Montana State controls UC Davis in win
November 17, 2025
UC Davis recorded more total offense (424 to 377), had more offensive plays (83 to 50) and controlled the time of possession (37 minutes to 23 minutes), but it was Montana State who came away with the victory, 38-17, in a matchup of top 10 teams. The Bobcats remain No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while UC Davis drops to No. 14. Montana State will end the 2025 regular season on the road at in-state rival and second-ranked Montana, with the winner claiming the outright Big Sky Conference title.
North Dakota State still sits No. 1 and moved to 11-0 as they claimed the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with a 48-16 win over Northern Iowa. No. 4 Lehigh will look to remain unbeaten as they travel to No. 24 Lafayette for college football’s most-played rivalry. It will be the 161st meeting between the two programs.
It took five overtimes for No. 21 South Dakota to beat then-No. 23 Southern Illinois, 53-51, which knocked the Salukis out of the poll and made room for Yale at No. 25. The Bulldogs enter the top 25 for the first time this season and are 7-2 as they prepare to host No. 10 Harvard in the 141st edition of The Game.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 12 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (23) 11-0 599 1 D. Northern Iowa, 48-16 Nov. 22 vs. St. Thomas (Minn.)
2 Montana (1) 11-0 573 2 D. Portland St., 63-17 Nov. 22 vs. No. 3 Montana St.
3 Montana St. 9-2 549 3 D. No. 10 UC Davis, 38-17 Nov. 22 at No. 2 Montana
4 Lehigh 11-0 523 4 D. Colgate, 27-7 Nov. 22 at No. 24 Lafayette
5 Tarleton St. 10-1 505 5 D. North Alabama, 61-0 Nov. 22 vs. Austin Peay
6 Mercer 9-1 437 8 D. Chattanooga, 63-17 Nov. 22 at Auburn
7 Villanova 8-2 433 7 D. Stony Brook, 30-27 OT Nov. 22 vs. Sacred Heart
8 Tennessee Tech 10-1 423 6 Lost to Kentucky, 42-10 Nov. 22 vs. UT Martin
9 Rhode Island 9-2 402 9 D. Maine, 45-13 Nov. 22 vs. Hampton
10 Harvard 9-0 342 11 D. Penn, 45-43 Nov. 22 at No. 25 Yale
11t. Illinois St. 8-3 338 13 D. No. 15 South Dakota St., 35-21 Nov. 22 vs. Southern Illinois
11t. Monmouth (N.J.) 9-2 338 12 D. North Carolina A&T, 63-19 Nov. 22 vs. UAlbany
13 Stephen F. Austin 9-2 290 17 D. No. 14 Lamar, 26-15 Nov. 20 at Northwestern St.
14 UC Davis 7-3 259 10 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 38-17 Nov. 22 vs. Sacramento St.
15 Jackson St. 8-2 251 16 D. Bethune-Cookman, 28-13 Nov. 22 vs. Alcorn St.
16 North Dakota 7-4 228 18 D. Murray St., 35-17 Nov. 22 vs. No. 22 South Dakota St.
17 Youngstown St. 7-4 203 19 D. Indiana St., 48-29 Nov. 22 at Northern Iowa
18 ACU 7-4 184 20 D. Eastern Kentucky, 17-10 Nov. 22 at Central Arkansas
19 Lamar 8-3 168 14 Lost to No. 17 Stephen F. Austin, 26-15 Nov. 22 vs. McNeese
20 Southeastern Louisiana 8-3 156 21 D. UIW, 10-7 Nov. 20 vs. Nicholls
21 South Dakota 8-4 127 22 D. No. 23 Southern Illinois, 53-51 5OT Regular Season Complete
22 South Dakota St. 7-4 110 15 Lost to No. 13 Illinois St., 35-21 Nov. 22 at No. 16 North Dakota
23 West Georgia 8-3 91 24 D. Utah Tech, 23-0 Regular Season Complete
24 Lafayette 8-3 86 25 D. Richmond, 35-28 Nov. 22 vs. No. 4 Lehigh
25 Yale 7-2 37 NR D. Princeton, 13-10 Nov. 22 vs. No. 10 Harvard
Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Southern Illinois, 28; Alabama St., 27; Dartmouth, 22; UT Rio Grande Valley, 15; Gardner-Webb, 13; Sacramento St., 12; Austin Peay, 8; New Hampshire, 7; South Carolina St., 4; Presbyterian, 3; East Tennessee St., 2; Southern Utah, 2; William & Mary, 2; Elon, 1; Northern Arizona, 1; Prairie View A&M, 1.
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UC Davis recorded more total offense (424 to 377), had more offensive plays (83 to 50) and controlled the time of possession (37 minutes to 23 minutes), but it was Montana State who came away with the victory, 38-17, in a matchup of top 10 teams. The Bobcats remain No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while UC Davis drops to No. 14. Montana State will end the 2025 regular season on the road at in-state rival and second-ranked Montana, with the winner claiming the outright Big Sky Conference title.
North Dakota State still sits No. 1 and moved to 11-0 as they claimed the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with a 48-16 win over Northern Iowa. No. 4 Lehigh will look to remain unbeaten as they travel to No. 24 Lafayette for college football’s most-played rivalry. It will be the 161st meeting between the two programs.
It took five overtimes for No. 21 South Dakota to beat then-No. 23 Southern Illinois, 53-51, which knocked the Salukis out of the poll and made room for Yale at No. 25. The Bulldogs enter the top 25 for the first time this season and are 7-2 as they prepare to host No. 10 Harvard in the 141st edition of The Game.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 12 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (23) | 11-0 | 599 | 1 | D. Northern Iowa, 48-16 | Nov. 22 vs. St. Thomas (Minn.) | |
| 2 | Montana (1) | 11-0 | 573 | 2 | D. Portland St., 63-17 | Nov. 22 vs. No. 3 Montana St. | |
| 3 | Montana St. | 9-2 | 549 | 3 | D. No. 10 UC Davis, 38-17 | Nov. 22 at No. 2 Montana | |
| 4 | Lehigh | 11-0 | 523 | 4 | D. Colgate, 27-7 | Nov. 22 at No. 24 Lafayette | |
| 5 | Tarleton St. | 10-1 | 505 | 5 | D. North Alabama, 61-0 | Nov. 22 vs. Austin Peay | |
| 6 | Mercer | 9-1 | 437 | 8 | D. Chattanooga, 63-17 | Nov. 22 at Auburn | |
| 7 | Villanova | 8-2 | 433 | 7 | D. Stony Brook, 30-27 OT | Nov. 22 vs. Sacred Heart | |
| 8 | Tennessee Tech | 10-1 | 423 | 6 | Lost to Kentucky, 42-10 | Nov. 22 vs. UT Martin | |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 9-2 | 402 | 9 | D. Maine, 45-13 | Nov. 22 vs. Hampton | |
| 10 | Harvard | 9-0 | 342 | 11 | D. Penn, 45-43 | Nov. 22 at No. 25 Yale | |
| 11t. | Illinois St. | 8-3 | 338 | 13 | D. No. 15 South Dakota St., 35-21 | Nov. 22 vs. Southern Illinois | |
| 11t. | Monmouth (N.J.) | 9-2 | 338 | 12 | D. North Carolina A&T, 63-19 | Nov. 22 vs. UAlbany | |
| 13 | Stephen F. Austin | 9-2 | 290 | 17 | D. No. 14 Lamar, 26-15 | Nov. 20 at Northwestern St. | |
| 14 | UC Davis | 7-3 | 259 | 10 | Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 38-17 | Nov. 22 vs. Sacramento St. | |
| 15 | Jackson St. | 8-2 | 251 | 16 | D. Bethune-Cookman, 28-13 | Nov. 22 vs. Alcorn St. | |
| 16 | North Dakota | 7-4 | 228 | 18 | D. Murray St., 35-17 | Nov. 22 vs. No. 22 South Dakota St. | |
| 17 | Youngstown St. | 7-4 | 203 | 19 | D. Indiana St., 48-29 | Nov. 22 at Northern Iowa | |
| 18 | ACU | 7-4 | 184 | 20 | D. Eastern Kentucky, 17-10 | Nov. 22 at Central Arkansas | |
| 19 | Lamar | 8-3 | 168 | 14 | Lost to No. 17 Stephen F. Austin, 26-15 | Nov. 22 vs. McNeese | |
| 20 | Southeastern Louisiana | 8-3 | 156 | 21 | D. UIW, 10-7 | Nov. 20 vs. Nicholls | |
| 21 | South Dakota | 8-4 | 127 | 22 | D. No. 23 Southern Illinois, 53-51 5OT | Regular Season Complete | |
| 22 | South Dakota St. | 7-4 | 110 | 15 | Lost to No. 13 Illinois St., 35-21 | Nov. 22 at No. 16 North Dakota | |
| 23 | West Georgia | 8-3 | 91 | 24 | D. Utah Tech, 23-0 | Regular Season Complete | |
| 24 | Lafayette | 8-3 | 86 | 25 | D. Richmond, 35-28 | Nov. 22 vs. No. 4 Lehigh | |
| 25 | Yale | 7-2 | 37 | NR | D. Princeton, 13-10 | Nov. 22 vs. No. 10 Harvard | |
Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Southern Illinois, 28; Alabama St., 27; Dartmouth, 22; UT Rio Grande Valley, 15; Gardner-Webb, 13; Sacramento St., 12; Austin Peay, 8; New Hampshire, 7; South Carolina St., 4; Presbyterian, 3; East Tennessee St., 2; Southern Utah, 2; William & Mary, 2; Elon, 1; Northern Arizona, 1; Prairie View A&M, 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.
