[Football] Vikings Move Up to No. 7 in NAIA Coaches' Poll

Kansas City, Missouri – For the third week in a row, the Grand View University Viking football moved up one spot in the NAIA Football Coaches' Top-25 Poll. The Vikings are now ranked No. 7 in the country.

This past weekend the Vikings defeated the Bobcats of Peru State 45-28 to open North Divisional play in the Heart of America Conference.

The Grand View offense ran largely through its big back Jerry Lowe (JR/Tama, IA./ South Tama HS.) in their latest contest. The bruising runner continues to run hard. Lowe is now averaging 122 yards/game on the ground, which is the 8th-most in the NAIA. Wideout Jacob Lietz (JR/Colfax, IA./ Colfax-Mingo HS) continues to be a big play threat for the Viking pass attack. Lietz averages 19.7 yards/catch. Against the Bobcats, the junior receiver caught a touchdown pass of 27 yards.

The Viking defense continues to force their opponents into tough situations. The unit is No. 10 in the country in forcing 4th-downs. Grand View maintains an opponent 3rd-down conversion rate of 29.2%. Ben Slavens (JR/Bettendorf, IA./ Pleasant Valley HS) remains a force in the box for the Vikings. The linebacker averages the 14th-most tackles/game at 10.

Also for the third week in a row, Morningside College was rated No. 1. Other Heart of America teams that made the Top-25 Poll were: Evangel (6), Benedictine (11), and Baker (16). The full rankings can be seen below.

Grand View hosts Graceland on Saturday, September 20th at Duke Williams Stadium. The Yellowjackets are 0-7 overall and 0-1 in the North Division following a 12-84 road loss to Benedictine College. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. Check back with gvvikings.com for a complete recap and follow the Vikings on social media (@VikingAthletics) for in-game updates.