Fort Hays State stays unbeaten at 11-0

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association teams finished up their conference football slate Saturday.

Top MIAA teams in Fort Hays State, Northwest Missouri State and Central Missouri each notched victories and will await to hear final NCAA Division II regional rankings and subsequent playoff placement on Sunday. The NCAA will announce those final rankings and the postseason bracket at 4 p.m.

The top seven teams in each of four super regions make the playoffs, with each No. 1 team earning a first-round bye

Fort Hays, which had already clinched the MIAA crown, pushed its record to 11-0 with a 41-7 home victory over Nebraska-Kearney. The Tigers were ranked No. 1 in Super Region Three and will almost assuredly hold that spot and earn the bye. Fort Hays State will be making its first appearance in the football playoffs since 1995.

Northwest Missouri also cruised to victory, winning at Missouri Western 30-0. The Bearcats, who have won two straight national championships, and three of the last four, will most likely get a chance to do so again. Northwest Missouri came into Saturday’s game ranked No. 6 in Super Region Three and improved to 9-2 with Saturday’s shutout.

Central Missouri, though, may end up on the outside looking in. The Mules did what they could Saturday with a 31-24 win at Lindenwood that put them at 8-3. Central Missouri had started the season at No. 6 in Super Region 3 but was No. 10 heading into Saturday.

Elsewhere in the MIAA: Pittsburg State knocked back Missouri Southern 56-7 in Pittsburg, Kan., and improved to 7-4. Emporia State beat Washburn 26-20 in Emporia, Kan., and both teams are now 6-5.

This story was originally published November 11, 2017 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Fort Hays State stays unbeaten at 11-0."