Montana State Holds on in Top 5 Showdown
October 24, 2022
Categories: Coaches Poll, FCS,
No. 2 Montana State built a 43-24 lead midway through the third quarter and held on against a charging Weber State team for a 43-38 victory. The Bobcats remain at No. 2 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Weber State dropped just two spots to No. 7. The Wildcats had a crazy day on special teams. They had a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and a 91-yard punt return touchdown but had three safeties from snaps into the endzone on punts, which all occurred in the first half. After trailing Weber State 24-9 in the second quarter, Montana State was able to capitalize on the safeties and follow them up with touchdowns to take a 27-24 lead at half.
South Dakota State still sits at No. 1 after a 49-35 win over a tough North Dakota team. No. 3 Sacramento State had to come from behind to beat then-No. 7 Montana, 31-24 in overtime. This was Montana’s second straight loss which caused them to fall No. 11. North Dakota State was idle and stayed at No. 4 while undefeated Jackson State moves up to the No. 5 spot. The Tigers are 7-0 after a 22-14 win over Campbell.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 8 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (25) 7-1 649 1 D. North Dakota, 49-35 Oct. 29 vs. Indiana St.
2 Montana St. 7-1 611 2 D. No. 5 Weber St., 43-38 Nov. 5 at Northern Arizona
3 Sacramento St. (1) 7-0 603 3 D. No. 7 Montana, 31-24 OT Oct. 29 vs. No. 23 Idaho
4 North Dakota St. 5-2 546 4 Idle Oct. 29 vs. Illinois St.
5 Jackson St. 7-0 507 6 D. Campbell, 22-14 Oct. 29 vs. Southern
6 Chattanooga 6-1 500 8 D. No. 11 Mercer, 41-21 Oct. 29 at Furman
7 Weber St. 6-1 485 5 Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 43-38 Oct. 29 vs. No. 10 Montana
8 Holy Cross 7-0 458 9 D. Lafayette, 24-21 Oct. 29 vs. No. 15 Fordham
9 UIW 7-1 452 10 D. Faulkner, 70-0 Oct. 29 at Texas A&M-Commerce
10 Montana 5-2 408 7 Lost to No. 3 Sacramento St., 31-24 OT Oct. 29 at No. 7 Weber St.
11 Delaware 6-1 395 12 D. Morgan St., 38-7 Oct. 29 at Elon
12 William & Mary 6-1 360 13 D. Towson, 44-24 Oct. 29 vs. No. 17 Rhode Island
13 Samford 6-1 328 15 D. East Tennessee St., 55-45 Oct. 29 at The Citadel
14 Southeast Missouri St. 6-1 265 18 D. Northwestern St., 51-16 Oct. 29 vs. Eastern Kentucky
15 Fordham 6-1 263 16 Idle Oct. 29 at No. 8 Holy Cross
16 Mercer 6-2 250 11 Lost to No. 8 Chattanooga, 41-21 Oct. 29 at VMI
17 Rhode Island 5-2 216 19 D. Monmouth (N.J.), 48-46 7OT Oct. 29 at No. 12 William & Mary
18 UT Martin 4-3 207 14 Lost to Tennessee, 65-24 Oct. 29 at Houston Christian
19 Stephen F. Austin 5-3 170 20 D. Southern Utah, 41-38 Oct. 29 vs. Utah Tech
20 Richmond 5-2 164 21 D. Hampton, 41-10 Oct. 29 at Maine
21 Austin Peay 5-2 116 22 Idle Oct. 29 vs. Jacksonville St.
22 Princeton 6-0 113 23 D. Harvard, 37-10 Oct. 29 vs. Cornell
23 Idaho 5-2 111 24 D. Portland St., 56-21 Oct. 29 at No. 3 Sacramento St.
24 Southern Illinois 5-3 58 17 Lost to South Dakota, 27-24 Oct. 29 vs. Northern Iowa
25 New Hampshire 6-2 57 NR D. No. 25 Elon, 40-22 Nov. 5 at No. 20 Richmond
Dropped Out: Elon (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Furman, 53; Pennsylvania, 18; St. Thomas (Minn.), 17; Villanova, 15; Davidson, 14; Merrimack, 14; Florida A&M, 7; St. Francis (Pa.), 6; Eastern Kentucky, 4; Illinois St., 4; Lindenwood, 2; North Dakota, 2; Elon, 1; Southeastern Louisiana, 1.
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No. 2 Montana State built a 43-24 lead midway through the third quarter and held on against a charging Weber State team for a 43-38 victory. The Bobcats remain at No. 2 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Weber State dropped just two spots to No. 7. The Wildcats had a crazy day on special teams. They had a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and a 91-yard punt return touchdown but had three safeties from snaps into the endzone on punts, which all occurred in the first half. After trailing Weber State 24-9 in the second quarter, Montana State was able to capitalize on the safeties and follow them up with touchdowns to take a 27-24 lead at half.
South Dakota State still sits at No. 1 after a 49-35 win over a tough North Dakota team. No. 3 Sacramento State had to come from behind to beat then-No. 7 Montana, 31-24 in overtime. This was Montana’s second straight loss which caused them to fall No. 11. North Dakota State was idle and stayed at No. 4 while undefeated Jackson State moves up to the No. 5 spot. The Tigers are 7-0 after a 22-14 win over Campbell.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (25) | 7-1 | 649 | 1 | D. North Dakota, 49-35 | Oct. 29 vs. Indiana St. |
| 2 | Montana St. | 7-1 | 611 | 2 | D. No. 5 Weber St., 43-38 | Nov. 5 at Northern Arizona |
| 3 | Sacramento St. (1) | 7-0 | 603 | 3 | D. No. 7 Montana, 31-24 OT | Oct. 29 vs. No. 23 Idaho |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 5-2 | 546 | 4 | Idle | Oct. 29 vs. Illinois St. |
| 5 | Jackson St. | 7-0 | 507 | 6 | D. Campbell, 22-14 | Oct. 29 vs. Southern |
| 6 | Chattanooga | 6-1 | 500 | 8 | D. No. 11 Mercer, 41-21 | Oct. 29 at Furman |
| 7 | Weber St. | 6-1 | 485 | 5 | Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 43-38 | Oct. 29 vs. No. 10 Montana |
| 8 | Holy Cross | 7-0 | 458 | 9 | D. Lafayette, 24-21 | Oct. 29 vs. No. 15 Fordham |
| 9 | UIW | 7-1 | 452 | 10 | D. Faulkner, 70-0 | Oct. 29 at Texas A&M-Commerce |
| 10 | Montana | 5-2 | 408 | 7 | Lost to No. 3 Sacramento St., 31-24 OT | Oct. 29 at No. 7 Weber St. |
| 11 | Delaware | 6-1 | 395 | 12 | D. Morgan St., 38-7 | Oct. 29 at Elon |
| 12 | William & Mary | 6-1 | 360 | 13 | D. Towson, 44-24 | Oct. 29 vs. No. 17 Rhode Island |
| 13 | Samford | 6-1 | 328 | 15 | D. East Tennessee St., 55-45 | Oct. 29 at The Citadel |
| 14 | Southeast Missouri St. | 6-1 | 265 | 18 | D. Northwestern St., 51-16 | Oct. 29 vs. Eastern Kentucky |
| 15 | Fordham | 6-1 | 263 | 16 | Idle | Oct. 29 at No. 8 Holy Cross |
| 16 | Mercer | 6-2 | 250 | 11 | Lost to No. 8 Chattanooga, 41-21 | Oct. 29 at VMI |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 5-2 | 216 | 19 | D. Monmouth (N.J.), 48-46 7OT | Oct. 29 at No. 12 William & Mary |
| 18 | UT Martin | 4-3 | 207 | 14 | Lost to Tennessee, 65-24 | Oct. 29 at Houston Christian |
| 19 | Stephen F. Austin | 5-3 | 170 | 20 | D. Southern Utah, 41-38 | Oct. 29 vs. Utah Tech |
| 20 | Richmond | 5-2 | 164 | 21 | D. Hampton, 41-10 | Oct. 29 at Maine |
| 21 | Austin Peay | 5-2 | 116 | 22 | Idle | Oct. 29 vs. Jacksonville St. |
| 22 | Princeton | 6-0 | 113 | 23 | D. Harvard, 37-10 | Oct. 29 vs. Cornell |
| 23 | Idaho | 5-2 | 111 | 24 | D. Portland St., 56-21 | Oct. 29 at No. 3 Sacramento St. |
| 24 | Southern Illinois | 5-3 | 58 | 17 | Lost to South Dakota, 27-24 | Oct. 29 vs. Northern Iowa |
| 25 | New Hampshire | 6-2 | 57 | NR | D. No. 25 Elon, 40-22 | Nov. 5 at No. 20 Richmond |
Dropped Out: Elon (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Furman, 53; Pennsylvania, 18; St. Thomas (Minn.), 17; Villanova, 15; Davidson, 14; Merrimack, 14; Florida A&M, 7; St. Francis (Pa.), 6; Eastern Kentucky, 4; Illinois St., 4; Lindenwood, 2; North Dakota, 2; Elon, 1; Southeastern Louisiana, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out insider.afca.com and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
