NDSU Football Climbs to No. 2 in STATS FCS Top 25

FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State climbed one spot to No. 2 in the STATS FCS Top 25 on Monday, Oct. 12.  It's the highest ranking in the media poll since Sept. 7 when the Bison slipped from first to second following their opening week loss at Montana.

NDSU garnered 27 of 159 first place votes behind Jacksonville State, which took 89 top votes.  Coastal Carolina (6-0) dropped to third after opening Big South Conference play with a 24-17 win over Presbyterian, while Illinois State remained fourth after a win at Youngstown State and James Madison held on to fifth after beating Towson.

The Bison remain second in the FCS Coaches Poll for the sixth straight week after their preseason No. 1 ranking.  Coastal Carolina is first in the coaches poll, Jacksonville State is third, Illinois State fourth and James Madison fifth.

Northern Iowa, ranked 10th in both polls before its 31-28 loss at North Dakota State, fell two spots to 12th in the STATS FCS Top 25 and four spots to 14th in the FCS Coaches Poll.

FCS Coaches Poll
	Team (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts	Prev
1	Coastal Carolina (15)	6-0	628	1
2	North Dakota State (5)	4-1	623	2
3	Jacksonville State (4)	4-1	600	3
4	Illinois State	4-1	573	4
5	James Madison (2)	6-0	565	5
6	Chattanooga	4-1	515	6
7	South Dakota State	4-1	469	9
8	Eastern Washington	3-2	455	8
9	McNeese State	5-0	402	13
10	Fordham	5-1	364	12
11	Sam Houston State	3-2	363	14
12	Youngstown State	3-2	352	7
13	Richmond	4-1	322	18
14	Northern Iowa	2-3	294	10
15	Eastern Kentucky	3-2	280	20
16	Montana State	3-2	279	19
17	Portland State	4-1	234	23
18	Harvard	4-0	157	24
19	Montana	3-3	146	11
20	New Hampshire	3-2	134	22
21	Southeastern Louisiana	3-2	108	17
22	Liberty	3-3	102	15
23	Charleston Southern	4-1	78	NR
24 (t)	Villanova	2-3	61	16
24 (t)	William & Mary	3-2	61	NR

Others receiving votes: North Carolina A&T 57, Indiana State 42, Western Illinois 31, North Dakota 28, Alcorn State 28, Dartmouth 16, Cal Poly 14, Lamar 13, Furman 12, Samford 11, Bethune-Cookman 11, Jacksonville 10, South Carolina State 5, Central Arkansas 3, Idaho State 2, Princeton 2.

STATS FCS Top 25
	Team (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts	Prev
1	Jacksonville State (89)	4-1	3853	1
2	North Dakota State (27)	4-1	3707	3
3	Coastal Carolina (30)	6-0	3679	2
4	Illinois State (1)	4-1	3527	4
5	James Madison (12)	6-0	3447	5
6	Chattanooga	4-1	3076	6
7	South Dakota State	4-1	2870	8
8	Eastern Washington	3-2	2864	7
9	Sam Houston State	3-2	2361	11
10	Fordham	5-1	2201	13
11	Youngstown State	3-2	2159	9
12	Northern Iowa	2-3	2126	10
13	Richmond	4-1	2011	16
14	Eastern Kentucky	3-2	1834	17
15	McNeese State	5-0	1722	22
16	Montana State	3-2	1566	18
17	Portland State	4-1	1319	25
18	Harvard	4-0	1084	24
19	New Hampshire	3-2	1082	21
20	Montana	3-3	1072	12
21	Indiana State	3-2	658	19
22	Liberty	3-3	585	15
23	Southeastern Louisiana	3-2	472	20
24	William & Mary	3-2	452	NR
25	Villanova	2-3	445	14

Others receiving votes: Alcorn State 236, North Carolina A&T 199, Western Illinois 197, Dartmouth 173, North Dakota 148, Lamar 145, Bethune-Cookman 97, Cal Poly 74, Charleston Southern 54, Princeton 23, Southern Illinois 22, Weber State 21, Samford 18, Jacksonville 17, Southern Utah 16, Furman 14, Stony Brook 13, UT Martin 11, Central Arkansas 7, Western Carolina 5, Southern University 5, Grambling State 3, Citadel 2, Northern Arizona 1, Duquesne 1, South Carolina State 1.