[FCS Poll] Montana State Records Epic Win to Take Control of the Big Sky
November 8, 2021
Montana State used a great defensive effort to hold Eastern Washington, one of the best offenses in the country, to just 314 total yards of offense while running back Isaiah Ifanse ran for 217 yards to help lead the Bobcats to a 23-20 win. The victory moved Montana State to No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Eastern Washington fell to No. 8. Montana State is now in a tie with Sacramento State for the top spot in the Big Sky Conference with two games left in the regular season.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] William & Mary Jumps into the AFCA Top 25 for the First Time in 2021
Losses by 10 teams in the top-25 caused a major shakeup in the poll. Sam Houston still sits No. 1 with 28 first-place votes, but the rest of the top-five is different. Thanks to South Dakota State’s upset win over then-No. 2 North Dakota State, James Madison jumps into the second spot. The loss dropped the Bison to No. 6 while South Dakota State rose five spots to No. 7. UC Davis and Kennesaw State round out the top-five.
UIW and Dartmouth enter the poll for the first time this season. The Cardinals are 7-2 and ranked No. 21 after upsetting then-No. 6 Southeastern Louisiana, 55-52, while Dartmouth is 7-1 and ranked No. 23 thanks to their upset, 31-7 victory over then-No. 16 Princeton. The win puts UIW in the driver’s seat for the Southland Conference crown while Dartmouth is in a three-way tie for the Ivy title.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – November 8, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 10 Next Game
1 Sam Houston (28) 8-0 700 1 D. Dixie St., 59-10 Nov. 13 vs. No. 25 Eastern Kentucky
2 James Madison 8-1 668 3 D. Campbell, 51-14 Nov. 13 at William & Mary
3 Montana St. 8-1 631 4 D. No. 5 Eastern Washington, 23-20 Nov. 13 vs. Idaho
4 UC Davis 8-1 561 7 D. Northern Arizona, 40-24 Nov. 13 vs. No. 8 Eastern Washington
5 Kennesaw St. 8-1 539 8 D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 45-21 Nov. 13 at North Alabama
6 North Dakota St. 8-1 532 2 Lost to No. 12 South Dakota St., 27-19 Nov. 13 at Youngstown St.
7 South Dakota St. 7-2 525 12 D. No. 2 North Dakota St., 27-19 Nov. 13 at No. 17 South Dakota
8 Eastern Washington 7-2 498 5 Lost to No. 4 Montana St., 23-20 Nov. 13 at No. 4 UC Davis
9 Montana 7-2 489 10 D. Northern Colorado, 35-0 Nov. 13 at Northern Arizona
10 UT Martin 8-1 464 11 D. Tennessee St., 41-20 Nov. 13 at Tennessee Tech
11 Villanova 7-2 435 13 D. Elon, 35-0 Nov. 13 vs. Stony Brook
12 East Tennessee St. 8-1 391 14 D. No. 18 VMI, 27-20 Nov. 13 at Western Carolina
13 Southeastern Louisiana 7-2 373 6 Lost to UIW, 55-52 Nov. 13 vs. Northwestern St.
14 Missouri St. 6-3 333 20 D. No. 9 Southern Illinois, 38-28 Nov. 13 vs. No. 24 Northern Iowa
15 Jackson St. 8-1 272 17 D. Texas Southern, 41-21 Nov. 13 at Southern
16 Southern Illinois 6-3 258 9 Lost to No. 20 Missouri St., 38-28 Nov. 13 at Indiana St.
17 South Dakota 6-3 247 21 D. Western Illinois, 42-21 Nov. 13 vs. No. 7 South Dakota St.
18 Sacramento St. 7-2 217 22 D. Cal Poly, 41-9 Nov. 13 vs. Portland St.
19 Chattanooga 6-3 147 25 D. Wofford, 35-10 Nov. 13 at Mercer
20 VMI 6-3 112 18 Lost to No. 14 East Tennessee St., 27-20 Nov. 13 at Furman
21 UIW 7-2 105 NR D. No. 6 Southeastern Louisiana, 55-52 Nov. 13 at Nicholls
22 Princeton 7-2 88 16 Lost to Dartmouth, 31-7 Nov. 13 vs. Yale
23 Dartmouth 7-1 77 NR D. No. 16 Princeton, 31-7 Nov. 13 vs. Cornell
24 Northern Iowa 5-4 69 15 Lost to Illinois St., 17-10 Nov. 13 at No. 14 Missouri St.
25 Eastern Kentucky 6-3 51 19 Lost to Stephen F. Austin, 31-17 Nov. 13 at No. 1 Sam Houston
Dropped Out: William & Mary (23), Weber St. (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Stephen F. Austin, 38; Monmouth (N.J.), 36; Delaware, 35; William & Mary, 34; Mercer, 32; Prairie View A&M, 32; Florida A&M, 29; Holy Cross, 22; Harvard, 15; Davidson, 8; Nicholls, 8; Central Arkansas, 7; Rhode Island, 5; Yale, 3.
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.
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Montana State used a great defensive effort to hold Eastern Washington, one of the best offenses in the country, to just 314 total yards of offense while running back Isaiah Ifanse ran for 217 yards to help lead the Bobcats to a 23-20 win. The victory moved Montana State to No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Eastern Washington fell to No. 8. Montana State is now in a tie with Sacramento State for the top spot in the Big Sky Conference with two games left in the regular season.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] William & Mary Jumps into the AFCA Top 25 for the First Time in 2021
Losses by 10 teams in the top-25 caused a major shakeup in the poll. Sam Houston still sits No. 1 with 28 first-place votes, but the rest of the top-five is different. Thanks to South Dakota State’s upset win over then-No. 2 North Dakota State, James Madison jumps into the second spot. The loss dropped the Bison to No. 6 while South Dakota State rose five spots to No. 7. UC Davis and Kennesaw State round out the top-five.
UIW and Dartmouth enter the poll for the first time this season. The Cardinals are 7-2 and ranked No. 21 after upsetting then-No. 6 Southeastern Louisiana, 55-52, while Dartmouth is 7-1 and ranked No. 23 thanks to their upset, 31-7 victory over then-No. 16 Princeton. The win puts UIW in the driver’s seat for the Southland Conference crown while Dartmouth is in a three-way tie for the Ivy title.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – November 8, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 10 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (28) | 8-0 | 700 | 1 | D. Dixie St., 59-10 | Nov. 13 vs. No. 25 Eastern Kentucky |
| 2 | James Madison | 8-1 | 668 | 3 | D. Campbell, 51-14 | Nov. 13 at William & Mary |
| 3 | Montana St. | 8-1 | 631 | 4 | D. No. 5 Eastern Washington, 23-20 | Nov. 13 vs. Idaho |
| 4 | UC Davis | 8-1 | 561 | 7 | D. Northern Arizona, 40-24 | Nov. 13 vs. No. 8 Eastern Washington |
| 5 | Kennesaw St. | 8-1 | 539 | 8 | D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 45-21 | Nov. 13 at North Alabama |
| 6 | North Dakota St. | 8-1 | 532 | 2 | Lost to No. 12 South Dakota St., 27-19 | Nov. 13 at Youngstown St. |
| 7 | South Dakota St. | 7-2 | 525 | 12 | D. No. 2 North Dakota St., 27-19 | Nov. 13 at No. 17 South Dakota |
| 8 | Eastern Washington | 7-2 | 498 | 5 | Lost to No. 4 Montana St., 23-20 | Nov. 13 at No. 4 UC Davis |
| 9 | Montana | 7-2 | 489 | 10 | D. Northern Colorado, 35-0 | Nov. 13 at Northern Arizona |
| 10 | UT Martin | 8-1 | 464 | 11 | D. Tennessee St., 41-20 | Nov. 13 at Tennessee Tech |
| 11 | Villanova | 7-2 | 435 | 13 | D. Elon, 35-0 | Nov. 13 vs. Stony Brook |
| 12 | East Tennessee St. | 8-1 | 391 | 14 | D. No. 18 VMI, 27-20 | Nov. 13 at Western Carolina |
| 13 | Southeastern Louisiana | 7-2 | 373 | 6 | Lost to UIW, 55-52 | Nov. 13 vs. Northwestern St. |
| 14 | Missouri St. | 6-3 | 333 | 20 | D. No. 9 Southern Illinois, 38-28 | Nov. 13 vs. No. 24 Northern Iowa |
| 15 | Jackson St. | 8-1 | 272 | 17 | D. Texas Southern, 41-21 | Nov. 13 at Southern |
| 16 | Southern Illinois | 6-3 | 258 | 9 | Lost to No. 20 Missouri St., 38-28 | Nov. 13 at Indiana St. |
| 17 | South Dakota | 6-3 | 247 | 21 | D. Western Illinois, 42-21 | Nov. 13 vs. No. 7 South Dakota St. |
| 18 | Sacramento St. | 7-2 | 217 | 22 | D. Cal Poly, 41-9 | Nov. 13 vs. Portland St. |
| 19 | Chattanooga | 6-3 | 147 | 25 | D. Wofford, 35-10 | Nov. 13 at Mercer |
| 20 | VMI | 6-3 | 112 | 18 | Lost to No. 14 East Tennessee St., 27-20 | Nov. 13 at Furman |
| 21 | UIW | 7-2 | 105 | NR | D. No. 6 Southeastern Louisiana, 55-52 | Nov. 13 at Nicholls |
| 22 | Princeton | 7-2 | 88 | 16 | Lost to Dartmouth, 31-7 | Nov. 13 vs. Yale |
| 23 | Dartmouth | 7-1 | 77 | NR | D. No. 16 Princeton, 31-7 | Nov. 13 vs. Cornell |
| 24 | Northern Iowa | 5-4 | 69 | 15 | Lost to Illinois St., 17-10 | Nov. 13 at No. 14 Missouri St. |
| 25 | Eastern Kentucky | 6-3 | 51 | 19 | Lost to Stephen F. Austin, 31-17 | Nov. 13 at No. 1 Sam Houston |
Dropped Out: William & Mary (23), Weber St. (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Stephen F. Austin, 38; Monmouth (N.J.), 36; Delaware, 35; William & Mary, 34; Mercer, 32; Prairie View A&M, 32; Florida A&M, 29; Holy Cross, 22; Harvard, 15; Davidson, 8; Nicholls, 8; Central Arkansas, 7; Rhode Island, 5; Yale, 3.
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.
