After defeating all six opponents this season by an average of nearly 28 points and seeing then-No. 1 North Dakota State (5-1) and No. 3 Chattanooga (5-1) suffer their first losses, the Sam Houston State Bearkats (6-0) have claimed the No. 1 ranking in the FCS coaches’ poll.
A pair of third-down tipped passes for touchdowns and a dominant defensive effort aided then-No. 2 Sam Houston State to overcome two early turnovers and miscues as the Bearkats broke through for an eventual 48-21 victory against Abilene Christian on Saturday.
The Bearkats, who had yet to receive just one first-place vote this season, totaled 21 first-place votes this week after North Dakota State had been the unanimous top choice by 26 FCS coaches for the previous four weeks.
Polling at No.
2 this week is Jacksonville State (5-1), who received two first-place votes in this week’s poll after defeating Austin Peay, 34-14, on Saturday in Jacksonville, Ala. With its win over the Governors, JSU notched its 19th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference win and is in sole possession of first place in the OVC standings.
Eastern Washington (5-1), who was idle this week, claimed the third spot in this week’s poll after ranking fifth in last week’s poll. The Eagles will travel to Montana State on Saturday, Oct. 22, and are scheduled for a 2:05 p.m. (ET) kickoff.
After being slated the preseason favorites and maintaining their No. 1 ranking for six consecutive weeks, the North Dakota State Bison were tabbed No. 4 in this week’s poll after falling to then-No. 13 South Dakota State. Despite Bison quarterback Taryn Christion’s 444 total yard performance, NDSU dropped its first contest in nearly a year, snapping a 14-game winning streak dating back to Oct. 24, 2015. The Bison received one first-place vote in this week’s poll.
At No. 5 are the Dukes of James Madison (6-1), who also received one first-place vote in this week’s coaches’ poll. JMU, who was sixth in last week’s poll, traveled to Durham, N.H., to claim its sixth victory of the season by score of 42-39. The Dukes are currently 4-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association and are tied for first with Stony Brook (3-0).
Rounding out the top 10 are No. 6 The Citadel (6-0), No. 7 Richmond (6-1), No. 8 Chattanooga (6-1), No. 9 Charleston Southern (3-2) and No. 10 Montana (5-1). The Citadel, who upset Southern Conference rival and then-No. 3 Chattanooga, 22-14, on Saturday, and No. 1 Sam Houston State are the only remaining unbeaten teams in the FCS.
Ten conferences are represented among the top 25 teams in this week’s poll. The Colonial leads the pack with five ranked teams, followed by the Missouri Valley and Big Sky with four teams, each. The Southern Conference and Ohio Valley totaled three teams, each. The Big South, Ivy League, Mid-Eastern Atlantic, Southland and Southwestern Athletic each claimed one representative in the top 25.
The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference.