For the first time this season, just four Big Sky Conference teams appear in this week’s STATS Top 25 FCS poll and FCS Coaches’ Poll. For the first six weeks of the season, the league featured five ranked teams.
Eastern Washington continues to lead the way. The Eagles won for the third straight week and moved to 2-0 in conference play with a 42-41 overtime win over Cal Poly. One of two teams without a Big Sky loss — Southern Utah is 2-0 as well — is No. 8 in both polls. EWU was No. 7 in the STATS poll and No. 8 in the coaches’ poll last week. EWU plays host to Idaho State this weekend.
Montana State moved up to No. 16 in both polls following Saturday’s 35-13 home win over Sacramento State. The Bobcats were No. 18 in last week’s STATS poll and No. 19 in the coaches’ poll. The Bobcats are 2-1 in Big Sky play, 3-2 overall. MSU plays at No. 17 Portland State on Saturday.
The Vikings moved up eight spots in the STATS poll and nine spots in the coaches’ poll to come in at No. 17 in each. Portland State pulled off the largest margin of victory by an FCS school against an FBS opponent of all time with Saturday’s 66-7 win over North Texas. The win was PSU’s second over an FBS school; the Vikings toppled Pac 12 Washington State 24-17 in Pullman to begin the season. PSU enters the Montana State matchup 4-1 overall, 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play.
The Montana Grizzlies fell eight spots in both polls this week following Saturday’s 24-21 overtime loss to Weber State. The win was WSU’s first in Missoula since 1987. UM comes in at No. 20 this week in the STATS poll and No. 19 in the coaches’ poll. Montana is 3-3 overall, 2-1 in Big Sky play. The Griz have a bye this week before hosting North Dakota next week.
North Dakota broke into the top 25 last week with the win over Portland State. But Idaho State staged an epic comeback, rallying from a 31-15 deficit for a 37-31 win in Grand Forks last weekend to knock UND out of the top 25.
UND, Cal Poly and Weber State each received votes in the various polls.
STATS FCS Media Poll
RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | POINTS | LAST WEEK |
1 | Jacksonville State | 4-1 | 3853 (89) | 1 |
2 | North Dakota State | 4-1 | 3707 (27) | 3 |
3 | Coastal Carolina | 6-0 | 3679(30) | 2 |
4 | Illinois State | 4-1 | 3527 (1) | 4 |
5 | James Madison | 6-0 | 3447 (12) | 5 |
6 | Chattanooga | 4-1 | 3076 | 6 |
7 | South Dakota State | 4-1 | 2870 | 8 |
8 | Eastern Washington | 3-2 | 2864 | 7 |
9 | Sam Houston State | 3-2 | 2361 | 11 |
10 | Fordham | 5-1 | 2201 | 13 |
11 | Youngstown State | 3-2 | 2159 | 9 |
12 | Northern Iowa | 2-3 | 2126 | 10 |
13 | Richmond | 4-1 | 2011 | 16 |
14 | Eastern Kentucky | 3-2 | 1834 | 17 |
15 | McNeese State | 5-0 | 1721 | 22 |
16 | Montana State | 3-2 | 1566 | 18 |
17 | Portland State | 4-1 | 1319 | 25 |
18 | Harvard | 4-0 | 1084 | 24 |
19 | New Hampshire | 3-2 | 1082 | 21 |
20 | Montana | 3-3 | 1072 | 12 |
21 | Indiana State | 3-2 | 658 | 19 |
22 | Liberty | 3-3 | 585 | 15 |
23 | Southeastern Louisiana | 3-2 | 472 | 20 |
24 (t) | William & Mary | 3-2 | 452 | NR |
24 (t) | Villanova | 2-3 | 445 | 14 |
Others: Alcorn State (236) , North Carolina A&T (199) , Western Illinois (197) , Dartmouth (173) , North Dakota (148) , Lamar (145) , Bethune-Cookman (97) , Cal Poly (74) , Charleston Southern (54) , Princeton (23) , Southern Illinois (22) , Weber State (21), Samford (18) , Jacksonville (17) , Southern Utah (16) , Furman (14) , Stony Brook (13) , UT Martin (11) , Central Arkansas (7) , Western Carolina (5) , Southern University (5) , Grambling State (3) , Citadel (2) , Northern Arizona (1) , Duquesne (1) , South Carolina State (1)
Coaches Poll
RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | POINTS | LAST WEEK |
1 | Coastal Carolina (15) | 6-0 | 628 | 1 |
2 | North Dakota State (5) | 4-1 | 623 | 2 |
3 | Jacksonville State (4) | 4-1 | 600 | 3 |
4 | Illinois State | 4-1 | 573 | 4 |
5 | James Madison (2) | 6-0 | 565 | 5 |
6 | Chattanooga | 4-1 | 515 | 6 |
7 | South Dakota State | 4-1 | 469 | 9 |
8 | Eastern Washington | 3-2 | 455 | 8 |
9 | McNeese State | 5-0 | 402 | 13 |
10 | Fordham | 5-1 | 364 | 12 |
11 | Sam Houston State | 3-2 | 363 | 14 |
12 | Youngstown State | 3-2 | 352 | 7 |
13 | Richmond | 4-1 | 322 | 18 |
14 | Northern Iowa | 2-3 | 294 | 10 |
15 | Eastern Kentucky | 3-2 | 280 | 20 |
16 | Montana State | 3-2 | 279 | 19 |
17 | Portland State | 4-1 | 234 | 23 |
18 | Harvard | 4-0 | 157 | 24 |
19 | Montana | 3-3 | 146 | 11 |
20 | New Hampshire | 3-2 | 134 | 22 |
21 | Southeastern Louisiana | 3-2 | 108 | 17 |
22 | Liberty | 3-3 | 102 | 15 |
23 | Charleston Southern | 4-1 | 78 | NR |
24 (t) | Villanova | 2-3 | 61 | 16 |
24 (t) | William & Mary | 3-2 | 61 | NR |
Dropped from rankings: Indiana State, North Dakota
Others receiving votes: North Carolina A&T (57), Indiana State (42), Western Illinois (31), North Dakota (28), Alcorn State (28), Dartmouth (16), Cal Poly (14), Lamar (13), Furman (12), Samford (11), Bethune-Cookman (11), Jacksonville (10), South Carolina State (5), Central Arkansas (3), Idaho State (2), Princeton (2).