April 20, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In the third ever NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Spring Poll, the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) is No. 1, announced today (April 20). USF won its third National Championship and second in the last three seasons after a 23-7 triumph over Carroll (Mont.) on Dec. 20 from Rome, Ga. The Cougars, who own the nation's longest winning streak at 14 games, earned 340 total points and all 15 of the possible first-place votes. USF has now been either No. 1 or No. 2 for the last 33 consecutive polls.

The Cougars, under fifth-year head coach Kalen DeBoer, will return 17 starters including senior quarterback Lorenzo Brown and senior offensive lineman T.J. Wendt. Brown is a dual threat under center, being named the Championship Game Offensive Most Valuable Player after he finished with 129 rushing yards on 19 carries (6.8 ypc) and 69 passing yards for one touchdown. Wendt was a 2008 AFCA Coaches' All-America pick after helping the Cougars rank sixth in the country in rushing offense (235.6 ypg) and 10^th in scoring offense (36.5 ppg).

With a national runner-up position, Carroll claims the No. 2 spot with 327 total points. The Fighting Saints are gunning for their 10^th straight Frontier Conference title under head coach Mike Van Diest. CC returns senior quarterback Gary Wagner but loses 2008 Rawlings-NAIA Player of the Year, Owen Koeppen on the defensive side.

No. 3 Lindenwood (Mo.) will try to build on the school's first ever Semifinal appearance. The Lions are 21-4 over the last two seasons, which sets a school record for a two-year span. No. 4 Saint Francis (Ind.) lists 12 returning starters and look for its eighth straight season of 10 or more wins. With 16 starters returning, No. 5 Morningside (Iowa) was the No. 1 scoring offense last season with 48 points per game. However, the Mustangs will have to fill the hole of graduating quarterback Ian Gilworth.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents.

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NOTES: Sioux Falls has been ranked No. 1 in two of three Spring Top 25 polls - the Cougars were No. 2 in the 2008 Spring poll... The last time a team other than Carroll and Sioux Falls has been No. 1 was Saint Francis on Nov. 12, 2006 - a streak of 28 polls... Carroll has now been ranked in the Top 5 in the last 52 straight polls dating back to November of 2004... St. Francis boasts the longest consecutive stretch of being named in the Coaches' Top 25 Poll - now standing at 118 straight mentions... The last time USF was not mentioned in the Top 25 was Oct. 19, 1999... Carroll (Mont.) is the next team in line with 105 straight Top 25 rankings while Sioux Falls (S.D.) stands at 104 straight mentions... Carroll had its 28-game winning streak snapped after the 27-9 loss in the 2008 National Championship to Sioux Falls... Since 2004 when Ohio Dominican started varsity football, the Panthers have been ranked in 36 of a possible 65 polls - those 36 polls happen to be the last 36 straight weeks... Since 2000, Carroll has been No. 1 a total of 53 times, the highest amount of any program during that time span; Sioux Falls is second with 30 mentions at No. 1 followed by Georgetown (Ky.) with 14, Northwestern Oklahoma State with 11 and Saint Francis (Ind.) with three.

2009 NAIA Football Top 25 Spring Coaches' Poll - (April 20)

RANK	LAST WEEK^	SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES)	2008 RECORD*	TOTAL POINTS
1	1	University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) (15)	14-0	340
2	2	Carroll College (Mont.)	13-1	327
3	3	Lindenwood University (Mo.)	11-2	312
4	4	University of Saint Francis (Ind.)	12-1	303
5	5	Morningside College (Iowa)	10-2	288
6	6	University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)	10-2	274
7	7	Langston University (Okla.)	10-3	257
8	8	MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.)	10-1	248
9	10	Union College (Ky.)	9-3	224
10	9	Friends University (Kan.)	10-1	215
11	11	Shorter College (Ga.)	9-3	200
12	12	Baker University (Kan.)	8-4	198
13	14	Saint Ambrose University (Iowa)	8-4	189
14	13	Dickinson State University (N.D.)	7-4	174
15	15	Lambuth University (Tenn.)	8-4	159
16	17	Missouri Valley College	7-3	132
17	19	University of Virginia's College at Wise	8-3	110
18	22	Saint Xavier University (Ill.)	7-4	95
T19	18	Northwestern College (Iowa)	7-3	94
T19	16	Ohio Dominican University	7-3	94
21	21	Montana State University-Northern	7-3	93
22	20	Ottawa University (Kan.)	8-2	78
23	23	Dakota Wesleyan University (S.D.)	7-3	62
24	25	Jamestown College (N.D.)	7-3	38
25	24	Malone University (Ohio)	6-4	30

Others receiving votes:

Benedictine College (Kan.) 13; Cumberland University (Tenn.) 6; Nebraska Wesleyan University 5; McKendree University (Ill.) 4; Minot State University (N.D.) 4; Bacone College (Okla.) 3; Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) 1; Eastern Oregon University 1; Sterling College (Kan.) 1; William Penn University (Iowa) 1; Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) 1; University of St. Francis (Ill.) 1; Georgetown College (Ky.) 1

^ Ranking in 2008 postseason poll (Jan. 12)

* Records as submitted by schools and raters