St. Thomas Climbs Up The Rankings
November 14, 2022
Categories: Coaches Poll, FCS,
In just their second year of Football Championship Subdivision football, the St. Thomas (Minn.) Tommies have claimed at least a share of the Pioneer Football League title. St. Thomas blanked Stetson, 23-0, to move to 9-1 on the season and 7-0 in league play, and they moved up to No. 21 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Tommies can win the title outright next week with a victory at Butler.
The Top 10 didn’t change this week with South Dakota State still holding steady at No. 1. The Jackrabbits ended their regular season with a 31-7 victory over Illinois State. No. 9 Samford won their first Southern Conference title since 2013 with their 35-24 win over then-No. 12 Chattanooga. The loss dropped the Mocs to No. 17. No. 11 Richmond rose two spots after handing then-No. 15 Delaware a 21-13 loss, causing the Blue Hens to tumble to No. 19.
Samford and Richmond don’t get to rest in the final week of the regular season as they are two of four Top 25 matchups. No. 9 Samford will host No. 16 Mercer while No. 11 Richmond will host No. 8 William & Mary for the Colonial Athletic Association title. The other two matchups are in-state rivalries as No. 3 Montana State hosts No. 12 Montana and No. 4 North Dakota State hosts No. 23 North Dakota.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 11 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (23) 10-1 695 1 D. Illinois St., 31-7 Regular Season Complete
2 Sacramento St. (5) 10-0 673 2 D. Portland St., 45-17 Nov. 19 vs. UC Davis
3 Montana St. 9-1 642 3 D. Cal Poly, 72-28 Nov. 19 vs. No. 12 Montana
4 North Dakota St. 8-2 602 4 D. Southern Illinois, 21-18 Nov. 19 vs. No. 23 North Dakota
5 Jackson St. 10-0 575 5 D. Alabama A&M, 27-13 Nov. 19 at Alcorn St.
6 Holy Cross 10-0 531 6 D. Bryant, 36-29 Nov. 19 at Georgetown (D.C.)
7 UIW 9-1 527 7 Idle Nov. 19 at Northwestern St.
8 William & Mary 9-1 514 8 D. Villanova, 45-12 Nov. 19 at No. 11 Richmond
9 Samford 9-1 496 9 D. No. 12 Chattanooga, 35-24 Nov. 19 vs. No. 16 Mercer
10 Weber St. 8-2 462 10 D. Idaho St., 45-7 Nov. 19 at Northern Arizona
11 Richmond 8-2 410 13 D. No. 15 Delaware, 21-13 Nov. 19 vs. No. 8 William & Mary
12 Montana 7-3 375 14 D. Eastern Washington, 63-7 Nov. 19 at No. 3 Montana St.
13 Furman 8-2 360 16t D. No. 11 Mercer, 23-13 Nov. 19 vs. Wofford
14 Fordham 8-2 290 18 D. Lafayette, 45-10 Nov. 19 vs. Colgate
15 Southeast Missouri St. 8-2 289 19 D. Eastern Illinois, 31-7 Nov. 19 vs. Murray St.
16 Mercer 7-3 275 11 Lost to No. 16t Furman, 23-13 Nov. 19 at No. 9 Samford
17 Chattanooga 7-3 262 12 Lost to No. 9 Samford, 35-24 Nov. 19 at Western Carolina
18 Elon 8-3 225 21 D. Hampton, 38-24 Regular Season Complete
19 Delaware 7-3 165 15 Lost to No. 13 Richmond, 21-13 Nov. 19 at Villanova
20 New Hampshire 7-3 147 25 D. No. 22 Rhode Island, 31-28 Nov. 19 at Maine
21 St. Thomas (Minn.) 9-1 114 23 D. Stetson, 23-0 Nov. 19 at Butler
22 Princeton 8-1 86 16t Lost to Yale, 24-20 Nov. 19 vs. Pennsylvania
23 North Dakota 7-3 75 NR D. South Dakota, 28-19 Nov. 19 at No. 4 North Dakota St.
24 Florida A&M 8-2 67 NR D. Alabama St., 21-14 Nov. 19 vs. Bethune-Cookman
25 North Carolina Central 8-2 56 NR D. Norfolk St., 48-14 Nov. 19 at Tennessee Tech
Dropped Out: Idaho (20), Rhode Island (22), Eastern Kentucky (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Austin Peay, 43; Idaho, 27; Rhode Island, 21; UC Davis, 19; UT Martin, 19; St. Francis (Pa.), 18; North Carolina A&T, 13; Southeastern Louisiana, 10; Yale, 9; Davidson, 4; Eastern Kentucky, 4.
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In just their second year of Football Championship Subdivision football, the St. Thomas (Minn.) Tommies have claimed at least a share of the Pioneer Football League title. St. Thomas blanked Stetson, 23-0, to move to 9-1 on the season and 7-0 in league play, and they moved up to No. 21 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Tommies can win the title outright next week with a victory at Butler.
The Top 10 didn’t change this week with South Dakota State still holding steady at No. 1. The Jackrabbits ended their regular season with a 31-7 victory over Illinois State. No. 9 Samford won their first Southern Conference title since 2013 with their 35-24 win over then-No. 12 Chattanooga. The loss dropped the Mocs to No. 17. No. 11 Richmond rose two spots after handing then-No. 15 Delaware a 21-13 loss, causing the Blue Hens to tumble to No. 19.
Samford and Richmond don’t get to rest in the final week of the regular season as they are two of four Top 25 matchups. No. 9 Samford will host No. 16 Mercer while No. 11 Richmond will host No. 8 William & Mary for the Colonial Athletic Association title. The other two matchups are in-state rivalries as No. 3 Montana State hosts No. 12 Montana and No. 4 North Dakota State hosts No. 23 North Dakota.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 11 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (23) | 10-1 | 695 | 1 | D. Illinois St., 31-7 | Regular Season Complete |
| 2 | Sacramento St. (5) | 10-0 | 673 | 2 | D. Portland St., 45-17 | Nov. 19 vs. UC Davis |
| 3 | Montana St. | 9-1 | 642 | 3 | D. Cal Poly, 72-28 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 12 Montana |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 8-2 | 602 | 4 | D. Southern Illinois, 21-18 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 23 North Dakota |
| 5 | Jackson St. | 10-0 | 575 | 5 | D. Alabama A&M, 27-13 | Nov. 19 at Alcorn St. |
| 6 | Holy Cross | 10-0 | 531 | 6 | D. Bryant, 36-29 | Nov. 19 at Georgetown (D.C.) |
| 7 | UIW | 9-1 | 527 | 7 | Idle | Nov. 19 at Northwestern St. |
| 8 | William & Mary | 9-1 | 514 | 8 | D. Villanova, 45-12 | Nov. 19 at No. 11 Richmond |
| 9 | Samford | 9-1 | 496 | 9 | D. No. 12 Chattanooga, 35-24 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 16 Mercer |
| 10 | Weber St. | 8-2 | 462 | 10 | D. Idaho St., 45-7 | Nov. 19 at Northern Arizona |
| 11 | Richmond | 8-2 | 410 | 13 | D. No. 15 Delaware, 21-13 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 8 William & Mary |
| 12 | Montana | 7-3 | 375 | 14 | D. Eastern Washington, 63-7 | Nov. 19 at No. 3 Montana St. |
| 13 | Furman | 8-2 | 360 | 16t | D. No. 11 Mercer, 23-13 | Nov. 19 vs. Wofford |
| 14 | Fordham | 8-2 | 290 | 18 | D. Lafayette, 45-10 | Nov. 19 vs. Colgate |
| 15 | Southeast Missouri St. | 8-2 | 289 | 19 | D. Eastern Illinois, 31-7 | Nov. 19 vs. Murray St. |
| 16 | Mercer | 7-3 | 275 | 11 | Lost to No. 16t Furman, 23-13 | Nov. 19 at No. 9 Samford |
| 17 | Chattanooga | 7-3 | 262 | 12 | Lost to No. 9 Samford, 35-24 | Nov. 19 at Western Carolina |
| 18 | Elon | 8-3 | 225 | 21 | D. Hampton, 38-24 | Regular Season Complete |
| 19 | Delaware | 7-3 | 165 | 15 | Lost to No. 13 Richmond, 21-13 | Nov. 19 at Villanova |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 7-3 | 147 | 25 | D. No. 22 Rhode Island, 31-28 | Nov. 19 at Maine |
| 21 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 9-1 | 114 | 23 | D. Stetson, 23-0 | Nov. 19 at Butler |
| 22 | Princeton | 8-1 | 86 | 16t | Lost to Yale, 24-20 | Nov. 19 vs. Pennsylvania |
| 23 | North Dakota | 7-3 | 75 | NR | D. South Dakota, 28-19 | Nov. 19 at No. 4 North Dakota St. |
| 24 | Florida A&M | 8-2 | 67 | NR | D. Alabama St., 21-14 | Nov. 19 vs. Bethune-Cookman |
| 25 | North Carolina Central | 8-2 | 56 | NR | D. Norfolk St., 48-14 | Nov. 19 at Tennessee Tech |
Dropped Out: Idaho (20), Rhode Island (22), Eastern Kentucky (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Austin Peay, 43; Idaho, 27; Rhode Island, 21; UC Davis, 19; UT Martin, 19; St. Francis (Pa.), 18; North Carolina A&T, 13; Southeastern Louisiana, 10; Yale, 9; Davidson, 4; Eastern Kentucky, 4.
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.
