WACO, TEXAS – The University of Sioux Falls Football Team (4-0), which ranks first in NCAA DII in rushing defense and sacks, picked up support but held at #7 in the American College Football Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Coaches Top-25 Week 4 Poll, which was released Monday by the AFCA.

The Cougars, directed by first-year head football coach Jon Anderson, have been ranked in 40 straight polls by the AFCA. USF, which has won 16 straight league games, earned 663 points, a jump of 44 points from the AFCA's week three ranking.
 
USF opened the season with wins over then #10 Minnesota Duluth (26-7), Northern State (37-7), U-Mary (38-7) and Minnesota Crookston (34-0), putting together a 135-to-21 point differential in going 4-0.   
 
The Cougars, which will visit Southwest Minnesota State (2-2) on Saturday, Sept. 30 in Marshall, Minn., are one of three NSIC schools in the top 25. Minnesota State (4-0) moved to #8 in the poll, just two points ahead of USF, while Winona State (4-0) entered the poll at #25.   
 
The Cougars, which opened the 2017 season at #17 in the AFCA preseason poll, moved up to #9 after week one and now have moved to #7, a jump of 10 spots from the opening poll in August. The Cougars have been ranked in every AFCA poll since opening at #24 on Sept. 22, 2014.  A year ago, USF was ranked in the top 10 for the final eight polls of the regular season. USF, which was ranked #23 in the 2016 AFCA preseason poll, jumped as high as #4 on Oct 17. The Cougars have won 36-of-41 games and victorious in 190 games since the turn of the Century (16 years) and 431 in school history.  

AFCA 2017 NCAA DII Coaches Poll – Week 4
1. Northwest Missouri State (34), 4-0, 850, 1
2. Texas A&M Commerce, 4-0, 808, 3
3. Shepherd (W. Va.), 3-0, 763, 4
4. Indiana (Pa.), 4-0, 717, 6
5. California (Pa.), 4-0, 691, 5
6. Minnesota State, 4-0, 665, 8
7. Sioux Falls, 4-0, 663, 7
8. Colorado Mesa, 4-0, 599, 11
9. Grand Valley State (Mich.), 3-1, 515, 12
10. Indianapolis, 4-0, 487, 14
11. Arkansas Tech, 4-0, 454, 16
12. Midwestern State (Texas), 2-0, 451, 13
13. Delta State (Miss.), 4-0, 428, 17
14. Fort Hays State (Kan.), 4-0, 394, 18
15. Ferris State (Mich.), 2-1, 329, 2
16. Central Washington, 4-0, 325, 20
17. Colorado State – Pueblo, 3-1, 294, 19
18. Slippery Rock (Pa.), 4-0, 253, 21
19. Humboldt State (Calif.), 3-0, 215, 22
20. Ashland (Ohio), 3-1, 210, NR
21. Bowie State (Md.), 4-0, 209, 23
22. Assumption (Mass.), 4-0, 175, 24
23. Catawba (N.C.), 4-0, 170, 25
24. LIU-Post (N.Y.), 3-1, 125, 9
25. Winona State (Minn.), 4-0, 59, NR
 Dropped Out: North Alabama (10), Emporia St. (Kan.) (15)
 
Others Receiving Votes: Central Missouri, 38; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 33; North Alabama, 32; Wingate (N.C.), 23; West Georgia, 22; West Alabama, 18; Washburn (Kan.), 8; Florida Tech, 7; Emporia St. (Kan.), 4; Shippensburg (Pa.), 4; West Chester (Pa.), 4; Eastern New Mexico, 3; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 2; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 1; Virginia St., 1.