[FCS POLL] James Madison No. 1 In First 2021 Spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
March 16, 2021
James Madison starts at No. 1 in the first spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of 2021. The Dukes are 3-0 on the season and had their game against William & Mary postponed this past Saturday because of CoVID-19 protocols. JMU will face No. 22 Richmond this coming weekend. Following the Dukes at No. 2 is North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks are 4-0 after taking down Western Illinois, 38-21. North Dakota will face in-state rival and No. 4-ranked North Dakota State in Fargo this week.
RELATED ARTICLE: [NAIA POLL] 2019 National Champion Morningside Begins 2020-21 At No. 1 In The AFCA NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
Sandwiched between the two North Dakota schools is No. 3 Weber State. The Wildcats had to come from behind to beat UC Davis, 18-13, and move its record to 2-0. Rounding out the Top 5 is No. 5 Southern Illinois. The Salukis had to come back from 13-0 halftime deficit to edge Northern Iowa, 17-16. SIU doesn’t have long to savor the victory as they face No. 7 South Dakota State on Saturday.
This coming weekend has several more Top 25 matchups as No. 10 Delaware travels to No. 23 New Hampshire while No. 11 Furman will play host to No. 12t Chattanooga. In the Southland Conference, No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana will travel to No. 20 UIW.
2021 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – March 16, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. March 13-14 Next Game
1 James Madison (14) 3-0 486 -- vs. William & Mary, postponed March 20 vs. No. 22 Richmond
2 North Dakota (5) 4-0 476 -- D. Western Illinois, 38-21 March 20 at No. 4 North Dakota St.
3 Weber St. (1) 2-0 474 -- D. UC Davis, 18-13 March 27 vs. Northern Arizona
4 North Dakota St. 4-1 403 -- D. Illinois St., 21-13 March 20 vs. No. 2 North Dakota
5 Southern Illinois 4-1 376 -- D. Northern Iowa, 17-16 March 20 vs. No. 7 South Dakota St.
6 Sam Houston St. 2-0 374 -- D. Nicholls, 71-17 March 20 at Lamar
7 South Dakota St. 3-1 370 -- D. Youngstown St., 19-17 March 20 at No. 5 Southern Illinois
8 Jacksonville St. 6-1 361 -- D. UT Martin, 37-20 March 21 vs. Southeast Missouri St.
9 Kennesaw St. 2-0 345 -- D. Charleston Southern, 24-19 March 20 vs. Dixie St.
10 Delaware 2-0 278 -- D. Stony Brook, 31-3 March 20 at No. 23 New Hampshire
11 Furman 3-1 268 -- D. East Tennessee St., 17-13 March 20 vs. No. 12t Chattanooga
12t. Chattanooga 2-1 249 -- Idle March 20 at No. 11 Furman
12t. Eastern Washington 2-1 249 -- D. Idaho St., 46-42 March 27 vs. Cal Poly
14t. Northern Iowa 2-2 205 -- Lost to Southern Illinois, 17-16 March 20 vs. Missouri St.
14t. Villanova 1-1 205 -- Lost to Rhode Island, 40-37 OT March 27 vs. No. 23 New Hampshire
16 Nicholls 3-1 197 -- Lost to Sam Houston St., 71-17 March 27 vs. No. 20 UIW
17 Southeastern Louisiana 2-1 171 -- D. Northwestern St., 27-24 March 20 at No. 20 UIW
18 VMI 3-0 152 -- D. Mercer, 41-14 March 20 at Samford
19 Albany 1-1 115 -- Lost to Maine, 38-34 March 20 vs. Rhode Island
20 UIW 2-0 104 -- Idle March 20 vs. No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana
21 Jackson St. 3-0 102 -- D. Mississippi Valley St., 43-7 March 20 at Alabama St.
22 Richmond 2-0 85 -- D. Elon, 38-14 March 20 at No. 1 James Madison
23 New Hampshire 0-1 79 -- Idle March 20 vs. No. 10 Delaware
24 Murray St. 3-0 74 -- D. Tennessee Tech, 36-31 March 21 vs. Tennessee St.
25 UC Davis 1-1 69 -- Lost to Weber St., 18-13 March 20 vs. Cal Poly
Dropped Out: N/A
Others Receiving Votes: Monmouth (N.J.), 52; Rhode Island, 34; Southern, 21; Gardner-Webb, 16; San Diego, 12; Tarleton St., 12; Illinois St., 11; Maine, 9; Idaho, 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Duquesne, 6; Missouri St., 5; Alabama A&M, 4; Samford, 4; South Dakota, 4; Austin Peay, 3; Holy Cross, 2; Prairie View A&M, 2; Wofford, 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.
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James Madison starts at No. 1 in the first spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of 2021. The Dukes are 3-0 on the season and had their game against William & Mary postponed this past Saturday because of CoVID-19 protocols. JMU will face No. 22 Richmond this coming weekend. Following the Dukes at No. 2 is North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks are 4-0 after taking down Western Illinois, 38-21. North Dakota will face in-state rival and No. 4-ranked North Dakota State in Fargo this week.
RELATED ARTICLE: [NAIA POLL] 2019 National Champion Morningside Begins 2020-21 At No. 1 In The AFCA NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
Sandwiched between the two North Dakota schools is No. 3 Weber State. The Wildcats had to come from behind to beat UC Davis, 18-13, and move its record to 2-0. Rounding out the Top 5 is No. 5 Southern Illinois. The Salukis had to come back from 13-0 halftime deficit to edge Northern Iowa, 17-16. SIU doesn’t have long to savor the victory as they face No. 7 South Dakota State on Saturday.
This coming weekend has several more Top 25 matchups as No. 10 Delaware travels to No. 23 New Hampshire while No. 11 Furman will play host to No. 12t Chattanooga. In the Southland Conference, No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana will travel to No. 20 UIW.
2021 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – March 16, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | March 13-14 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Madison (14) | 3-0 | 486 | -- | vs. William & Mary, postponed | March 20 vs. No. 22 Richmond |
| 2 | North Dakota (5) | 4-0 | 476 | -- | D. Western Illinois, 38-21 | March 20 at No. 4 North Dakota St. |
| 3 | Weber St. (1) | 2-0 | 474 | -- | D. UC Davis, 18-13 | March 27 vs. Northern Arizona |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 4-1 | 403 | -- | D. Illinois St., 21-13 | March 20 vs. No. 2 North Dakota |
| 5 | Southern Illinois | 4-1 | 376 | -- | D. Northern Iowa, 17-16 | March 20 vs. No. 7 South Dakota St. |
| 6 | Sam Houston St. | 2-0 | 374 | -- | D. Nicholls, 71-17 | March 20 at Lamar |
| 7 | South Dakota St. | 3-1 | 370 | -- | D. Youngstown St., 19-17 | March 20 at No. 5 Southern Illinois |
| 8 | Jacksonville St. | 6-1 | 361 | -- | D. UT Martin, 37-20 | March 21 vs. Southeast Missouri St. |
| 9 | Kennesaw St. | 2-0 | 345 | -- | D. Charleston Southern, 24-19 | March 20 vs. Dixie St. |
| 10 | Delaware | 2-0 | 278 | -- | D. Stony Brook, 31-3 | March 20 at No. 23 New Hampshire |
| 11 | Furman | 3-1 | 268 | -- | D. East Tennessee St., 17-13 | March 20 vs. No. 12t Chattanooga |
| 12t. | Chattanooga | 2-1 | 249 | -- | Idle | March 20 at No. 11 Furman |
| 12t. | Eastern Washington | 2-1 | 249 | -- | D. Idaho St., 46-42 | March 27 vs. Cal Poly |
| 14t. | Northern Iowa | 2-2 | 205 | -- | Lost to Southern Illinois, 17-16 | March 20 vs. Missouri St. |
| 14t. | Villanova | 1-1 | 205 | -- | Lost to Rhode Island, 40-37 OT | March 27 vs. No. 23 New Hampshire |
| 16 | Nicholls | 3-1 | 197 | -- | Lost to Sam Houston St., 71-17 | March 27 vs. No. 20 UIW |
| 17 | Southeastern Louisiana | 2-1 | 171 | -- | D. Northwestern St., 27-24 | March 20 at No. 20 UIW |
| 18 | VMI | 3-0 | 152 | -- | D. Mercer, 41-14 | March 20 at Samford |
| 19 | Albany | 1-1 | 115 | -- | Lost to Maine, 38-34 | March 20 vs. Rhode Island |
| 20 | UIW | 2-0 | 104 | -- | Idle | March 20 vs. No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana |
| 21 | Jackson St. | 3-0 | 102 | -- | D. Mississippi Valley St., 43-7 | March 20 at Alabama St. |
| 22 | Richmond | 2-0 | 85 | -- | D. Elon, 38-14 | March 20 at No. 1 James Madison |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 0-1 | 79 | -- | Idle | March 20 vs. No. 10 Delaware |
| 24 | Murray St. | 3-0 | 74 | -- | D. Tennessee Tech, 36-31 | March 21 vs. Tennessee St. |
| 25 | UC Davis | 1-1 | 69 | -- | Lost to Weber St., 18-13 | March 20 vs. Cal Poly |
Dropped Out: N/A
Others Receiving Votes: Monmouth (N.J.), 52; Rhode Island, 34; Southern, 21; Gardner-Webb, 16; San Diego, 12; Tarleton St., 12; Illinois St., 11; Maine, 9; Idaho, 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Duquesne, 6; Missouri St., 5; Alabama A&M, 4; Samford, 4; South Dakota, 4; Austin Peay, 3; Holy Cross, 2; Prairie View A&M, 2; Wofford, 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.
