Montana State Looks Dominant in Top 10 Battle
September 25, 2023
In a battle of Top 10 teams in the Big Sky Conference, Montana State dominated Weber State on both sides of the football. The Bobcats rushed for 346 yards and the defense held Weber State to 208 yards of total offense in a 40-0 blowout. It was Montana State’s first shutout since 2016, and their first Big Sky Conference foe shutout since 2006. Montana State remains No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Weber State drops to No. 14.
The Top 3 remained the same this week with No. 1 South Dakota State and No. 2 North Dakota State being idle. The rest of the Top 25 changed drastically thanks to nine losses by ranked teams. William & Mary and Holy Cross both move up one spot thanks to then-No. 4 Sacramento State’s loss to Idaho, 36-27. The Vandals are now ranked No. 6 while Sac State fell to No. 9.
Chattanooga upset then-No. 17 Samford, Villanova beat then-No. 18 Rhode Island and Eastern Washington took down then-No. 15 UC Davis, causing all three teams to enter the Top 25 this week at 22, 23 and 25, respectively. Western Carolina is also a newcomer this week at No. 21. The Catamounts beat Charleston Southern, 77-21, and have a record of 3-1 on the season.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (26) 3-0 650 1 Idle Sept. 30 vs. No. 11 North Dakota
2 North Dakota St. 3-0 624 2 Idle Sept. 30 vs. South Dakota
3 Montana St. 3-1 593 3 D. No. 8 Weber St., 40-0 Sept. 30 vs. Portland St.
4 William & Mary 4-0 558 5 D. Maine, 28-3 Sept. 30 at Elon
5 Holy Cross 3-1 528 6 D. Colgate, 47-7 Sept. 30 vs. No. 24 Harvard
6 Idaho 3-1 505 10 D. No. 4 Sacramento St., 36-27 Sept. 30 at No. 25 Eastern Washington
7 Furman 3-1 477 7 D. No. 21 Mercer, 38-14 Oct. 7 vs. The Citadel
8 UIW 3-1 456 9 D. North American, 63-3 Oct. 7 vs. Southeastern Louisiana
9 Sacramento St. 3-1 453 4 Lost to No. 10 Idaho, 36-27 Sept. 30 vs. Northern Arizona
10 Southern Illinois 3-0 409 13 Idle Sept. 30 vs. Missouri St.
11 North Dakota 2-1 373 14 Idle Sept. 30 at No. 1 South Dakota St.
12 Delaware 3-1 364 16 D. No. 12 New Hampshire, 29-25 Oct. 7 vs. Duquesne
13 North Carolina Central 3-1 282 19 D. Mississippi Valley St., 45-3 Sept. 30 vs. Campbell
14 Weber St. 2-2 254 8 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 40-0 Sept. 30 at Northern Colorado
15 Fordham 3-1 241 22 D. Stonehill, 44-0 Sept. 30 at Georgetown
16 Montana 3-1 237 11 Lost to Northern Arizona, 28-14 Sept. 30 vs. Idaho St.
17 New Hampshire 2-2 223 12 Lost to No. 16 Delaware, 29-25 Sept. 30 vs. Towson
18 Florida A&M 3-1 177 23 D. Alabama St., 23-10 Sept. 30 at Mississippi Valley St.
19 Youngstown St. 2-1 149 24 Idle Sept. 30 at Northern Iowa
20 UC Davis 2-2 123 15 Lost to Eastern Washington, 27-24 Sept. 30 at Cal Poly
21 Western Carolina 3-1 119 NR D. Charleston Southern, 77-21 Sept. 30 at The Citadel
22 Chattanooga 3-1 110 NR D. No. 17 Samford, 47-24 Sept. 30 at Wofford
23 Villanova 3-1 109 NR D. No. 18 Rhode Island, 35-9 Sept. 30 at Albany
24 Harvard 2-0 81 25 D. Brown, 34-31 Sept. 30 at No. 5 Holy Cross
25 Eastern Washington 2-2 70 NR D. No. 15 UC Davis, 27-24 Sept. 30 vs. No. 6 Idaho
Dropped Out: Samford (17), Rhode Island (18), Southeast Missouri St. (20), Mercer (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Mercer, 49; Rhode Island, 45; Illinois St., 42; Southeast Missouri St., 41; Central Arkansas, 26; Austin Peay, 16; Eastern Kentucky, 16; Northern Iowa, 15; Samford, 8; Hampton, 7; Eastern Illinois, 6; Jackson St., 5; Richmond, 5; UT Martin, 3; Pennsylvania, 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 a battle of Top 10 teams in the Big Sky Conference, Montana State dominated Weber State on both sides of the football. The Bobcats rushed for 346 yards and the defense held Weber State to 208 yards of total offense in a 40-0 blowout. It was Montana State’s first shutout since 2016, and their first Big Sky Conference foe shutout since 2006. Montana State remains No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Weber State drops to No. 14.
The Top 3 remained the same this week with No. 1 South Dakota State and No. 2 North Dakota State being idle. The rest of the Top 25 changed drastically thanks to nine losses by ranked teams. William & Mary and Holy Cross both move up one spot thanks to then-No. 4 Sacramento State’s loss to Idaho, 36-27. The Vandals are now ranked No. 6 while Sac State fell to No. 9.
Chattanooga upset then-No. 17 Samford, Villanova beat then-No. 18 Rhode Island and Eastern Washington took down then-No. 15 UC Davis, causing all three teams to enter the Top 25 this week at 22, 23 and 25, respectively. Western Carolina is also a newcomer this week at No. 21. The Catamounts beat Charleston Southern, 77-21, and have a record of 3-1 on the season.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (26) | 3-0 | 650 | 1 | Idle | Sept. 30 vs. No. 11 North Dakota | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. | 3-0 | 624 | 2 | Idle | Sept. 30 vs. South Dakota | |
| 3 | Montana St. | 3-1 | 593 | 3 | D. No. 8 Weber St., 40-0 | Sept. 30 vs. Portland St. | |
| 4 | William & Mary | 4-0 | 558 | 5 | D. Maine, 28-3 | Sept. 30 at Elon | |
| 5 | Holy Cross | 3-1 | 528 | 6 | D. Colgate, 47-7 | Sept. 30 vs. No. 24 Harvard | |
| 6 | Idaho | 3-1 | 505 | 10 | D. No. 4 Sacramento St., 36-27 | Sept. 30 at No. 25 Eastern Washington | |
| 7 | Furman | 3-1 | 477 | 7 | D. No. 21 Mercer, 38-14 | Oct. 7 vs. The Citadel | |
| 8 | UIW | 3-1 | 456 | 9 | D. North American, 63-3 | Oct. 7 vs. Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 9 | Sacramento St. | 3-1 | 453 | 4 | Lost to No. 10 Idaho, 36-27 | Sept. 30 vs. Northern Arizona | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois | 3-0 | 409 | 13 | Idle | Sept. 30 vs. Missouri St. | |
| 11 | North Dakota | 2-1 | 373 | 14 | Idle | Sept. 30 at No. 1 South Dakota St. | |
| 12 | Delaware | 3-1 | 364 | 16 | D. No. 12 New Hampshire, 29-25 | Oct. 7 vs. Duquesne | |
| 13 | North Carolina Central | 3-1 | 282 | 19 | D. Mississippi Valley St., 45-3 | Sept. 30 vs. Campbell | |
| 14 | Weber St. | 2-2 | 254 | 8 | Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 40-0 | Sept. 30 at Northern Colorado | |
| 15 | Fordham | 3-1 | 241 | 22 | D. Stonehill, 44-0 | Sept. 30 at Georgetown | |
| 16 | Montana | 3-1 | 237 | 11 | Lost to Northern Arizona, 28-14 | Sept. 30 vs. Idaho St. | |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 2-2 | 223 | 12 | Lost to No. 16 Delaware, 29-25 | Sept. 30 vs. Towson | |
| 18 | Florida A&M | 3-1 | 177 | 23 | D. Alabama St., 23-10 | Sept. 30 at Mississippi Valley St. | |
| 19 | Youngstown St. | 2-1 | 149 | 24 | Idle | Sept. 30 at Northern Iowa | |
| 20 | UC Davis | 2-2 | 123 | 15 | Lost to Eastern Washington, 27-24 | Sept. 30 at Cal Poly | |
| 21 | Western Carolina | 3-1 | 119 | NR | D. Charleston Southern, 77-21 | Sept. 30 at The Citadel | |
| 22 | Chattanooga | 3-1 | 110 | NR | D. No. 17 Samford, 47-24 | Sept. 30 at Wofford | |
| 23 | Villanova | 3-1 | 109 | NR | D. No. 18 Rhode Island, 35-9 | Sept. 30 at Albany | |
| 24 | Harvard | 2-0 | 81 | 25 | D. Brown, 34-31 | Sept. 30 at No. 5 Holy Cross | |
| 25 | Eastern Washington | 2-2 | 70 | NR | D. No. 15 UC Davis, 27-24 | Sept. 30 vs. No. 6 Idaho |
Dropped Out: Samford (17), Rhode Island (18), Southeast Missouri St. (20), Mercer (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Mercer, 49; Rhode Island, 45; Illinois St., 42; Southeast Missouri St., 41; Central Arkansas, 26; Austin Peay, 16; Eastern Kentucky, 16; Northern Iowa, 15; Samford, 8; Hampton, 7; Eastern Illinois, 6; Jackson St., 5; Richmond, 5; UT Martin, 3; Pennsylvania, 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.
