Monmouth Takes Down Villanova in Top 20 Battle
September 22, 2025
In their home opener and in front of a sold-out crowd, Monmouth (N.J.) built a 17-7 lead over Villanova and never looked back, beating the Wildcats 51-33. Hawks quarterback Derek Robertson threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns and hit 10 different receivers as Monmouth racked up 637 yards of total offense in the victory. The win moves Monmouth up four spots to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Villanova dropped 10 places to No. 22.
North Dakota State and South Dakota State were idle this past weekend and remain in the first two spots. They are followed by Tarleton State, Montana and Illinois State in the top five. The Grizz will put their unbeaten record on the line this coming Saturday as they open Big Sky play against No. 10 Idaho in a big top 10 matchup. The Vandals will look to rebound after losing a close one to FBS-member San Jose State, 31-28.
Northern Arizona is moving up the poll after beating then-No. 14 UIW, 31-23. The Lumberjacks rose four spots to No. 15 while the loss dropped UIW to No. 24. In only their second season of FCS play, West Georgia enters the AFCA poll for the first time this season at No. 20. The Wolves, who are 4-0, have already beat a ranked opponent and are 1-0 in United Athletic Conference competition.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (25) 3-0 649 1 Idle Sept. 27 vs. No. 18 South Dakota
2 South Dakota St. (1) 3-0 622 2 Idle Sept. 27 vs. Mercyhurst
3 Tarleton St. 5-0 598 3 D. Chattanooga, 52-24 Oct. 4 vs. Southern Utah
4 Montana 3-0 552 5 D. Indiana St., 63-20 Sept. 27 vs. No. 10 Idaho
5 Illinois St. 3-1 546 4 D. North Alabama, 38-36 Oct. 4 vs. No. 1 North Dakota St.
6 Montana St. 2-2 525 6t D. Mercyhurst, 17-0 Sept. 27 vs. Eastern Washington
7 Rhode Island 4-0 492 6t D. LIU, 28-7 Sept. 27 at Western Michigan
8 UC Davis 2-1 418 9 D. Southern Utah, 50-34 Sept. 27 vs. Weber St.
9 Lehigh 4-0 402 10 D. Bucknell, 41-24 Sept. 27 vs. Penn
10 Idaho 2-2 381 8 Lost to San Jose St., 31-28 Sept. 27 at No. 4 Montana
11 Tennessee Tech 3-0 370 12t Idle Sept. 27 at Tennessee St.
12 Southern Illinois 3-1 363 11 D. Southeast Missouri St., 59-31 Oct. 4 vs. Indiana St.
13 ACU 2-2 308 15 D. No. 20 Austin Peay, 45-31 Sept. 27 at No. 24 UIW
14 Monmouth (N.J.) 3-1 296 18 D. No. 12t Villanova, 51-33 Oct. 4 vs. Delaware St.
15t. North Dakota 2-2 267 17 D. Valparaiso, 58-7 Oct. 4 at Northern Iowa
15t. Northern Arizona 3-1 267 19 D. No. 14 UIW, 31-23 Sept. 27 at Portland St.
17 Jackson St. 2-1 235 16 Idle Sept. 27 at Southern
18 South Dakota 2-2 173 21 D. Drake, 42-21 Sept. 27 at No. 1 North Dakota St.
19 Youngstown St. 3-1 149 24 D. Towson, 31-28 Oct. 4 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St.
20 West Georgia 4-0 142 NR D. Eastern Kentucky, 33-12 Sept. 27 at Southern Utah
21 Sacramento St. 2-2 128 22 D. Central Arkansas, 45-16 Sept. 27 vs. Cal Poly
22 Villanova 1-2 118 12t Lost to No. 18 Monmouth (N.J.), 51-33 Sept. 27 vs. William & Mary
23 Mercer 2-1 82 25 D. The Citadel, 38-0 Sept. 27 at East Tennessee St.
24 UIW 1-3 61 14 Lost to No. 19 Northern Arizona, 31-23 Sept. 27 vs. No. 13 ACU
25 Austin Peay 2-2 52 20 Lost to No. 15 ACU, 45-31 Sept. 27 vs. Utah Tech
Dropped Out: New Hampshire (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Presbyterian, 51; Lamar, 42; Dartmouth, 31; Lafayette, 26; Harvard, 16; Southeastern Louisiana, 14; Yale, 13; Furman, 11; New Hampshire, 9; Stephen F. Austin, 9; North Carolina Central, 7; East Tennessee St., 5; Gardner-Webb, 5; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 5; Richmond, 3; Brown, 2; Chattanooga, 2; Eastern Washington, 1; San Diego, 1; South Carolina 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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In their home opener and in front of a sold-out crowd, Monmouth (N.J.) built a 17-7 lead over Villanova and never looked back, beating the Wildcats 51-33. Hawks quarterback Derek Robertson threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns and hit 10 different receivers as Monmouth racked up 637 yards of total offense in the victory. The win moves Monmouth up four spots to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Villanova dropped 10 places to No. 22.
North Dakota State and South Dakota State were idle this past weekend and remain in the first two spots. They are followed by Tarleton State, Montana and Illinois State in the top five. The Grizz will put their unbeaten record on the line this coming Saturday as they open Big Sky play against No. 10 Idaho in a big top 10 matchup. The Vandals will look to rebound after losing a close one to FBS-member San Jose State, 31-28.
Northern Arizona is moving up the poll after beating then-No. 14 UIW, 31-23. The Lumberjacks rose four spots to No. 15 while the loss dropped UIW to No. 24. In only their second season of FCS play, West Georgia enters the AFCA poll for the first time this season at No. 20. The Wolves, who are 4-0, have already beat a ranked opponent and are 1-0 in United Athletic Conference competition.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (25) | 3-0 | 649 | 1 | Idle | Sept. 27 vs. No. 18 South Dakota | |
| 2 | South Dakota St. (1) | 3-0 | 622 | 2 | Idle | Sept. 27 vs. Mercyhurst | |
| 3 | Tarleton St. | 5-0 | 598 | 3 | D. Chattanooga, 52-24 | Oct. 4 vs. Southern Utah | |
| 4 | Montana | 3-0 | 552 | 5 | D. Indiana St., 63-20 | Sept. 27 vs. No. 10 Idaho | |
| 5 | Illinois St. | 3-1 | 546 | 4 | D. North Alabama, 38-36 | Oct. 4 vs. No. 1 North Dakota St. | |
| 6 | Montana St. | 2-2 | 525 | 6t | D. Mercyhurst, 17-0 | Sept. 27 vs. Eastern Washington | |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 4-0 | 492 | 6t | D. LIU, 28-7 | Sept. 27 at Western Michigan | |
| 8 | UC Davis | 2-1 | 418 | 9 | D. Southern Utah, 50-34 | Sept. 27 vs. Weber St. | |
| 9 | Lehigh | 4-0 | 402 | 10 | D. Bucknell, 41-24 | Sept. 27 vs. Penn | |
| 10 | Idaho | 2-2 | 381 | 8 | Lost to San Jose St., 31-28 | Sept. 27 at No. 4 Montana | |
| 11 | Tennessee Tech | 3-0 | 370 | 12t | Idle | Sept. 27 at Tennessee St. | |
| 12 | Southern Illinois | 3-1 | 363 | 11 | D. Southeast Missouri St., 59-31 | Oct. 4 vs. Indiana St. | |
| 13 | ACU | 2-2 | 308 | 15 | D. No. 20 Austin Peay, 45-31 | Sept. 27 at No. 24 UIW | |
| 14 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 3-1 | 296 | 18 | D. No. 12t Villanova, 51-33 | Oct. 4 vs. Delaware St. | |
| 15t. | North Dakota | 2-2 | 267 | 17 | D. Valparaiso, 58-7 | Oct. 4 at Northern Iowa | |
| 15t. | Northern Arizona | 3-1 | 267 | 19 | D. No. 14 UIW, 31-23 | Sept. 27 at Portland St. | |
| 17 | Jackson St. | 2-1 | 235 | 16 | Idle | Sept. 27 at Southern | |
| 18 | South Dakota | 2-2 | 173 | 21 | D. Drake, 42-21 | Sept. 27 at No. 1 North Dakota St. | |
| 19 | Youngstown St. | 3-1 | 149 | 24 | D. Towson, 31-28 | Oct. 4 vs. No. 2 South Dakota St. | |
| 20 | West Georgia | 4-0 | 142 | NR | D. Eastern Kentucky, 33-12 | Sept. 27 at Southern Utah | |
| 21 | Sacramento St. | 2-2 | 128 | 22 | D. Central Arkansas, 45-16 | Sept. 27 vs. Cal Poly | |
| 22 | Villanova | 1-2 | 118 | 12t | Lost to No. 18 Monmouth (N.J.), 51-33 | Sept. 27 vs. William & Mary | |
| 23 | Mercer | 2-1 | 82 | 25 | D. The Citadel, 38-0 | Sept. 27 at East Tennessee St. | |
| 24 | UIW | 1-3 | 61 | 14 | Lost to No. 19 Northern Arizona, 31-23 | Sept. 27 vs. No. 13 ACU | |
| 25 | Austin Peay | 2-2 | 52 | 20 | Lost to No. 15 ACU, 45-31 | Sept. 27 vs. Utah Tech | |
Dropped Out: New Hampshire (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Presbyterian, 51; Lamar, 42; Dartmouth, 31; Lafayette, 26; Harvard, 16; Southeastern Louisiana, 14; Yale, 13; Furman, 11; New Hampshire, 9; Stephen F. Austin, 9; North Carolina Central, 7; East Tennessee St., 5; Gardner-Webb, 5; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 5; Richmond, 3; Brown, 2; Chattanooga, 2; Eastern Washington, 1; San Diego, 1; South Carolina 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.
