SFA Off To Best Start In Program History
October 26, 2026
Leading No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana 21-17 early in the third quarter, Stephen F. Austin scored three straight touchdowns and never looked back, winning a runaway, 45-24. The win moved the Lumberjacks record to 8-0, their best start to a season in program history. SFA still sits No. 2 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll while the Lions dropped out of the top 25 with the loss.
Tarleton State dominated West Georgia, 49-6, and remains in the top spot. They are followed by Montana State at No. 3, who edged Weber State, 38-33, No. 4 Youngstown State and No. 5 South Dakota State, who buried Murray State, 42-9. That was a good warmup game as the Jackrabbits get ready to host in-state rival and sixth-ranked South Dakota on Halloween. The Coyotes come in fresh off a 26-23 overtime win over then-No. 8 North Dakota. That loss only dropped the Fighting Hawks three spots to No. 11, but they need to regroup quickly as they head to Youngstown, Ohio, to face No. 4 Youngstown State.
There are two other top 25 matchups outside the Missouri Valley Football Conference. First is No. 10 Tennessee Tech traveling to No. 18 East Tennessee State in a battle for the top spot in the Southern Conference. The Buccaneers have the lead at 4-0 with the Golden Eagles right behind at 4-1. The final top 25 matchup is for second place in the Coastal Athletic Association as No. 15 Campbell travels to newly ranked and No. 25 UAlbany.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 8 Next Game
1 Tarleton St. (25) 8-0 649 1 D. West Georgia, 49-6 Oct. 31 vs. Eastern Kentucky
2 Stephen F. Austin (1) 8-0 623 2 D. No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana, 45-24 Oct. 31 vs. Houston Christian
3 Montana St. 7-1 591 3 D. Weber St., 38-33 Oct. 31 vs. Cal Poly
4 Youngstown St. 6-2 567 4 Idle Oct. 31 vs. No. 11 North Dakota
5 South Dakota St. 6-2 543 5 D. Murray St., 42-9 Oct. 31 vs. No. 6 South Dakota
6 South Dakota 7-2 520 6 D. No. 8 North Dakota, 26-23 OT Oct. 31 at No. 5 South Dakota St.
7 Northern Arizona 6-2 482 7 Idle Oct. 31 at Southern Utah
8 Austin Peay 7-2 464 9 D. North Alabama, 27-21 Nov. 7 vs. Eastern Kentucky
9 Illinois St. 6-2 418 10 D. Indiana St., 17-10 Oct. 31 vs. Murray St.
10 Tennessee Tech 7-1 406 11 D. The Citadel, 28-13 Oct. 31 at No. 18 East Tennessee St.
11 North Dakota 6-3 374 8 Lost to No. 6 South Dakota, 26-23 OT Oct. 31 at No. 4 Youngstown St.
12 Mercer 6-2 340 13 Idle Oct. 31 vs. The Citadel
13 Lamar 6-2 319 15 D. Houston Christian, 35-10 Oct. 31 at UT Rio Grande Valley
14 Montana 5-3 317 14 Idle Oct. 31 at Eastern Washington
15 Campbell 7-1 310 16 D. Maine, 35-6 Oct. 31 at No. 25 UAlbany
16 Harvard 6-0 276 17 D. Princeton, 35-7 Oct. 30 at Dartmouth
17 Monmouth (N.J.) 6-2 231 18 D. Hampton, 49-13 Oct. 31 vs. Bryant
18 East Tennessee St. 6-2 194 20 D. VMI, 38-0 Oct. 31 vs. No. 10 Tennessee Tech
19 Richmond 6-2 192 19 D. Colgate, 13-6 Oct. 31 at Holy Cross
20 Lehigh 6-2 174 12 Lost to Villanova, 24-18 Oct. 31 vs. Bucknell
21 UC Davis 5-3 142 21 D. Northern Colorado, 33-6 Oct. 31 at Weber St.
22 South Carolina St. 6-2 90 25 D. Norfolk St., 22-7 Oct. 29 at Morgan St.
23 Idaho St. 5-3 58 NR D. Portland St., 38-8 Oct. 31 at Utah Tech
24 ACU 4-4 34 NR Idle Oct. 31 vs. West Georgia
25 UAlbany 5-3 32 NR D. Rhode Island, 38-21 Oct. 31 vs. No. 15 Campbell
Dropped Out: Jackson St. (22), West Florida (23), Southeastern Louisiana (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana, 16; Alabama A&M, 13; Southeast Missouri St., 13; Weber St., 12; Wofford, 10; Chattanooga, 8; Stony Brook, 8; Southern Illinois, 5; Bryant, 4; Central Connecticut St., 4; Colgate, 3; Jackson St., 3; Morgan St., 3; Princeton, 2.
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Leading No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana 21-17 early in the third quarter, Stephen F. Austin scored three straight touchdowns and never looked back, winning a runaway, 45-24. The win moved the Lumberjacks record to 8-0, their best start to a season in program history. SFA still sits No. 2 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll while the Lions dropped out of the top 25 with the loss.
Tarleton State dominated West Georgia, 49-6, and remains in the top spot. They are followed by Montana State at No. 3, who edged Weber State, 38-33, No. 4 Youngstown State and No. 5 South Dakota State, who buried Murray State, 42-9. That was a good warmup game as the Jackrabbits get ready to host in-state rival and sixth-ranked South Dakota on Halloween. The Coyotes come in fresh off a 26-23 overtime win over then-No. 8 North Dakota. That loss only dropped the Fighting Hawks three spots to No. 11, but they need to regroup quickly as they head to Youngstown, Ohio, to face No. 4 Youngstown State.
There are two other top 25 matchups outside the Missouri Valley Football Conference. First is No. 10 Tennessee Tech traveling to No. 18 East Tennessee State in a battle for the top spot in the Southern Conference. The Buccaneers have the lead at 4-0 with the Golden Eagles right behind at 4-1. The final top 25 matchup is for second place in the Coastal Athletic Association as No. 15 Campbell travels to newly ranked and No. 25 UAlbany.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarleton St. (25) | 8-0 | 649 | 1 | D. West Georgia, 49-6 | Oct. 31 vs. Eastern Kentucky | |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin (1) | 8-0 | 623 | 2 | D. No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana, 45-24 | Oct. 31 vs. Houston Christian | |
| 3 | Montana St. | 7-1 | 591 | 3 | D. Weber St., 38-33 | Oct. 31 vs. Cal Poly | |
| 4 | Youngstown St. | 6-2 | 567 | 4 | Idle | Oct. 31 vs. No. 11 North Dakota | |
| 5 | South Dakota St. | 6-2 | 543 | 5 | D. Murray St., 42-9 | Oct. 31 vs. No. 6 South Dakota | |
| 6 | South Dakota | 7-2 | 520 | 6 | D. No. 8 North Dakota, 26-23 OT | Oct. 31 at No. 5 South Dakota St. | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | 6-2 | 482 | 7 | Idle | Oct. 31 at Southern Utah | |
| 8 | Austin Peay | 7-2 | 464 | 9 | D. North Alabama, 27-21 | Nov. 7 vs. Eastern Kentucky | |
| 9 | Illinois St. | 6-2 | 418 | 10 | D. Indiana St., 17-10 | Oct. 31 vs. Murray St. | |
| 10 | Tennessee Tech | 7-1 | 406 | 11 | D. The Citadel, 28-13 | Oct. 31 at No. 18 East Tennessee St. | |
| 11 | North Dakota | 6-3 | 374 | 8 | Lost to No. 6 South Dakota, 26-23 OT | Oct. 31 at No. 4 Youngstown St. | |
| 12 | Mercer | 6-2 | 340 | 13 | Idle | Oct. 31 vs. The Citadel | |
| 13 | Lamar | 6-2 | 319 | 15 | D. Houston Christian, 35-10 | Oct. 31 at UT Rio Grande Valley | |
| 14 | Montana | 5-3 | 317 | 14 | Idle | Oct. 31 at Eastern Washington | |
| 15 | Campbell | 7-1 | 310 | 16 | D. Maine, 35-6 | Oct. 31 at No. 25 UAlbany | |
| 16 | Harvard | 6-0 | 276 | 17 | D. Princeton, 35-7 | Oct. 30 at Dartmouth | |
| 17 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 6-2 | 231 | 18 | D. Hampton, 49-13 | Oct. 31 vs. Bryant | |
| 18 | East Tennessee St. | 6-2 | 194 | 20 | D. VMI, 38-0 | Oct. 31 vs. No. 10 Tennessee Tech | |
| 19 | Richmond | 6-2 | 192 | 19 | D. Colgate, 13-6 | Oct. 31 at Holy Cross | |
| 20 | Lehigh | 6-2 | 174 | 12 | Lost to Villanova, 24-18 | Oct. 31 vs. Bucknell | |
| 21 | UC Davis | 5-3 | 142 | 21 | D. Northern Colorado, 33-6 | Oct. 31 at Weber St. | |
| 22 | South Carolina St. | 6-2 | 90 | 25 | D. Norfolk St., 22-7 | Oct. 29 at Morgan St. | |
| 23 | Idaho St. | 5-3 | 58 | NR | D. Portland St., 38-8 | Oct. 31 at Utah Tech | |
| 24 | ACU | 4-4 | 34 | NR | Idle | Oct. 31 vs. West Georgia | |
| 25 | UAlbany | 5-3 | 32 | NR | D. Rhode Island, 38-21 | Oct. 31 vs. No. 15 Campbell |
Dropped Out: Jackson St. (22), West Florida (23), Southeastern Louisiana (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana, 16; Alabama A&M, 13; Southeast Missouri St., 13; Weber St., 12; Wofford, 10; Chattanooga, 8; Stony Brook, 8; Southern Illinois, 5; Bryant, 4; Central Connecticut St., 4; Colgate, 3; Jackson St., 3; Morgan St., 3; Princeton, 2.
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.
