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Delaware football team ranked in national polls

12:05 p.m., Aug. 13, 2003--The University of Delaware football team is ranked in the top 20 in both The Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today NCAA Division I-AA preseason polls announced Monday afternoon, Aug. 12.

The Fightin’ Blue Hens, who return 16 starters from the 2002 squad that went 6-6 under first-year head coach K.C. Keeler, were picked No. 17 in The Sports Network poll and No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Blue Hens have now earned a spot in the preseason polls each year since 1993.

"We are happy for the recognition, but these polls mean absolutely nothing," Keeler, whose squad began drills Wednesday, said. "I probably won't even address it with the team. We've done nothing to deserve a pre-season ranking and the last two years we've finished out of the final poll. We are worried about the polls that come out in December (after the NCAA Division I-AA championship playoffs) and that's what we are working towards."

Delaware is the only team in either of the two polls that did not finish with a winning record last season and was one of only three teams in The Sports Network poll that did not finish the 2002 season ranked in the final top 25.

McNeese State, which lost in the NCAA Division I-AA championship game to Western Kentucky last season, was the preseason favorite in both polls, earning 25 first-place votes and 1,905 points in The Sports Network poll and 23 first-place votes and 1,389 points in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Georgia Southern was the No. 2 pick in each poll.

The Sports Network

1. McNeese State (25 first-place votes), 13-2 record in 2002, 1,905 points; 2. Georgia Southern (16), 11-3, 1,832; 3. Western Illinois (15), 11-2, 1,733; 4. Montana (5), 11-3, 1,729; 5. Western Kentucky (17), 12-3, 1,532; 6. Northeastern, 10-3, 1,270; 7. Grambling State (2), 11-2, 1,208; 8. Furman, 8-4, 1,194; 9. Appalachian State, 8-4, 1,161; 10. Bethune-Cookman, 11-2, 1,001; 11. Idaho State, 8-3, 926; 12. Villanova, 11-4, 908; 13. Fordham, 10-3, 890; 14. Massachusetts, 8-4, 779; 15. Montana State, 7-6, 773; 16. Maine, 11-3, 745; 17. Delaware, 6-6, 741; 18. Eastern Illinois, 8-4, 584; 19. Wofford, 9-3, 576; 20. Southeast Missouri, 8-4, 508; 21. Pennsylvania, 9-1, 503; 22. Northwestern State, 9-4, 503; 23. Nicholls State, 7-4, 350; 24. Stephen F. Austin, 6-5, 274; 25. Eastern Kentucky, 8-4, 237.

Next five receiving votes: Youngstown State, Florida A&M, Murray State, Colgate, Lehigh.

ESPN/USA Today

1. McNeese State (23), 13-2, 1,389; 2. Georgia Southern (8), 11-3, 1,311; 3. Montana (7), 11-3, 1,288; 4. Western Illinois (6), 11-2, 1,258; 5. Western Kentucky (12), 12-3, 1,165; 6. Northeastern (1), 10-3, 942; 7. Grambling State (2), 11-2, 864; 8. Appalachian State (2), 8-4, 864; 9. Furman, 8-4, 847; 10. Idaho State, 8-3, 689; 11. Villanova, 11-4, 688; 12. Bethune-Cookman, 11-2, 622; 13. Fordham, 10-3, 6-3; 14. Maine, 11-3, 573; 15. Montana State, 7-6, 572; 16. Wofford, 9-3, 566; 17. Massachusetts, 8-4, 505; 18. Delaware, 6-6, 474; 19. Eastern Illinois, 8-4, 422; 20. Pennsylvania, 9-1, 396; 21. Southeast Missouri, 8-4, 345; 22. Nicholls State, 7-4, 301; 23. Northwestern State, 9-4, 285; 24. Eastern Kentucky, 8-4, 233; 25. Gardner-Webb, 9-1, 205.

Next five: Stephen F. Austin, Murray State, Colgate, Youngstown State, Lehigh.


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