Football Moves Up To No. 11 in Poll
10/3/2011 2:41:00 PM | Football
The No. 11 ranking is the highest for the Bearkats since the final rankings of the 2004 season when Sam Houston reached the NCAA Division I playoff semifinals.
Sam Houston's 4-0 record includes victories over Western Illinois (an NCAA Division I playoff participant in 2010), Central Arkansas (ranked No. 18 nationally at the time of the victory), New Mexico (an FBS opponent from the Mountain West Conference) and UTSA (an NCAA FCS independent).
The Bearkats jumped back into the national rankings after the win over Central Arkansas Sept. 17 at No. 20 after a three-year absence from the polls. Sam Houston stood No. 16 last week before the win over UTSA.
In the university's 97 football seasons, the Sam Houston State has opened with four victories only seven times - 1915, 1916, 1953, 1956, 1964, 1994 and now 2011.
Next up for the Bearkats is two-time defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin. The two meet in the 86th "Battle of the Piney Woods" presented by YP.com at Reliant Stadium in Houston Saturday at 2 p.m.
While pregame sales for the matchup are ahead of last year when more than 24,500 fans filled the lower bowl at Reliant Stadium, tickets are still available online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston State ticket office at Bowers Stadium (telephone 936 294-1729).
Tickets will be available online until 12 midnight Friday night. Tickets will be on sale at the ticket office through 5 p.m. Friday.
The Sports Network NCAA Division I FCS national rankings this week:
|
Team (First-place votes) |
Record |
Points |
Previous Rank |
|
1. Georgia Southern Eagles (128) |
4-0 |
3,878 |
1 |
|
2. Northern Iowa Panthers (19) |
3-1 |
3,722 |
2 |
|
3. Montana State Bobcats (3) |
4-1 |
3,521 |
4 |
|
4. North Dakota State Bison (7) |
4-0 |
3,418 |
5 |
|
5. Wofford Terriers |
3-1 |
3,293 |
8 |
|
6. New Hampshire Wildcats |
3-1 |
3,060 |
7 |
|
7. James Madison Dukes |
4-1 |
3,014 |
9 |
|
8. Appalachian State Mountaineers |
3-2 |
2,648 |
3 |
|
9. William & Mary Tribe |
3-2 |
2,372 |
11 |
|
10. Lehigh Mountain Hawks |
4-1 |
2,322 |
13 |
|
11. Sam Houston State Bearkats |
4-0 |
2,136 |
16 |
|
12. Jacksonville State Gamecocks |
4-1 |
2,135 |
14 |
|
13. Delaware Blue Hens |
3-2 |
2,033 |
6 |
|
14. Richmond Spiders |
3-2 |
1,667 |
10 |
|
15. McNeese State Cowboys |
3-1 |
1,632 |
18 |
|
16. Montana Grizzlies |
3-2 |
1,446 |
19 |
|
17. Indiana State Sycamores |
4-1 |
1,127 |
24 |
|
18. South Dakota Coyotes |
3-2 |
1,096 |
21 |
|
19. Maine Black Bears |
3-1 |
1,041 |
NR |
|
20. Southern Illinois Salukis |
2-2 |
985 |
12 |
|
21. Old Dominion Monarchs |
4-1 |
658 |
NR |
|
22. Southern Utah Thunderbirds |
3-2 |
540 |
17 |
|
23. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles |
4-1 |
524 |
NR |
|
24. Chattanooga Mocs |
2-3 |
469 |
15 |
|
25. Towson Tigers |
3-1 |
464 |
23 |
|
Others receiving votes: North Dakota 334, Alabama State 262, Massachusetts 203, Jackson State 181, Norfolk State 153, Sacramento State 112, Portland State 89, Holy Cross 47, South Carolina State 39, Central Arkansas 34, Coastal Carolina 33, Youngstown State 30, Liberty 30, South Dakota State 24, Bethune-Cookman 21, Furman 21, Weber State 20, Elon 19, Duquesne 17, Harvard 15, The Citadel 13, San Diego 12, Hampton 10, Eastern Washington 10, Yale 9, Northwestern State 9, Western Illinois 8, Albany 8, Illinois State 8, Eastern Kentucky 7, Bucknell 7, Jacksonville 7, Cal Poly 6, UC Davis 6, Cornell 4, Stony Brook 4, Lamar 3, Rhode Island 2, Robert Morris 2, Penn 1, Stephen F. Austin 1, Murray State 1, Austin Peay 1, UT Martin 1. |
