Carson-Newman, Mars Hill, Wingate Stay In Football Region Rankings
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Carson-Newman College, Mars Hill College and Wingate University continue to be ranked in the NCAA Division II Super Region II football poll.
There was some shuffling in the rankings as four of last week's top 10 teams lost. Carson-Newman moved up one spot to No. 2 after last week's No. 2 team, Albany State, lost. Mars Hill, despite a 24-7 win over Lenoir-Rhyne, dropped one spot to No. 5. And Wingate moved up one spot to No. 9 after a 42-17 win over Catawba.
The Eagles (7-2, 5-0 SAC) travel to Wingate (7-2, 4-1 SAC) on Saturday with at least a share of the SAC title on the line. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. in Wingate, N.C.
The Mars Hill football team, currently 6-2 overall and 6-1 against Division II competition, fell one spot from last week in the fourth release of regional rankings. The Lions are ranked fifth in Super Region II, according to the NCAA Division II Football Committee. Mars Hill has not competed in the postseason since 1980. The Lions will travel to Tusculum this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
North Alabama remained on top of the Super Region II poll.
Albany State (7-1) dropped a tough decision to conference rival Tuskegee, moving the Golden Lions to the number three position in the poll. UNC Pembroke (7-1) is fourth this week.
Morehouse (6-2) is number six, while Benedict (6-3) debuts at the number seven spot. The Tigers defeated last week's number seven team Fort Valley State Saturday. As a result, FVSU dropped three spots to number 10.
Both Arkansas Tech (eighth, 6-2) and Wingate moved up one spot from last week's poll. The top six teams from each of the four regions are presented with postseason invitations. Earned access to the playoffs can be gained by a conference champion if a league team finishes in the top eight of the final super regional rankings. The top two teams in the final rankings receive a first-round bye.
The Wingate versus Carson-Newman game will feature the top two offenses in the SAC. The Eagles top the charts with 34.7 points per game, while the Bulldogs average 34.1 points per contest. Last year, C-N rallied from a 27-14 halftime deficit to take a 35-33 SAC victory over Wingate at Burke-Tarr Stadium.
Crunch time has been productive for the Bulldogs, as head coach Joe Reich and his Wingate troops lead the SAC in fourth-down conversions (10-of-15). The Bulldogs are second in the league in third-down conversions (55-of-124).
Wingate continues to top the SAC charts in kick-off returns (25.4 yards per return), turnover margin (plus-14) and punt returns (14.7 yards per return). The Bulldogs are third in the league in total offense (382.5 yards per contest). Carson-Newman leads the SAC in the same category, posting 436.1 yards per game.
Super Regional Two
Overall Division II
Record Record
1. North Alabama 9-0 9-0
2. Carson-Newman 7-2 6-2
3. Albany State (Georgia) 7-1 7-1
4. UNC Pembroke 7-1 6-1
5. Mars Hill 6-2 6-1
6. Morehouse 6-2 6-2
7. Benedict 6-3 5-3
8. Arkansas Tech 6-2 6-2
9. Wingate 6-2 6-2
10. Fort Valley State 5-4 4-3