Sacramento State Moves Up With Big Win
September 18, 2023
With their game against Stanford tied, 23-23, the Hornets got the ball back with a little over two minutes left in the game. Sac State quarterback Kaiden Bennett hit Marcus Fulcher on a 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Hornets a 30-23. The win was the fourth over an FBS opponent since 2011 for Sacramento State and it extended their regular season win streak to 22 games. It also moved the Hornets up two places to No. 4 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Sacramento State doesn’t have long to saver their victory as they are one of four Top 25 matchups this coming weekend, with two being Top 10 battles in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets will put their new No. 4 ranking on the line as they travel to No. 10 Idaho while No. 3 Montana State travels to No. 8 Weber State. The other two matchups have No. 7 Furman playing host to No. 21 Mercer while No. 12 New Hampshire hits the road against No. 16 Delaware.
The Top 3 remained unchanged this week with South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Montana State all holding serve. William & Mary had a close win against Charleston Southern, 15-7, and dropped one spot to No. 5.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 3 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (26) 3-0 650 1 D. Drake, 70-7 Sept. 30 vs. No. 14 North Dakota
2 North Dakota St. 3-0 624 2 D. Central Arkansas, 49-31 Sept. 30 vs. South Dakota
3 Montana St. 2-1 580 3 D. Stetson, 57-20 Sept. 23 at No. 8 Weber St.
4 Sacramento St. 3-0 556 6 D. Stanford, 30-23 Sept. 23 at No. 10 Idaho
5 William & Mary 3-0 549 4 D. Charleston Southern, 15-7 Sept. 23 vs. Maine
6 Holy Cross 2-1 531 5 D. Yale, 49-24 Sept. 23 vs. Colgate
7 Furman 2-1 449 8 D. Kennesaw St., 31-28 Sept. 23 vs. No. 21 Mercer
8 Weber St. 2-1 435 7 Lost to Utah, 31-7 Sept. 23 vs. No. 3 Montana St.
9 UIW 2-1 421 9 D. Abilene Christian, 27-20 Sept. 23 vs. North American
10 Idaho 2-1 375 10 Lost to California, 31-17 Sept. 23 vs. No. 4 Sacramento St.
11 Montana 3-0 353 11t D. Ferris St., 17-10 Sept. 23 at Northern Arizona
12 New Hampshire 2-1 349 11t D. Dartmouth, 24-7 Sept. 23 at No. 16 Delaware
13 Southern Illinois 3-0 331 18 D. No. 15 Southeast Missouri St., 26-25 Sept. 30 vs. Missouri St.
14 North Dakota 2-1 296 13 Lost to Boise State, 42-18 Sept. 30 at No. 1 South Dakota St.
15 UC Davis 2-1 275 16 D. Southern Utah, 23-21 Sept. 23 vs. Eastern Washington
16 Delaware 2-1 222 19 D. St. Francis (Pa.), 42-14 Sept. 23 vs. No. 12 New Hampshire
17 Samford 1-2 212 14 Lost to Auburn, 45-13 Sept. 23 vs. Chattanooga
18 Rhode Island 2-1 211 20 D. Maine, 34-17 Sept. 23 at Villanova
19 North Carolina Central 2-1 159 17 Lost to UCLA, 59-7 Sept. 23 vs. Mississippi Valley St.
20 Southeast Missouri St. 1-2 153 15 Lost to No. 18 Southern Illinois, 26-25 Sept. 23 at Eastern Kentucky
21 Mercer 2-1 150 21 Idle Sept. 23 at No. 7 Furman
22 Fordham 2-1 133 22t Idle Sept. 23 vs. Stonehill
23 Florida A&M 2-1 121 24 D. West Florida, 31-10 Sept. 23 vs. Alabama St.
24 Youngstown St. 2-1 98 NR D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 48-28 Sept. 30 at Northern Iowa
25 Harvard 1-0 42 NR D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 45-13 Sept. 22 vs. Brown
Dropped Out: Southeastern Louisiana (22t), Illinois St. (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Northern Iowa, 30; Western Carolina, 26; Princeton, 20; Eastern Washington, 19; Chattanooga, 13; Central Arkansas, 10; Illinois St., 9; Austin Peay, 8; Jackson St., 7; Stephen F. Austin, 7; Yale, 7; Eastern Kentucky, 5; Hampton, 5; Richmond, 4; Villanova, 4; Southeastern Louisiana, 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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With their game against Stanford tied, 23-23, the Hornets got the ball back with a little over two minutes left in the game. Sac State quarterback Kaiden Bennett hit Marcus Fulcher on a 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Hornets a 30-23. The win was the fourth over an FBS opponent since 2011 for Sacramento State and it extended their regular season win streak to 22 games. It also moved the Hornets up two places to No. 4 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Sacramento State doesn’t have long to saver their victory as they are one of four Top 25 matchups this coming weekend, with two being Top 10 battles in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets will put their new No. 4 ranking on the line as they travel to No. 10 Idaho while No. 3 Montana State travels to No. 8 Weber State. The other two matchups have No. 7 Furman playing host to No. 21 Mercer while No. 12 New Hampshire hits the road against No. 16 Delaware.
The Top 3 remained unchanged this week with South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Montana State all holding serve. William & Mary had a close win against Charleston Southern, 15-7, and dropped one spot to No. 5.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 3 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (26) | 3-0 | 650 | 1 | D. Drake, 70-7 | Sept. 30 vs. No. 14 North Dakota | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. | 3-0 | 624 | 2 | D. Central Arkansas, 49-31 | Sept. 30 vs. South Dakota | |
| 3 | Montana St. | 2-1 | 580 | 3 | D. Stetson, 57-20 | Sept. 23 at No. 8 Weber St. | |
| 4 | Sacramento St. | 3-0 | 556 | 6 | D. Stanford, 30-23 | Sept. 23 at No. 10 Idaho | |
| 5 | William & Mary | 3-0 | 549 | 4 | D. Charleston Southern, 15-7 | Sept. 23 vs. Maine | |
| 6 | Holy Cross | 2-1 | 531 | 5 | D. Yale, 49-24 | Sept. 23 vs. Colgate | |
| 7 | Furman | 2-1 | 449 | 8 | D. Kennesaw St., 31-28 | Sept. 23 vs. No. 21 Mercer | |
| 8 | Weber St. | 2-1 | 435 | 7 | Lost to Utah, 31-7 | Sept. 23 vs. No. 3 Montana St. | |
| 9 | UIW | 2-1 | 421 | 9 | D. Abilene Christian, 27-20 | Sept. 23 vs. North American | |
| 10 | Idaho | 2-1 | 375 | 10 | Lost to California, 31-17 | Sept. 23 vs. No. 4 Sacramento St. | |
| 11 | Montana | 3-0 | 353 | 11t | D. Ferris St., 17-10 | Sept. 23 at Northern Arizona | |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 2-1 | 349 | 11t | D. Dartmouth, 24-7 | Sept. 23 at No. 16 Delaware | |
| 13 | Southern Illinois | 3-0 | 331 | 18 | D. No. 15 Southeast Missouri St., 26-25 | Sept. 30 vs. Missouri St. | |
| 14 | North Dakota | 2-1 | 296 | 13 | Lost to Boise State, 42-18 | Sept. 30 at No. 1 South Dakota St. | |
| 15 | UC Davis | 2-1 | 275 | 16 | D. Southern Utah, 23-21 | Sept. 23 vs. Eastern Washington | |
| 16 | Delaware | 2-1 | 222 | 19 | D. St. Francis (Pa.), 42-14 | Sept. 23 vs. No. 12 New Hampshire | |
| 17 | Samford | 1-2 | 212 | 14 | Lost to Auburn, 45-13 | Sept. 23 vs. Chattanooga | |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 2-1 | 211 | 20 | D. Maine, 34-17 | Sept. 23 at Villanova | |
| 19 | North Carolina Central | 2-1 | 159 | 17 | Lost to UCLA, 59-7 | Sept. 23 vs. Mississippi Valley St. | |
| 20 | Southeast Missouri St. | 1-2 | 153 | 15 | Lost to No. 18 Southern Illinois, 26-25 | Sept. 23 at Eastern Kentucky | |
| 21 | Mercer | 2-1 | 150 | 21 | Idle | Sept. 23 at No. 7 Furman | |
| 22 | Fordham | 2-1 | 133 | 22t | Idle | Sept. 23 vs. Stonehill | |
| 23 | Florida A&M | 2-1 | 121 | 24 | D. West Florida, 31-10 | Sept. 23 vs. Alabama St. | |
| 24 | Youngstown St. | 2-1 | 98 | NR | D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 48-28 | Sept. 30 at Northern Iowa | |
| 25 | Harvard | 1-0 | 42 | NR | D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 45-13 | Sept. 22 vs. Brown |
Dropped Out: Southeastern Louisiana (22t), Illinois St. (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Northern Iowa, 30; Western Carolina, 26; Princeton, 20; Eastern Washington, 19; Chattanooga, 13; Central Arkansas, 10; Illinois St., 9; Austin Peay, 8; Jackson St., 7; Stephen F. Austin, 7; Yale, 7; Eastern Kentucky, 5; Hampton, 5; Richmond, 4; Villanova, 4; Southeastern Louisiana, 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.
