ASHLAND – Another convincing win resulted in another move up the NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll for the Southern Oregon University football team, which ascended four spots to No. 9 in Monday's latest edition.

Off to a 4-0 start in the Frontier Conference, the Raiders – who started the season 25th – cracked the top 10 for the first time since Oct. 10 of last year. They benefitted from three teams ahead of them losing – then-No. 7 Doane (Neb.), No. 10 Southeastern (Fla.) and No. 11 Saint Xavier (Ill.) – and also jumped still-unbeaten Arizona Christian, which went from 12th to 10th.

The Raiders had a five-touchdown lead by halftime of Saturday's 35-14 defeat of Carroll (Mont.). They've led by at least 17 points in every game, winning by an average of 17.8, and haven't trailed since the first quarter of their season-opening victory against Eastern Oregon.

At No. 5 for the third week in a row, Montana Tech (4-0) is the only other Frontier team still among the Top 25. On Saturday the Orediggers pounded Eastern Oregon, 62-14. They'll host SOU in the final game of the regular season on Nov. 11.

SOU hosts 3-1 Rocky Mountain (Mont.), the first team outside the Top 25, at 1 p.m. Saturday. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets online at souraiders.com/tickets in order to avoid lines.
 

2017 NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll – No. 3 (Sept. 25, 2017)

RANK	LAST TIME^	SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)	2017 RECORD	TOTAL POINTS
1	1	Saint Francis (Ind.) (15)	4-0	340
2	2	Baker (Kan.)	5-0	327
3	3	Reinhardt (Ga.)	3-0	311
4	4	Morningside (Iowa)	4-0	301
5	5	Montana Tech	4-0	290
6	6	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	4-0	274
7	8	Grand View (Iowa)	4-1	258
8	9	Marian (Ind.)	2-1	247
9	13	Southern Oregon	4-0	236
10	12	Arizona Christian	4-0	228
11	15	Langston (Okla.)	3-0	197
12	16	Georgetown (Ky.)	3-0	185
13	11	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	3-1	182
14	7	Doane (Neb.)	3-1	152
15	19	Northwestern (Iowa)	4-0	148
16	10	Southeastern (Fla.)	3-1	145
17	17	Tabor (Kan.)	2-1	138
18	14	Benedictine (Kan.)	4-1	137
19	18	Sterling (Kan.)	3-1	128
20	20	Dickinson State (N.D.)	3-1	102
21	25	Concordia (Mich.)	4-0	82
22	21	Cumberland (Tenn.)	4-1	61
23	RV	Peru State (Neb.)	4-1	48
24	RV	Midland (Neb.)	4-0	22
25	RV	Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)	3-2	14

Dropped from the Top 25: MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (No. 22); Eastern Oregon (No. 23); Kansas Wesleyan (No. 24); Hastings (Neb.) (No. 25) 
Others Receiving Votes: Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 10; Kansas Wesleyan 5; Dakota State (S.D.) 5; Concordia (Neb.) 4; Hastings (Neb.) 4; Cumberlands (Ky.) 3.