blue Raiders travel to No. 14 St. Thomas (Fla.) this week. Indiana Wesleyan’s Ryan Whitwell is tied for the NAIA lead with eight rushing touchdowns, also matching the national lead for total touchdowns. Whitwell has accounted for 54 points this season, the most by any player in the NAIA.
Friends piles up points, Campbellsville makes its move
Friends has topped 80 points twice and is averaging 76.3 points per game, doing most of its damage on the ground with more than 400 rushing yards per game and 1,301 of its 1,643 yards of total offense on running plays. Morningside ranks 10th nationally in scoring at 46.7 points per game, with Drew Sellon among the Mustangs’ top weapons. Sellon has 17 receptions, eighth-most in the NAIA, and is averaging 100 receiving yards per game.
The Mustangs visit No. 11 Dordt (Iowa) on Saturday in the GPAC. Benedictine has leaned on a productive ground game while averaging 38.3 points per contest, rushing for 265 yards per game as it continues through an early schedule that has included multiple nationally ranked opponents.
The Ravens travel to No. 1 Grand View on Saturday. Campbellsville (Ky.) made the biggest jump into the Top 10, climbing four places to No. 10 after an unbeaten start and an NAIA Football Championship Series appearance last season. The Tigers are one of just six NAIA teams allowing fewer than 10 points per game and are surrendering only 84.7 yards per contest on the ground.
Northwestern (Iowa) vaulted eleven spots from No. 24 to No. 13. Louisiana Christian, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), and Baker (Kan.) also entered the Top 25 after receiving votes last week.
Receiving Votes: Cumberland (Tenn.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Midland (Neb.), Ottawa (Kan.), OUAZ (Ariz.), Pikeville (Ky.), Southwestern (Kan.), Taylor (Ind.). Another full schedule kicks off Saturday, including a seven-game featured slate with two games on NAIA Network and five on Urban Edge Network.
