Holy Cross Wins a Shootout Against Fordham
October 31, 2022
Categories: Coaches Poll, FCS,
The last time two ranked Patriot League teams faced off against one another was 2013. The 2022 edition didn’t disappoint as No. 7 Holy Cross beat then-No. 15 Fordham, 53-52 in overtime. The close loss dropped Fordham just three spots to No. 18 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. After Fordham scored a touchdown in one play in overtime, Holy Cross needed five plays to get into the endzone. The Crusaders opted to go for two and wide receiver Ayir Asante used a reverse sweep to stroll into the endzone and end the game.
The top five teams remained the same this week, but 10 losses by teams ranked No. 6 on down caused a shakeup in the poll. William & Mary and Samford enter the Top 10 for the first time this season, at 9 and 10 respectively. Furman upset then-No. 6 Chattanooga, 24-20, and enters the poll for the first time this season at No. 19. Elon knocked off then-No. 11 Delaware, 27-7, and reenters the poll at No. 23. St. Thomas (Minn.) won a shootout over San Diego, 49-42, and moves into the poll for the first time ever at No. 25. The Tommies were the first program ever to jump from Division III to FCS, and they did that just one year ago.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 9 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (25) 8-1 673 1 D. Indiana St., 49-7 Nov. 5 at Northern Iowa
2 Montana St. 7-1 638 2 Idle Nov. 5 at Northern Arizona
3 Sacramento St. (2) 8-0 624 3 D. No. 23 Idaho, 31-28 Nov. 5 at No. 6 Weber St.
4 North Dakota St. 6-2 566 4 D. Illinois St., 24-7 Nov. 5 at Western Illinois
5 Jackson St. 8-0 553 5 D. Southern, 35-0 Nov. 5 at Texas Southern
6 Weber St. 7-1 542 7 D. No. 10 Montana, 24-21 Nov. 5 vs. No. 3 Sacramento St.
7 Holy Cross 8-0 509 8 D. No. 15 Fordham, 53-52 OT Nov. 5 vs. Lehigh
8 UIW 8-1 497 9 D. Texas A&M-Commerce, 35-7 Nov. 5 vs. Houston Christian
9 William & Mary 7-1 464 12 D. No. 17 Rhode Island, 31-30 Nov. 5 at Hampton
10 Samford 7-1 431 13 D. The Citadel, 38-3 Nov. 5 vs. VMI
11 Mercer 7-2 372 16 D. VMI, 55-14 Nov. 12 vs. No. 19 Furman
12 Chattanooga 6-2 327 6 Lost to Furman, 24-20 Nov. 5 at The Citadel
13 Montana 5-3 297 10 Lost to No. 7 Weber St., 24-21 Nov. 5 vs. Cal Poly
14 Richmond 6-2 285 20 D. Maine, 31-21 Nov. 5 vs. No. 21 New Hampshire
15 UT Martin 5-3 245 18 D. Houston Christian, 52-28 Nov. 5 vs. Kennesaw St.
16 Delaware 6-2 230 11 Lost to Elon, 27-7 Nov. 5 vs. Monmouth (N.J.)
17 Princeton 7-0 228 22 D. Cornell, 35-9 Nov. 5 vs. Dartmouth
18 Fordham 6-2 210 15 Lost to No. 8 Holy Cross, 53-52 OT Nov. 5 at Bucknell
19 Furman 7-2 193 NR D. No. 6 Chattanooga, 24-20 Nov. 12 at No. 11 Mercer
20 Southeast Missouri St. 6-2 165 14 Lost to Eastern Kentucky, 28-23 Nov. 5 at Tennessee St.
21 New Hampshire 6-2 132 25 Idle Nov. 5 at No. 14 Richmond
22 Rhode Island 5-3 110 17 Lost to No. 12 William & Mary, 31-30 Nov. 5 vs. Maine
23 Elon 6-3 98 NR D. No. 11 Delaware, 27-7 Nov. 5 vs. Albany
24 Idaho 5-3 93 23 Lost to No. 3 Sacramento St., 31-28 Nov. 5 vs. Eastern Washington
25 St. Thomas (Minn.) 7-1 69 NR D. San Diego, 49-42 Nov. 5 at Valparaiso
Dropped Out: Stephen F. Austin (19), Austin Peay (21), Southern Illinois (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Eastern Kentucky, 44; Florida A&M, 37; Merrimack, 26; Stephen F. Austin, 21; Austin Peay, 18; Villanova, 15; Southern Illinois, 13; Pennsylvania, 11; North Carolina Central, 9; Northern Iowa, 8; Lindenwood, 7; Davidson, 5; North Dakota, 5; Dayton, 3; St. Francis (Pa.), 2.
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The last time two ranked Patriot League teams faced off against one another was 2013. The 2022 edition didn’t disappoint as No. 7 Holy Cross beat then-No. 15 Fordham, 53-52 in overtime. The close loss dropped Fordham just three spots to No. 18 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. After Fordham scored a touchdown in one play in overtime, Holy Cross needed five plays to get into the endzone. The Crusaders opted to go for two and wide receiver Ayir Asante used a reverse sweep to stroll into the endzone and end the game.
The top five teams remained the same this week, but 10 losses by teams ranked No. 6 on down caused a shakeup in the poll. William & Mary and Samford enter the Top 10 for the first time this season, at 9 and 10 respectively. Furman upset then-No. 6 Chattanooga, 24-20, and enters the poll for the first time this season at No. 19. Elon knocked off then-No. 11 Delaware, 27-7, and reenters the poll at No. 23. St. Thomas (Minn.) won a shootout over San Diego, 49-42, and moves into the poll for the first time ever at No. 25. The Tommies were the first program ever to jump from Division III to FCS, and they did that just one year ago.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 9 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (25) | 8-1 | 673 | 1 | D. Indiana St., 49-7 | Nov. 5 at Northern Iowa |
| 2 | Montana St. | 7-1 | 638 | 2 | Idle | Nov. 5 at Northern Arizona |
| 3 | Sacramento St. (2) | 8-0 | 624 | 3 | D. No. 23 Idaho, 31-28 | Nov. 5 at No. 6 Weber St. |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 6-2 | 566 | 4 | D. Illinois St., 24-7 | Nov. 5 at Western Illinois |
| 5 | Jackson St. | 8-0 | 553 | 5 | D. Southern, 35-0 | Nov. 5 at Texas Southern |
| 6 | Weber St. | 7-1 | 542 | 7 | D. No. 10 Montana, 24-21 | Nov. 5 vs. No. 3 Sacramento St. |
| 7 | Holy Cross | 8-0 | 509 | 8 | D. No. 15 Fordham, 53-52 OT | Nov. 5 vs. Lehigh |
| 8 | UIW | 8-1 | 497 | 9 | D. Texas A&M-Commerce, 35-7 | Nov. 5 vs. Houston Christian |
| 9 | William & Mary | 7-1 | 464 | 12 | D. No. 17 Rhode Island, 31-30 | Nov. 5 at Hampton |
| 10 | Samford | 7-1 | 431 | 13 | D. The Citadel, 38-3 | Nov. 5 vs. VMI |
| 11 | Mercer | 7-2 | 372 | 16 | D. VMI, 55-14 | Nov. 12 vs. No. 19 Furman |
| 12 | Chattanooga | 6-2 | 327 | 6 | Lost to Furman, 24-20 | Nov. 5 at The Citadel |
| 13 | Montana | 5-3 | 297 | 10 | Lost to No. 7 Weber St., 24-21 | Nov. 5 vs. Cal Poly |
| 14 | Richmond | 6-2 | 285 | 20 | D. Maine, 31-21 | Nov. 5 vs. No. 21 New Hampshire |
| 15 | UT Martin | 5-3 | 245 | 18 | D. Houston Christian, 52-28 | Nov. 5 vs. Kennesaw St. |
| 16 | Delaware | 6-2 | 230 | 11 | Lost to Elon, 27-7 | Nov. 5 vs. Monmouth (N.J.) |
| 17 | Princeton | 7-0 | 228 | 22 | D. Cornell, 35-9 | Nov. 5 vs. Dartmouth |
| 18 | Fordham | 6-2 | 210 | 15 | Lost to No. 8 Holy Cross, 53-52 OT | Nov. 5 at Bucknell |
| 19 | Furman | 7-2 | 193 | NR | D. No. 6 Chattanooga, 24-20 | Nov. 12 at No. 11 Mercer |
| 20 | Southeast Missouri St. | 6-2 | 165 | 14 | Lost to Eastern Kentucky, 28-23 | Nov. 5 at Tennessee St. |
| 21 | New Hampshire | 6-2 | 132 | 25 | Idle | Nov. 5 at No. 14 Richmond |
| 22 | Rhode Island | 5-3 | 110 | 17 | Lost to No. 12 William & Mary, 31-30 | Nov. 5 vs. Maine |
| 23 | Elon | 6-3 | 98 | NR | D. No. 11 Delaware, 27-7 | Nov. 5 vs. Albany |
| 24 | Idaho | 5-3 | 93 | 23 | Lost to No. 3 Sacramento St., 31-28 | Nov. 5 vs. Eastern Washington |
| 25 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 7-1 | 69 | NR | D. San Diego, 49-42 | Nov. 5 at Valparaiso |
Dropped Out: Stephen F. Austin (19), Austin Peay (21), Southern Illinois (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Eastern Kentucky, 44; Florida A&M, 37; Merrimack, 26; Stephen F. Austin, 21; Austin Peay, 18; Villanova, 15; Southern Illinois, 13; Pennsylvania, 11; North Carolina Central, 9; Northern Iowa, 8; Lindenwood, 7; Davidson, 5; North Dakota, 5; Dayton, 3; St. Francis (Pa.), 2.
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.
