Montana’s Dominant Run Game Destroys UC Davis
September 28, 2026
Montana running back Eli Gillman set a school single-game rushing record with 275 yards and added a career high four rushing touchdowns as the Grizz dominated UC Davis, 62-22. Montana kept their No. 4 ranking in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll while the Aggies dropped to No. 15. Gillman’s four rushing touchdowns gave him 60 for his career, moving him into first place all-time as the Big Sky Conference’s rushing touchdown leader.
No. 1 Montana State handed then-No. 17 Northern Arizona its second loss of the season, 28-14, dropping the Lumberjacks to No. 19. South Dakota State still sits No. 2 after beating Eastern Illinois, 42-7. The Jackrabbits will hit the road this coming Saturday to face a reeling Illinois State team, who were upset by Northern Iowa, 28-21, and dropped seven places to No. 11. Tarleton State was idle and stayed at No. 3 while Stephen F. Austin jumped one spot to enter the top five.
Youngstown State defeated then-No. 12 South Dakota, 47-28, and moved up three to No. 10 as they travel to Carbondale, Illinois, to face their third straight ranked opponent in No. 25 Southern Illinois on Saturday. Joining Southern Illinois on the newcomers to the top 25 is Jackson State and Campbell. The Tigers enter the poll at No. 23 with a 4-0 record while the Camels are 4-1 and ranked No. 24.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 Montana St. (25) 5-0 625 1 D. No. 17 Northern Arizona, 28-14 Oct. 2 at Idaho
2 South Dakota St. 4-1 590 2 D. Eastern Illinois, 42-7 Oct. 3 at No. 11 Illinois St.
3 Tarleton St. 4-0 568 3 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Chicago St.
4 Montana 4-1 550 4t D. No. 9 UC Davis, 62-22 Oct. 3 vs. Northern Colorado
5 Stephen F. Austin 5-0 521 6 D. Northeastern St., 63-14 Oct. 3 vs. UIW
6 Lehigh 5-0 484 7 D. Penn, 20-7 Oct. 3 vs. Fordham
7 North Dakota 4-1 467 8 D. Indiana St., 42-35 Oct. 3 vs. Murray St.
8 Tennessee Tech 4-0 429 10 D. Wofford, 42-38 Oct. 3 at Western Carolina
9 Austin Peay 4-1 420 11 D. UT Martin, 35-12 Oct. 3 vs. New Haven
10 Youngstown St. 3-2 386 13 D. No. 12 South Dakota, 47-28 Oct. 3 at No. 25 Southern Illinois
11 Illinois St. 4-1 370 4t Lost to Northern Iowa, 28-21 Oct. 3 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St.
12 South Carolina St. 5-0 329 14 D. Bethune-Cookman, 31-21 Oct. 3 vs. The Citadel
13 Lamar 3-1 322 15 D. Nicholls, 49-18 Oct. 3 vs. Northwestern St.
14 Idaho St. 4-0 311 16 D. Southern Utah, 28-24 Oct. 3 vs. No. 19 Northern Arizona
15 UC Davis 3-2 236 9 Lost to No. 4t Montana, 62-22 Oct. 3 vs. Eastern Washington
16 South Dakota 3-2 223 12 Lost to No. 13 Youngstown St., 47-28 Oct. 3 vs. Indiana St.
17 Richmond 4-1 196 19 D. Furman, 13-9 Oct. 3 at Lafayette
18 West Florida 3-1 193 20 D. Southeast Missouri St., 20-17 Oct. 3 at ACU
19 Northern Arizona 3-2 175 17 Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 28-14 Oct. 3 at No. 14 Idaho St.
20 Colgate 4-1 155 23t D. No. 22 Villanova, 28-21 Oct. 3 at No. 22 Harvard
21 Mercer 3-2 117 23t D. ACU, 34-17 Oct. 3 at VMI
22 Harvard 2-0 82 25 D. Brown, 14-10 Oct. 3 vs. No. 20 Colgate
23 Jackson St. 4-0 72 NR D. Southern, 35-17 Oct. 3 at Alabama A&M
24 Campbell 4-1 71 NR D. Hampton, 44-20 Oct. 3 at North Carolina Central
25 Southern Illinois 3-2 57 NR D. Murray St., 46-6 Oct. 3 vs. No. 10 Youngstown St.
Dropped Out: Yale (18), Rhode Island (21), Villanova (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Elon, 55; Yale, 22; Alabama St., 19; Prairie View A&M, 17; Southeastern Louisiana, 14; UT Rio Grande Valley, 7; Furman, 6; Monmouth (N.J.), 6; Chattanooga, 5; Stony Brook, 5; Cal Poly, 4; Dartmouth, 4; St. Thomas (Minn.), 4; Delaware St., 3; Villanova, 2; Bryant, 1; Northern Iowa, 1; UIW, 1.
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Montana running back Eli Gillman set a school single-game rushing record with 275 yards and added a career high four rushing touchdowns as the Grizz dominated UC Davis, 62-22. Montana kept their No. 4 ranking in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll while the Aggies dropped to No. 15. Gillman’s four rushing touchdowns gave him 60 for his career, moving him into first place all-time as the Big Sky Conference’s rushing touchdown leader.
No. 1 Montana State handed then-No. 17 Northern Arizona its second loss of the season, 28-14, dropping the Lumberjacks to No. 19. South Dakota State still sits No. 2 after beating Eastern Illinois, 42-7. The Jackrabbits will hit the road this coming Saturday to face a reeling Illinois State team, who were upset by Northern Iowa, 28-21, and dropped seven places to No. 11. Tarleton State was idle and stayed at No. 3 while Stephen F. Austin jumped one spot to enter the top five.
Youngstown State defeated then-No. 12 South Dakota, 47-28, and moved up three to No. 10 as they travel to Carbondale, Illinois, to face their third straight ranked opponent in No. 25 Southern Illinois on Saturday. Joining Southern Illinois on the newcomers to the top 25 is Jackson State and Campbell. The Tigers enter the poll at No. 23 with a 4-0 record while the Camels are 4-1 and ranked No. 24.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana St. (25) | 5-0 | 625 | 1 | D. No. 17 Northern Arizona, 28-14 | Oct. 2 at Idaho | |
| 2 | South Dakota St. | 4-1 | 590 | 2 | D. Eastern Illinois, 42-7 | Oct. 3 at No. 11 Illinois St. | |
| 3 | Tarleton St. | 4-0 | 568 | 3 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Chicago St. | |
| 4 | Montana | 4-1 | 550 | 4t | D. No. 9 UC Davis, 62-22 | Oct. 3 vs. Northern Colorado | |
| 5 | Stephen F. Austin | 5-0 | 521 | 6 | D. Northeastern St., 63-14 | Oct. 3 vs. UIW | |
| 6 | Lehigh | 5-0 | 484 | 7 | D. Penn, 20-7 | Oct. 3 vs. Fordham | |
| 7 | North Dakota | 4-1 | 467 | 8 | D. Indiana St., 42-35 | Oct. 3 vs. Murray St. | |
| 8 | Tennessee Tech | 4-0 | 429 | 10 | D. Wofford, 42-38 | Oct. 3 at Western Carolina | |
| 9 | Austin Peay | 4-1 | 420 | 11 | D. UT Martin, 35-12 | Oct. 3 vs. New Haven | |
| 10 | Youngstown St. | 3-2 | 386 | 13 | D. No. 12 South Dakota, 47-28 | Oct. 3 at No. 25 Southern Illinois | |
| 11 | Illinois St. | 4-1 | 370 | 4t | Lost to Northern Iowa, 28-21 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St. | |
| 12 | South Carolina St. | 5-0 | 329 | 14 | D. Bethune-Cookman, 31-21 | Oct. 3 vs. The Citadel | |
| 13 | Lamar | 3-1 | 322 | 15 | D. Nicholls, 49-18 | Oct. 3 vs. Northwestern St. | |
| 14 | Idaho St. | 4-0 | 311 | 16 | D. Southern Utah, 28-24 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 19 Northern Arizona | |
| 15 | UC Davis | 3-2 | 236 | 9 | Lost to No. 4t Montana, 62-22 | Oct. 3 vs. Eastern Washington | |
| 16 | South Dakota | 3-2 | 223 | 12 | Lost to No. 13 Youngstown St., 47-28 | Oct. 3 vs. Indiana St. | |
| 17 | Richmond | 4-1 | 196 | 19 | D. Furman, 13-9 | Oct. 3 at Lafayette | |
| 18 | West Florida | 3-1 | 193 | 20 | D. Southeast Missouri St., 20-17 | Oct. 3 at ACU | |
| 19 | Northern Arizona | 3-2 | 175 | 17 | Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 28-14 | Oct. 3 at No. 14 Idaho St. | |
| 20 | Colgate | 4-1 | 155 | 23t | D. No. 22 Villanova, 28-21 | Oct. 3 at No. 22 Harvard | |
| 21 | Mercer | 3-2 | 117 | 23t | D. ACU, 34-17 | Oct. 3 at VMI | |
| 22 | Harvard | 2-0 | 82 | 25 | D. Brown, 14-10 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 20 Colgate | |
| 23 | Jackson St. | 4-0 | 72 | NR | D. Southern, 35-17 | Oct. 3 at Alabama A&M | |
| 24 | Campbell | 4-1 | 71 | NR | D. Hampton, 44-20 | Oct. 3 at North Carolina Central | |
| 25 | Southern Illinois | 3-2 | 57 | NR | D. Murray St., 46-6 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 10 Youngstown St. |
Dropped Out: Yale (18), Rhode Island (21), Villanova (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Elon, 55; Yale, 22; Alabama St., 19; Prairie View A&M, 17; Southeastern Louisiana, 14; UT Rio Grande Valley, 7; Furman, 6; Monmouth (N.J.), 6; Chattanooga, 5; Stony Brook, 5; Cal Poly, 4; Dartmouth, 4; St. Thomas (Minn.), 4; Delaware St., 3; Villanova, 2; Bryant, 1; Northern Iowa, 1; UIW, 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.
