MANKATO, Minn.  – The Minnesota State football and women's soccer teams are off to undefeated starts this season and are the only programs in both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and United Soccer Coaches polls this week, with the football team fourth nationally and the women's soccer team eighth.  MSU is one of three institutions to be ranked the top 25 for both football and women's soccer this week.
 
The football program is 4-0 and 3-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play and travels to the University of Sioux Falls for a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday afternoon.  The women's soccer team is 6-0-1 overall and 3-0-1 in NSIC play as it returns home to host Sioux Falls on Friday at 3 p.m. and Southwest Minnesota State Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
MSU is the only institution in both polls to both be undefeated as Grand Valley State is 4-0 in football and ranked sixth nationally, while the women's soccer team is 5-1-2 and ranked 11^th.  
 
The Mavericks handed the Lakers their only loss of the season in women's soccer with a thrilling 1-0 win over GVSU in Mankato on Sept. 6.  MSU senior goalkeeper Lauren McAlpine preserved the clean sheet with a standout 12 saves in the match while sophomore Megan Grater scored the only goal in the 41^st minute.  
 
Kutztown is 3-0 in football and ranked third nationally, while its women's soccer team had been undefeated, but lost last week at Bloomsburg for its first setback of the year.  The Golden Bears are 22^nd this week after falling from 17^th.