Six Missouri Valley Football Conference schools are ranked in the Top 25 FCS polls of Sept. 13.  South Dakota State (2), North Dakota State (5), Southern Illinois (8), North Dakota (11), Missouri State (17) and UNI (18) represent the league in the Stats Perform rankings.   The same six schools are ranked in the AFCA Coaches poll, while South Dakota is receiving votes in the AFCA rankings.


STATS PERFORM
CHICAGO – Sept. 13, 2021 – Fresh off posting thrilling wins, Jacksonville State and Missouri State were rewarded on Monday with the biggest jumps among ranked teams in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
 
Both teams climbed six spots, Jacksonville State to No. 10 and Missouri State to No. 17 in the national media poll. The former stunned Florida State 20-17 with a game-winning, 59-yard touchdown pass on the final play and the latter beat Central Arkansas 43-34 after a back-and-forth finish in their matchup of ranked teams.
 
The moves of those two teams, which won conference titles and made the FCS playoffs this past spring, were the exception following a weekend of mostly lopsided scores among FCS teams. Jacksonville State replaced North Dakota in the Top 10, where Sam Houston remained No. 1 as one of seven 2-0 teams.
 
At No. 23, New Hampshire joined the Top 25 for the first time this season. 
 
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.
 
STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 (SEPT. 13)
 
1. Sam Houston (2-0, 0-0 AQ7), 1,214 points (33 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 2; Week 2 Result: 52-14 win over Southeast Missouri
 
2. South Dakota State (2-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 1,190 (9)
Previous Ranking: 2; Week 2 Result: 52-7 win over Lindenwood
 
3. James Madison (2-0, 1-0 CAA), 1,158 (5)
Previous Ranking: 3; Week 2 Result: 55-7 win over Maine
 
4. Montana (2-0, 0-0 Big Sky), 1,110 (3)
Previous Ranking: 4; Week 2 Result: 42-7 win over Western Illinois
 
5. North Dakota State (2-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 1,066 
Previous Ranking: 5; Week 2 Result: 64-0 win over Valparaiso
 
6. Delaware (2-0, 1-0 CAA), 949
Previous Ranking: 6; Week 2 Result: 27-10 win over Saint Francis
 
7. Eastern Washington (2-0, 0-0 Big Sky), 889
Previous Ranking: 7; Week 2 Result: 63-14 win over Central Washington
 
8. Southern Illinois (1-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 814
Previous Ranking: 8; Week 2 Result: 31-23 loss at Kansas State
 
9. Weber State (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 771
Previous Ranking: 10; Week 2 Result: 41-3 win at Dixie State
 
10. Jacksonville State (1-1, 0-0 AQ7), 751
Previous Ranking: 16; Week 2 Result: 20-17 win at Florida State
 
11. North Dakota (1-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 710
Previous Ranking: 9; Week 2 Result: 48-24 loss at Utah State
 
12. Villanova (2-0, 0-0 CAA), 674
Previous Ranking: 12; Week 2 Result: 55-3 win over Bucknell
 
13. Montana State (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 664
Previous Ranking: 11; Week 2 Result: 45-7 win over Drake
 
14. UC Davis (2-0, 0-0 Big Sky), 661
Previous Ranking: 14; Week 2 Result: 53-7 win at San Diego
 
15. Southeastern Louisiana (1-1, 0-0 Southland), 511
Previous Ranking: 13; Week 2 Result: 45-42 loss at Louisiana Tech
 
16. ETSU (2-0, 0-0 Southern), 497
Previous Ranking: 15; Week 2 Result: 45-14 win over UVA Wise
 
17. Missouri State (1-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 377
Previous Ranking: 23; Week 2 Result: 43-34 win over then-No. 19 Central Arkansas
 
18. Northern Iowa (1-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 364
Previous Ranking: 21; Week 2 Result: 34-16 win at Sacramento State
 
19. Austin Peay (1-1, 0-0 Ohio Valley), 336
Previous Ranking: 17; Week 2 Result: 54-17 loss at Ole Miss
 
20. Monmouth (1-1, 0-0 Big South), 297
Previous Ranking: 20; Week 2 Result: 26-23 win at Fordham
 
21. Richmond (2-0, 0-0 CAA), 261
Previous Ranking: 25; Week 2 Result: 31-3 win over Lehigh
 
22. VMI (1-1, 0-0 Southern), 146
Previous Ranking: 18; Week 2 Result: 60-10 loss at Kent State
 
23. New Hampshire (2-0, 2-0 CAA), 127
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Week 2 Result: 26-14 win over Towson
 
24. Kennesaw State (1-1, 0-0 Big South), 121
Previous Ranking: 22; Week 2 Result: 45-17 loss at Georgia Tech
 
25. Central Arkansas (0-2, 0-0 AQ7), 105
Previous Ranking: 19; Week 2 Result: 43-34 loss at then-No. 23 Missouri State
 
Dropped Out: Holy Cross (24)
 
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Furman 90, Chattanooga 74, Rhode Island 67, Murray State 58, Alabama A&M 56, Jackson State 48, Duquesne 32, Nicholls 29, Stephen F. Austin 11, Samford 7, Merrimack 4, Sacramento State 3, Holy Cross 2


AFCA FCS TOP 25
WACO, TEX.– James Madison handed conference foe Maine a 55-7 loss, helping the Dukes maintain their No. 2 spot in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The win sets up a Top 10 battle this coming Saturday as James Madison travels to No. 8 Weber State. The Wildcats are 1-1 after handing Dixie State a 41-3 beating.
     Sam Houston still sits No. 1 with 25 first-place votes. The Bearkats dominated Southeast Missouri State, 52-14, and have a bye week before they face No. 24 Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, on September 25. The rest of the Top 5 remained the same with South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Montana.
     Jacksonville State and Missouri State made the biggest jump in the poll this week, each moving up six places. Jacksonville State moves to No. 11 thanks to a last second touchdown, lifting them over Florida State, 20-17. Missouri State beat then-No. 16 Central Arkansas, 43-34, putting the Bears at No. 19 this week.
     The final Top 25 matchup this coming week is a Colonial Athletic Association contest as No. 9 Villanova plays host to No. 18 Richmond.
 

Rank	School	Pts.	Prev.	Next Game
1	Sam Houston (25)	697	1	Sept. 25 at No. 24 Central Arkansas
2	James Madison (1)	657	2	Sept. 18 at No. 8 Weber St.
3	South Dakota St. (2)	641	3	Sept. 25 at Indiana St.
4	North Dakota St.	601	4	Sept. 18 at Towson
5	Montana	599	5	Sept. 25 vs. Cal Poly
6	Eastern Washington	522	8	Sept. 18 at Western Illinois
7	Delaware	521	6	Sept. 18 at Rutgers
8	Weber St.	439	10	Sept. 18 vs. No. 2 James Madison
9t.	Southern Illinois	422	9	Sept. 18 vs. Dayton
9t.	Villanova	422	11	Sept. 18 vs. No. 18 Richmond
11	Jacksonville St.	397	17	Sept. 18 vs. North Alabama
12	UC Davis	383	12	Sept. 18 vs. Dixie St.
13	Montana St.	361	13	Sept. 18 vs. San Diego
14	North Dakota	356	7	Sept. 18 vs. Drake
15	Northern Iowa	330	15	Sept. 18 vs. St. Thomas (Minn.)
16	SE Louisiana	298	14	Sept. 18 at Central Connecticut St.
17	ETSU	269	19	Sept. 18 vs. Delaware St.
18	Richmond	183	22	Sept. 18 at No. 9t Villanova
19	Missouri St.	180	25	Sept. 25 vs. South Dakota
20	Monmouth	170	21	Sept. 18 at Charleston Southern
21	Austin Peay	131	18	Sept. 18 vs. Morehead St.
22	Chattanooga	103	24	Sept. 18 at Kentucky
23	New Hampshire	71	NR	Sept. 18 at Lafayette
24	Central Arkansas	64	16	Sept. 18 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
25	Furman	58	NR	Sept. 18 at N.C. State

Others Receiving Votes: VMI, 53; Kennesaw St., 41; Jackson St., 19; Nicholls, 18; Alabama A&M, 17; South Dakota, 14; Duquesne, 13; Rhode Island, 13; Charleston Southern, 11; Stephen F. Austin, 8; Gardner-Webb, 5; Murray St., 5; Southern Utah, 3; Florida A&M, 2; Yale, 2; Princeton, 1.