No. 3 Furman Keeps Rolling in the SOCON
October 23, 2023
Furman racked up 508 yards of total offense and rushed for a season high 334 yards while its defense held Western Carolina to just 84 rushing yards in a 29-17 victory. The Paladins took sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference with the win and stayed at No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 poll. The loss dropped Western Carolina only two places to No. 16.
It was another crazy week for the Top 25 as eight ranked teams lost on Saturday. South Dakota State pulled out a tough 17-10 win over No. 12 Southern Illinois and remained No. 1 with all 26 first-place votes. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Jackrabbits as they must travel to in-state rival and No. 9 South Dakota this coming weekend. The Coyotes are 6-1 after a 17-3 victory over Indiana State. Montana State is still No. 2 after a dominant 42-30 win over then-No. 4 Sacramento State, but they have a tough road game as well. The Bobcats go to No. 8 Idaho, who had an extra week to prepare for the Top 10 matchup after being idle this past week.
After their upset, 38-35, win over then-No. 11 Holy Cross, the Lafayette Leopards jump into the AFCA Top 25 for the first time this season. Lafayette is 6-1 on the season, which guarantees them a winning season for the first time since 2009. This was the Leopards first win over a ranked opponent since 2013. The loss dropped Holy Cross 11 spots to No. 22.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 8 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (26) 7-0 650 1 D. No. 12 Southern Illinois, 17-10 Oct. 28 at No. 9 South Dakota
2 Montana St. 6-1 623 2 D. No. 4 Sacramento St., 42-30 Oct. 28 at No. 8 Idaho
3 Furman 6-1 587 3 D. No. 14 Western Carolina, 29-17 Oct. 28 vs. East Tennessee St.
4 UIW 6-1 545 5 D. McNeese, 35-24 Oct. 28 at Lamar
5 Montana 6-1 537 6 Idle Oct. 28 vs. Northern Colorado
6 Delaware 6-1 510 7 D. Hampton, 47-3 Oct. 28 at Towson
7 Sacramento St. 5-2 475 4 Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 42-30 Oct. 28 vs. Idaho St.
8 Idaho 5-2 471 8 Idle Oct. 28 vs. No. 2 Montana St.
9 South Dakota 6-1 423 16 D. Indiana St., 17-3 Oct. 28 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St.
10 North Carolina Central 6-1 418 10 D. Morgan St., 16-10 Oct. 26 vs. South Carolina St.
11 North Dakota St. 5-2 388 15 D. Western Illinois, 52-7 Oct. 28 vs. Murray St.
12 Southern Illinois 5-2 343 12 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 17-10 Oct. 28 at Western Illinois
13 UT Martin 6-1 314 19 D. Charleston Southern, 17-0 Oct. 28 at Gardner-Webb
14 Florida A&M 6-1 304 18 D. Texas Southern, 31-21 Oct. 28 vs. Prairie View A&M
15 Chattanooga 6-2 266 20 D. East Tennessee St., 34-3 Oct. 28 at VMI
16 Western Carolina 5-2 253 14 Lost to No. 3 Furman, 29-17 Oct. 28 vs. Mercer
17 North Dakota 4-3 198 9 Lost to Northern Iowa, 27-0 Oct. 28 vs. Indiana St.
18 Central Arkansas 5-2 197 21 Idle Oct. 28 vs. Tarleton
19 Lafayette 6-1 120 NR D. No. 11 Holy Cross, 38-35 Oct. 28 at Georgetown (D.C.)
20t. Austin Peay 5-2 116 24 D. Southern Utah, 48-45 Oct. 28 vs. North Alabama
20t. New Hampshire 4-3 116 22 D. Stony Brook, 45-14 Oct. 28 at Rhode Island
22 Holy Cross 4-3 108 11 Lost to Lafayette, 38-35 Oct. 28 at Fordham
23 Harvard 5-1 87 17 Lost to Princeton, 21-14 Oct. 28 vs. Dartmouth
24 William & Mary 4-3 83 13 Lost to Towson, 34-24 Oct. 28 vs. Monmouth (N.J.)
25 UC Davis 4-3 82 23 Idle Oct. 28 at Northern Arizona
Dropped Out: Illinois St. (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Northern Iowa, 65; Villanova, 51; Fordham, 44; Youngstown St., 41; Pennsylvania, 25; Albany, 4; Mercer, 3; Eastern Illinois, 1; Illinois St., 1; Nicholls, 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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Furman racked up 508 yards of total offense and rushed for a season high 334 yards while its defense held Western Carolina to just 84 rushing yards in a 29-17 victory. The Paladins took sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference with the win and stayed at No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 poll. The loss dropped Western Carolina only two places to No. 16.
It was another crazy week for the Top 25 as eight ranked teams lost on Saturday. South Dakota State pulled out a tough 17-10 win over No. 12 Southern Illinois and remained No. 1 with all 26 first-place votes. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Jackrabbits as they must travel to in-state rival and No. 9 South Dakota this coming weekend. The Coyotes are 6-1 after a 17-3 victory over Indiana State. Montana State is still No. 2 after a dominant 42-30 win over then-No. 4 Sacramento State, but they have a tough road game as well. The Bobcats go to No. 8 Idaho, who had an extra week to prepare for the Top 10 matchup after being idle this past week.
After their upset, 38-35, win over then-No. 11 Holy Cross, the Lafayette Leopards jump into the AFCA Top 25 for the first time this season. Lafayette is 6-1 on the season, which guarantees them a winning season for the first time since 2009. This was the Leopards first win over a ranked opponent since 2013. The loss dropped Holy Cross 11 spots to No. 22.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (26) | 7-0 | 650 | 1 | D. No. 12 Southern Illinois, 17-10 | Oct. 28 at No. 9 South Dakota | |
| 2 | Montana St. | 6-1 | 623 | 2 | D. No. 4 Sacramento St., 42-30 | Oct. 28 at No. 8 Idaho | |
| 3 | Furman | 6-1 | 587 | 3 | D. No. 14 Western Carolina, 29-17 | Oct. 28 vs. East Tennessee St. | |
| 4 | UIW | 6-1 | 545 | 5 | D. McNeese, 35-24 | Oct. 28 at Lamar | |
| 5 | Montana | 6-1 | 537 | 6 | Idle | Oct. 28 vs. Northern Colorado | |
| 6 | Delaware | 6-1 | 510 | 7 | D. Hampton, 47-3 | Oct. 28 at Towson | |
| 7 | Sacramento St. | 5-2 | 475 | 4 | Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 42-30 | Oct. 28 vs. Idaho St. | |
| 8 | Idaho | 5-2 | 471 | 8 | Idle | Oct. 28 vs. No. 2 Montana St. | |
| 9 | South Dakota | 6-1 | 423 | 16 | D. Indiana St., 17-3 | Oct. 28 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St. | |
| 10 | North Carolina Central | 6-1 | 418 | 10 | D. Morgan St., 16-10 | Oct. 26 vs. South Carolina St. | |
| 11 | North Dakota St. | 5-2 | 388 | 15 | D. Western Illinois, 52-7 | Oct. 28 vs. Murray St. | |
| 12 | Southern Illinois | 5-2 | 343 | 12 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 17-10 | Oct. 28 at Western Illinois | |
| 13 | UT Martin | 6-1 | 314 | 19 | D. Charleston Southern, 17-0 | Oct. 28 at Gardner-Webb | |
| 14 | Florida A&M | 6-1 | 304 | 18 | D. Texas Southern, 31-21 | Oct. 28 vs. Prairie View A&M | |
| 15 | Chattanooga | 6-2 | 266 | 20 | D. East Tennessee St., 34-3 | Oct. 28 at VMI | |
| 16 | Western Carolina | 5-2 | 253 | 14 | Lost to No. 3 Furman, 29-17 | Oct. 28 vs. Mercer | |
| 17 | North Dakota | 4-3 | 198 | 9 | Lost to Northern Iowa, 27-0 | Oct. 28 vs. Indiana St. | |
| 18 | Central Arkansas | 5-2 | 197 | 21 | Idle | Oct. 28 vs. Tarleton | |
| 19 | Lafayette | 6-1 | 120 | NR | D. No. 11 Holy Cross, 38-35 | Oct. 28 at Georgetown (D.C.) | |
| 20t. | Austin Peay | 5-2 | 116 | 24 | D. Southern Utah, 48-45 | Oct. 28 vs. North Alabama | |
| 20t. | New Hampshire | 4-3 | 116 | 22 | D. Stony Brook, 45-14 | Oct. 28 at Rhode Island | |
| 22 | Holy Cross | 4-3 | 108 | 11 | Lost to Lafayette, 38-35 | Oct. 28 at Fordham | |
| 23 | Harvard | 5-1 | 87 | 17 | Lost to Princeton, 21-14 | Oct. 28 vs. Dartmouth | |
| 24 | William & Mary | 4-3 | 83 | 13 | Lost to Towson, 34-24 | Oct. 28 vs. Monmouth (N.J.) | |
| 25 | UC Davis | 4-3 | 82 | 23 | Idle | Oct. 28 at Northern Arizona |
Dropped Out: Illinois St. (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Northern Iowa, 65; Villanova, 51; Fordham, 44; Youngstown St., 41; Pennsylvania, 25; Albany, 4; Mercer, 3; Eastern Illinois, 1; Illinois St., 1; Nicholls, 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.
