Lehigh Runs Past Penn
September 29, 2025
Using a dominant rushing attack which chewed up 300 yards of rushing and 36 minutes of play, Lehigh beat Penn, 44-30, moving their record to 5-0. This is the first time since 2012 that the Mountain Hawks have started the season 5-0. Lehigh wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel caught eight passes for 132 yards and one touchdown, but also rushed for a 20-yard touchdown on a fake field goa,l which gave the Mountain Hawks the lead for good in the third quarter. The win propelled Lehigh to No. 8 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl.
North Dakota State dominated then-No. 18 South Dakota, 51-13, and keeps their stranglehold on the No. 1 spot. South Dakota State was just as dominant, beating Mercyhurst 51-7, and remains at No. 2. No. 3 Tarleton State was idle as they prepare for Southern Utah on October 4. Montana opened Big Sky play with a signature, 41-30, victory over then-No. 10 Idaho. The Grizz still sit No. 4 while the Vandals drop to No. 15. Montana State destroyed Eastern Washington, 57-3, and replaces Illinois State, who was idle, at No. 5. The Redbirds don’t have time to worry about their ranking as they will host the No. 1 Bison on Saturday.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 5 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (25) 4-0 649 1 D. No. 18 South Dakota, 51-13 Oct. 4 at No. 6 Illinois St.
2 South Dakota St. (1) 4-0 623 2 D. Mercyhurst, 51-7 Oct. 4 at No. 18 Youngstown St.
3 Tarleton St. 5-0 595 3 Idle Oct. 4 vs. Southern Utah
4 Montana 4-0 566 4 D. No. 10 Idaho, 41-30 Oct. 4 at Idaho St.
5 Montana St. 3-2 529 6 D. Eastern Washington, 57-3 Oct. 4 at No. 13 Northern Arizona
6 Illinois St. 3-1 512 5 Idle Oct. 4 vs. No. 1 North Dakota St.
7 UC Davis 3-1 441 8 D. Weber St., 34-12 Oct. 4 at Cal Poly
8 Lehigh 5-0 430 9 D. Penn, 44-30 Oct. 4 vs. Yale
9 Tennessee Tech 4-0 426 11 D. Tennessee St., 35-8 Oct. 4 vs. Western Illinois
10 Rhode Island 4-1 406 7 Lost to Western Michigan, 47-14 Oct. 3 vs. Brown
11 Southern Illinois 3-1 376 12 Idle Oct. 4 vs. Indiana St.
12 Monmouth (N.J.) 3-1 322 14 Idle Oct. 4 vs. Delaware St.
13 Northern Arizona 4-1 301 15t D. Portland St., 31-17 Oct. 4 vs. No. 5 Montana St.
14 North Dakota 2-2 284 15t Idle Oct. 4 at Northern Iowa
15 Idaho 2-3 249 10 Lost to No. 4 Montana, 41-30 Oct. 11 vs. Northern Colorado
16 West Georgia 5-0 246 20 D. Southern Utah, 27-24 Oct. 4 at No. 21 Austin Peay
17 Jackson St. 3-1 224 17 D. Southern, 38-13 Oct. 4 vs. Alabama A&M
18 Youngstown St. 3-1 205 19 Idle Oct. 4 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St.
19 Villanova 2-2 150 22 D. William & Mary, 31-24 Oct. 4 at New Hampshire
20 UIW 2-3 132 24 D. No. 13 ACU, 38-7 Oct. 4 vs. Stephen F. Austin
21 Austin Peay 3-2 131 25 D. Utah Tech, 42-10 Oct. 4 vs. No. 16 West Georgia
22 Mercer 3-1 126 23 D. East Tennessee St., 38-34 Oct. 4 vs. Samford
23 ACU 2-3 111 13 Lost to No. 24 UIW, 38-7 Oct. 4 vs. North Alabama
24 Presbyterian 5-0 98 NR D. Morehead St., 41-0 Oct. 11 at Butler
25 Lamar 3-1 73 NR D. Central Arkansas, 35-32 Oct. 4 vs. Nicholls
Dropped Out: South Dakota (18), Sacramento St. (21)
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota, 48; Southeastern Louisiana, 33; Harvard, 28; Furman, 27; Dartmouth, 20; Sacramento St., 17; Alabama St., 11; Gardner-Webb, 11; Stephen F. Austin, 11; Yale, 8; North Carolina Central, 6; Richmond, 6; Stony Brook, 6; Western Carolina, 4; Cal Poly, 3; New Hampshire, 3; San Diego, 2; East Tennessee St., 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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Using a dominant rushing attack which chewed up 300 yards of rushing and 36 minutes of play, Lehigh beat Penn, 44-30, moving their record to 5-0. This is the first time since 2012 that the Mountain Hawks have started the season 5-0. Lehigh wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel caught eight passes for 132 yards and one touchdown, but also rushed for a 20-yard touchdown on a fake field goa,l which gave the Mountain Hawks the lead for good in the third quarter. The win propelled Lehigh to No. 8 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl.
North Dakota State dominated then-No. 18 South Dakota, 51-13, and keeps their stranglehold on the No. 1 spot. South Dakota State was just as dominant, beating Mercyhurst 51-7, and remains at No. 2. No. 3 Tarleton State was idle as they prepare for Southern Utah on October 4. Montana opened Big Sky play with a signature, 41-30, victory over then-No. 10 Idaho. The Grizz still sit No. 4 while the Vandals drop to No. 15. Montana State destroyed Eastern Washington, 57-3, and replaces Illinois State, who was idle, at No. 5. The Redbirds don’t have time to worry about their ranking as they will host the No. 1 Bison on Saturday.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 5 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (25) | 4-0 | 649 | 1 | D. No. 18 South Dakota, 51-13 | Oct. 4 at No. 6 Illinois St. | |
| 2 | South Dakota St. (1) | 4-0 | 623 | 2 | D. Mercyhurst, 51-7 | Oct. 4 at No. 18 Youngstown St. | |
| 3 | Tarleton St. | 5-0 | 595 | 3 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. Southern Utah | |
| 4 | Montana | 4-0 | 566 | 4 | D. No. 10 Idaho, 41-30 | Oct. 4 at Idaho St. | |
| 5 | Montana St. | 3-2 | 529 | 6 | D. Eastern Washington, 57-3 | Oct. 4 at No. 13 Northern Arizona | |
| 6 | Illinois St. | 3-1 | 512 | 5 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. No. 1 North Dakota St. | |
| 7 | UC Davis | 3-1 | 441 | 8 | D. Weber St., 34-12 | Oct. 4 at Cal Poly | |
| 8 | Lehigh | 5-0 | 430 | 9 | D. Penn, 44-30 | Oct. 4 vs. Yale | |
| 9 | Tennessee Tech | 4-0 | 426 | 11 | D. Tennessee St., 35-8 | Oct. 4 vs. Western Illinois | |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 4-1 | 406 | 7 | Lost to Western Michigan, 47-14 | Oct. 3 vs. Brown | |
| 11 | Southern Illinois | 3-1 | 376 | 12 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. Indiana St. | |
| 12 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 3-1 | 322 | 14 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. Delaware St. | |
| 13 | Northern Arizona | 4-1 | 301 | 15t | D. Portland St., 31-17 | Oct. 4 vs. No. 5 Montana St. | |
| 14 | North Dakota | 2-2 | 284 | 15t | Idle | Oct. 4 at Northern Iowa | |
| 15 | Idaho | 2-3 | 249 | 10 | Lost to No. 4 Montana, 41-30 | Oct. 11 vs. Northern Colorado | |
| 16 | West Georgia | 5-0 | 246 | 20 | D. Southern Utah, 27-24 | Oct. 4 at No. 21 Austin Peay | |
| 17 | Jackson St. | 3-1 | 224 | 17 | D. Southern, 38-13 | Oct. 4 vs. Alabama A&M | |
| 18 | Youngstown St. | 3-1 | 205 | 19 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St. | |
| 19 | Villanova | 2-2 | 150 | 22 | D. William & Mary, 31-24 | Oct. 4 at New Hampshire | |
| 20 | UIW | 2-3 | 132 | 24 | D. No. 13 ACU, 38-7 | Oct. 4 vs. Stephen F. Austin | |
| 21 | Austin Peay | 3-2 | 131 | 25 | D. Utah Tech, 42-10 | Oct. 4 vs. No. 16 West Georgia | |
| 22 | Mercer | 3-1 | 126 | 23 | D. East Tennessee St., 38-34 | Oct. 4 vs. Samford | |
| 23 | ACU | 2-3 | 111 | 13 | Lost to No. 24 UIW, 38-7 | Oct. 4 vs. North Alabama | |
| 24 | Presbyterian | 5-0 | 98 | NR | D. Morehead St., 41-0 | Oct. 11 at Butler | |
| 25 | Lamar | 3-1 | 73 | NR | D. Central Arkansas, 35-32 | Oct. 4 vs. Nicholls | |
Dropped Out: South Dakota (18), Sacramento St. (21)
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota, 48; Southeastern Louisiana, 33; Harvard, 28; Furman, 27; Dartmouth, 20; Sacramento St., 17; Alabama St., 11; Gardner-Webb, 11; Stephen F. Austin, 11; Yale, 8; North Carolina Central, 6; Richmond, 6; Stony Brook, 6; Western Carolina, 4; Cal Poly, 3; New Hampshire, 3; San Diego, 2; East Tennessee St., 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.
