WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Midwestern State received a first-place vote and carries a No. 4 ranking in the American Football Coaches' Association preseason poll released Monday morning.
 
The Mustangs return nine starters and 41 letter winners off of last season's 10-1 squad which claimed the first outright Lone Star Conference championship in program history while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
 
Returning All-Americans Brandon Kelsey, Keidrick Jackson, Ken Van Heule, Justen Tyler and Randall Arbuckle led the team to its first unbeaten regular season.
 
The Mustangs are one of 10 teams in the newly formed Super Region Four which now includes the LSC, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) to receive mention in the poll.
 
MSU rains in at No. 4 followed by No. 6 Colorado State-Pueblo, No. 7 Grand Valley State (Mich.), No. 10 Abilene Christian, No. 17 Hillsdale (Mich.) and No. 24 West Texas A&M while Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), Colorado Mines, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Tarleton State are receiving votes.
 
Midwestern is one of just six teams receiving a first-place vote joining No. 1 Pittsburg State (Kan.) (21 first-place votes), No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth (5), No. 3 Northwest Missouri (1) , No. 5 Wayne State (Mich.) (1) and No. 9 Winston-Salem State (N.C.) (1).
 
The Mustangs are slated to face six teams receiving mention in the preseason poll with games at Tarleton State (RV) on Sep. 8, at Texas A&M-Kingsville (RV) on Sep. 22, at No. 15 West Alabama on Oct. 4, at No. 10 Abilene Christian on Oct. 20, at No. 24 West Texas A&M on Nov. 3 and finally home against West Georgia (RV) on Nov. 10.
 
That means that all five games MSU plays away from Memorial Stadium are against teams which received votes in the AFCA preseason poll.
 
The Mustangs have received votes in 71 of the last 72 AFCA polls dating back to the 2006 season.
 
MSU was also ranked No. 4 by Lindy’s Sports College Football Preview and No. 5 by the USA Today 2012 College Football Preview.   
  

AFCA Division II Coaches Poll
Preseason Poll
Rank	School (1st votes)	2011 Record	Points	Last
1	Pittsburg State (Kan.) (21)	13-1	720	1
2	Minnesota-Duluth (5)	11-3	661	6
3	Northwest Missouri (1)	11-3	613	5
4	Midwestern State (1)	10-1	582	7
5	Wayne State (Mich.) (1)	12-4	502	2
6	Colorado State-Pueblo	11-1	481	9
7	Grand Valley State (Mich.)	8-3	473	NR
8	Valdosta State (Ga.)	6-4	415	NR
9	Winston-Salem (N.C.) (1)	13-1	386	3
10	Abilene Christian (Texas)	8-3	367	16
11	California (Pa.)	10-3	347	15
12	Kutztown (Pa.)	11-2	329	13
13	New Haven (Conn.)	11-2	322	8
14	Delta State (Miss.)	11-3	290	4
15	West Alabama	8-4	274	23
16	St. Cloud State (Minn.)	9-3	266	17
17	Hillsdale (Mich.)	8-3	228	NR
18	Missouri Western	9-3	218	18
19	Shepherd (W. Va.)	9-2	199	22
20	Washburn (Kan.)	10-3	187	11
21	Humboldt State (Calif.)	9-1	183	20
22	Albany State (Ga.)	8-4	149	NR
23	North Greenville (S.C.)	11-3	139	12
24	West Texas A&M	8-3	132	25
25	Bloomsburg (Pa.)	9-2	129	21
Dropped Out: N/A
Others Receiving Votes: Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 128; North Alabama 128; Nebraska-Kearney 122; Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) 100; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 96; Central Missouri 72; Indianapolis (Ind.) 70; Mars Hill (N.C.) 57; Indiana (Pa.) 49; North Carolina-Pembroke 47; Elizabeth City State (N.C.) 44; Minnesota State-Mankato 41; Colorado Mines 40; East Central (Okla.) 33; Texas A&M-Kingsville 32; Slippery Rock (Pa.) 18; Miles (Ala.) 15; Concord (W. Va.) 9; Tarleton State (Texas) 9; West Georgia 9; Morehouse (Ga.) 7; Ashland (Ohio) 6; Michigan Tech 6; Southern Connecticut State 6; Central Washington 4; Henderson State (Ark.) 3; Assumption (Mass.) 2; West Virginia Wesleyan 2; Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 1; Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 1; Harding (Ark.) 1.