Aug. 22, 2007

WACO, Texas - For the third time this preseason, the Bemidji State University football team has been voted into the top-25 of a national poll. Tuesday, the American Football Coaches' Association announced the rankings of its first poll of the 2007 Division II season and slotted the Beavers 19th.

The ranking is the first ever in the AFCA Preseason Poll and follows a No. 13 projection in the June release of Lindy's 2007 and a No. 20 ranking by d2pootball.com just a week ago. The 2007 preseason accolades mark a return to the polls for the Beavers after being overlooked since it earned back-to-back laurels prior to the 2001 and 2002 seasons in Lindy's.

BSU is coming off of a 2006 season in which it finished 9-3 overall and posted a perfect 8-0 record en route to its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship in nearly 50 years and its first ever berth into the post season. The Beavers finished the season ranked No. 23 after climbing into the poll one week earlier.

Two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State, Mich. holds down the No. 1 spot in this year's preseason poll. The Lakers, 15-0 last season, drew 25 of 28 first-place votes and 694 of a possible 700 points in the balloting of the 28 coaches from around the country who serve on the AFCA's Division II ratings committee.

Northwest Missouri State, national runner-up to Grand Valley State in each of the last two seasons, begins 2007 as the No. 2 team. The Bearcats, 14-1, landed two first-place votes and 672 points in the balloting.

BSU was the only NSIC institution to appear among the top 25 in the poll while Winona State University was listed among those that received votes.

Reigning NSIC coach of the Year Jeff Tesch and the Beavers have been in camp since Aug. 10 and officially lift the lid of the 2007 campaign Sept. 1st when they travel to Duluth, Minn. for a 6 p.m. non-conference affair with the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Tesch, who is in his 12th year at BSU, returns 17 starters from his 2006 title team including 10 of 11 form a defense that led the nation in yards allowed against the run a year ago. The team will look to preseason all-American selections Zach Stafford (Sr., DT), John Keaveny (Sr., OL), Justin Guy (Sr., OL), Anthony Schreiber (Sr., WR) and Zach Christ (Sr., LB) to lead the way in 2007.


2007 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll
1. Grand Valley State (Mich.)
2. Northwest Missouri State
3. North Dakota
4. North Alabama
5. Chadron State (Neb.)
6. Valdosta State (Ga.)
7. Pittsburg State (Kan.)
8. Shepherd (W.V.)
9. Bloomsburg (Pa.)
10. South Dakota
11. Abilene Christian (Tex.)
12. Delta State (Miss.)
13. Nebraska-Omaha
14. Northwood (Mich.)
15. Carson-Newman
16. Newberry (S.C.)
17. West Chester (Pa.)
18. Southeastern Oklahoma State
19. Bemidji State
20. Albany State
t-21. Elizabeth City State (N.C.)
t-21. California (Pa.)
23. Midwestern State (Tex.)
24. West Texas A&M
25. Washburn (Kan.)

-bsu-