KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Coming off their second straight victory, the Friends University Falcons have climbed to No. 24 in this week's NAIA Football Coach's Top 25 poll, the national office announced today (Nov. 6). It's the program's highest accession in the poll since the 2015 season. The NAIA Top 25 Football ratings are sponsored by FirstDown PlayBook.

The Falcons are 8-2 on the season and 3-1 in the KCAC Kessinger Division after outscoring the McPherson College Bulldogs 49-3 in the second half in a 66-17 shellacking Saturday afternoon (Nov. 4) in front of over 1,100 fans at Riverfront Stadium. The 66 points are tied for the most in a game for the Falcons in the modern era (since 2004).

Under second-year head coach Terry Harrison, the eight wins are the most for the Falcons since also winning eight games in 2014. Friends also has two ranked victories (Avila University, Southwestern College) this season for the first time since at least 2010, the furthest back the NAIA weekly ratings calendar shows.

The victory over McPherson resulted in Trey Palmer being named this week's KCAC Defensive Player of the Week, as the Houston, Texas native electrified the crowd at Riverfront with two interceptions, highlighted by a 43-yard pick-six to give the Falcons an insurmountable 38-14 lead.

The Falcons are back at Adair-Austin Stadium for Senior Day Saturday afternoon (Nov. 11) vs. Bethany College, with kickoff set for 1 pm. With a win and an Evangel loss to Bethel College, the Falcons would clinch a share of the division championship.

Don't miss the regular season finale of this historic Falcon football team, purchase tickets now!