Big Sky Conference

Four Big Sky teams in FCS top 20

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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).

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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