Lamar controls No. 2 Stephen F. Austin in upset
November 9, 2026
Lamar built a 17-0 lead over then-No. 2 Stephen F. Austin midway through the second quarter and never looked back, winning 45-28. The Lumberjacks closed the gap to three points, once in the third quarter, 17-14, and once in the fourth quarter, 31-28, but each time Lamar answered with a touchdown drive to keep their lead. The win allowed Lamar to enter the top 10 at No. 8 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. SFA fell five spots to No. 7 after their first loss of the season.
Because of the SFA loss, the top 25 is almost completely different except for a few teams, including No. 1 Tarleton State. The Texans are now the only undefeated team in FCS after beating conference rival and then-No. 22t ACU, 40-27. Tarleton State is 10-0 and will travel to West Florida on November 14, while ACU, who dropped to No. 24, will get another top 10 opponent when they travel to No. 6 Austin Peay on Saturday.
Montana State moved up to No. 2 after surviving a three-overtime thriller at Idaho State, 28-26. The Bengals only fell three places to No. 21. North Dakota recorded a dominating win over then-No. 8 Illinois State, 49-21, moving the Fighting Hawks up into a tie with Montana at the 12th spot while the Redbirds dropped nine to No. 17. Illinois State doesn’t have long to rest as they travel to No. 3 Youngstown State on Saturday.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 10 Next Game
1 Tarleton St. (26) 10-0 650 1 D. No. 22t ACU, 40-27 Nov. 14 at West Florida
2 Montana St. 9-1 606 3 D. No. 18 Idaho St., 28-26 3OT Nov. 14 at Northern Colorado
3 Youngstown St. 8-2 591 4 D. Murray St., 62-35 Nov. 14 vs. No. 17 Illinois St.
4 South Dakota St. 8-2 576 5 D. Northern Iowa, 41-15 Nov. 14 at Southern Illinois
5 Northern Arizona 8-2 536 6 D. Cal Poly, 38-10 Nov. 14 vs. No. 20 Weber St.
6 Austin Peay 8-2 499 7 D. Eastern Kentucky, 55-31 Nov. 14 vs. No. 24 ACU
7 Stephen F. Austin 9-1 470 2 Lost to No. 12 Lamar, 45-28 Nov. 14 at UT Rio Grande Valley
8 Lamar 8-2 464 12 D. No. 2 Stephen F. Austin, 45-28 Nov. 14 at East Texas A&M
9 Tennessee Tech 9-1 434 9 D. VMI, 66-14 Nov. 14 vs. No. 11 Mercer
10 South Dakota 7-3 390 10 Idle Nov. 14 vs. Northern Iowa
11 Mercer 8-2 385 11 D. Chattanooga, 14-7 OT Nov. 14 at No. 9 Tennessee Tech
12t. Montana 7-3 354 13 D. Portland St., 57-24 Nov. 14 vs. No. 21 Idaho St.
12t. North Dakota 7-4 354 15 D. No. 8 Illinois St., 49-21 Nov. 21 vs. Southern Illinois
14 Monmouth (N.J.) 8-2 331 14 D. North Carolina A&T, 21-17 Nov. 14 vs. Merrimack
15 Lehigh 8-2 255 16 D. Colgate, 33-7 Nov. 14 at Richmond
16 Campbell 8-2 241 19 D. Stony Brook, 48-35 Nov. 14 at Elon
17 Illinois St. 7-3 222 8 Lost to No. 15 North Dakota, 49-21 Nov. 14 at No. 3 Youngstown St.
18 South Carolina St. 8-2 220 17 D. Howard, 35-28 Nov. 14 vs. North Carolina Central
19 Harvard 7-1 203 22t D. Columbia, 37-0 Nov. 14 at Penn
20 Weber St. 6-4 134 25 Idle Nov. 14 at No. 5 Northern Arizona
21 Idaho St. 6-4 126 18 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 28-26 3OT Nov. 14 at No. 12t Montana
22 Jackson St. 7-2 76 NR D. Mississippi Valley St., 38-7 Nov. 14 at Alabama St.
23 Princeton 6-2 60 NR D. Dartmouth, 21-14 Nov. 14 at Yale
24 ACU 5-5 34 22t Lost to No. 1 Tarleton St., 40-27 Nov. 14 at No. 6 Austin Peay
25 UAlbany 6-4 31 20 Lost to Bryant, 31-7 Nov. 14 vs. Maine
Dropped Out: East Tennessee St. (21), Alabama A&M (24)
Others Receiving Votes: East Tennessee St., 29; UC Davis, 27; UIW, 25; Chattanooga, 22; Dayton, 22; Central Connecticut St., 19; North Alabama, 11; Bryant, 10; Idaho, 10; Alabama A&M, 9; Villanova, 8; Morgan St., 7; Richmond, 4; Southeast Missouri St., 2; Brown, 1; Butler, 1; UT Rio Grande Valley, 1.
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Lamar built a 17-0 lead over then-No. 2 Stephen F. Austin midway through the second quarter and never looked back, winning 45-28. The Lumberjacks closed the gap to three points, once in the third quarter, 17-14, and once in the fourth quarter, 31-28, but each time Lamar answered with a touchdown drive to keep their lead. The win allowed Lamar to enter the top 10 at No. 8 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. SFA fell five spots to No. 7 after their first loss of the season.
Because of the SFA loss, the top 25 is almost completely different except for a few teams, including No. 1 Tarleton State. The Texans are now the only undefeated team in FCS after beating conference rival and then-No. 22t ACU, 40-27. Tarleton State is 10-0 and will travel to West Florida on November 14, while ACU, who dropped to No. 24, will get another top 10 opponent when they travel to No. 6 Austin Peay on Saturday.
Montana State moved up to No. 2 after surviving a three-overtime thriller at Idaho State, 28-26. The Bengals only fell three places to No. 21. North Dakota recorded a dominating win over then-No. 8 Illinois State, 49-21, moving the Fighting Hawks up into a tie with Montana at the 12th spot while the Redbirds dropped nine to No. 17. Illinois State doesn’t have long to rest as they travel to No. 3 Youngstown State on Saturday.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 10 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarleton St. (26) | 10-0 | 650 | 1 | D. No. 22t ACU, 40-27 | Nov. 14 at West Florida | |
| 2 | Montana St. | 9-1 | 606 | 3 | D. No. 18 Idaho St., 28-26 3OT | Nov. 14 at Northern Colorado | |
| 3 | Youngstown St. | 8-2 | 591 | 4 | D. Murray St., 62-35 | Nov. 14 vs. No. 17 Illinois St. | |
| 4 | South Dakota St. | 8-2 | 576 | 5 | D. Northern Iowa, 41-15 | Nov. 14 at Southern Illinois | |
| 5 | Northern Arizona | 8-2 | 536 | 6 | D. Cal Poly, 38-10 | Nov. 14 vs. No. 20 Weber St. | |
| 6 | Austin Peay | 8-2 | 499 | 7 | D. Eastern Kentucky, 55-31 | Nov. 14 vs. No. 24 ACU | |
| 7 | Stephen F. Austin | 9-1 | 470 | 2 | Lost to No. 12 Lamar, 45-28 | Nov. 14 at UT Rio Grande Valley | |
| 8 | Lamar | 8-2 | 464 | 12 | D. No. 2 Stephen F. Austin, 45-28 | Nov. 14 at East Texas A&M | |
| 9 | Tennessee Tech | 9-1 | 434 | 9 | D. VMI, 66-14 | Nov. 14 vs. No. 11 Mercer | |
| 10 | South Dakota | 7-3 | 390 | 10 | Idle | Nov. 14 vs. Northern Iowa | |
| 11 | Mercer | 8-2 | 385 | 11 | D. Chattanooga, 14-7 OT | Nov. 14 at No. 9 Tennessee Tech | |
| 12t. | Montana | 7-3 | 354 | 13 | D. Portland St., 57-24 | Nov. 14 vs. No. 21 Idaho St. | |
| 12t. | North Dakota | 7-4 | 354 | 15 | D. No. 8 Illinois St., 49-21 | Nov. 21 vs. Southern Illinois | |
| 14 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 8-2 | 331 | 14 | D. North Carolina A&T, 21-17 | Nov. 14 vs. Merrimack | |
| 15 | Lehigh | 8-2 | 255 | 16 | D. Colgate, 33-7 | Nov. 14 at Richmond | |
| 16 | Campbell | 8-2 | 241 | 19 | D. Stony Brook, 48-35 | Nov. 14 at Elon | |
| 17 | Illinois St. | 7-3 | 222 | 8 | Lost to No. 15 North Dakota, 49-21 | Nov. 14 at No. 3 Youngstown St. | |
| 18 | South Carolina St. | 8-2 | 220 | 17 | D. Howard, 35-28 | Nov. 14 vs. North Carolina Central | |
| 19 | Harvard | 7-1 | 203 | 22t | D. Columbia, 37-0 | Nov. 14 at Penn | |
| 20 | Weber St. | 6-4 | 134 | 25 | Idle | Nov. 14 at No. 5 Northern Arizona | |
| 21 | Idaho St. | 6-4 | 126 | 18 | Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 28-26 3OT | Nov. 14 at No. 12t Montana | |
| 22 | Jackson St. | 7-2 | 76 | NR | D. Mississippi Valley St., 38-7 | Nov. 14 at Alabama St. | |
| 23 | Princeton | 6-2 | 60 | NR | D. Dartmouth, 21-14 | Nov. 14 at Yale | |
| 24 | ACU | 5-5 | 34 | 22t | Lost to No. 1 Tarleton St., 40-27 | Nov. 14 at No. 6 Austin Peay | |
| 25 | UAlbany | 6-4 | 31 | 20 | Lost to Bryant, 31-7 | Nov. 14 vs. Maine |
Dropped Out: East Tennessee St. (21), Alabama A&M (24)
Others Receiving Votes: East Tennessee St., 29; UC Davis, 27; UIW, 25; Chattanooga, 22; Dayton, 22; Central Connecticut St., 19; North Alabama, 11; Bryant, 10; Idaho, 10; Alabama A&M, 9; Villanova, 8; Morgan St., 7; Richmond, 4; Southeast Missouri St., 2; Brown, 1; Butler, 1; UT Rio Grande Valley, 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.
