Three Teams in Top Six Nationally
Four Gateway Conference teams are ranked in the Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today top-25 polls of Oct. 3. After nearly a three-year hiatus, Youngstown State returns to the Top 25, clocking in at No. 22 this week after beating Illinois State on Saturday. Southern Illinois (2/2), Western Kentucky (3/3), and UNI (6/7), represent the Gateway in the Top 10 in the Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today polls, respectively.
It's the first national ranking, though, for the Penguins since Oct. 21, 2002. Youngstown State is off to a 4-1 start with its only loss at I-A Pittsburgh. YSU is at Indiana State on Saturday.
Also, it marks the first time since the Sept. 13, 2004, in which four Gateway teams were ranked in the same week. Illinois State and Western Illinois are among schools receiving votes this week.
Twenty-four of the poll’s 25 teams will be in action this weekend, with four games between ranked opponents highlighting the slate. In addition to New Hampshire’s contest at William & Mary, No. 4 Montana visits No. 25 Idaho State, No. 6 Furman hosts No. 16 Appalachian State, and No. 9 Cal Poly hosts No. 12 North Dakota State.
Sports Network Top 25 Poll (Oct. 3)
Team (First-place) | 2005 | Points | Prev. | Next
1. New Hampshire (84) 4-0 2,862 1 at #17 Wm. & Mary
2. Southern Illinois (15) 3-1 2,695 2 at W. Illinois
3. Western Ky. (5) 3-1 2,597 3 at Illinois State
4. Montana (6) 3-1 2,555 4 at No. 25 Idaho State
5. James Madison 3-1 2,347 6 Maine
6. Furman 4-1 2,170 7 No. 16 Appalachian State
7. UNI (1) 3-1 2,159 8 at Missouri State
8. Hampton (1) 5-0 2,016 9 at Gardner-Webb
9. Cal Poly (3) 4-1 1,986 10 No. 12 N. Dakota State
10. Lehigh 3-1 1,626 11 Holy Cross
11. Montana State 3-2 1,573 12 at Weber State
12. N. Dakota State 4-1 1,532 13 at No. 9 Cal Poly
13. Delaware 3-1 1,452 5 Hofstra
14. Texas State 3-1 1,384 16 at SW Louisiana
15. E. Washington 2-2 1,363 14 at N. Arizona
16. Appalachian State 3-1 1,264 17 at No. 6 Furman
17. William & Mary 2-2 876 19 No. 1 New Hampshire
18. UMass 3-1 872 21 Northeastern
19. Coastal Carolina 4-1 741 NR OPEN
20. Harvard 2-1 524 15 at Cornell
21. Ga. Southern 3-2 481 NR Western Carolina
22. Youngstown State 4-1 403 NR at Indiana State
23. Northwestern State 1-2 358 25 at Sam Houston
24. South Carolina St. 3-1 251 20 at Norfolk St. (Thu)
25. Idaho State 3-2 247 24 No. 4 Montana
Others receiving votes (in order of points, minimum of five required): McNeese State 233, UC Davis 217, Stephen F. Austin 178, Western Carolina 172, Grambling State 131, Hofstra 111, Portland State 91, Alabama State 77, Penn 75, Lafayette 59, Wofford 55, Brown 49, Bethune-Cookman 45, Princeton 42, Sam Houston State 42, Towson 23, Illinois State 18, Eastern Kentucky 18, Chattanooga 12, Nicholls State 9, Villanova 7.
ESPN/USA Today I-AA Top 25
1. NEW HAMPSHIRE (34) (4-0) 1,256 1
2. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (7) (3-1) 1,190 2
3. WESTERN KENTUCKY (3) (3-1) 1,160 3
4. MONTANA (6) (3-1) 1,148 4
5. JMU (3-1) 1,029 7
6. NORTHERN IOWA (3-1) 975 8
7. FURMAN (4-1) 943 6
8. HAMPTON (1) (5-0) 914 9
9. CAL POLY (1) (4-1) 898 10
10. MONTANA ST (3-2) 727 12
11. LEHIGH (3-1) 704 14
12. NO DAKOTA ST (4-1) 696 11
13. DELAWARE (3-1) 654 5
14. TEXAS STATE (3-1) 623 16
15. EASTERN WASH (2-2) 608 13
16. APPALACHIAN ST (3-1) 556 20
17. WILLIAM & MARY (2-2) 425 17
18. MASSACHUSETTS (3-1) 384 22
19. COASTL CAROLINA (4-1) 310 NR
20. HARVARD (2-1) 229 15
21. NORTHWESTERN ST (1-2) 176 25
22. YOUNGSTOWN STATE (4-1) 173 NR
23. GA SOUTHERN (3-2) 161 NR
24. S CAROLINA ST (3-1) 117 18
25. IDAHO ST (3-2) 105 23
Others Receiving Votes: UC DAVIS 99, MCNEESE ST 98, SFA 85, GRAMBLING 71, WESTRN CAROLINA 55, PORTLAND ST 52, ALABAMA ST 48, HOFSTRA 44, WOFFORD 28, LAFAYETTE 25, PRINCETON 23, BETHUNE COOKMAN 19, PENN 16, NICHOLLS ST 15, CHATTANOOGA 11, BROWN 11, SAM HOUSTON ST 9, ILLINOIS STATE 8, TOWSON 7, NORTHEASTERN 5, MISSOURI ST 3, HOLY CROSS 2, EASTRN KENTUCKY 2, THE CITADEL 2, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1.