Lehigh Wins Big Over William & Mary
September 14, 2026
Lehigh ran out to a 30-0 lead in the second quarter against William & Mary and never looked back, winning handily, 44-20. The Mountain Hawks used a dominant rushing attack to win the game, running for 366 yards on 51 carries and averaging 7.2 yards per carry. The win moved Lehigh up to No. 7 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, while the loss dropped William & Mary to No. 21.
No. 1 Montana State intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble to beat FBS-member Nevada, 20-7. It was the Bobcats’ second win over a Mountain West Conference (New Mexico, 2024) opponent in the last three years. The rest of the top five remained the same this week with Montana, South Dakota State, Illinois State and Tarleton State, in that order. No. 4 Illinois State beat an FBS opponent for the first time since 2018 when the Redbirds handed Northern Illinois a 28-24 loss.
There are three top 25 matchups this coming weekend, but the biggest is a top 10 battle as No. 3 South Dakota State plays host to No. 9 Youngstown State. The Penguins are looking to end their losing streak to the Jackrabbits as they haven’t beaten them since 2017. The two other matchups have No. 14 Austin Peay traveling to FCS startup and No. 17-ranked West Florida while No. 16 South Carolina State travels to newly ranked, No. 24 Furman.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 2 Next Game
1 Montana St. (26) 3-0 650 1 D. Nevada, 20-7 Sept. 19 vs. Central Connecticut St.
2 Montana 3-0 601 2 D. Utah Tech, 35-14 Sept. 19 at Oregon St.
3 South Dakota St. 2-1 595 3 D. New Haven, 57-14 Sept. 19 vs. No. 9 Youngstown St.
4 Illinois St. 3-0 578 4 D. Northern Illinois, 28-24 Sept. 19 vs. Eastern Illinois
5 Tarleton St. 3-0 552 5 D. McNeese, 27-24 Sept. 19 vs. Merrimack
6 North Dakota 3-0 483 7 D. Portland St., 47-23 Sept. 19 at Nebraska
7 Lehigh 3-0 473 8 D. No. 16 William & Mary, 44-20 Sept. 19 vs. Dartmouth
8 Stephen F. Austin 3-0 432 9 D. No. 25 ACU, 26-7 Sept. 19 at Prairie View A&M
9 Youngstown St. 2-1 405 10 D. Duquesne, 70-13 Sept. 19 at No. 3 South Dakota St.
10 Tennessee Tech 3-0 393 11 D. Samford, 45-19 Sept. 26 at Wofford
11 UC Davis 2-1 389 6 Lost to SMU, 56-10 Sept. 19 vs. Stetson
12 South Dakota 3-0 370 12 D. Eastern Washington, 41-23 Sept. 19 at Boise St.
13 Rhode Island 2-1 331 13 D. Elon, 31-10 Sept. 19 at Stony Brook
14 Austin Peay 2-1 317 15 D. Morehead St., 63-7 Sept. 19 at No. 17 West Florida
15 Lamar 2-1 268 17 D. Idaho, 23-17 Sept. 26 at Nicholls
16 South Carolina St. 3-0 194 20 D. Virginia St., 66-0 Sept. 19 at No. 24 Furman
17 West Florida 2-0 178 22 Idle Sept. 19 vs. No. 14 Austin Peay
18 Idaho St. 3-0 177 24 D. San Diego, 59-17 Sept. 26 at Southern Utah
19 Northern Arizona 2-1 174 23 D. UIW, 38-28 Sept. 19 at Utah Tech
20 Yale 0-0 160 19 Idle Sept. 19 at Holy Cross
21 William & Mary 2-1 103 16 Lost to No. 8 Lehigh, 44-20 Sept. 19 vs. Fordham
22 Mercer 2-1 93 14 Lost to Furman, 20-13 Sept. 19 at Georgia Tech
23 Villanova 1-2 83 18 Lost to Louisville, 59-13 Sept. 19 at LIU
24 Furman 2-1 74 NR D. No. 14 Mercer, 20-13 Sept. 19 vs. No. 16 South Carolina St.
25 Southern Illinois 2-1 70 NR D. Southeast Missouri St., 34-20 Sept. 19 at Illinois
Dropped Out: Richmond (21), ACU (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Richmond, 67; Cal Poly, 51; Colgate, 30; Wofford, 27; Jackson St., 20; Prairie View A&M, 20; Harvard, 18; Central Arkansas, 16; Southern Utah, 13; Alabama St., 10; Elon, 7; HCU, 6; Campbell, 4; Robert Morris (Pa.), 4; UAlbany, 3; ACU, 2; Dartmouth, 2; Nicholls, 2; UT Martin, 2; Monmouth (N.J.), 1; San Diego, 1; Southeast Missouri St., 1.
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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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Lehigh ran out to a 30-0 lead in the second quarter against William & Mary and never looked back, winning handily, 44-20. The Mountain Hawks used a dominant rushing attack to win the game, running for 366 yards on 51 carries and averaging 7.2 yards per carry. The win moved Lehigh up to No. 7 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, while the loss dropped William & Mary to No. 21.
No. 1 Montana State intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble to beat FBS-member Nevada, 20-7. It was the Bobcats’ second win over a Mountain West Conference (New Mexico, 2024) opponent in the last three years. The rest of the top five remained the same this week with Montana, South Dakota State, Illinois State and Tarleton State, in that order. No. 4 Illinois State beat an FBS opponent for the first time since 2018 when the Redbirds handed Northern Illinois a 28-24 loss.
There are three top 25 matchups this coming weekend, but the biggest is a top 10 battle as No. 3 South Dakota State plays host to No. 9 Youngstown State. The Penguins are looking to end their losing streak to the Jackrabbits as they haven’t beaten them since 2017. The two other matchups have No. 14 Austin Peay traveling to FCS startup and No. 17-ranked West Florida while No. 16 South Carolina State travels to newly ranked, No. 24 Furman.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 2 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana St. (26) | 3-0 | 650 | 1 | D. Nevada, 20-7 | Sept. 19 vs. Central Connecticut St. | |
| 2 | Montana | 3-0 | 601 | 2 | D. Utah Tech, 35-14 | Sept. 19 at Oregon St. | |
| 3 | South Dakota St. | 2-1 | 595 | 3 | D. New Haven, 57-14 | Sept. 19 vs. No. 9 Youngstown St. | |
| 4 | Illinois St. | 3-0 | 578 | 4 | D. Northern Illinois, 28-24 | Sept. 19 vs. Eastern Illinois | |
| 5 | Tarleton St. | 3-0 | 552 | 5 | D. McNeese, 27-24 | Sept. 19 vs. Merrimack | |
| 6 | North Dakota | 3-0 | 483 | 7 | D. Portland St., 47-23 | Sept. 19 at Nebraska | |
| 7 | Lehigh | 3-0 | 473 | 8 | D. No. 16 William & Mary, 44-20 | Sept. 19 vs. Dartmouth | |
| 8 | Stephen F. Austin | 3-0 | 432 | 9 | D. No. 25 ACU, 26-7 | Sept. 19 at Prairie View A&M | |
| 9 | Youngstown St. | 2-1 | 405 | 10 | D. Duquesne, 70-13 | Sept. 19 at No. 3 South Dakota St. | |
| 10 | Tennessee Tech | 3-0 | 393 | 11 | D. Samford, 45-19 | Sept. 26 at Wofford | |
| 11 | UC Davis | 2-1 | 389 | 6 | Lost to SMU, 56-10 | Sept. 19 vs. Stetson | |
| 12 | South Dakota | 3-0 | 370 | 12 | D. Eastern Washington, 41-23 | Sept. 19 at Boise St. | |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 2-1 | 331 | 13 | D. Elon, 31-10 | Sept. 19 at Stony Brook | |
| 14 | Austin Peay | 2-1 | 317 | 15 | D. Morehead St., 63-7 | Sept. 19 at No. 17 West Florida | |
| 15 | Lamar | 2-1 | 268 | 17 | D. Idaho, 23-17 | Sept. 26 at Nicholls | |
| 16 | South Carolina St. | 3-0 | 194 | 20 | D. Virginia St., 66-0 | Sept. 19 at No. 24 Furman | |
| 17 | West Florida | 2-0 | 178 | 22 | Idle | Sept. 19 vs. No. 14 Austin Peay | |
| 18 | Idaho St. | 3-0 | 177 | 24 | D. San Diego, 59-17 | Sept. 26 at Southern Utah | |
| 19 | Northern Arizona | 2-1 | 174 | 23 | D. UIW, 38-28 | Sept. 19 at Utah Tech | |
| 20 | Yale | 0-0 | 160 | 19 | Idle | Sept. 19 at Holy Cross | |
| 21 | William & Mary | 2-1 | 103 | 16 | Lost to No. 8 Lehigh, 44-20 | Sept. 19 vs. Fordham | |
| 22 | Mercer | 2-1 | 93 | 14 | Lost to Furman, 20-13 | Sept. 19 at Georgia Tech | |
| 23 | Villanova | 1-2 | 83 | 18 | Lost to Louisville, 59-13 | Sept. 19 at LIU | |
| 24 | Furman | 2-1 | 74 | NR | D. No. 14 Mercer, 20-13 | Sept. 19 vs. No. 16 South Carolina St. | |
| 25 | Southern Illinois | 2-1 | 70 | NR | D. Southeast Missouri St., 34-20 | Sept. 19 at Illinois |
Dropped Out: Richmond (21), ACU (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Richmond, 67; Cal Poly, 51; Colgate, 30; Wofford, 27; Jackson St., 20; Prairie View A&M, 20; Harvard, 18; Central Arkansas, 16; Southern Utah, 13; Alabama St., 10; Elon, 7; HCU, 6; Campbell, 4; Robert Morris (Pa.), 4; UAlbany, 3; ACU, 2; Dartmouth, 2; Nicholls, 2; UT Martin, 2; Monmouth (N.J.), 1; San Diego, 1; Southeast Missouri 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.
