News/Commentary

FCS Coaches' Poll - Big Shakeup After 9 Losses By Last Week's Ranked Teams

September 25, 2023 by AFCA.com

In a battle of Top 10 teams in the Big Sky Conference, Montana State dominated Weber State on both sides of the football. The Bobcats rushed for 346 yards and the defense held Weber State to 208 yards of total offense in a 40-0 blowout. It was Montana State’s first shutout since 2016, and their first Big Sky Conference foe shutout since 2006. Montana State remains No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Weber State drops to No. 14.

The Top 3 remained the same this week with No. 1 South Dakota State and No. 2 North Dakota State being idle. The rest of the Top 25 changed drastically thanks to nine losses by ranked teams. William & Mary and Holy Cross both move up one spot thanks to then-No. 4 Sacramento State’s loss to Idaho, 36-27. The Vandals are now ranked No. 6 while Sac State fell to No. 9.

Chattanooga upset then-No. 17 Samford, Villanova beat then-No. 18 Rhode Island and Eastern Washington took down then-No. 15 UC Davis, causing all three teams to enter the Top 25 this week at 22, 23 and 25, respectively. Western Carolina is also a newcomer this week at No. 21. The Catamounts beat Charleston Southern, 77-21, and have a record of 3-1 on the season.

Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 3 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (26) 3-0 650 1 Idle 9/30 (11) North Dakota
2 North Dakota St. 3-0 624 2 Idle 9/30 South Dakota
3 Montana St. 3-1 593 3 D. (8) Weber St., 40-0 9/30 Portland St.
4 William & Mary 4-0 558 5 D. Maine, 28-3 9/30 at Elon
5 Holy Cross 3-1 528 6 D. Colgate, 47-7 9/30 (24) Harvard
6 Idaho 3-1 505 10 D. No. 4 Sacramento St., 36-27 9/30 at (25) Eastern Washington
7 Furman 3-1 477 7 D. No. 21 Mercer, 38-14 10/7 The Citadel
8 UIW 3-1 456 9 D. North American, 63-3 10/7 Southeastern Louisiana
9 Sacramento St. 3-1 453 4 L. (10) Idaho, 36-27 9/30 Northern Arizona
10 Southern Illinois 3-0 409 13 Idle 9/30 Missouri St.
11 North Dakota 2-1 373 14 Idle 9/30 at (1) South Dakota St.
12 Delaware 3-1 364 16 D. (12) New Hampshire, 29-25 10/7 Duquesne
13 North Carolina Central 3-1 282 19 D. Mississippi Valley St., 45-3 9/30 Campbell
14 Weber St. 2-2 254 8 L. (3) Montana St., 40-0 9/30 at Northern Colorado
15 Fordham 3-1 241 22 D. Stonehill, 44-0 9/30 at Georgetown
16 Montana 3-1 237 11 L. Northern Arizona, 28-14 9/30 Idaho St.
17 New Hampshire 2-2 223 12 L. (16) Delaware, 29-25 9/30 Towson
18 Florida A&M 3-1 177 23 D. Alabama St., 23-10 9/30 at Mississippi Valley St.
19 Youngstown St. 2-1 149 24 Idle 9/30 at Northern Iowa
20 UC Davis 2-2 123 15 L. Eastern Washington, 27-24 9/30 at Cal Poly
21 Western Carolina 3-1 119 NR D. Charleston Southern, 77-21 9/30 at The Citadel
22 Chattanooga 3-1 110 NR D. No. 17 Samford, 47-24 9/30 at Wofford
23 Villanova 3-1 109 NR D. No. 18 Rhode Island, 35-9 9/30 at Albany
24 Harvard 2-0 81 25 D. Brown, 34-31 9/30 at (5) Holy Cross
25 Eastern Washington 2-2 70 NR D. No. 15 UC Davis, 27-24 9/30 (6) Idaho

Dropped Out: Samford (17), Rhode Island (18), Southeast Missouri St. (20), Mercer (21)

Others Receiving Votes: Mercer, 49; Rhode Island, 45; Illinois St., 42; Southeast Missouri St., 41; Central Arkansas, 26; Austin Peay, 16; Eastern Kentucky, 16; Northern Iowa, 15; Samford, 8; Hampton, 7; Eastern Illinois, 6; Jackson St., 5; Richmond, 5; UT Martin, 3; Pennsylvania, 1.

For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com.