Harvard’s Hail Mary Upsets Colgate
October 5, 2026
After Colgate took the lead, 17-14, with 27 seconds left to go in the game, Harvard made it to the Raider 39-yard line and lined up for a game tying field goal. A false start brought the Crimson offense back on the field, allowing quarterback Charlie Smith to throw a Hail Mary to Teigan Pelletier, who caught the pass then lateraled to Nathan Bailey, who then ran eight yards to the corner of the endzone for the go-ahead score, 20-17. The win moved Harvard up to No. 19 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, while the loss dropped Colgate to No. 23.
The top 25 is completely different this week thanks to a monumental upset by Idaho. The Vandals erased a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to No. 1 Montana State and scored the game winning two-point conversion with zeros on the clock to hand the Bobcats a 35-34 loss. It was Idaho’s first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team in program history. Montana State fell to No. 6 allowing South Dakota State to take over the No. 1 spot. The Jackrabbits are 5-1 after beating then-No. 11 Illinois State, 31-14. Tarleton State, Montana, Stephen F. Austin and Lehigh all move up one spot each to round out the top five.
There are a couple of top 25 matchups this coming weekend, but the biggest is a top 10 showdown in the United Athletic Conference as No. 2 Tarleton State hits the road against No. 8 Austin Peay. The Texans won last year’s meeting in a thriller, 45-44 in overtime.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 5 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (24) 5-1 648 2 D. No. 11 Illinois St., 31-14 Oct. 17 at No. 7 North Dakota
2 Tarleton St. (1) 5-0 614 3 D. Chicago St., 56-21 Oct. 10 at No. 8 Austin Peay
3 Montana (1) 5-1 570 4 D. Northern Colorado, 36-14 Oct. 10 at No. 14 Northern Arizona
4 Stephen F. Austin 6-0 558 5 D. UIW, 28-26 Oct. 17 at Nicholls
5 Lehigh 6-0 528 6 D. Fordham, 34-0 Oct. 17 at Cornell
6 Montana St. 5-1 509 1 Lost to Idaho, 35-34 Oct. 17 at Eastern Washington
7 North Dakota 5-1 496 7 D. Murray St., 55-28 Oct. 10 at Northern Iowa
8 Austin Peay 5-1 472 9 D. New Haven, 42-17 Oct. 10 vs. No. 2 Tarleton St.
9 Youngstown St. 4-2 454 10 D. No. 25 Southern Illinois, 28-16 Oct. 10 at Indiana St.
10 Lamar 4-1 408 13 D. Northwestern St., 42-14 Oct. 10 vs. UIW
11 UC Davis 4-2 358 15 D. Eastern Washington, 49-38 Oct. 17 at Southern Utah
12 South Dakota 4-2 338 16 D. Indiana St., 44-14 Oct. 10 vs. Southern Illinois
13 Illinois St. 4-2 288 11 Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 31-14 Oct. 17 at Southern Illinois
14 Northern Arizona 4-2 287 19 D. No. 14 Idaho St., 38-31 Oct. 10 vs. No. 3 Montana
15 Richmond 5-1 277 17 D. Lafayette, 40-31 Oct. 10 at Fordham
16 Tennessee Tech 4-1 255 8 Lost to Western Carolina, 44-20 Oct. 10 vs. Furman
17 Idaho St. 4-1 197 14 Lost to No. 19 Northern Arizona, 38-31 Oct. 10 vs. Cal Poly
18 Mercer 4-2 194 21 D. VMI, 54-3 Oct. 10 vs. Western Carolina
19 Harvard 3-0 180 22 D. No. 20 Colgate, 20-17 Oct. 10 at Cornell
20 Campbell 5-1 171 24 D. North Carolina Central, 38-31 Oct. 17 vs. Towson
21 South Carolina St. 5-1 152 12 Lost to The Citadel, 34-31 Oct. 10 at Charleston Southern
22 Jackson St. 5-0 147 23 D. Alabama A&M, 31-28 Oct. 10 at Grambling St.
23 Colgate 4-2 78 20 Lost to No. 22 Harvard, 20-17 Oct. 17 vs. Georgetown (D.C.)
24 Monmouth (N.J.) 4-2 48 NR D. Towson, 41-40 Oct. 17 at New Hampshire
25 Southeastern Louisiana 3-2 41 NR Idle Oct. 10 at UT Rio Grande Valley
Dropped Out: West Florida (18), Southern Illinois (25)
Others Receiving Votes: West Florida, 37; Bryant, 32; Yale, 24; Southern Illinois, 19; East Tennessee St., 15; Elon, 15; Idaho, 14; Stony Brook, 9; ACU, 8; Dartmouth, 3; Morgan St., 2; Alabama St., 1; Central Connecticut St., 1; North Alabama, 1; Robert Morris, 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.
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After Colgate took the lead, 17-14, with 27 seconds left to go in the game, Harvard made it to the Raider 39-yard line and lined up for a game tying field goal. A false start brought the Crimson offense back on the field, allowing quarterback Charlie Smith to throw a Hail Mary to Teigan Pelletier, who caught the pass then lateraled to Nathan Bailey, who then ran eight yards to the corner of the endzone for the go-ahead score, 20-17. The win moved Harvard up to No. 19 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, while the loss dropped Colgate to No. 23.
The top 25 is completely different this week thanks to a monumental upset by Idaho. The Vandals erased a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to No. 1 Montana State and scored the game winning two-point conversion with zeros on the clock to hand the Bobcats a 35-34 loss. It was Idaho’s first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team in program history. Montana State fell to No. 6 allowing South Dakota State to take over the No. 1 spot. The Jackrabbits are 5-1 after beating then-No. 11 Illinois State, 31-14. Tarleton State, Montana, Stephen F. Austin and Lehigh all move up one spot each to round out the top five.
There are a couple of top 25 matchups this coming weekend, but the biggest is a top 10 showdown in the United Athletic Conference as No. 2 Tarleton State hits the road against No. 8 Austin Peay. The Texans won last year’s meeting in a thriller, 45-44 in overtime.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 5 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (24) | 5-1 | 648 | 2 | D. No. 11 Illinois St., 31-14 | Oct. 17 at No. 7 North Dakota | |
| 2 | Tarleton St. (1) | 5-0 | 614 | 3 | D. Chicago St., 56-21 | Oct. 10 at No. 8 Austin Peay | |
| 3 | Montana (1) | 5-1 | 570 | 4 | D. Northern Colorado, 36-14 | Oct. 10 at No. 14 Northern Arizona | |
| 4 | Stephen F. Austin | 6-0 | 558 | 5 | D. UIW, 28-26 | Oct. 17 at Nicholls | |
| 5 | Lehigh | 6-0 | 528 | 6 | D. Fordham, 34-0 | Oct. 17 at Cornell | |
| 6 | Montana St. | 5-1 | 509 | 1 | Lost to Idaho, 35-34 | Oct. 17 at Eastern Washington | |
| 7 | North Dakota | 5-1 | 496 | 7 | D. Murray St., 55-28 | Oct. 10 at Northern Iowa | |
| 8 | Austin Peay | 5-1 | 472 | 9 | D. New Haven, 42-17 | Oct. 10 vs. No. 2 Tarleton St. | |
| 9 | Youngstown St. | 4-2 | 454 | 10 | D. No. 25 Southern Illinois, 28-16 | Oct. 10 at Indiana St. | |
| 10 | Lamar | 4-1 | 408 | 13 | D. Northwestern St., 42-14 | Oct. 10 vs. UIW | |
| 11 | UC Davis | 4-2 | 358 | 15 | D. Eastern Washington, 49-38 | Oct. 17 at Southern Utah | |
| 12 | South Dakota | 4-2 | 338 | 16 | D. Indiana St., 44-14 | Oct. 10 vs. Southern Illinois | |
| 13 | Illinois St. | 4-2 | 288 | 11 | Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 31-14 | Oct. 17 at Southern Illinois | |
| 14 | Northern Arizona | 4-2 | 287 | 19 | D. No. 14 Idaho St., 38-31 | Oct. 10 vs. No. 3 Montana | |
| 15 | Richmond | 5-1 | 277 | 17 | D. Lafayette, 40-31 | Oct. 10 at Fordham | |
| 16 | Tennessee Tech | 4-1 | 255 | 8 | Lost to Western Carolina, 44-20 | Oct. 10 vs. Furman | |
| 17 | Idaho St. | 4-1 | 197 | 14 | Lost to No. 19 Northern Arizona, 38-31 | Oct. 10 vs. Cal Poly | |
| 18 | Mercer | 4-2 | 194 | 21 | D. VMI, 54-3 | Oct. 10 vs. Western Carolina | |
| 19 | Harvard | 3-0 | 180 | 22 | D. No. 20 Colgate, 20-17 | Oct. 10 at Cornell | |
| 20 | Campbell | 5-1 | 171 | 24 | D. North Carolina Central, 38-31 | Oct. 17 vs. Towson | |
| 21 | South Carolina St. | 5-1 | 152 | 12 | Lost to The Citadel, 34-31 | Oct. 10 at Charleston Southern | |
| 22 | Jackson St. | 5-0 | 147 | 23 | D. Alabama A&M, 31-28 | Oct. 10 at Grambling St. | |
| 23 | Colgate | 4-2 | 78 | 20 | Lost to No. 22 Harvard, 20-17 | Oct. 17 vs. Georgetown (D.C.) | |
| 24 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 4-2 | 48 | NR | D. Towson, 41-40 | Oct. 17 at New Hampshire | |
| 25 | Southeastern Louisiana | 3-2 | 41 | NR | Idle | Oct. 10 at UT Rio Grande Valley |
Dropped Out: West Florida (18), Southern Illinois (25)
Others Receiving Votes: West Florida, 37; Bryant, 32; Yale, 24; Southern Illinois, 19; East Tennessee St., 15; Elon, 15; Idaho, 14; Stony Brook, 9; ACU, 8; Dartmouth, 3; Morgan St., 2; Alabama St., 1; Central Connecticut St., 1; North Alabama, 1; Robert Morris, 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.
