Austin Peay Takes Down West Georgia
October 6, 2025
Down 30-23 midway through the third quarter, Austin Peay scored 21 unanswered points, including a game sealing 26-yard pick six from Will Middleton to lead the Governors to a 44-30 victory over previously undefeated West Georgia. Austin Peay rises six spots to No. 15 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Wolves dropped five spots to No. 21t.
No. 1 North Dakota State had to work for their fifth win of the season as Illinois State closed the game to two points, 18-16, late in the third quarter but the Bison rolled off two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win, 33-16. The loss dropped the Redbirds four places to No. 10. The Bison will face their third straight ranked opponent when No. 9 Southern Illinois comes to Fargo. South Dakota State kept their No. 2 spot after beating then-No. 18 Youngstown State, 35-30. The Penguins only fell two places to No. 20 after the loss. Tarleton State, Montana and Montana State round out the top five.
Then-No. 20 UIW lost their fourth game of the season, this time to Stephen F. Austin, 31-17, and dropped out of the top 25, making room for Harvard to enter the poll for the first time this season. The Crimson are 3-0 after beating Holy Cross, 59-24, and will host Cornell Friday night.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 6 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (26) 5-0 650 1 D. No. 6 Illinois St., 33-16 Oct. 11 vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois
2 South Dakota St. 5-0 621 2 D. No. 18 Youngstown St., 35-30 Oct. 11 vs. Northern Iowa
3 Tarleton St. 6-0 574 3 D. Southern Utah, 52-42 Oct. 11 at Utah Tech
4 Montana 5-0 567 4 D. Idaho St., 42-38 Oct. 11 vs. Cal Poly
5 Montana St. 4-2 530 5 D. No. 13 Northern Arizona, 34-10 Oct. 11 vs. Idaho St.
6 UC Davis 4-1 499 7 D. Cal Poly, 34-27 Oct. 11 vs. No. 16 Northern Arizona
7 Tennessee Tech 5-0 455 9 D. Western Illinois, 66-20 Oct. 11 at Charleston Southern
8 Lehigh 6-0 452 8 D. Yale, 31-13 Oct. 11 at Columbia
9 Southern Illinois 4-1 406 11 D. Indiana St., 55-27 Oct. 11 at No. 1 North Dakota St.
10 Illinois St. 3-2 399 6 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 33-16 Oct. 11 at Murray St.
11 Monmouth (N.J.) 4-1 383 12 D. Delaware St., 49-38 Oct. 11 at Towson
12 North Dakota 3-2 359 14 D. Northern Iowa, 35-7 Oct. 11 vs. No. 20 Youngstown St.
13 Idaho 2-3 306 15 Idle Oct. 11 vs. Northern Colorado
14 Jackson St. 4-1 269 17 D. Alabama A&M, 57-24 Oct. 11 vs. Alabama St.
15 Austin Peay 4-2 224 21 D. No. 16 West Georgia, 44-30 Oct. 11 at Eastern Kentucky
16 Northern Arizona 4-2 221 13 Lost to No. 5 Montana St., 34-10 Oct. 11 at No. 6 UC Davis
17 Villanova 3-2 211 19 D. New Hampshire, 37-7 Oct. 11 at Elon
18 Rhode Island 4-2 203 10 Lost to Brown, 28-21 Oct. 11 vs. New Hampshire
19 Mercer 4-1 164 22 D. Samford, 45-21 Oct. 11 at Princeton
20 Youngstown St. 3-2 162 18 Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 35-30 Oct. 11 at No. 12 North Dakota
21t. ACU 3-3 140 23 D. North Alabama, 52-23 Oct. 11 at No. 21t West Georgia
21t. West Georgia 5-1 140 16 Lost to No. 21 Austin Peay, 44-30 Oct. 11 vs. No. 21t ACU
23 Presbyterian 5-0 130 24 Idle Oct. 11 at Butler
24 Lamar 4-1 111 25 D. Nicholls, 24-17 Oct. 11 at East Texas A&M
25 Harvard 3-0 64 NR D. Holy Cross, 59-24 Oct. 10 vs. Cornell
Dropped Out: UIW (20)
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana, 52; Furman, 38; Stephen F. Austin, 33; South Dakota, 21; UIW, 19; Gardner-Webb, 12; Alabama St., 9; Brown, 6; Elon, 6; North Carolina Central, 5; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 4; Lafayette, 3; Cal Poly, 2.
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Down 30-23 midway through the third quarter, Austin Peay scored 21 unanswered points, including a game sealing 26-yard pick six from Will Middleton to lead the Governors to a 44-30 victory over previously undefeated West Georgia. Austin Peay rises six spots to No. 15 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Wolves dropped five spots to No. 21t.
No. 1 North Dakota State had to work for their fifth win of the season as Illinois State closed the game to two points, 18-16, late in the third quarter but the Bison rolled off two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win, 33-16. The loss dropped the Redbirds four places to No. 10. The Bison will face their third straight ranked opponent when No. 9 Southern Illinois comes to Fargo. South Dakota State kept their No. 2 spot after beating then-No. 18 Youngstown State, 35-30. The Penguins only fell two places to No. 20 after the loss. Tarleton State, Montana and Montana State round out the top five.
Then-No. 20 UIW lost their fourth game of the season, this time to Stephen F. Austin, 31-17, and dropped out of the top 25, making room for Harvard to enter the poll for the first time this season. The Crimson are 3-0 after beating Holy Cross, 59-24, and will host Cornell Friday night.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 6 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (26) | 5-0 | 650 | 1 | D. No. 6 Illinois St., 33-16 | Oct. 11 vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois | |
| 2 | South Dakota St. | 5-0 | 621 | 2 | D. No. 18 Youngstown St., 35-30 | Oct. 11 vs. Northern Iowa | |
| 3 | Tarleton St. | 6-0 | 574 | 3 | D. Southern Utah, 52-42 | Oct. 11 at Utah Tech | |
| 4 | Montana | 5-0 | 567 | 4 | D. Idaho St., 42-38 | Oct. 11 vs. Cal Poly | |
| 5 | Montana St. | 4-2 | 530 | 5 | D. No. 13 Northern Arizona, 34-10 | Oct. 11 vs. Idaho St. | |
| 6 | UC Davis | 4-1 | 499 | 7 | D. Cal Poly, 34-27 | Oct. 11 vs. No. 16 Northern Arizona | |
| 7 | Tennessee Tech | 5-0 | 455 | 9 | D. Western Illinois, 66-20 | Oct. 11 at Charleston Southern | |
| 8 | Lehigh | 6-0 | 452 | 8 | D. Yale, 31-13 | Oct. 11 at Columbia | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois | 4-1 | 406 | 11 | D. Indiana St., 55-27 | Oct. 11 at No. 1 North Dakota St. | |
| 10 | Illinois St. | 3-2 | 399 | 6 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 33-16 | Oct. 11 at Murray St. | |
| 11 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 4-1 | 383 | 12 | D. Delaware St., 49-38 | Oct. 11 at Towson | |
| 12 | North Dakota | 3-2 | 359 | 14 | D. Northern Iowa, 35-7 | Oct. 11 vs. No. 20 Youngstown St. | |
| 13 | Idaho | 2-3 | 306 | 15 | Idle | Oct. 11 vs. Northern Colorado | |
| 14 | Jackson St. | 4-1 | 269 | 17 | D. Alabama A&M, 57-24 | Oct. 11 vs. Alabama St. | |
| 15 | Austin Peay | 4-2 | 224 | 21 | D. No. 16 West Georgia, 44-30 | Oct. 11 at Eastern Kentucky | |
| 16 | Northern Arizona | 4-2 | 221 | 13 | Lost to No. 5 Montana St., 34-10 | Oct. 11 at No. 6 UC Davis | |
| 17 | Villanova | 3-2 | 211 | 19 | D. New Hampshire, 37-7 | Oct. 11 at Elon | |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 4-2 | 203 | 10 | Lost to Brown, 28-21 | Oct. 11 vs. New Hampshire | |
| 19 | Mercer | 4-1 | 164 | 22 | D. Samford, 45-21 | Oct. 11 at Princeton | |
| 20 | Youngstown St. | 3-2 | 162 | 18 | Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 35-30 | Oct. 11 at No. 12 North Dakota | |
| 21t. | ACU | 3-3 | 140 | 23 | D. North Alabama, 52-23 | Oct. 11 at No. 21t West Georgia | |
| 21t. | West Georgia | 5-1 | 140 | 16 | Lost to No. 21 Austin Peay, 44-30 | Oct. 11 vs. No. 21t ACU | |
| 23 | Presbyterian | 5-0 | 130 | 24 | Idle | Oct. 11 at Butler | |
| 24 | Lamar | 4-1 | 111 | 25 | D. Nicholls, 24-17 | Oct. 11 at East Texas A&M | |
| 25 | Harvard | 3-0 | 64 | NR | D. Holy Cross, 59-24 | Oct. 10 vs. Cornell | |
Dropped Out: UIW (20)
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana, 52; Furman, 38; Stephen F. Austin, 33; South Dakota, 21; UIW, 19; Gardner-Webb, 12; Alabama St., 9; Brown, 6; Elon, 6; North Carolina Central, 5; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 4; Lafayette, 3; Cal Poly, 2.
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.
