Moving On Up
10/24/2011 3:00:00 PM | Football
The Bearkats are one of only three NCAA Division I FCS teams still unbeaten. No. 1 Georgia Southern, No. 3 North Dakota State and No. 6 Sam Houston all are 7-0.
The Kats have been climbing steadily in the poll since cracking the top 25 after a win over then No. 18-ranked Central Arkansas Sept. 17 in Huntsville.
Before the UCA win, Sam Houston had gone 55 weeks out of the poll, the longest drought since the Bearkats went from Oct. 16, 1994 to Sept. 4, 2000.
Ironically, it was a 35-14 loss to Central Arkansas that knocked Sam Houston out of the polls in 2007. Sam Houston's highest national ranking ever was 3rd on Nov. 8 and Dec. 20 in 2004.
The Bearkats stood No. 20 after the UCA win, No. 16 after defeating New Mexico, No. 10 following the victory over Stephen F. Austin at Reliant Stadium and moved up to No. 7 last week after a homecoming victory over Nicholls.
In 24 seasons at the NCAA Division I FCS level, Sam Houston has been ranked No. 6 or higher only six previous times.
In 1991, on the program's first Southland Conference title, the Bearkats stood No. 6 on Oct. 19 and No. 5 for on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 before a loss at Stephen F. Austin knocked SHSU down to No. 10. The Bearkats ended No. 12 in the 1991 final poll after an NCAA first round loss in overtime at Middle Tennessee.
In 2004, Sam Houston stood No. 4 on Nov. 1 and No. 3 on Nov. 8 before falling to Northwestern State in Natchitoches. The 2004 Kats won the Southland Conference and reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division I playoffs to earn a No. 3 final national ranking on Dec. 20
Sam Houston State's next opponent is Lamar. The Cardinals invade Elliott T. Bowers Stadium this Saturday for a 2 p.m. Southland Conference contest.
SPORTS NETWORK NCAA DIVISION FCS NATIONAL RANKINGS
| 1 | Georgia Southern (131) | 7-0 | 3,930 |
| 2 | Northern Iowa (17) | 6-1 | 3,768 |
| 3 | North Dakota State (10) | 7-0 | 3,602 |
| 4 | Montana State (1) | 7-1 | 3,548 |
| 5 | Appalachian State | 5-2 | 3,153 |
| 6 | SAM HOUSTON STATE | 7-0 | 3,104 |
| 7 | Lehigh | 6-1 | 2,850 |
| 8 | Maine | 6-1 | 2,830 |
| 9 | James Madison | 5-2 | 2,515 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 5-2 | 2,340 |
| 11 | Montana | 6-2 | 2,334 |
| 12 | Wofford | 5-2 | 2,289 |
| 13 | Towson | 6-1 | 2,214 |
| 14 | Jacksonville State | 5-2 | 2,112 |
| 15 | Old Dominion | 6-2 | 1,497 |
| 16 | Alabama State | 6-1 | 1,305 |
| 17 | South Dakota | 5-3 | 930 |
| 18 | William & Mary | 4-4 | 896 |
| 19 | Jackson State | 6-1 | 863 |
| 20 | Indiana State | 6-1 | 622 |
| 21 | Delaware | 4-4 | 513 |
| 22 | Illinois State | 5-3 | 496 |
| 23 | Liberty | 5-3 | 480 |
| 24 | Harvard | 5-1 | 388 |
| 25 | Tennessee Tech | 4-2 | 345 |
Others receiving votes: Central Arkansas 303, Massachusetts 300, Richmond 297, Furman 256, Chattanooga 231, North Dakota 203, Cal Poly 200, Eastern Washington 141, Norfolk State 139, Brown 136, Albany 90, Jacksonville 79, Texas State 56, Alabama A&M 48, San Diego 29, Samford 27, Penn 23, Florida A&M 20, Southern Utah 20, Portland State 19, Georgetown 18, Sacramento State 16, Stony Brook 14, South Dakota State 12, UT Martin 12, Southern Illinois 10, Elon 10, Eastern Kentucky 8, McNeese State 6, Bethune-Cookman 5, South Carolina State 5, Duquesne 4, The Citadel 4, Youngstown State 3, Holy Cross 3, Northwestern State 2, Drake 1, Lafayette 1.
