SHSU in top 10 in both national polls
9/24/2012 2:12:00 PM | Football
The Bearkats fell to Central Arkansas 24-20 Saturday in Conway in the first Southland Conference game of the season for both teams.
With the victory Central Arkansas climbed to rankings of No. 14 by the NCAA Coaches and No. 16 in the Sports Network poll.
McNeese State gives the Southland a third nationally ranked squad. The Cowboys are ranked No. 21 by the coaches and No. 24 by Sports Network.
Sam Houston has been ranked among the nation's top 25 NCAA Division I FCS squads since Sept. 19, 2011 - a total of 16 consecutive weeks which stands as a program record for the Bearkats. This week's ranking marks the 13th straight week for Sam Houston to stand among the nation's top 10 teams.
The Kats take on Texas Southern Thursday night in Houston before facing Stephen F. Austin Oct. 6 at Reliant Stadium.
| Sports Network | W-L | Pts | NCAA Coaches Poll | W-L | Pts | |||
| 1 | North Dakota St. | 3-0 | 4201 | 1 | North Dakota St. | 3-0 | 648 | |
| 2 | Montana St. | 4-0 | 3955 | 2 | Montana St. | 4-0 | 618 | |
| 3 | Youngstown St. | 4-0 | 3889 | 3 | Youngstown St. | 4-0 | 597 | |
| 4 | Old Dominion | 4-0 | 3629 | 4 | Old Dominion | 4-0 | 572 | |
| 5 | James Madison | 3-1 | 3399 | 5 | Wofford | 3-0 | 522 | |
| 6 | Wofford | 3-0 | 3219 | 6 | James Madison | 3-1 | 517 | |
| 7 | Eastern Washington | 2-1 | 2964 | 7 | Eastern Washington | 2-1 | 470 | |
| 8 | Delaware | 4-0 | 2617 | 8 | Delaware | 4-0 | 429 | |
| 9 | SAM HOUSTON | 1-2 | 2399 | 9 | Georgia Southern | 2-1 | 410 | |
| 10 | Georgia Southern | 2-1 | 2379 | 10 | SAM HOUSTON | 1-2 | 360 | |
| 11 | Citadel | 3-1 | 2351 | 11 | Lehigh | 4-0 | 357 | |
| 12 | Towson | 2-1 | 2339 | 12 | Illinois State | 4-0 | 350 | |
| 13 | Illinois State | 4-0 | 2223 | 13 | Towson | 2-1 | 298 | |
| 14 | Northern Iowa | 1-3 | 1899 | 14 | Central Arkansas | 3-1 | 295 | |
| 15 | Lehigh | 4-0 | 1785 | 15 | The Citadel | 3-1 | 276 | |
| 16 | Central Arkansas | 3-1 | 1784 | 16 | Appalachian St. | 2-2 | 237 | |
| 17 | Appalachian St. | 2-2 | 1615 | 17 | Northern Iowa | 1-3 | 227 | |
| 18 | Stony Brook | 3-1 | 1318 | 18 | Stony Brook | 3-1 | 200 | |
| 19 | Eastern Kentucky | 3-1 | 1182 | 19 | Eastern Kentucky | 3-1 | 160 | |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 2-2 | 970 | 20 | Montana | 2-2 | 135 | |
| 21 | Montana | 2-2 | 864 | 21 | McNeese St. | 3-1 | 121 | |
| 22 | Northern Arizona | 3-1 | 836 | 22 | New Hampshire | 2-2 | 97 | |
| 23 | Cal Poly | 3-0 | 651 | 23 | Cal Poly | 3-0 | 95 | |
| 24 | McNeese St. | 3-1 | 384 | 24 | Havard | 2-0 | 89 | |
| 25 | South Dakota St. | 3-1 | 371 | 25 | Samford | 4-0 | 69 | |
