[FCS Poll] Villanova Comes from Behind to Move Up in the AFCA FCS Top 25
September 20, 2021
Villanova scored 21 unanswered points in the final five minutes of their game against conference rival Richmond to move up two places to No. 7 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Wildcat quarterback Daniel Smith scored on a two-yard run, then threw two touchdown passes of 44 yards and 47 yards to seal the come-from-behind victory, 34-27. The loss dropped Richmond to No. 21.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS POLL] James Madison Cruises to Stay at No. 2 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
Sam Houston was idle this weekend, but still sits No. 1 with 24 first-place votes. The Bearkats will face No. 24t Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, this coming Saturday. James Madison handed then-No. 8 Weber State a 37-24 loss, securing their No. 2 spot in the poll. The loss dropped Weber State all the way down to No. 15. South Dakota State is still No. 3, but Montana and North Dakota State flip-flopped places to round out the Top 5.
Weber State must recover fast as they host No. 10 UC Davis in the only other Top 25 matchup this weekend. The Aggies are 3-0 coming into the contest after dominating Dixie State, 60-27. Kennesaw State beat Wofford, 31-10, and jumped back into the poll. They are tied with Central Arkansas at No. 24. The Owls are idle before they host No. 9 Jacksonville State on October 2.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – September 20, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 3 Next Game
1 Sam Houston (24) 2-0 696 1 Idle Sept. 25 at No. 24t Central Arkansas
2 James Madison (3) 3-0 667 2 D. No. 8 Weber St., 37-24 Oct. 2 at No. 22 New Hampshire
3 South Dakota St. (1) 2-0 636 3 Idle Sept. 25 at Indiana St.
4 Montana 2-0 586 5 Idle Sept. 25 vs. Cal Poly
5 North Dakota St. 3-0 583 4 D. Towson, 35-7 Oct. 2 at No. 13 North Dakota
6 Eastern Washington 3-0 508 6 D. Western Illinois, 62-56 Sept. 25 at Southern Utah
7 Villanova 3-0 490 9t D. No. 18 Richmond, 34-27 Sept. 25 at Penn St.
8 Southern Illinois 2-1 455 9t D. Dayton, 55-3 Sept. 25 vs. Illinois St.
9 Jacksonville St. 2-1 447 11 D. North Alabama, 27-24 Sept. 25 vs. UT Martin
10 UC Davis 3-0 403 12 D. Dixie St., 60-27 Sept. 25 at No. 15 Weber St.
11 Delaware 2-1 399 7 Lost to Rutgers, 45-13 Oct. 2 vs. Albany
12 Montana St. 2-1 385 13 D. San Diego, 52-10 Sept. 25 at Portland St.
13 North Dakota 2-1 381 14 D. Drake, 38-0 Oct. 2 vs. No. 5 North Dakota St.
14 Northern Iowa 2-1 354 15 D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 44-3 Oct. 2 vs. Youngstown St.
15 Weber St. 1-2 313 8 Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 37-24 Sept. 25 vs. No. 10 UC Davis
16 Southeastern Louisiana 2-1 295 16 D. Central Connecticut St., 56-10 Oct. 2 at McNeese
17 East Tennessee St. 3-0 290 17 D. Delaware St., 38-6 Sept. 25 at Samford
18 Missouri St. 1-1 209 19 Idle Sept. 25 vs. South Dakota
19 Monmouth (N.J.) 2-1 199 20 D. Charleston Southern, 41-14 Sept. 25 vs. Holy Cross
20 Austin Peay 2-1 143 21 D. Morehead St., 59-35 Sept. 25 at Eastern Kentucky
21 Richmond 2-1 126 18 Lost to No. 9t Villanova, 34-27 Sept. 25 at Virginia Tech
22 New Hampshire 3-0 105 23 D. Lafayette, 19-13 Sept. 25 at Pittsburgh
23 Chattanooga 1-2 99 22 Lost to Kentucky, 28-23 Oct. 2 vs. Western Carolina
24t. Central Arkansas 1-2 67 24 D. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 45-23 Sept. 25 vs. No. 1 Sam Houston
24t. Kennesaw St. 2-1 67 NR D. Wofford, 31-10 Oct. 2 vs. No. 9 Jacksonville St.
Dropped Out: Furman (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Rhode Island, 28; South Dakota, 24; VMI, 23; Furman, 22; Northern Arizona, 19; Murray St., 13; Nicholls, 12; Alabama A&M, 10; Stephen F. Austin, 9; Gardner-Webb, 7; Illinois St., 6; Princeton, 6; Fordham, 5; Duquesne, 4; Harvard, 3; Jackson St., 3; Florida A&M, 1; Holy Cross, 1; UT Martin, 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.
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Villanova scored 21 unanswered points in the final five minutes of their game against conference rival Richmond to move up two places to No. 7 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Wildcat quarterback Daniel Smith scored on a two-yard run, then threw two touchdown passes of 44 yards and 47 yards to seal the come-from-behind victory, 34-27. The loss dropped Richmond to No. 21.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS POLL] James Madison Cruises to Stay at No. 2 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
Sam Houston was idle this weekend, but still sits No. 1 with 24 first-place votes. The Bearkats will face No. 24t Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, this coming Saturday. James Madison handed then-No. 8 Weber State a 37-24 loss, securing their No. 2 spot in the poll. The loss dropped Weber State all the way down to No. 15. South Dakota State is still No. 3, but Montana and North Dakota State flip-flopped places to round out the Top 5.
Weber State must recover fast as they host No. 10 UC Davis in the only other Top 25 matchup this weekend. The Aggies are 3-0 coming into the contest after dominating Dixie State, 60-27. Kennesaw State beat Wofford, 31-10, and jumped back into the poll. They are tied with Central Arkansas at No. 24. The Owls are idle before they host No. 9 Jacksonville State on October 2.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – September 20, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 3 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (24) | 2-0 | 696 | 1 | Idle | Sept. 25 at No. 24t Central Arkansas |
| 2 | James Madison (3) | 3-0 | 667 | 2 | D. No. 8 Weber St., 37-24 | Oct. 2 at No. 22 New Hampshire |
| 3 | South Dakota St. (1) | 2-0 | 636 | 3 | Idle | Sept. 25 at Indiana St. |
| 4 | Montana | 2-0 | 586 | 5 | Idle | Sept. 25 vs. Cal Poly |
| 5 | North Dakota St. | 3-0 | 583 | 4 | D. Towson, 35-7 | Oct. 2 at No. 13 North Dakota |
| 6 | Eastern Washington | 3-0 | 508 | 6 | D. Western Illinois, 62-56 | Sept. 25 at Southern Utah |
| 7 | Villanova | 3-0 | 490 | 9t | D. No. 18 Richmond, 34-27 | Sept. 25 at Penn St. |
| 8 | Southern Illinois | 2-1 | 455 | 9t | D. Dayton, 55-3 | Sept. 25 vs. Illinois St. |
| 9 | Jacksonville St. | 2-1 | 447 | 11 | D. North Alabama, 27-24 | Sept. 25 vs. UT Martin |
| 10 | UC Davis | 3-0 | 403 | 12 | D. Dixie St., 60-27 | Sept. 25 at No. 15 Weber St. |
| 11 | Delaware | 2-1 | 399 | 7 | Lost to Rutgers, 45-13 | Oct. 2 vs. Albany |
| 12 | Montana St. | 2-1 | 385 | 13 | D. San Diego, 52-10 | Sept. 25 at Portland St. |
| 13 | North Dakota | 2-1 | 381 | 14 | D. Drake, 38-0 | Oct. 2 vs. No. 5 North Dakota St. |
| 14 | Northern Iowa | 2-1 | 354 | 15 | D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 44-3 | Oct. 2 vs. Youngstown St. |
| 15 | Weber St. | 1-2 | 313 | 8 | Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 37-24 | Sept. 25 vs. No. 10 UC Davis |
| 16 | Southeastern Louisiana | 2-1 | 295 | 16 | D. Central Connecticut St., 56-10 | Oct. 2 at McNeese |
| 17 | East Tennessee St. | 3-0 | 290 | 17 | D. Delaware St., 38-6 | Sept. 25 at Samford |
| 18 | Missouri St. | 1-1 | 209 | 19 | Idle | Sept. 25 vs. South Dakota |
| 19 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 2-1 | 199 | 20 | D. Charleston Southern, 41-14 | Sept. 25 vs. Holy Cross |
| 20 | Austin Peay | 2-1 | 143 | 21 | D. Morehead St., 59-35 | Sept. 25 at Eastern Kentucky |
| 21 | Richmond | 2-1 | 126 | 18 | Lost to No. 9t Villanova, 34-27 | Sept. 25 at Virginia Tech |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 3-0 | 105 | 23 | D. Lafayette, 19-13 | Sept. 25 at Pittsburgh |
| 23 | Chattanooga | 1-2 | 99 | 22 | Lost to Kentucky, 28-23 | Oct. 2 vs. Western Carolina |
| 24t. | Central Arkansas | 1-2 | 67 | 24 | D. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 45-23 | Sept. 25 vs. No. 1 Sam Houston |
| 24t. | Kennesaw St. | 2-1 | 67 | NR | D. Wofford, 31-10 | Oct. 2 vs. No. 9 Jacksonville St. |
Dropped Out: Furman (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Rhode Island, 28; South Dakota, 24; VMI, 23; Furman, 22; Northern Arizona, 19; Murray St., 13; Nicholls, 12; Alabama A&M, 10; Stephen F. Austin, 9; Gardner-Webb, 7; Illinois St., 6; Princeton, 6; Fordham, 5; Duquesne, 4; Harvard, 3; Jackson St., 3; Florida A&M, 1; Holy Cross, 1; UT Martin, 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.
