[FCS Poll] Eastern Kentucky’s Comeback Win Earns the Colonels a Top 25 Rank
October 18, 2021
Eastern Kentucky scored 25 points in the final 19 minutes of their game against Central Arkansas and held the Bears to just one touchdown in the second half to record a 38-35 victory. The win vaulted EKU into the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time in 2021 as they sit at No. 22. The Colonels are 5-2 and have a bye week before facing Lamar on October 30.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Southern Illinois Jumps to No. 4 After Comeback Win
The Top 10 looks different this week thanks to losses by Montana and East Tennessee State, but the Top 5 remains the same. Sam Houston still sits No. 1 with 26 first-place votes, followed by Eastern Washington at No. 2 with the final two first-place votes. North Dakota State, Southern Illinois and Villanova round out the Top 5. Five of the Top 10 teams will face ranked opponents, so there might be more change in the poll next week.
No. 1 Sam Houston gets the Top 25 matchups rolling as they host No. 21 Jacksonville State. Both teams should be well rested after coming off bye weeks. No. 3 North Dakota State will host No. 18 Missouri State while No. 5 Villanova will host No. 19 Rhode Island. No. 6 James Madison travels to No. 25 Delaware while No. 7 South Dakota State plays host to No. 24 Northern Iowa.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – October 18, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 7 Next Game
1 Sam Houston (26) 5-0 674 1 Idle Oct. 23 vs. No. 21 Jacksonville St.
2 Eastern Washington (2) 7-0 670 2 D. Idaho, 71-21 Oct. 23 vs. Weber St.
3 North Dakota St. 6-0 646 3 D. Illinois St., 20-0 Oct. 23 vs. No. 18 Missouri St.
4 Southern Illinois 6-1 605 4 D. No. 24 North Dakota, 31-28 Oct. 30 at No. 24 Northern Iowa
5 Villanova 5-1 581 5 D. Albany, 17-10 Oct. 23 vs. No. 19 Rhode Island
6 James Madison 5-1 561 7 D. Richmond, 19-3 Oct. 23 at No. 25 Delaware
7 South Dakota St. 5-1 543 8 D. Western Illinois, 41-17 Oct. 23 vs. No. 24 Northern Iowa
8 Montana St. 6-1 509 9 D. No. 18 Weber St., 13-7 Oct. 23 vs. Idaho St.
9 Southeastern Louisiana 5-1 453 11 D. Houston Baptist, 61-24 Oct. 23 at Northwestern St.
10 UC Davis 6-1 419 12 D. Northern Colorado, 32-3 Oct. 23 at Cal Poly
11 Kennesaw St. 5-1 409 13 D. North Carolina A&T, 14-0 Oct. 23 at Campbell
12 Montana 4-2 376 6 Lost to Sacramento St., 28-21 Oct. 23 at Idaho
13 UT Martin 5-1 347 16 D. Eastern Illinois, 28-17 Oct. 23 vs. Southeast Missouri
14 East Tennessee St. 6-1 312 10 Lost to Chattanooga, 21-16 Oct. 23 at Furman
15 South Dakota 5-2 268 21 D. No. 17 Northern Iowa, 34-21 Oct. 23 vs. Illinois St.
16 Harvard 5-0 246 19 D. Lafayette, 30-3 Oct. 23 at No. 17 Princeton
17 Princeton 5-0 193 20 D. Brown, 56-42 Oct. 23 vs. No. 16 Harvard
18 Missouri St. 4-2 184 23 D. Indiana St., 37-7 Oct. 23 at No. 3 North Dakota St.
19 Rhode Island 5-1 169 14 Lost to Towson, 28-7 Oct. 23 at No. 5 Villanova
20 Jackson St. 5-1 151 25 D. Alabama St., 28-7 Oct. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman
21 Jacksonville St. 3-3 111 22 Idle Oct. 23 at No. 1 Sam Houston
22 Eastern Kentucky 5-2 93 NR D. Central Arkansas, 38-35 Oct. 30 vs. Lamar
23 VMI 5-2 89 NR D. Mercer, 45-7 Oct. 30 vs. Samford
24 Northern Iowa 3-3 85 17 Lost to No. 21 South Dakota, 34-21 Oct. 23 at No. 7 South Dakota St.
25 Delaware 3-3 71 15 Lost to Stony Brook, 34-17 Oct. 23 vs. No. 6 James Madison
Dropped Out: Weber St. (18), North Dakota (24)
Others Receiving Votes: UIW, 70; Dartmouth, 67; North Dakota, 34; Chattanooga, 33; Weber St., 28; Monmouth (N.J.), 19; Florida A&M, 15; Duquesne, 13; Sacramento St., 10; Holy Cross, 9; Furman, 8; Mercer, 6; New Hampshire, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 6; Yale, 6; Prairie View A&M, 2; Towson, 2; Elon, 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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Eastern Kentucky scored 25 points in the final 19 minutes of their game against Central Arkansas and held the Bears to just one touchdown in the second half to record a 38-35 victory. The win vaulted EKU into the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time in 2021 as they sit at No. 22. The Colonels are 5-2 and have a bye week before facing Lamar on October 30.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Southern Illinois Jumps to No. 4 After Comeback Win
The Top 10 looks different this week thanks to losses by Montana and East Tennessee State, but the Top 5 remains the same. Sam Houston still sits No. 1 with 26 first-place votes, followed by Eastern Washington at No. 2 with the final two first-place votes. North Dakota State, Southern Illinois and Villanova round out the Top 5. Five of the Top 10 teams will face ranked opponents, so there might be more change in the poll next week.
No. 1 Sam Houston gets the Top 25 matchups rolling as they host No. 21 Jacksonville State. Both teams should be well rested after coming off bye weeks. No. 3 North Dakota State will host No. 18 Missouri State while No. 5 Villanova will host No. 19 Rhode Island. No. 6 James Madison travels to No. 25 Delaware while No. 7 South Dakota State plays host to No. 24 Northern Iowa.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – October 18, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (26) | 5-0 | 674 | 1 | Idle | Oct. 23 vs. No. 21 Jacksonville St. |
| 2 | Eastern Washington (2) | 7-0 | 670 | 2 | D. Idaho, 71-21 | Oct. 23 vs. Weber St. |
| 3 | North Dakota St. | 6-0 | 646 | 3 | D. Illinois St., 20-0 | Oct. 23 vs. No. 18 Missouri St. |
| 4 | Southern Illinois | 6-1 | 605 | 4 | D. No. 24 North Dakota, 31-28 | Oct. 30 at No. 24 Northern Iowa |
| 5 | Villanova | 5-1 | 581 | 5 | D. Albany, 17-10 | Oct. 23 vs. No. 19 Rhode Island |
| 6 | James Madison | 5-1 | 561 | 7 | D. Richmond, 19-3 | Oct. 23 at No. 25 Delaware |
| 7 | South Dakota St. | 5-1 | 543 | 8 | D. Western Illinois, 41-17 | Oct. 23 vs. No. 24 Northern Iowa |
| 8 | Montana St. | 6-1 | 509 | 9 | D. No. 18 Weber St., 13-7 | Oct. 23 vs. Idaho St. |
| 9 | Southeastern Louisiana | 5-1 | 453 | 11 | D. Houston Baptist, 61-24 | Oct. 23 at Northwestern St. |
| 10 | UC Davis | 6-1 | 419 | 12 | D. Northern Colorado, 32-3 | Oct. 23 at Cal Poly |
| 11 | Kennesaw St. | 5-1 | 409 | 13 | D. North Carolina A&T, 14-0 | Oct. 23 at Campbell |
| 12 | Montana | 4-2 | 376 | 6 | Lost to Sacramento St., 28-21 | Oct. 23 at Idaho |
| 13 | UT Martin | 5-1 | 347 | 16 | D. Eastern Illinois, 28-17 | Oct. 23 vs. Southeast Missouri |
| 14 | East Tennessee St. | 6-1 | 312 | 10 | Lost to Chattanooga, 21-16 | Oct. 23 at Furman |
| 15 | South Dakota | 5-2 | 268 | 21 | D. No. 17 Northern Iowa, 34-21 | Oct. 23 vs. Illinois St. |
| 16 | Harvard | 5-0 | 246 | 19 | D. Lafayette, 30-3 | Oct. 23 at No. 17 Princeton |
| 17 | Princeton | 5-0 | 193 | 20 | D. Brown, 56-42 | Oct. 23 vs. No. 16 Harvard |
| 18 | Missouri St. | 4-2 | 184 | 23 | D. Indiana St., 37-7 | Oct. 23 at No. 3 North Dakota St. |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 5-1 | 169 | 14 | Lost to Towson, 28-7 | Oct. 23 at No. 5 Villanova |
| 20 | Jackson St. | 5-1 | 151 | 25 | D. Alabama St., 28-7 | Oct. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman |
| 21 | Jacksonville St. | 3-3 | 111 | 22 | Idle | Oct. 23 at No. 1 Sam Houston |
| 22 | Eastern Kentucky | 5-2 | 93 | NR | D. Central Arkansas, 38-35 | Oct. 30 vs. Lamar |
| 23 | VMI | 5-2 | 89 | NR | D. Mercer, 45-7 | Oct. 30 vs. Samford |
| 24 | Northern Iowa | 3-3 | 85 | 17 | Lost to No. 21 South Dakota, 34-21 | Oct. 23 at No. 7 South Dakota St. |
| 25 | Delaware | 3-3 | 71 | 15 | Lost to Stony Brook, 34-17 | Oct. 23 vs. No. 6 James Madison |
Dropped Out: Weber St. (18), North Dakota (24)
Others Receiving Votes: UIW, 70; Dartmouth, 67; North Dakota, 34; Chattanooga, 33; Weber St., 28; Monmouth (N.J.), 19; Florida A&M, 15; Duquesne, 13; Sacramento St., 10; Holy Cross, 9; Furman, 8; Mercer, 6; New Hampshire, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 6; Yale, 6; Prairie View A&M, 2; Towson, 2; Elon, 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.
