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CITY  (NewsDakota.com)–After a split of their first two games, the VCSU Viking football team fell four spots in the second NAIA Coaches Top 25 poll, released yesterday.

The Vikings fell to 21st, while remaining the highest-ranked independent team in the poll, after a 49-7 loss to Morningside, IA, who moved up four spots to 4th this week, and a 38-13 win over Mayville State this past week.

The top-ranked independent team receives an automatic bid into the NAIA playoffs as long as that team is ranked in the top 20 teams in the nation in the final poll.  The next highest-ranked independent is Langston, OK, who received votes in this week’s poll, but did not make the top 25. 

Head coach Dennis McCulloch says another loss may end the Vikings’ playoff hopes, but that the focus is on simply getting better.

Morningside followed up their win over the Vikings with a 34-7 whipping of Northwestern, IA, who was ranked 10th at the time, and fell seven spots this week to #17.  The Red Raiders fared about as well as the Vikings did against Morningside, with 264 yards total offense, compared to the Vikings 244, with each team scoring seven points.

The surprising move of the poll affected the team that ended Valley City State’s season a year ago:  Carroll College, MT.  The Saints have opened their season 1-2, and fell 10 spots to 12th.  The record marks the first time the Saints have lost back-to-back games since 2004, and the ranking reflects the first time the Saints have not been in the top 10 since 2004.

The Vikings face Dakota State this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in Madison, SD.