[FCS POLL] No. 5 Sam Houston Holds On For Close Win Over Northwestern State
April 6, 2021
Sam Houston recovered three fumbles and held Northwestern State to 31 yards rushing to hold on for a 24-16 win. The victory keeps the Bearkats at No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Spring Top 25 Poll and undefeated at 4-0 on the season. Sam Houston plays host to McNeese this coming Saturday with just two games left in the spring regular season.
RELATED CONTENT: Weber State Completes Hail Mary To Stay At No. 2 In AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25
James Madison still sits No. 1, but had their Top 25 matchup with Richmond postponed. The Dukes will face Elon on April 10.
There are four Top 25 matchups this coming weekend and two of them are for first place in their respective conference races. The first has No. 3 North Dakota State traveling to No. 20 Northern Iowa. The second is for first place in the Big South Conference as No. 7 Kennesaw State travels to No. 22 Monmouth (N.J.). Both teams sit 2-0 with this being Kennesaw’s last conference game while Monmouth still has one more on April 17. The third matchup has No. 10 Jacksonville State traveling to No. 16 Murray State with first place on the line for the Ohio Valley Conference. Both teams are tied atop the standings with 5-1 conference marks. The final matchup has No. 17 Nicholls playing host to No 18 Southeastern Louisiana.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Spring Top 25 Poll – April 6, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. April 1-3 Next Game
1 James Madison (21) 4-0 573 1 April 3 at No. 15 Richmond, postponed April 10 vs. Elon
2 Weber St. (1) 4-0 534 2 D. Southern Utah, 19-16 April 10 vs. Idaho St.
3 North Dakota St. (1) 5-1 516 3 Idle April 10 at No. 21 Northern Iowa
4 South Dakota St. 4-1 506 4 Idle April 10 vs. South Dakota
5 Sam Houston 4-0 486 5 D. Northwestern St., 24-16 April 10 vs. McNeese
6 North Dakota 4-1 464 6 April 3 vs. No. 23 Missouri St., cancelled April 17 at Youngstown St.
7 Kennesaw St. 4-0 431 7 D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 35-0 April 10 at No. 22 Monmouth (N.J.)
8 Delaware 3-0 412 8 April 3 vs. Albany, cancelled April 10 at Delaware St.
9 Eastern Washington 4-1 401 9 D. No. 14 UC Davis, 32-22 April 10 vs. Idaho
10 Jacksonville St. 8-2 360 12 D. Eastern Illinois, 44-23 April 11 at No. 16 Murray St.
11 Villanova 2-1 319 16 D. Maine, 44-17 April 17 vs. No. 8 Delaware
12 Richmond 3-0 318 15 April 3 vs. No. 1 James Madison, postponed April 10 at William & Mary
13 VMI 5-1 252 10 Lost to East Tennessee St., 24-20 April 17 vs. The Citadel
14 UIW 3-1 207 18 Idle April 10 vs. Northwestern St.
15 UC Davis 3-2 204 14 Lost to No. 9 Eastern Washington, 32-22 Regular Season Complete
16 Murray St. 5-1 190 13 Lost to Austin Peay, 34-31 April 11 vs. No. 10 Jacksonville St.
17 Nicholls 4-2 184 11 Lost to McNeese, 43-31 April 10 vs. No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana
18 Southern Illinois 4-3 158 19 Idle April 10 vs. Western Illinois
19 Southeastern Louisiana 3-2 157 22 D. Lamar, 42-12 April 10 at No. 17 Nicholls
20 East Tennessee St. 4-1 131 NR D. No. 10 VMI, 24-20 April 10 at Mercer
21 Northern Iowa 3-3 129 20 April 2 at South Dakota, cancelled April 10 vs. No. 3 North Dakota St.
22 Monmouth (N.J.) 2-0 115 NR D. Gardner-Webb, 48-19 April 10 vs. No. 7 Kennesaw St.
23 Missouri St. 4-4 98 23 April 3 at No. 6 North Dakota, cancelled April 10 vs. Youngstown St.
24 Rhode Island 2-1 90 24 April 3 vs. New Hampshire, postponed April 10 vs. Maine
25 Southern 4-1 73 NR D. Jackson St., 34-14 April 17 vs. Grambling St.
Dropped Out: Furman (17), Tarleton St. (21), San Diego (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Duquesne, 47; Furman, 29; Austin Peay, 14; Idaho, 14; Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 12; Mercer, 10; Alabama A&M, 9; South Carolina St., 8; Charleston Southern, 5; Tarleton St., 5; Delaware St., 4; Davidson, 3; Gardner-Webb, 3; Fordham, 1; Holy Cross, 1; Jackson St., 1; Maine, 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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Sam Houston recovered three fumbles and held Northwestern State to 31 yards rushing to hold on for a 24-16 win. The victory keeps the Bearkats at No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Spring Top 25 Poll and undefeated at 4-0 on the season. Sam Houston plays host to McNeese this coming Saturday with just two games left in the spring regular season.
RELATED CONTENT: Weber State Completes Hail Mary To Stay At No. 2 In AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25
James Madison still sits No. 1, but had their Top 25 matchup with Richmond postponed. The Dukes will face Elon on April 10.
There are four Top 25 matchups this coming weekend and two of them are for first place in their respective conference races. The first has No. 3 North Dakota State traveling to No. 20 Northern Iowa. The second is for first place in the Big South Conference as No. 7 Kennesaw State travels to No. 22 Monmouth (N.J.). Both teams sit 2-0 with this being Kennesaw’s last conference game while Monmouth still has one more on April 17. The third matchup has No. 10 Jacksonville State traveling to No. 16 Murray State with first place on the line for the Ohio Valley Conference. Both teams are tied atop the standings with 5-1 conference marks. The final matchup has No. 17 Nicholls playing host to No 18 Southeastern Louisiana.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Spring Top 25 Poll – April 6, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | April 1-3 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Madison (21) | 4-0 | 573 | 1 | April 3 at No. 15 Richmond, postponed | April 10 vs. Elon |
| 2 | Weber St. (1) | 4-0 | 534 | 2 | D. Southern Utah, 19-16 | April 10 vs. Idaho St. |
| 3 | North Dakota St. (1) | 5-1 | 516 | 3 | Idle | April 10 at No. 21 Northern Iowa |
| 4 | South Dakota St. | 4-1 | 506 | 4 | Idle | April 10 vs. South Dakota |
| 5 | Sam Houston | 4-0 | 486 | 5 | D. Northwestern St., 24-16 | April 10 vs. McNeese |
| 6 | North Dakota | 4-1 | 464 | 6 | April 3 vs. No. 23 Missouri St., cancelled | April 17 at Youngstown St. |
| 7 | Kennesaw St. | 4-0 | 431 | 7 | D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 35-0 | April 10 at No. 22 Monmouth (N.J.) |
| 8 | Delaware | 3-0 | 412 | 8 | April 3 vs. Albany, cancelled | April 10 at Delaware St. |
| 9 | Eastern Washington | 4-1 | 401 | 9 | D. No. 14 UC Davis, 32-22 | April 10 vs. Idaho |
| 10 | Jacksonville St. | 8-2 | 360 | 12 | D. Eastern Illinois, 44-23 | April 11 at No. 16 Murray St. |
| 11 | Villanova | 2-1 | 319 | 16 | D. Maine, 44-17 | April 17 vs. No. 8 Delaware |
| 12 | Richmond | 3-0 | 318 | 15 | April 3 vs. No. 1 James Madison, postponed | April 10 at William & Mary |
| 13 | VMI | 5-1 | 252 | 10 | Lost to East Tennessee St., 24-20 | April 17 vs. The Citadel |
| 14 | UIW | 3-1 | 207 | 18 | Idle | April 10 vs. Northwestern St. |
| 15 | UC Davis | 3-2 | 204 | 14 | Lost to No. 9 Eastern Washington, 32-22 | Regular Season Complete |
| 16 | Murray St. | 5-1 | 190 | 13 | Lost to Austin Peay, 34-31 | April 11 vs. No. 10 Jacksonville St. |
| 17 | Nicholls | 4-2 | 184 | 11 | Lost to McNeese, 43-31 | April 10 vs. No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana |
| 18 | Southern Illinois | 4-3 | 158 | 19 | Idle | April 10 vs. Western Illinois |
| 19 | Southeastern Louisiana | 3-2 | 157 | 22 | D. Lamar, 42-12 | April 10 at No. 17 Nicholls |
| 20 | East Tennessee St. | 4-1 | 131 | NR | D. No. 10 VMI, 24-20 | April 10 at Mercer |
| 21 | Northern Iowa | 3-3 | 129 | 20 | April 2 at South Dakota, cancelled | April 10 vs. No. 3 North Dakota St. |
| 22 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 2-0 | 115 | NR | D. Gardner-Webb, 48-19 | April 10 vs. No. 7 Kennesaw St. |
| 23 | Missouri St. | 4-4 | 98 | 23 | April 3 at No. 6 North Dakota, cancelled | April 10 vs. Youngstown St. |
| 24 | Rhode Island | 2-1 | 90 | 24 | April 3 vs. New Hampshire, postponed | April 10 vs. Maine |
| 25 | Southern | 4-1 | 73 | NR | D. Jackson St., 34-14 | April 17 vs. Grambling St. |
Dropped Out: Furman (17), Tarleton St. (21), San Diego (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Duquesne, 47; Furman, 29; Austin Peay, 14; Idaho, 14; Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 12; Mercer, 10; Alabama A&M, 9; South Carolina St., 8; Charleston Southern, 5; Tarleton St., 5; Delaware St., 4; Davidson, 3; Gardner-Webb, 3; Fordham, 1; Holy Cross, 1; Jackson St., 1; Maine, 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.
