Peru State Earns Top 25 Ranking
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Following a nearly 10-year absence, Peru State returned to the national spotlight as part of the NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Monday evening.
The Bobcats have turned an impressive 3-0 start to the season into the #23 ranking this week, the team's first appearance in the top 25 since a #25 ranking on Nov. 4, 2003. Peru State looks for its fourth win in as many games this Saturday, September 24 against Benedictine at Auburn High School.
The Heart of America Athletic Conference claimed two spots in this week's top 10, led by Missouri Valley in the #9 slot. The Vikings (1-1) jumped up two spots from last week and will look for its second win in league play on the road this Saturday at Culver-Stockton.
Just one spot behind the Vikings is Benedictine, which is also unbeaten at 3-0 and moved up four spots to #10. The Ravens, who made grabbed their last top 10 spot on Sept. 24, 2012, visit Peru State on Saturday in a second-straight top 25 showdown.
Despite suffering its first loss of the season last weekend, Baker slipped just five spots to #13 to complete the foursome of HAAC teams in this week's top 25. The Wildcats (2-1) return home this Saturday to host Avila in Liston Stadium with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m.
An 0-2 start to the season has pushed MidAmerica Nazarene from the top 25, but the Pioneers are the first team listed among the others receiving votes. MNU continues its season-opening four-game road trip at Evangel on Saturday at JFK Stadium.
Morningside (Iowa) continued to hold the top spot in the polls after garnering all 14 first place votes while Saint Francis maintained the #2 ranking. Carroll (Mont.), Cumberlands (Ky.) and Saint Xavier (Ill.) round out the top five.
| Rank | Last Poll | School (First Place Votes) | Record | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Morningside (Iowa) (14) | 3-0 | 314 |
| 2 | 2 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 2-0 | 302 |
| 3 | 4 | Carroll (Mont.) | 4-0 | 281 |
| 4 | 3 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 3-0 | 280 |
| 5 | 5 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 2-1 | 264 |
| 6 | 6 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 1-1 | 253 |
| 7 | 9 | Grand View (Iowa) | 3-0 | 242 |
| 8 | 10 | Tabor (Kan.) | 3-0 | 231 |
| 9 | 11 | Missouri Valley | 1-1 | 211 |
| 10 | 14 | Benedictine | 3-0 | 201 |
| 11 | 7 | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | 1-1 | 197 |
| 12 | 13 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 2-1 | 193 |
| 13 | 8 | Baker | 2-1 | 170 |
| 14 | 18 | Doane (Neb.) | 2-1 | 158 |
| 15 | RV | Montana Western | 3-0 | 134 |
| 16 | 24 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 4-0 | 122 |
| 17 | 21 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 2-1 | 119 |
| 18 | 19 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 3-1 | 90 |
| 19 | RV | Valley City State (N.D.) | 3-1 | 75 |
| 20 | RV | Concordia (Neb.) | 2-0 | 68 |
| 21 | 12 | Montana Tech | 1-2 | 60 |
| 22 | 17 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 2-1 | 50 |
| 23 | RV | Peru State | 3-0 | 41 |
| 24 | NR | Trinity International (Ill.) | 3-0 | 39 |
| 25 | 20 | William Penn (Iowa) | 1-2 | 28 |
Others receiving votes: MidAmerica Nazarene 23, Friends (Kan.) 22, Robert Morris (Ill.) 11, Faulkner (Ala.) 10, Montana State-Northern 7, Pikeville (Ky.) 3, Marian (Ind.) 3.