Six Missouri Valley Football Conference teams are ranked in the FCS Top 25 polls this week. North Dakota State, one of three unbeatens, leads the way for the MVFC at No. 2 in both polls. Southern Illinois (7/9), South Dakota State (9/12), UNI (13/15), Missouri State (17/20) and South Dakota (23/21) are also ranked.
North Dakota State travels to Brookings to face South Dakota State on Saturday, while Missouri State meets Southern Illinois in Carbondale. The SDSU-NDSU matchup features teams that have played one another while both have been ranked 13-straight times. Missouri State and SIU have played each other as ranked teams just once previously (Oct. 5, 1991).
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 (Nov. 1)
CHICAGO – Nov. 1, 2021 –- When FCS national champion Sam Houston departed the Southland Conference this past summer, the Bearkats knew one of the nation’s better teams would remain there.
Look no further than the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, where on Monday Southeastern Louisiana moved up two spots to No. 6 – the Lions’ highest ranking since they were third in 2014.
Southeastern coach Frank Scelfo called the Lions’ 23-20 win over McNeese on Saturday night the kind of effort that helps a team become championship-level. The Lions (7-1, 5-0) can become that for the third time in the Southland if they win at No. 22 UIW this weekend.
The Lions, who boast the nation’s second-ranked offense behind Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback Cole Kelley, are unbeaten against FCS opponents, with only a 45-42 loss at Louisiana Tech.
Including the Southland showdown, there are five games between ranked teams this weekend. Sam Houston (7-0) and North Dakota State (8-0) enter the important week at No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the national media poll, with No. 21 Princeton (7-0) the only other unbeaten FCS team.
A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
1. Sam Houston (7-0, 5-0 AQ7), 1,240 points (40 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1;
Week 9 Result: 45-27 win at Tarleton
2. North Dakota State (8-0, 5-0 Missouri Valley), 1,208 (10)
Previous Ranking: 2;
Week 9 Result: 44-2 win over Indiana State
3. James Madison (7-1, 5-1 CAA), 1,133
Previous Ranking: 5;
Week 9 Result: 45-21 win over Elon
4. Montana State (7-1, 5-0 Big Sky), 1,082
Previous Ranking: 6;
Week 9 Result: Open week
5. Eastern Washington (7-1, 4-1 Big Sky), 1,013
Previous Ranking: 7;
Week 9 Result: Open week
6. Southeastern Louisiana (7-1, 5-0 Southland), 970
Previous Ranking: 8;
Week 9 Result: 23-20 win over McNeese
7. Southern Illinois (6-2, 4-1 Missouri Valley), 893
Previous Ranking: 3;
Week 9 Result: 23-16 loss at then-No. 16 Northern Iowa
8. UC Davis (7-1, 4-1 Big Sky), 854
Previous Ranking: 9;
Week 9 Result: Open week
9. South Dakota State (6-2, 3-2 Missouri Valley), 811
Previous Ranking: 10;
Week 9 Result: 47-16 win at Youngstown State
10. Villanova (6-2, 4-1 CAA), 745
Previous Ranking: 4;
Week 9 Result: 31-18 loss to William & Mary
11. Montana (6-2, 3-2 Big Sky), 721
Previous Ranking: 11;
Week 9 Result: 20-19 win over Southern Utah
12. Kennesaw State (7-1, 4-0 Big South), 698
Previous Ranking: 12;
Week 9 Result: 34-30 win over Gardner-Webb
13. Northern Iowa (5-3, 3-2 Missouri Valley), 693
Previous Ranking: 16;
Week 9 Result: 23-16 win over then-No. 3 Southern Illinois
14. ETSU (7-1, 4-1 Southern), 616
Previous Ranking: 13 (tie);
Week 9 Result: Open week
15. UT Martin (7-1, 3-0 Ohio Valley), 599
Previous Ranking: 13(tie);
Week 9 Result: 17-16 win over Austin Peay
16. Sacramento State (6-2, 5-0 Big Sky), 517
Previous Ranking: 15;
Week 9 Result: 27-24 win at Northern Colorado
17. Missouri State (5-3, 4-2 Missouri Valley), 396
Previous Ranking: 17;
Week 9 Result: 32-28 win over North Dakota
18. VMI (6-2, 4-1 Southern), 331
Previous Ranking: 18;
Week 9 Result: 46-45 win over Samford
19. Jackson State (7-1, 5-0 SWAC), 292
Previous Ranking: 20;
Week 9 Result: 28-19 win at Mississippi Valley State
20.(tie) Princeton (7-0, 4-0 Ivy), 277
Previous Ranking: 19;
Week 9 Result: 34-16 win at Cornell
20.(tie) William & Mary (6-2, 4-1 CAA), 277
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked;
Week 9 Result: 31-18 win at then-No. 4 Villanova
22. UIW (6-2, 4-1 Southland), 229
Previous Ranking: 22;
Week 9 Result: 48-21 win over Houston Baptist
23. South Dakota (5-3, 3-2 Missouri Valley), 213
Previous Ranking: 21;
Week 9 Result: Open week
24. Weber State (4-4, 3-2 Big Sky), 177
Previous Ranking: 23;
Week 9 Result: 40-17 win at Idaho State
25. Eastern Kentucky (6-2, 3-0 AQ7), 139
Previous Ranking: 25;
Week 9 Result: 42-10 win over Lamar
Dropped Out: Rhode Island (24)
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Prairie View A&M 34, Chattanooga 20, Mercer 14, Florida A&M 12, Dartmouth 10, Rhode Island 9, Stephen F. Austin 8, Harvard 7, Monmouth 2
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters – Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons.
ASUN: Patrick McCoy, Mike Parris.
Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly
, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir.
Big South Conference: Brian Cleary, Matt Harmon, Mark Simpson.
CAA Football: Scott Klatzkin, Greg Madia, Rob Washburn.
Ivy League: Rick Bender, Craig Larson.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Bill Hamilton, Maurice Williams.
Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt.
Northeast Conference: Tad Maury, Ralph Ventre.
Ohio Valley Conference: Neal Bradley, Kyle Schwartz.
Patriot League: Eric Malanowski, Ryan Sakamoto.
Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Jack Cronin.
Southern Conference: David Fox, Jeff Hartsell, Phil Perry.
Southland Conference: Zack Carlton, Josh Yonis.
Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Travis Jarome, Andrew Roberts.
Western Athletic Conference: Josh Criswell, Chris Thompson.
National Representatives: Josh Buchanan, Riley Corcoran, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Brett Huston, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Jon Passman, Lawrence Smith, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Jamie Williams.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – November 1, 2021
WACO, TEX.– The William & Mary defense recorded four interceptions and the offense controlled the time of possession as the Tribe clinched its first winning season in six years with a 31-18 win over then-No. 4 Villanova. The loss dropped the Wildcats to No. 13 and allowed William & Mary to enter at No. 23 in the 2021 AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. This was the Tribe’s first win over a top-five team since 2010.
The top two spots remain the same with Sam Houston and North Dakota State, but James Madison, Montana State and Eastern Washington all enter the top-five thanks to losses by Villanova and Southern Illinois. The Salukis lost to No. 15 Northern Iowa, 23-16, and dropped to No. 9 this week.
There are four top-25 matchups this coming Saturday with two coming from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The first one has No. 2 North Dakota State traveling to No. 12 South Dakota State, while No. 9 Southern Illinois hosts No. 20 Missouri State. All four teams have the top four spots in the conference standings. A third matchup is a top-five battle in the Big Sky Conference as No. 4 Montana State travels to No. 5 Eastern Washington.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Pts. |
Prev. |
Next Game |
| 1 |
Sam Houston (27) |
675 |
1 |
Nov. 6 vs. Dixie St. |
| 2 |
North Dakota St. |
644 |
2 |
Nov. 6 at No. 12 South Dakota St. |
| 3 |
James Madison |
621 |
5 |
Nov. 6 vs. Campbell |
| 4 |
Montana St. |
579 |
6 |
Nov. 6 at No. 5 Eastern Washington |
| 5 |
Eastern Washington |
566 |
7 |
Nov. 6 vs. No. 4 Montana St. |
| 6 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
537 |
8 |
Nov. 6 at UIW |
| 7 |
UC Davis |
479 |
9 |
Nov. 6 at Northern Arizona |
| 8 |
Kennesaw St. |
464 |
10 |
Nov. 6 at Robert Morris (Pa.) |
| 9 |
Southern Illinois |
420 |
3 |
Nov. 6 vs. No. 20 Missouri St. |
| 10 |
Montana |
413 |
11 |
Nov. 6 at Northern Colorado |
| 11 |
UT Martin |
384 |
12 |
Nov. 6 vs. Tennessee St. |
| 12 |
South Dakota St. |
369 |
13 |
Nov. 6 vs. No. 2 North Dakota St. |
| 13 |
Villanova |
352 |
4 |
Nov. 6 at Elon |
| 14 |
East Tennessee St. |
325 |
14 |
Nov. 6 vs. No. 18 VMI |
| 15 |
Northern Iowa |
303 |
17 |
Nov. 6 at Illinois St. |
| 16 |
Princeton |
257 |
15 |
Nov. 5 at Dartmouth |
| 17 |
Jackson St. |
221 |
16 |
Nov. 6 vs. Texas Southern |
| 18 |
VMI |
213 |
18 |
Nov. 6 at No. 14 East Tennessee St. |
| 19 |
Eastern Kentucky |
193 |
19 |
Nov. 6 at Stephen F. Austin |
| 20 |
Missouri St. |
184 |
20 |
Nov. 6 at No. 9 Southern Illinois |
| 21 |
South Dakota |
108 |
22 |
Nov. 6 at Western Illinois |
| 22 |
Sacramento St. |
89 |
23t |
Nov. 6 vs. Cal Poly |
| 23 |
William & Mary |
83 |
NR |
Nov. 6 at Delaware |
| 24 |
Weber St. |
80 |
23t |
Nov. 6 vs. Portland St. |
| 25 |
Chattanooga |
44 |
NR |
Nov. 6 at Wofford |
Others Receiving Votes: Harvard, 27; Monmouth (N.J.), 21; Mercer, 16; Dartmouth, 14; Prairie View A&M, 14; Central Arkansas, 13; Florida A&M, 13; Stephen F. Austin, 12; Holy Cross, 11; Delaware, 10; UIW, 8; Maine, 6; Nicholls, 5; Davidson, 2.