Back in the Top 10 in STATS FCS Poll
10/12/2015 2:22:00 PM | Football
Sam Houston moved back into the top 10 this week in the STATS FCS poll, jumping to No. 9 in the nation. The Kats stand No. 11 in the NCAA Coaches Poll.
The two top 25 polls are released every Monday afternoon during the regular season.
Each week a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS FCS Top 25. A group of head coaches from each FCS conference vote in the NCAA Coaches rankings.
Sam Houston defeated Incarnate Word 59-7 Saturday for the Kats' third consecutive victory since season opening losses to Texas Tech and Lamar. The Bearkats have outscored their last three opponents (Houston Baptist, Stephen F. Austin and UIW) 119-52.
Since Sept. 9, 2011, Sam Houston has been ranked among the top 25 FCS teams 55 times in 62 weekly polls. The Kats have stood in the top 10 in 37 of those weeks.
Fellow Southland Conference member McNeese State made the biggest jump in the STATS rankings after the 5-0 Cowboys beat nationally ranked Southeastern Louisiana 21-7 Saturday night in Lake Charles.
Jacksonville State remained No. 1 following its lone bye of the season, while North Dakota State moved up one spot to No. 2, passing Coastal Carolina.
Coming off a battle of teams unbeaten in the Southland, McNeese will do it again Saturday when it visits the purple-and-gray turf at Central Arkansas. The Cowboys are 4-0 in conference games and UCA is 3-0.
Also Saturday, top-ranked Jacksonville State will resume its Ohio Valley Conference schedule by traveling to Tennessee Tech. The Gamecocks (4-1) received 89 of the 159 first-place votes and 3,853 points.
North Dakota State, which beat a top 10 team for the second straight week by rallying past Northern Iowa 31-28 in the final minute of their Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown, edged Coastal Carolina for the No. 2 spot. The Bison (4-1), who have won the last four FCS national titles, received 27 first-place votes and 3,707 points.
Coastal Carolina fell one spot to No. 3 despite winning its Big South Conference opener against Presbyterian 24-17. The Chanticleers (6-0) received 30 first-place votes and 3,679 points as they head into a bye week.
Illinois State (4-1) received one first-place vote in remaining at No. 4. The Redbirds, who posted a 31-29 win over fellow Missouri Valley member Youngstown State, are just ahead of No. 5 James Madison (6-0), which received 12 first-place votes after quarterback Vad Lee's five touchdown passes led a 51-30 win over Towson in CAA Football.
The rest of the top 10 was Chattanooga (4-1), South Dakota State (4-1), Eastern Washington (3-2), Sam Houston State (3-2) and Fordham (5-1).
Youngstown State (3-2) slipped two spots to No. 11 and was followed by Northern Iowa (2-3), Richmond (4-1), Eastern Kentucky (3-2), McNeese State, Montana State (3-2), Portland State (4-1), Harvard (4-0), New Hampshire (3-2) and Montana (3-3). Portland State moved up eight spots after routing North Texas 66-7 for its second win over an FBS school this season.
The Top 25 was rounded out by Indiana State (3-2), Liberty (3-3), Southeastern Louisiana (3-2), William & Mary (3-2), which returned to the rankings as North Dakota fell out, and Villanova (2-3).
The Missouri Valley's six teams in the Top 25 were the national high. The CAA had the next-highest total with five and the Big Sky Conference had four.
|
STATS FCS Media Poll |
|||
|
Rank |
School |
Votes |
Prev |
|
1 |
Jacksonville State (4-1) |
3853 (89) |
1 |
|
2 |
North Dakota State (4-1) |
3707 (27) |
3 |
|
3 |
Coastal Carolina (6-0) |
3679 (30) |
2 |
|
4 |
Illinois State (4-1) |
3527 (1) |
4 |
|
5 |
James Madison (6-0) |
3447 (12) |
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 (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 La (3-2) |
472 |
20 |
|
24 |
William & Mary (3-2) |
452 |
NR |
|
25 |
Villanova (2-3) |
445 |
14 |
NCAA COACHES POLL
|
1 |
Coastal Carolina (18) |
6-0 |
876 |
|
2 |
North Dakota State (5) |
4-1 |
623 |
|
3 |
Jacksonville State (4) |
4-1 |
600 |
|
4 |
Illinois State |
4-1 |
573 |
|
5 |
James Madison (2) |
6-0 |
565 |
|
6 |
Chattanooga |
4-1 |
515 |
|
7 |
South Dakota State |
4-1 |
469 |
|
8 |
Eastern Washington |
3-2 |
455 |
|
9 |
McNeese State |
5-0 |
402 |
|
10 |
Fordham |
5-1 |
364 |
|
11 |
Sam Houston |
3-2 |
363 |
|
12 |
Youngstown State |
3-2 |
352 |
|
13 |
Richmond |
4-1 |
322 |
|
14 |
Northern Iowa |
2-3 |
294 |
|
15 |
Eastern Kentucky |
3-2 |
280 |
|
16 |
Montana State |
3-2 |
279 |
|
17 |
Portland State |
4-1 |
234 |
|
18 |
Harvard |
4-0 |
157 |
|
19 |
Montana |
3-3 |
146 |
|
20 |
New Hampshire |
3-2 |
134 |
|
21 |
Southeastern La |
3-2 |
108 |
|
22 |
Liberty |
3-3 |
102 |
|
23 |
Charleston Southern |
4-1 |
78 |
|
24 |
Villanova |
2-3 |
61 |
|
24 |
William & Mary |
3-2 |
61 |
