Delaware Football Earns Top 20 Rankings in Final NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Polls
January 11, 2012
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
• Final The Sports Network Poll
• Final FCS Coaches Poll
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NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware football squad, which narrowly missed a spot in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff field despite a 7-4 mark, earned top 20 rankings in the two final major national Top 25 polls announced earlier this week.
Delaware, which also posted a 5-3 mark in the rigorous Colonial Athletic Association and ended the season with a three-game win streak for head coach K.C. Keeler, was ranked No. 17 in The Sports Network Media poll and No. 20 in the FCS Coaches poll.
North Dakota State (14-1), which captured the NCAA national championship title this past Saturday with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State (14-1), earned the No. 1 ranking in both polls, earning all 125 first place votes in the TSN poll and all 25 in the FCS Coaches poll. Sam Houston State was ranked No. 2 in both polls.
Delaware was among six CAA schools ranked in both final Top 25 polls, joining league champion Towson (9-3), Old Dominion (10-3), New Hampshire (8-4), Maine (9-4), and James Madison (8-5). Maine advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals while Towson, Old Dominion, New Hampshire, and James Madison all lost in the second round.
In The Sports Network poll, Montana was ranked third followed by Georgia Southern (11-3), Lehigh (11-2), Northern Iowa (10-3), Montana State (10-3), Maine, Towson, Old Dominion, New Hampshire, Appalachian State (8-4), Wofford (8-4), Central Arkansas (9-4), James Madison, Harvard (9-1), Delaware, Stony Brook (9-4), Norfolk State (9-3), Illinois State (7-4), Tennessee Tech (7-4), Jackson State (9-2), North Dakota (8-3), Eastern Kentucky (7-5), and Liberty (7-4).
In the FCS poll, Georgia Southern was third followed by Montana, Northern Iowa, Lehigh, Montana State, Maine, Towson, Old Dominion, Appalachian State, New Hampshire, Wofford, James Madison, Central Arkansas, Stony Brook, Harvard, Norfolk State, Tennessee Tech, Delaware, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois State, Albany, Jackson State, and Liberty.
Delaware and Harvard were the only teams ranked in the Top 20 that did not advance to the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to the national polls, Delaware was also ranked No. 9 in the final Lambert Meadowlands Eastern poll. Lehigh captured the No. 1 spot followed by Maine, Towson, New Hampshire, Old Dominion, Stony Brook, James Madison, Harvard, Delaware, and Albany.
Delaware, which returns 21 players with starting experience for 2012, will begin spring drills in March with the annual Blue-White Spring Scrimmage scheduled for Apr. 20 at Delaware Stadium.
