[FCS Poll] Montana Jumps Up in the AFCA Top 25 After Huge Upset
September 7, 2021
Montana went to Seattle on Saturday and earned a monumental upset over No. 21 Washington, 13-7. The victory was just the sixth FCS win over a ranked FBS opponent since 1983 and propelled the Griz to No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS POLL] Sam Houston Starts the 2021 Fall Season at No. 1
Sam Houston still sits No. 1 with 23 first-place votes, followed by James Madison at No. 2. South Dakota State had an upset of their own, beating Colorado State 42-23 in Fort Collins. The win earned the Jackrabbits three first-place votes and jumped them to No. 3. North Dakota State rounds out the Top 5 in the fourth spot.
There were four other FCS teams that beat FBS opponents in the first week of action, which is the most in one weekend since 2013. No. 8 Eastern Washington handed UNLV a 35-33 double overtime loss, moving the Eagles up six places from the preseason poll. UC Davis edged out Tulsa, 19-17, giving the Aggies a nine-place rise to No. 12. East Tennessee State jumped into the poll at No. 19 after the Bucs went to Vanderbilt and handed the Commodores a 23-3 beating. The final FCS upset this past weekend was Holy Cross beating Connecticut, 38-28. The win marked the Crusaders first victory over an FBS opponent since 2002.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – September 7, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Season Opener Next Game
1 Sam Houston (23) 1-0 681 1 D. Northern Arizona, 42-16 Sept. 11 vs. Southeast Missouri
2 James Madison (1) 1-0 655 2 D. Morehead St., 68-10 Sept. 11 vs. Maine
3 South Dakota St. (3) 1-0 649 4 D. Colorado St., 42-23 Sept. 11 vs. Lindenwood (Mo.)
4 North Dakota St. 1-0 583 3 D. Albany, 28-6 Sept. 11 vs. Valparaiso
5 Montana (1) 1-0 573 9 D. Washington, 13-7 Sept. 11 vs. Western Illinois
6 Delaware 1-0 537 5 D. Maine, 34-24 Sept. 11 vs. Saint Francis (Pa.)
7 North Dakota 1-0 477 7 D. Idaho St., 35-14 Sept. 10 at Utah St.
8 Eastern Washington 1-0 474 14 D. UNLV, 35-33 2OT Sept. 11 vs. Central Washington
9 Southern Illinois 1-0 415 10 D. Southeast Missouri, 47-21 Sept. 11 at Kansas St.
10 Weber St. 0-1 387 6 Lost to Utah, 40-17 Sept. 11 at Dixie St.
11 Villanova 1-0 362 15 D. Lehigh, 47-3 Sept. 11 vs. Bucknell
12 UC Davis 1-0 348 21 D. Tulsa, 19-17 Sept. 11 at San Diego
13 Montana St. 0-1 334 11 Lost to Wyoming, 19-16 Sept. 11 vs. Drake
14 Southeastern Louisiana 1-0 298 17 D. North Alabama, 49-28 Sept. 11 at Louisiana Tech
15 Northern Iowa 0-1 293 16 Lost to Iowa St., 16-10 Sept. 11 at Sacramento St.
16 Central Arkansas 0-1 271 13 Lost to Arkansas St., 40-21 Sept. 11 at No. 25 Missouri St.
17 Jacksonville St. 0-1 258 8 Lost to UAB, 31-0 Sept. 11 at Florida St.
18 Austin Peay 1-0 218 25 D. No. 18 Chattanooga, 30-20 Sept. 11 at Ole MIss
19 East Tennessee St. 1-0 202 NR D. Vanderbilt, 23-3 Sept. 11 vs. Virginia-Wise
20 VMI 1-0 194 19 D. Davidson, 45-24 Sept. 11 at Kent St.
21 Monmouth (N.J.) 0-1 188 12 Lost to Middle Tennessee, 50-15 Sept. 11 at Fordham
22 Richmond 1-0 145 22 D. Howard, 38-14 Sept. 11 vs. Lehigh
23 Kennesaw St. 1-0 144 20 D. Reinhardt, 35-25 Sept. 11 at Georgia Tech
24 Chattanooga 0-1 59 18 Lost to No. 25 Austin Peay, 30-20 Sept. 11 at North Alabama
25 Missouri St. 0-1 58 NR Lost to Oklahoma St., 23-16 Sept. 11 vs. No. 16 Central Arkansas
Dropped Out: Nicholls (23), North Carolina A&T (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Samford, 54; Holy Cross, 32; Furman, 31; Murray St., 28; Alabama A&M, 24; New Hampshire, 24; Rhode Island, 16; South Dakota, 16; Nicholls, 12; Jackson St., 10; Stephen F. Austin, 8; Eastern Kentucky, 7; Gardner-Webb, 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Sacramento St., 5; Youngstown St., 4; Illinois St., 3; Southern Utah, 3; Florida A&M, 2; Sacred Heart, 2; Yale, 2; Harvard, 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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Montana went to Seattle on Saturday and earned a monumental upset over No. 21 Washington, 13-7. The victory was just the sixth FCS win over a ranked FBS opponent since 1983 and propelled the Griz to No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS POLL] Sam Houston Starts the 2021 Fall Season at No. 1
Sam Houston still sits No. 1 with 23 first-place votes, followed by James Madison at No. 2. South Dakota State had an upset of their own, beating Colorado State 42-23 in Fort Collins. The win earned the Jackrabbits three first-place votes and jumped them to No. 3. North Dakota State rounds out the Top 5 in the fourth spot.
There were four other FCS teams that beat FBS opponents in the first week of action, which is the most in one weekend since 2013. No. 8 Eastern Washington handed UNLV a 35-33 double overtime loss, moving the Eagles up six places from the preseason poll. UC Davis edged out Tulsa, 19-17, giving the Aggies a nine-place rise to No. 12. East Tennessee State jumped into the poll at No. 19 after the Bucs went to Vanderbilt and handed the Commodores a 23-3 beating. The final FCS upset this past weekend was Holy Cross beating Connecticut, 38-28. The win marked the Crusaders first victory over an FBS opponent since 2002.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – September 7, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Season Opener | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (23) | 1-0 | 681 | 1 | D. Northern Arizona, 42-16 | Sept. 11 vs. Southeast Missouri |
| 2 | James Madison (1) | 1-0 | 655 | 2 | D. Morehead St., 68-10 | Sept. 11 vs. Maine |
| 3 | South Dakota St. (3) | 1-0 | 649 | 4 | D. Colorado St., 42-23 | Sept. 11 vs. Lindenwood (Mo.) |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 1-0 | 583 | 3 | D. Albany, 28-6 | Sept. 11 vs. Valparaiso |
| 5 | Montana (1) | 1-0 | 573 | 9 | D. Washington, 13-7 | Sept. 11 vs. Western Illinois |
| 6 | Delaware | 1-0 | 537 | 5 | D. Maine, 34-24 | Sept. 11 vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) |
| 7 | North Dakota | 1-0 | 477 | 7 | D. Idaho St., 35-14 | Sept. 10 at Utah St. |
| 8 | Eastern Washington | 1-0 | 474 | 14 | D. UNLV, 35-33 2OT | Sept. 11 vs. Central Washington |
| 9 | Southern Illinois | 1-0 | 415 | 10 | D. Southeast Missouri, 47-21 | Sept. 11 at Kansas St. |
| 10 | Weber St. | 0-1 | 387 | 6 | Lost to Utah, 40-17 | Sept. 11 at Dixie St. |
| 11 | Villanova | 1-0 | 362 | 15 | D. Lehigh, 47-3 | Sept. 11 vs. Bucknell |
| 12 | UC Davis | 1-0 | 348 | 21 | D. Tulsa, 19-17 | Sept. 11 at San Diego |
| 13 | Montana St. | 0-1 | 334 | 11 | Lost to Wyoming, 19-16 | Sept. 11 vs. Drake |
| 14 | Southeastern Louisiana | 1-0 | 298 | 17 | D. North Alabama, 49-28 | Sept. 11 at Louisiana Tech |
| 15 | Northern Iowa | 0-1 | 293 | 16 | Lost to Iowa St., 16-10 | Sept. 11 at Sacramento St. |
| 16 | Central Arkansas | 0-1 | 271 | 13 | Lost to Arkansas St., 40-21 | Sept. 11 at No. 25 Missouri St. |
| 17 | Jacksonville St. | 0-1 | 258 | 8 | Lost to UAB, 31-0 | Sept. 11 at Florida St. |
| 18 | Austin Peay | 1-0 | 218 | 25 | D. No. 18 Chattanooga, 30-20 | Sept. 11 at Ole MIss |
| 19 | East Tennessee St. | 1-0 | 202 | NR | D. Vanderbilt, 23-3 | Sept. 11 vs. Virginia-Wise |
| 20 | VMI | 1-0 | 194 | 19 | D. Davidson, 45-24 | Sept. 11 at Kent St. |
| 21 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 0-1 | 188 | 12 | Lost to Middle Tennessee, 50-15 | Sept. 11 at Fordham |
| 22 | Richmond | 1-0 | 145 | 22 | D. Howard, 38-14 | Sept. 11 vs. Lehigh |
| 23 | Kennesaw St. | 1-0 | 144 | 20 | D. Reinhardt, 35-25 | Sept. 11 at Georgia Tech |
| 24 | Chattanooga | 0-1 | 59 | 18 | Lost to No. 25 Austin Peay, 30-20 | Sept. 11 at North Alabama |
| 25 | Missouri St. | 0-1 | 58 | NR | Lost to Oklahoma St., 23-16 | Sept. 11 vs. No. 16 Central Arkansas |
Dropped Out: Nicholls (23), North Carolina A&T (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Samford, 54; Holy Cross, 32; Furman, 31; Murray St., 28; Alabama A&M, 24; New Hampshire, 24; Rhode Island, 16; South Dakota, 16; Nicholls, 12; Jackson St., 10; Stephen F. Austin, 8; Eastern Kentucky, 7; Gardner-Webb, 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Sacramento St., 5; Youngstown St., 4; Illinois St., 3; Southern Utah, 3; Florida A&M, 2; Sacred Heart, 2; Yale, 2; Harvard, 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.
