Northern Arizona Wins Shootout Over Montana
October 12, 2026
Behind six touchdowns from quarterback Ty Pennington, Northern Arizona held Montana scoreless in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead and survived a shootout, 49-44. It was the Lumberjacks first win over a top five opponent since 2015 and the most points they have ever scored against Montana. The win moved NAU up to No. 10 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll while Montana dropped to No. 7.
South Dakota State was idle and remains in the top spot, followed by No. 2 Tarleton State, who went on the road and beat then-No. 8 Austin Peay, 40-32. The Governors dropped to No. 11. Stephen F. Austin, Lehigh and Montana State were all idle this past weekend, but each move up one place to round out the top five.
Eight top 25 teams lost this past weekend, with only two of those coming to ranked opponents, but only three teams dropped out of the poll. South Carolina State, Jackson State and Southeastern Louisiana fell out making room for Yale, East Tennessee State, and Northern Iowa. No. 23 Yale is returning after being in the top 25 earlier this year, but the No. 24 Buccaneers and No. 25 Panthers are making their first appearance this season. ETSU is 5-2 on the season and get a week off before traveling to VMI on October 24 while UNI is 3-2 after upsetting then-No. 7 North Dakota, 24-17, and travels to No. 6 Youngstown State next.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 6 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (23) 5-1 647 1 Idle Oct. 17 at No. 15 North Dakota
2 Tarleton St. (3) 6-0 626 2 D. No. 8 Austin Peay, 40-32 Oct. 17 vs. Central Arkansas
3 Stephen F. Austin 6-0 588 4 Idle Oct. 17 at Nicholls
4 Lehigh 6-0 558 5 Idle Oct. 17 at Cornell
5 Montana St. 5-1 539 6 Idle Oct. 17 at Eastern Washington
6 Youngstown St. 5-2 517 9 D. Indiana St., 57-24 Oct. 17 vs. No. 25 Northern Iowa
7 Montana 5-2 461 3 Lost to No. 14 Northern Arizona, 49-44 Oct. 17 vs. Idaho
8 Lamar 5-1 458 10 D. UIW, 38-35 Oct. 17 at Southeastern Louisiana
9 South Dakota 5-2 407 12 D. Southern Illinois, 31-10 Oct. 17 at Murray St.
10 Northern Arizona 5-2 398 14 D. No. 3 Montana, 49-44 Oct. 17 vs. Portland St.
11 Austin Peay 5-2 397 8 Lost to No. 2 Tarleton St., 40-32 Oct. 17 at West Georgia
12 UC Davis 4-2 396 11 Idle Oct. 17 at Southern Utah
13 Illinois St. 4-2 333 13 Idle Oct. 17 at Southern Illinois
14 Tennessee Tech 5-1 319 16 D. Furman, 20-15 Oct. 17 vs. Eastern Kentucky
15 North Dakota 5-2 293 7 Lost to Northern Iowa, 24-17 Oct. 17 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St.
16 Mercer 5-2 253 18 D. Western Carolina, 17-14 Oct. 17 at Samford
17 Harvard 4-0 242 19 D. Cornell, 41-29 Oct. 17 vs. Holy Cross
18 Campbell 5-1 227 20 Idle Oct. 17 vs. Towson
19 Colgate 4-2 153 23 Idle Oct. 17 vs. Georgetown (D.C.)
20 Monmouth (N.J.) 4-2 125 24 Idle Oct. 17 at New Hampshire
21 Idaho St. 4-2 106 17 Lost to Cal Poly, 25-24 Oct. 17 at Weber St.
22 Richmond 5-2 96 15 Lost to Fordham, 20-14 Oct. 24 vs. No. 19 Colgate
23 Yale 3-1 61 NR D. Dartmouth, 28-7 Oct. 17 vs. Rhode Island
24 East Tennessee St. 5-2 49 NR D. The Citadel, 34-16 Oct. 24 at VMI
25 Northern Iowa 3-2 38 NR D. No. 7 North Dakota, 24-17 Oct. 17 at No. 6 Youngstown St.
Dropped Out: South Carolina St. (21), Jackson St. (22), Southeastern Louisiana (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Jackson St., 32; West Florida, 25; Morgan St., 24; South Carolina St., 18; Stony Brook, 18; ACU, 11; Southern Illinois, 11; Cal Poly, 7; Charleston Southern, 4; Delaware St., 4; North Alabama, 4; Southeastern Louisiana, 2; Wofford, 2; Central Connecticut 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.
« « Previous PostNext Post » »
Behind six touchdowns from quarterback Ty Pennington, Northern Arizona held Montana scoreless in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead and survived a shootout, 49-44. It was the Lumberjacks first win over a top five opponent since 2015 and the most points they have ever scored against Montana. The win moved NAU up to No. 10 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll while Montana dropped to No. 7.
South Dakota State was idle and remains in the top spot, followed by No. 2 Tarleton State, who went on the road and beat then-No. 8 Austin Peay, 40-32. The Governors dropped to No. 11. Stephen F. Austin, Lehigh and Montana State were all idle this past weekend, but each move up one place to round out the top five.
Eight top 25 teams lost this past weekend, with only two of those coming to ranked opponents, but only three teams dropped out of the poll. South Carolina State, Jackson State and Southeastern Louisiana fell out making room for Yale, East Tennessee State, and Northern Iowa. No. 23 Yale is returning after being in the top 25 earlier this year, but the No. 24 Buccaneers and No. 25 Panthers are making their first appearance this season. ETSU is 5-2 on the season and get a week off before traveling to VMI on October 24 while UNI is 3-2 after upsetting then-No. 7 North Dakota, 24-17, and travels to No. 6 Youngstown State next.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 6 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (23) | 5-1 | 647 | 1 | Idle | Oct. 17 at No. 15 North Dakota | |
| 2 | Tarleton St. (3) | 6-0 | 626 | 2 | D. No. 8 Austin Peay, 40-32 | Oct. 17 vs. Central Arkansas | |
| 3 | Stephen F. Austin | 6-0 | 588 | 4 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Nicholls | |
| 4 | Lehigh | 6-0 | 558 | 5 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Cornell | |
| 5 | Montana St. | 5-1 | 539 | 6 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Eastern Washington | |
| 6 | Youngstown St. | 5-2 | 517 | 9 | D. Indiana St., 57-24 | Oct. 17 vs. No. 25 Northern Iowa | |
| 7 | Montana | 5-2 | 461 | 3 | Lost to No. 14 Northern Arizona, 49-44 | Oct. 17 vs. Idaho | |
| 8 | Lamar | 5-1 | 458 | 10 | D. UIW, 38-35 | Oct. 17 at Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 9 | South Dakota | 5-2 | 407 | 12 | D. Southern Illinois, 31-10 | Oct. 17 at Murray St. | |
| 10 | Northern Arizona | 5-2 | 398 | 14 | D. No. 3 Montana, 49-44 | Oct. 17 vs. Portland St. | |
| 11 | Austin Peay | 5-2 | 397 | 8 | Lost to No. 2 Tarleton St., 40-32 | Oct. 17 at West Georgia | |
| 12 | UC Davis | 4-2 | 396 | 11 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Southern Utah | |
| 13 | Illinois St. | 4-2 | 333 | 13 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Southern Illinois | |
| 14 | Tennessee Tech | 5-1 | 319 | 16 | D. Furman, 20-15 | Oct. 17 vs. Eastern Kentucky | |
| 15 | North Dakota | 5-2 | 293 | 7 | Lost to Northern Iowa, 24-17 | Oct. 17 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St. | |
| 16 | Mercer | 5-2 | 253 | 18 | D. Western Carolina, 17-14 | Oct. 17 at Samford | |
| 17 | Harvard | 4-0 | 242 | 19 | D. Cornell, 41-29 | Oct. 17 vs. Holy Cross | |
| 18 | Campbell | 5-1 | 227 | 20 | Idle | Oct. 17 vs. Towson | |
| 19 | Colgate | 4-2 | 153 | 23 | Idle | Oct. 17 vs. Georgetown (D.C.) | |
| 20 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 4-2 | 125 | 24 | Idle | Oct. 17 at New Hampshire | |
| 21 | Idaho St. | 4-2 | 106 | 17 | Lost to Cal Poly, 25-24 | Oct. 17 at Weber St. | |
| 22 | Richmond | 5-2 | 96 | 15 | Lost to Fordham, 20-14 | Oct. 24 vs. No. 19 Colgate | |
| 23 | Yale | 3-1 | 61 | NR | D. Dartmouth, 28-7 | Oct. 17 vs. Rhode Island | |
| 24 | East Tennessee St. | 5-2 | 49 | NR | D. The Citadel, 34-16 | Oct. 24 at VMI | |
| 25 | Northern Iowa | 3-2 | 38 | NR | D. No. 7 North Dakota, 24-17 | Oct. 17 at No. 6 Youngstown St. |
Dropped Out: South Carolina St. (21), Jackson St. (22), Southeastern Louisiana (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Jackson St., 32; West Florida, 25; Morgan St., 24; South Carolina St., 18; Stony Brook, 18; ACU, 11; Southern Illinois, 11; Cal Poly, 7; Charleston Southern, 4; Delaware St., 4; North Alabama, 4; Southeastern Louisiana, 2; Wofford, 2; Central Connecticut 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.
