ACU Walks It Off Against Tarleton State
November 3, 2025
Then-No. 2 Tarleton State fought back from a 28-10 deficit in the third quarter to tie the game, 28-28, with 56 seconds left to go, but ACU managed to get into field goal range after a 38-yard pass play and two short runs, allowing Brandon Perez to hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give the Wildcats a 31-28 victory. That was the highest ranked team ACU has beaten since they moved up to FCS in 2013. The Wildcats jump five spots to No. 20 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Texans, who suffered their first loss of the season, fall five to No. 7.
Tarleton State wasn’t the only upset of the weekend as seven more top 25 teams fell, including three more in the top 10, causing a big shake up in the poll. No. 1 North Dakota State outlasted Youngstown State, 38-30, dropping the Penguins to No. 22. Montana moved to No. 2 and 9-0 on the season after beating Weber State, 38-17, while their in-state rival, Montana State, jumps to No. 3. Lehigh, who is also 9-0, vaults to No. 4 after blanking Georgetown, 41-0. Tennessee Tech moves up three spots and rounds out the new look top 5.
South Dakota State lost their second straight game and falls to No. 9 while UC Davis lost a shootout to Idaho State, 38-36, and drops to No. 12. North Dakota fell to No. 15 after their 26-21 loss to South Dakota while Lamar dropped to No. 18 after losing to UIW, 24-17.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 10 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (25) 9-0 625 1 D. No. 19 Youngstown St., 38-30 Nov. 8 at No. 15 North Dakota
2 Montana 9-0 598 3 D. Weber St., 38-17 Nov. 8 vs. Eastern Washington
3 Montana St. 7-2 567 4 D. Northern Colorado, 55-7 Nov. 8 vs. Weber St.
4 Lehigh 9-0 521 7 D. Georgetown, 41-0 Nov. 8 vs. Holy Cross
5 Tennessee Tech 9-0 488 8 D. Gardner-Webb, 27-21 Nov. 8 at Eastern Illinois
6 Monmouth (N.J.) 8-1 485 9 D. Bryant, 35-7 Nov. 8 vs. New Hampshire
7 Tarleton St. 9-1 474 2 Lost to No. 25 ACU, 31-28 Nov. 15 vs. North Alabama
8 Villanova 6-2 417 11 Idle Nov. 8 at Towson
9 South Dakota St. 7-2 389 5 Lost to Indiana St., 24-12 Nov. 8 at No. 25 South Dakota
10t. Mercer 7-1 378 13 D. Furman, 52-28 Nov. 8 at No. 24 Western Carolina
10t. Rhode Island 7-2 378 12 Idle Nov. 8 at Elon
12 UC Davis 6-2 367 6 Lost to Idaho St., 38-36 Nov. 8 at Idaho
13 Harvard 7-0 310 15 D. Dartmouth, 31-10 Nov. 7 at Columbia
14 Southeastern Louisiana 7-2 298 16 D. East Texas A&M, 59-14 Nov. 8 at No. 18 Lamar
15 North Dakota 6-3 263 10 Lost to South Dakota, 26-21 Nov. 8 vs. No. 1 North Dakota St.
16 Southern Illinois 6-3 243 17 D. Murray St., 27-7 Nov. 8 at No. 22 Youngstown St.
17 Illinois St. 6-3 240 18 D. Northern Iowa, 31-16 Nov. 8 at Indiana St.
18 Lamar 7-2 173 14 Lost to UIW, 24-17 Nov. 8 vs. No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana
19 Jackson St. 6-2 157 20 D. Florida A&M, 41-16 Nov. 8 at Mississippi Valley St.
20 ACU 5-4 156 25 D. No. 2 Tarleton St., 31-28 Nov. 8 vs. Utah Tech
21 Stephen F. Austin 7-2 148 23 D. UT Rio Grande Valley, 41-17 Nov. 8 at HCU
22 Youngstown St. 5-4 120 19 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 38-30 Nov. 8 vs. No. 16 Southern Illinois
23 Presbyterian 8-1 115 22 D. Valparaiso, 43-14 Nov. 8 at Davidson
24 Western Carolina 6-3 51 NR D. Chattanooga, 35-28 Nov. 8 vs. No. 10t Mercer
25 South Dakota 6-4 36 NR D. No. 10 North Dakota, 26-21 Nov. 8 vs. No. 9 South Dakota St.
Dropped Out: Northern Arizona (21), Austin Peay (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Lafayette, 29; West Georgia, 27; Alabama St., 12; Sacramento St., 12; Northern Arizona, 10; UT Rio Grande Valley, 10; Dartmouth, 8; Gardner-Webb, 7; North Carolina Central, 4; Austin Peay, 3; South Carolina St., 2; Yale, 2; Central Connecticut St., 1; Delaware St., 1.
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Then-No. 2 Tarleton State fought back from a 28-10 deficit in the third quarter to tie the game, 28-28, with 56 seconds left to go, but ACU managed to get into field goal range after a 38-yard pass play and two short runs, allowing Brandon Perez to hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give the Wildcats a 31-28 victory. That was the highest ranked team ACU has beaten since they moved up to FCS in 2013. The Wildcats jump five spots to No. 20 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Texans, who suffered their first loss of the season, fall five to No. 7.
Tarleton State wasn’t the only upset of the weekend as seven more top 25 teams fell, including three more in the top 10, causing a big shake up in the poll. No. 1 North Dakota State outlasted Youngstown State, 38-30, dropping the Penguins to No. 22. Montana moved to No. 2 and 9-0 on the season after beating Weber State, 38-17, while their in-state rival, Montana State, jumps to No. 3. Lehigh, who is also 9-0, vaults to No. 4 after blanking Georgetown, 41-0. Tennessee Tech moves up three spots and rounds out the new look top 5.
South Dakota State lost their second straight game and falls to No. 9 while UC Davis lost a shootout to Idaho State, 38-36, and drops to No. 12. North Dakota fell to No. 15 after their 26-21 loss to South Dakota while Lamar dropped to No. 18 after losing to UIW, 24-17.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 10 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (25) | 9-0 | 625 | 1 | D. No. 19 Youngstown St., 38-30 | Nov. 8 at No. 15 North Dakota | |
| 2 | Montana | 9-0 | 598 | 3 | D. Weber St., 38-17 | Nov. 8 vs. Eastern Washington | |
| 3 | Montana St. | 7-2 | 567 | 4 | D. Northern Colorado, 55-7 | Nov. 8 vs. Weber St. | |
| 4 | Lehigh | 9-0 | 521 | 7 | D. Georgetown, 41-0 | Nov. 8 vs. Holy Cross | |
| 5 | Tennessee Tech | 9-0 | 488 | 8 | D. Gardner-Webb, 27-21 | Nov. 8 at Eastern Illinois | |
| 6 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 8-1 | 485 | 9 | D. Bryant, 35-7 | Nov. 8 vs. New Hampshire | |
| 7 | Tarleton St. | 9-1 | 474 | 2 | Lost to No. 25 ACU, 31-28 | Nov. 15 vs. North Alabama | |
| 8 | Villanova | 6-2 | 417 | 11 | Idle | Nov. 8 at Towson | |
| 9 | South Dakota St. | 7-2 | 389 | 5 | Lost to Indiana St., 24-12 | Nov. 8 at No. 25 South Dakota | |
| 10t. | Mercer | 7-1 | 378 | 13 | D. Furman, 52-28 | Nov. 8 at No. 24 Western Carolina | |
| 10t. | Rhode Island | 7-2 | 378 | 12 | Idle | Nov. 8 at Elon | |
| 12 | UC Davis | 6-2 | 367 | 6 | Lost to Idaho St., 38-36 | Nov. 8 at Idaho | |
| 13 | Harvard | 7-0 | 310 | 15 | D. Dartmouth, 31-10 | Nov. 7 at Columbia | |
| 14 | Southeastern Louisiana | 7-2 | 298 | 16 | D. East Texas A&M, 59-14 | Nov. 8 at No. 18 Lamar | |
| 15 | North Dakota | 6-3 | 263 | 10 | Lost to South Dakota, 26-21 | Nov. 8 vs. No. 1 North Dakota St. | |
| 16 | Southern Illinois | 6-3 | 243 | 17 | D. Murray St., 27-7 | Nov. 8 at No. 22 Youngstown St. | |
| 17 | Illinois St. | 6-3 | 240 | 18 | D. Northern Iowa, 31-16 | Nov. 8 at Indiana St. | |
| 18 | Lamar | 7-2 | 173 | 14 | Lost to UIW, 24-17 | Nov. 8 vs. No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 19 | Jackson St. | 6-2 | 157 | 20 | D. Florida A&M, 41-16 | Nov. 8 at Mississippi Valley St. | |
| 20 | ACU | 5-4 | 156 | 25 | D. No. 2 Tarleton St., 31-28 | Nov. 8 vs. Utah Tech | |
| 21 | Stephen F. Austin | 7-2 | 148 | 23 | D. UT Rio Grande Valley, 41-17 | Nov. 8 at HCU | |
| 22 | Youngstown St. | 5-4 | 120 | 19 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 38-30 | Nov. 8 vs. No. 16 Southern Illinois | |
| 23 | Presbyterian | 8-1 | 115 | 22 | D. Valparaiso, 43-14 | Nov. 8 at Davidson | |
| 24 | Western Carolina | 6-3 | 51 | NR | D. Chattanooga, 35-28 | Nov. 8 vs. No. 10t Mercer | |
| 25 | South Dakota | 6-4 | 36 | NR | D. No. 10 North Dakota, 26-21 | Nov. 8 vs. No. 9 South Dakota St. | |
Dropped Out: Northern Arizona (21), Austin Peay (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Lafayette, 29; West Georgia, 27; Alabama St., 12; Sacramento St., 12; Northern Arizona, 10; UT Rio Grande Valley, 10; Dartmouth, 8; Gardner-Webb, 7; North Carolina Central, 4; Austin Peay, 3; South Carolina St., 2; Yale, 2; Central Connecticut St., 1; Delaware St., 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
