Lamar’s defense tames Southeastern Louisiana
November 10, 2025
In a tightly contested game, it was Lamar’s defense who rose to the top. The Cardinals held the Southeastern Louisiana offense to just 56 yards passing on five completed passes and didn’t allow them to score their first touchdown until the 7:23 mark in the fourth quarter. Lamar won a close game, 14-12, and moved up four spots to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Lions dropped seven spots to No. 21.
North Dakota State still sits No. 1, but they had to work to get to 10-0 against North Dakota, winning a close one 15-10. Montana, Montana State and Lehigh remain two through four, but Tarleton State moves into the fifth spot. Tennessee Tech dropped a spot to No. 6 despite beating Eastern Illinois, 21-9, but they got that place because Monmouth (N.J.) lost to New Hampshire, 34-13, and fell from No. 6 to No. 12.
Presbyterian and Western Carolina both lost close games and dropped out of the top 25 making room for West Georgia and Lafayette. No. 24 West Georgia re-enters after a three-week layoff while No. 25 Lafayette, who is 7-3, enters for the first time this season.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 11 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (23) 10-0 599 1 D. No. 15 North Dakota, 15-10 Nov. 15 vs. Northern Iowa
2 Montana (1) 10-0 573 2 D. Eastern Washington, 29-24 Nov. 15 at Portland St.
3 Montana St. 8-2 527 3 D. Weber St., 66-14 Nov. 15 vs. No. 10 UC Davis
4 Lehigh 10-0 514 4 D. Holy Cross, 38-3 Nov. 15 at Colgate
5 Tarleton St. 9-1 480 7 Idle Nov. 15 vs. North Alabama
6 Tennessee Tech 10-0 473 5 D. Eastern Illinois, 21-9 Nov. 15 at Kentucky
7 Villanova 7-2 441 8 D. Towson, 28-10 Nov. 15 vs. Stony Brook
8 Mercer 8-1 423 10t D. No. 24 Western Carolina, 49-47 Nov. 15 vs. Chattanooga
9 Rhode Island 8-2 379 10t D. Elon, 34-20 Nov. 15 at Maine
10 UC Davis 7-2 367 12 D. Idaho, 28-14 Nov. 15 at No. 3 Montana St.
11 Harvard 8-0 309 13 D. Columbia, 31-14 Nov. 15 vs. Penn
12 Monmouth (N.J.) 8-2 293 6 Lost to New Hampshire, 34-13 Nov. 15 at North Carolina A&T
13 Illinois St. 7-3 289 17 D. Indiana St., 52-20 Nov. 15 at No. 15 South Dakota St.
14 Lamar 8-2 280 18 D. No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana, 14-12 Nov. 15 at No. 17 Stephen F. Austin
15 South Dakota St. 7-3 249 9 Lost to No. 25 South Dakota, 24-17 Nov. 15 vs. No. 13 Illinois St.
16 Jackson St. 7-2 213 19 D. Mississippi Valley St., 42-3 Nov. 15 vs. Bethune-Cookman
17 Stephen F. Austin 8-2 205 21 D. HCU, 50-3 Nov. 15 vs. No. 14 Lamar
18 North Dakota 6-4 199 15 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 15-10 Nov. 15 at Murray St.
19 Youngstown St. 6-4 178 22 D. No. 16 Southern Illinois, 48-38 Nov. 15 at Indiana St.
20 ACU 6-4 176 20 D. Utah Tech, 31-10 Nov. 15 at Eastern Kentucky
21 Southeastern Louisiana 7-3 163 14 Lost to No. 18 Lamar, 14-12 Nov. 15 at UIW
22 South Dakota 7-4 145 25 D. No. 9 South Dakota St., 24-17 Nov. 15 at No. 23 Southern Illinois
23 Southern Illinois 6-4 78 16 Lost to No. 22 Youngstown St., 48-38 Nov. 15 vs. No. 22 South Dakota
24 West Georgia 7-3 53 NR D. North Alabama, 24-17 Nov. 15 vs. Utah Tech
25 Lafayette 7-3 46 NR D. Colgate, 59-42 Nov. 15 at Richmond
Dropped Out: Presbyterian (23), Western Carolina (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Western Carolina, 33; Alabama St., 26; Yale, 18; Dartmouth, 11; Gardner-Webb, 11; Sacramento St., 11; Presbyterian, 9; UT Rio Grande Valley, 9; Northern Arizona, 8; Austin Peay, 4; Central Connecticut St., 3; New Hampshire, 2; South Carolina St., 2; North Carolina Central, 1.
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In a tightly contested game, it was Lamar’s defense who rose to the top. The Cardinals held the Southeastern Louisiana offense to just 56 yards passing on five completed passes and didn’t allow them to score their first touchdown until the 7:23 mark in the fourth quarter. Lamar won a close game, 14-12, and moved up four spots to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Lions dropped seven spots to No. 21.
North Dakota State still sits No. 1, but they had to work to get to 10-0 against North Dakota, winning a close one 15-10. Montana, Montana State and Lehigh remain two through four, but Tarleton State moves into the fifth spot. Tennessee Tech dropped a spot to No. 6 despite beating Eastern Illinois, 21-9, but they got that place because Monmouth (N.J.) lost to New Hampshire, 34-13, and fell from No. 6 to No. 12.
Presbyterian and Western Carolina both lost close games and dropped out of the top 25 making room for West Georgia and Lafayette. No. 24 West Georgia re-enters after a three-week layoff while No. 25 Lafayette, who is 7-3, enters for the first time this season.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 11 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (23) | 10-0 | 599 | 1 | D. No. 15 North Dakota, 15-10 | Nov. 15 vs. Northern Iowa | |
| 2 | Montana (1) | 10-0 | 573 | 2 | D. Eastern Washington, 29-24 | Nov. 15 at Portland St. | |
| 3 | Montana St. | 8-2 | 527 | 3 | D. Weber St., 66-14 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 10 UC Davis | |
| 4 | Lehigh | 10-0 | 514 | 4 | D. Holy Cross, 38-3 | Nov. 15 at Colgate | |
| 5 | Tarleton St. | 9-1 | 480 | 7 | Idle | Nov. 15 vs. North Alabama | |
| 6 | Tennessee Tech | 10-0 | 473 | 5 | D. Eastern Illinois, 21-9 | Nov. 15 at Kentucky | |
| 7 | Villanova | 7-2 | 441 | 8 | D. Towson, 28-10 | Nov. 15 vs. Stony Brook | |
| 8 | Mercer | 8-1 | 423 | 10t | D. No. 24 Western Carolina, 49-47 | Nov. 15 vs. Chattanooga | |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 8-2 | 379 | 10t | D. Elon, 34-20 | Nov. 15 at Maine | |
| 10 | UC Davis | 7-2 | 367 | 12 | D. Idaho, 28-14 | Nov. 15 at No. 3 Montana St. | |
| 11 | Harvard | 8-0 | 309 | 13 | D. Columbia, 31-14 | Nov. 15 vs. Penn | |
| 12 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 8-2 | 293 | 6 | Lost to New Hampshire, 34-13 | Nov. 15 at North Carolina A&T | |
| 13 | Illinois St. | 7-3 | 289 | 17 | D. Indiana St., 52-20 | Nov. 15 at No. 15 South Dakota St. | |
| 14 | Lamar | 8-2 | 280 | 18 | D. No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana, 14-12 | Nov. 15 at No. 17 Stephen F. Austin | |
| 15 | South Dakota St. | 7-3 | 249 | 9 | Lost to No. 25 South Dakota, 24-17 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 13 Illinois St. | |
| 16 | Jackson St. | 7-2 | 213 | 19 | D. Mississippi Valley St., 42-3 | Nov. 15 vs. Bethune-Cookman | |
| 17 | Stephen F. Austin | 8-2 | 205 | 21 | D. HCU, 50-3 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 14 Lamar | |
| 18 | North Dakota | 6-4 | 199 | 15 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 15-10 | Nov. 15 at Murray St. | |
| 19 | Youngstown St. | 6-4 | 178 | 22 | D. No. 16 Southern Illinois, 48-38 | Nov. 15 at Indiana St. | |
| 20 | ACU | 6-4 | 176 | 20 | D. Utah Tech, 31-10 | Nov. 15 at Eastern Kentucky | |
| 21 | Southeastern Louisiana | 7-3 | 163 | 14 | Lost to No. 18 Lamar, 14-12 | Nov. 15 at UIW | |
| 22 | South Dakota | 7-4 | 145 | 25 | D. No. 9 South Dakota St., 24-17 | Nov. 15 at No. 23 Southern Illinois | |
| 23 | Southern Illinois | 6-4 | 78 | 16 | Lost to No. 22 Youngstown St., 48-38 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 22 South Dakota | |
| 24 | West Georgia | 7-3 | 53 | NR | D. North Alabama, 24-17 | Nov. 15 vs. Utah Tech | |
| 25 | Lafayette | 7-3 | 46 | NR | D. Colgate, 59-42 | Nov. 15 at Richmond | |
Dropped Out: Presbyterian (23), Western Carolina (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Western Carolina, 33; Alabama St., 26; Yale, 18; Dartmouth, 11; Gardner-Webb, 11; Sacramento St., 11; Presbyterian, 9; UT Rio Grande Valley, 9; Northern Arizona, 8; Austin Peay, 4; Central Connecticut St., 3; New Hampshire, 2; South Carolina St., 2; North Carolina Central, 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.
