The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
The VSU Blazers football team was voted No. 1 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Preseason Division II Top 25, announced Aug. 26.
After a historic, perfect 14-0 season and a 49-47 victory over Ferris State in the national championship game in McKinney, Texas, the Blazers moved to first among Division II coaches.
VSU received 29 of 32 first place votes and 792 points in the poll. Ferris State trails behind VSU with the remaining three first place votes and 768 points for second in the poll.
Below is the full poll. Note the fifth column is the 2018 AFCA ranking for the respective program:
| 1 | Valdosta State (29) | 14-0 | 792 | 1 |
| 2 | Ferris State (3) | 15-1 | 768 | 2 |
| 3 | Minnesota State | 13-1 | 686 | 3 |
| 4 | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 13-1 | 623 | 4 |
| 5 | Ouachita Baptist | 12-1 | 585 | 6 |
| 6 | Northwest Missouri State | 10-3 | 580 | 10 |
| 7 | Tarleton State | 12-1 | 549 | 5 |
| 8 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 12-2 | 524 | 8 |
| 9 | CSU-Pueblo | 11-2 | 463 | 7 |
| 10 | Slippery Rock | 11-3 | 446 | 12 |
| 11 | Fort Hays State | 9-3 | 419 | 22 |
| 12 | Grand Valley State | 10-2 | 418 | 14 |
| 13 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 10-3 | 385 | 9 |
| 14 | Minnesota Duluth | 11-1 | 342 | 13 |
| 15 | West Georgia | 10-2 | 330 | 16 |
| 16 | Indianapolis | 10-2 | 319 | 11 |
| 17 | Colorado School of Mines | 10-2 | 288 | 18 |
| 18 | Harding | 9-3 | 223 | 20 |
| 19 | Hillsdale | 10-3 | 220 | 15 |
| 20 | Midwestern State | 8-2 | 214 | 25 |
| 21 | Wingate | 9-4 | 175 | 24 |
| 22 | West Chester | 10-1 | 134 | 17 |
| 23 | Ashland | 6-4 | 129 | NR |
| 24 | West Alabama | 8-4 | 116 | NR |
| 25 | Fairmont State | 9-2 | 78 | NR |
The Blazers have now been ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll in the history of the AFCA Division II poll for the fourth time. VSU was ranked at the top of the AFCA preseason poll each of the years following their national championship victories (2005, 2008, 2013 and 2019).
VSU will open the season on the road against Albany State on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. They return home for the 2019 home-opener against Ohio Dominican on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.
Written by Prince Robinson Jr., Sports Editor. Photo courtesy of VSU Athletics.
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