[FCS Poll] Mercer Enters AFCA Top 25 After Big Win
November 15, 2021
Mercer finally found its way into the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll after upsetting then-No. 19 Chattanooga, 10-6. The Bears forced six turnovers and used a stout defense to hang on for the win. Mercer comes in at No. 23 and gets to test their new ranking as they travel to No. 10 East Tennessee State for the regular season finale. The winner will take home the Southern Conference title.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Montana State Records Epic Win to Take Control of the Big Sky
The top-three spots are still the same with Sam Houston continuing to lead the way after beating then-No. 25 Eastern Kentucky, 42-28. North Dakota State moves into the fourth spot after UC Davis lost to Eastern Washington, 38-20. The Aggies fell to No. 11 while EWU moved up two places to No. 6. Kennesaw State rounds out the top-five and will face No. 24 Monmouth (N.J.) for the Big South Conference title.
Stephen F. Austin and Florida A&M join Mercer as newcomers to the poll. The Lumberjacks come in at No. 22 and are 7-3 on the season after beating Central Arkansas, 27-14. SFA will travel to Lamar to end the regular season. Florida A&M jumps into the poll at No. 25. The Rattlers are 8-2 after a dominating, 37-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They will end the regular season against Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – November 15, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 11 Next Game
1 Sam Houston (27) 9-0 698 1 D. No. 25 Eastern Kentucky, 42-28 Nov. 20 at Abilene Christian
2 James Madison 9-1 665 2 D. William & Mary, 32-22 Nov. 20 vs. Towson
3 Montana St. (1) 9-1 644 3 D. Idaho, 20-13 Nov. 20 at No. 7 Montana
4 North Dakota St. 9-1 575 6 D. Youngstown St., 49-17 Nov. 20 vs. No. 16 South Dakota
5 Kennesaw St. 9-1 563 5 D. North Alabama, 28-24 Nov. 20 vs. No. 24 Monmouth (N.J.)
6 Eastern Washington 8-2 559 8 D. No. 4 UC Davis, 38-20 Nov. 20 at Portland St.
7 Montana 8-2 510 9 D. Northern Arizona, 30-3 Nov. 20 vs. No. 3 Montana St.
8 UT Martin 9-1 486 10 D. Tennessee Tech, 42-3 Nov. 20 at Southeast Missouri
9 Villanova 8-2 465 11 D. Stony Brook, 33-14 Nov. 20 at Delaware
10 East Tennessee St. 9-1 444 12 D. Western Carolina, 56-35 Nov. 20 vs. No. 23 Mercer
11 UC Davis 8-2 413 4 Lost to No. 8 Eastern Washington, 38-20 Nov. 20 vs. No. 18 Sacramento St.
12 Southeastern Louisiana 8-2 381 13 D. Northwestern St., 56-28 Nov. 20 vs. Nicholls
13 South Dakota St. 7-3 352 7 Lost to No. 17 South Dakota, 23-20 Nov. 20 vs. North Dakota
14 Missouri St. 7-3 326 14 D. No. 24 Northern Iowa, 34-27 Nov. 20 at Dixie St.
15 Southern Illinois 7-3 294 16 D. Indiana St., 47-21 Nov. 20 vs. Youngstown St.
16 South Dakota 7-3 278 17 D. No. 7 South Dakota St., 23-20 Nov. 20 at No. 4 North Dakota St.
17 Jackson St. 9-1 277 15 D. Southern, 21-17 Nov. 20 vs. Alcorn St.
18 Sacramento St. 8-2 246 18 D. Portland St., 49-20 Nov. 20 at No. 11 UC Davis
19 UIW 8-2 187 21 D. Nicholls, 27-23 Nov. 20 at Houston Baptist
20 Princeton 8-1 147 22 D. Yale, 35-20 Nov. 20 at Penn
21 Dartmouth 8-1 136 23 D. Cornell, 41-7 Nov. 20 at Brown
22 Stephen F. Austin 7-3 99 NR D. Central Arkansas, 27-14 Nov. 20 at Lamar
23 Mercer 7-2 88 NR D. No. 19 Chattanooga, 10-6 Nov. 20 at No. 10 East Tennessee St.
24 Monmouth (N.J.) 7-3 86 NR D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 44-7 Nov. 20 at No. 5 Kennesaw St.
25 Florida A&M 8-2 53 NR D. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 37-7 Nov. 20 vs. Bethune-Cookman
Dropped Out: Chattanooga (19), VMI (20), Northern Iowa (24), Eastern Kentucky (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Holy Cross, 35; Rhode Island, 33; Chattanooga, 18; Eastern Kentucky, 17; Northern Iowa, 5; VMI, 4; Weber St., 4; Central Arkansas, 3; William & Mary, 3; Jacksonville St., 2; Maine, 2; Harvard, 1; Sacred Heart, 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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Mercer finally found its way into the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll after upsetting then-No. 19 Chattanooga, 10-6. The Bears forced six turnovers and used a stout defense to hang on for the win. Mercer comes in at No. 23 and gets to test their new ranking as they travel to No. 10 East Tennessee State for the regular season finale. The winner will take home the Southern Conference title.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Montana State Records Epic Win to Take Control of the Big Sky
The top-three spots are still the same with Sam Houston continuing to lead the way after beating then-No. 25 Eastern Kentucky, 42-28. North Dakota State moves into the fourth spot after UC Davis lost to Eastern Washington, 38-20. The Aggies fell to No. 11 while EWU moved up two places to No. 6. Kennesaw State rounds out the top-five and will face No. 24 Monmouth (N.J.) for the Big South Conference title.
Stephen F. Austin and Florida A&M join Mercer as newcomers to the poll. The Lumberjacks come in at No. 22 and are 7-3 on the season after beating Central Arkansas, 27-14. SFA will travel to Lamar to end the regular season. Florida A&M jumps into the poll at No. 25. The Rattlers are 8-2 after a dominating, 37-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They will end the regular season against Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – November 15, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 11 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (27) | 9-0 | 698 | 1 | D. No. 25 Eastern Kentucky, 42-28 | Nov. 20 at Abilene Christian |
| 2 | James Madison | 9-1 | 665 | 2 | D. William & Mary, 32-22 | Nov. 20 vs. Towson |
| 3 | Montana St. (1) | 9-1 | 644 | 3 | D. Idaho, 20-13 | Nov. 20 at No. 7 Montana |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 9-1 | 575 | 6 | D. Youngstown St., 49-17 | Nov. 20 vs. No. 16 South Dakota |
| 5 | Kennesaw St. | 9-1 | 563 | 5 | D. North Alabama, 28-24 | Nov. 20 vs. No. 24 Monmouth (N.J.) |
| 6 | Eastern Washington | 8-2 | 559 | 8 | D. No. 4 UC Davis, 38-20 | Nov. 20 at Portland St. |
| 7 | Montana | 8-2 | 510 | 9 | D. Northern Arizona, 30-3 | Nov. 20 vs. No. 3 Montana St. |
| 8 | UT Martin | 9-1 | 486 | 10 | D. Tennessee Tech, 42-3 | Nov. 20 at Southeast Missouri |
| 9 | Villanova | 8-2 | 465 | 11 | D. Stony Brook, 33-14 | Nov. 20 at Delaware |
| 10 | East Tennessee St. | 9-1 | 444 | 12 | D. Western Carolina, 56-35 | Nov. 20 vs. No. 23 Mercer |
| 11 | UC Davis | 8-2 | 413 | 4 | Lost to No. 8 Eastern Washington, 38-20 | Nov. 20 vs. No. 18 Sacramento St. |
| 12 | Southeastern Louisiana | 8-2 | 381 | 13 | D. Northwestern St., 56-28 | Nov. 20 vs. Nicholls |
| 13 | South Dakota St. | 7-3 | 352 | 7 | Lost to No. 17 South Dakota, 23-20 | Nov. 20 vs. North Dakota |
| 14 | Missouri St. | 7-3 | 326 | 14 | D. No. 24 Northern Iowa, 34-27 | Nov. 20 at Dixie St. |
| 15 | Southern Illinois | 7-3 | 294 | 16 | D. Indiana St., 47-21 | Nov. 20 vs. Youngstown St. |
| 16 | South Dakota | 7-3 | 278 | 17 | D. No. 7 South Dakota St., 23-20 | Nov. 20 at No. 4 North Dakota St. |
| 17 | Jackson St. | 9-1 | 277 | 15 | D. Southern, 21-17 | Nov. 20 vs. Alcorn St. |
| 18 | Sacramento St. | 8-2 | 246 | 18 | D. Portland St., 49-20 | Nov. 20 at No. 11 UC Davis |
| 19 | UIW | 8-2 | 187 | 21 | D. Nicholls, 27-23 | Nov. 20 at Houston Baptist |
| 20 | Princeton | 8-1 | 147 | 22 | D. Yale, 35-20 | Nov. 20 at Penn |
| 21 | Dartmouth | 8-1 | 136 | 23 | D. Cornell, 41-7 | Nov. 20 at Brown |
| 22 | Stephen F. Austin | 7-3 | 99 | NR | D. Central Arkansas, 27-14 | Nov. 20 at Lamar |
| 23 | Mercer | 7-2 | 88 | NR | D. No. 19 Chattanooga, 10-6 | Nov. 20 at No. 10 East Tennessee St. |
| 24 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 7-3 | 86 | NR | D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 44-7 | Nov. 20 at No. 5 Kennesaw St. |
| 25 | Florida A&M | 8-2 | 53 | NR | D. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 37-7 | Nov. 20 vs. Bethune-Cookman |
Dropped Out: Chattanooga (19), VMI (20), Northern Iowa (24), Eastern Kentucky (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Holy Cross, 35; Rhode Island, 33; Chattanooga, 18; Eastern Kentucky, 17; Northern Iowa, 5; VMI, 4; Weber St., 4; Central Arkansas, 3; William & Mary, 3; Jacksonville St., 2; Maine, 2; Harvard, 1; Sacred Heart, 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.
