CHICAGO – Sept. 23, 2019 – There may have never been less movement in the STATS FCS Top 25 than on Monday, and Kennesaw State was loving it.
The two-time defending Big South champion checked in at a season-high No. 6. The view looks good from the Top 10, where the Owls have perched in 20 consecutive polls. Top-rankedNorth Dakota State, No. 2 James Madison and No. 3 South Dakota State are the only other programs that have been there longer.
Kennesaw State (3-1) moved up one spot following a 35-24 win at Missouri State this past Saturday. Bronson Rechsteiner and Isaac Foster combined to rush for 404 yards and three touchdowns on only 18 carries. The sixth-year program, under coach Brian Bohannon, has won 23 regular-season games against non-FBS opponents.
With the majority of Top 25 teams posting wins, status quo basically reigned in the national media poll as 19 teams either retained last week’s ranking or moved one spot. The biggest movers were Villanova, up 10 spots to No. 8 after a win at Towson, and Eastern Washington, down 10 spots to No. 21 following a loss at Idaho. All of the first-place votes went to North Dakota State (153) and James Madison (four).
UC Davis fell 27-16 at No.1 North Dakota State but held at No. 4. Weber State is up to No. 6 after having a bye last week. Montana State moved up one spot to No. 7 after a 56-21 win over Norfolk State. Montana is up one spot to No. 18 following a 47-27 win over Monmouth.
A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS 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 FCS Top 25 (Sept. 23)
1. North Dakota State (4-0), 3,921 points (153 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1; Last Week’s Result 27-16 win over UC Davis
2. James Madison (3-1), 3,725 (4)
Previous Ranking: 2; Last Week’s Result: 37-14 win over Chattanooga
3. South Dakota State (3-1), 3,646
Previous Ranking: 3; Last Week’s Result: 43-7 win over Southern Utah
4. UC Davis (2-2), 3,115
Previous Ranking: 4; Last Week’s Result: 27-16 loss to North Dakota State
5. Weber State (1-2), 3,005
Previous Ranking: 6; Last Week’s Result: Bye
6. Kennesaw State (3-1), 2,924
Previous Ranking: 7; Last Week’s Result: 35-24 win over Missouri State
7. Montana State (3-1), 2,760
Previous Ranking: 8; Last Week’s Result: 56-21 win over Norfolk State
8. Villanova (4-0), 2,545
Previous Ranking: 18; Last Week’s Result: 52-45 OT win over Towson
9. Northern Iowa (2-1), 2,491
Previous Ranking: 9; Last Week’s Result: 13-6 win over Idaho State
10. Towson (3-1), 2,456
Previous Ranking: 5; Last Week’s Result: 52-45 OT loss to Villanova
11. Jacksonville State (3-1), 2,398
Previous Ranking: 10; Last Week’s Result: 30-12 win over North Alabama
12.(Tie) Maine (2-2),2,069
Previous Ranking: 12; Last Week’s Result: 35-21 win over Colgate
12.(Tie) Nicholls (2-1), 2,069
Previous Ranking: 13; Last Week’s Result: 48-30 win over Stephen F. Austin
14. Illinois State (3-1), 2,014
Previous Ranking: 15; Last Week’s Result: 40-27 win over Northern Arizona
15. Central Arkansas (3-1), 1,792
Previous Ranking: 14; Last Week’s Result: 35-16 loss to Hawaii
16. Furman (2-2), 1,603
Previous Ranking: 17; Last Week’s Result: 45-10 win over Mercer
17. North Carolina A&T (2-1), 1,541
Previous Ranking: 16; Last Week’s Result: Bye
18. Montana (3-1), 1,228
Previous Ranking: 19; Last Week’s Result: 47-27 win over Monmouth
19. Southeastern Louisiana (2-1), 1,030
Previous Ranking: 21; Last Week’s Result: 45-34 win over Lamar
20. Delaware (3-1), 963
Previous Ranking: 20; Last Week’s Result: 28-27 win over Penn
21. Eastern Washington (1-3), 679
Previous Ranking: 11; Last Week’s Result: 35-27 loss to Idaho
22. Youngstown State (3-0), 662
Previous Ranking: 24; Last Week’s Result: Bye
23. Southeast Missouri (2-2), 568
Previous Ranking: 23; Last Week’s Result: 56-10 win over West Virginia State
24. Elon (2-2), 441
Previous Ranking: 22; Last Week’s Result: 49-7 loss to Wake Forest
25. The Citadel (2-2), 339
Previous Ranking: 25; Last Week’s Result: 22-13 win over Charleston Southern
Others Receiving Votes: Princeton 269, Stony Brook 237, South Carolina State 97, Dartmouth 86, Indiana State 69, North Dakota 57, Sam Houston State 55, Yale 48, Idaho 25, Wofford 22, Sacramento State 17, Houston Baptist 12, Southern Illinois 12, Duquesne 11, Northern Arizona 10, Eastern Kentucky 7, Central Connecticut State 4, Lamar 2, Idaho State 1, Alcorn State 1