South Dakota State Wins Epic Battle Against Montana State
September 8, 2025
In a battle of 2 vs. 3, it was No. 2 South Dakota State who came out on top. Montana State and SDSU fought for a 17-17 tie at the end of regulation. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, then after the Jackrabbit’s Brayden Delahoyde caught a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second overtime, it was the SDSU defense who held on a fourth and one to preserve the victory. South Dakota State stays at No. 2 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Montana State drops three spots to No. 6.
North Dakota State remains the No. 1 team with 24 first-place votes. Tarleton State stays at No. 3 after dominating Mississippi Valley State, 59-3, and moving to 3-0 on the season. Illinois State handed Morehead State a 41-13 loss and moves up three to No. 4, as does Rhode Island, who jumps from 8 to 5 after beating Stony Brook a 31-17. Montana, UIW, UC Davis and Idaho round out the top 10. There is only one top 25 matchup this coming weekend and it features No. 7 Montana hosting No. 17 North Dakota in Missoula.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 2 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (24) 2-0 648 1 D. Tennessee St., 59-3 Sept. 13 vs. Southeast Missouri St.
2 South Dakota St. (2) 2-0 623 2 D. No. 3t Montana St., 30-24 2OT Sept. 13 vs. Drake
3 Tarleton St. 3-0 594 3t D. Mississippi Valley St., 59-3 Sept. 13 at Central Arkansas
4 Illinois St. 1-1 516 7 D. Morehead St., 41-13 Sept. 13 at Eastern Illinois
5 Rhode Island 2-0 509 8 D. Stony Brook, 31-17 Sept. 13 at Holy Cross
6 Montana St. 0-2 494 3t Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 30-24 2OT Sept. 13 vs. San Diego
7 Montana 1-0 481 10 D. Central Washington, 42-17 Sept. 13 vs. No. 17 North Dakota
8 UIW 1-1 422 9 Idle Sept. 13 at UTSA
9 UC Davis 1-1 421 5 Lost to Washington, 70-0 Sept. 20 vs. Southern Utah
10 Idaho 1-1 389 11 D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 37-30 Sept. 13 vs. Utah Tech
11 Villanova 1-0 374 12 D. Colgate, 24-17 Sept. 13 at Penn St.
12 Lehigh 2-0 354 13 D. Sacred Heart, 28-10 Sept. 13 at Duquesne
13 ACU 1-1 297 17 D. No. 23 Stephen F. Austin, 28-20 Sept. 13 at TCU
14 Southern Illinois 1-1 266 15 Lost to Purdue, 34-17 Sept. 13 at UT Martin
15 Jackson St. 1-1 236 14 Lost to Southern Miss, 38-20 Sept. 13 vs. Tuskegee
16 Tennessee Tech 2-0 233 20 D. Chattanooga, 45-17 Sept. 13 vs. Davidson
17 North Dakota 1-1 230 22 D. Portland St., 50-20 Sept. 13 at No. 7 Montana
18 Monmouth (N.J.) 2-0 227 18 D. Fordham, 49-28 Sept. 13 at Charlotte
19 Northern Arizona 1-1 184 19 D. Utah Tech, 38-31 Sept. 13 at Southern Utah
20 South Dakota 0-2 172 6 Lost to Lamar, 20-13 Sept. 13 vs. Northern Colorado
21 Sacramento St. 0-2 129 16 Lost to Nevada, 20-17 Sept. 13 vs. Mercyhurst
22 Mercer 0-1 82 21 Idle Sept. 13 vs. Wofford
23 Austin Peay 1-1 73 NR Lost to Georgia, 28-6 Sept. 13 vs. Morehead St.
24 New Hampshire 2-0 72 NR D. Holy Cross, 19-16 Sept. 13 at Ball St.
25 Youngstown St. 2-0 56 NR D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 56-17 Sept. 13 at Michigan St.
Dropped Out: Stephen F. Austin (23), East Tennessee St. (24), Nicholls (25t), Western Carolina (25t)
Others Receiving Votes: East Tennessee St., 43; Lamar, 38; Presbyterian, 35; Richmond, 28; West Georgia, 28; Stephen F. Austin, 22; Bryant, 19; Harvard, 18; Southeastern Louisiana, 17; Furman, 14; Indiana St., 14; South Carolina St., 12; Nicholls, 10; North Alabama, 9; Southeast Missouri St., 9; Central Arkansas, 7; Dartmouth, 7; Eastern Kentucky, 7; Western Carolina, 7; Lafayette, 5; St. Thomas (Minn.), 5; Gardner-Webb, 4; William & Mary, 4; Northern Iowa, 3; Georgetown (D.C.), 2; LIU, 1.
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In a battle of 2 vs. 3, it was No. 2 South Dakota State who came out on top. Montana State and SDSU fought for a 17-17 tie at the end of regulation. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, then after the Jackrabbit’s Brayden Delahoyde caught a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second overtime, it was the SDSU defense who held on a fourth and one to preserve the victory. South Dakota State stays at No. 2 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Montana State drops three spots to No. 6.
North Dakota State remains the No. 1 team with 24 first-place votes. Tarleton State stays at No. 3 after dominating Mississippi Valley State, 59-3, and moving to 3-0 on the season. Illinois State handed Morehead State a 41-13 loss and moves up three to No. 4, as does Rhode Island, who jumps from 8 to 5 after beating Stony Brook a 31-17. Montana, UIW, UC Davis and Idaho round out the top 10. There is only one top 25 matchup this coming weekend and it features No. 7 Montana hosting No. 17 North Dakota in Missoula.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 2 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (24) | 2-0 | 648 | 1 | D. Tennessee St., 59-3 | Sept. 13 vs. Southeast Missouri St. | |
| 2 | South Dakota St. (2) | 2-0 | 623 | 2 | D. No. 3t Montana St., 30-24 2OT | Sept. 13 vs. Drake | |
| 3 | Tarleton St. | 3-0 | 594 | 3t | D. Mississippi Valley St., 59-3 | Sept. 13 at Central Arkansas | |
| 4 | Illinois St. | 1-1 | 516 | 7 | D. Morehead St., 41-13 | Sept. 13 at Eastern Illinois | |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 2-0 | 509 | 8 | D. Stony Brook, 31-17 | Sept. 13 at Holy Cross | |
| 6 | Montana St. | 0-2 | 494 | 3t | Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 30-24 2OT | Sept. 13 vs. San Diego | |
| 7 | Montana | 1-0 | 481 | 10 | D. Central Washington, 42-17 | Sept. 13 vs. No. 17 North Dakota | |
| 8 | UIW | 1-1 | 422 | 9 | Idle | Sept. 13 at UTSA | |
| 9 | UC Davis | 1-1 | 421 | 5 | Lost to Washington, 70-0 | Sept. 20 vs. Southern Utah | |
| 10 | Idaho | 1-1 | 389 | 11 | D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 37-30 | Sept. 13 vs. Utah Tech | |
| 11 | Villanova | 1-0 | 374 | 12 | D. Colgate, 24-17 | Sept. 13 at Penn St. | |
| 12 | Lehigh | 2-0 | 354 | 13 | D. Sacred Heart, 28-10 | Sept. 13 at Duquesne | |
| 13 | ACU | 1-1 | 297 | 17 | D. No. 23 Stephen F. Austin, 28-20 | Sept. 13 at TCU | |
| 14 | Southern Illinois | 1-1 | 266 | 15 | Lost to Purdue, 34-17 | Sept. 13 at UT Martin | |
| 15 | Jackson St. | 1-1 | 236 | 14 | Lost to Southern Miss, 38-20 | Sept. 13 vs. Tuskegee | |
| 16 | Tennessee Tech | 2-0 | 233 | 20 | D. Chattanooga, 45-17 | Sept. 13 vs. Davidson | |
| 17 | North Dakota | 1-1 | 230 | 22 | D. Portland St., 50-20 | Sept. 13 at No. 7 Montana | |
| 18 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 2-0 | 227 | 18 | D. Fordham, 49-28 | Sept. 13 at Charlotte | |
| 19 | Northern Arizona | 1-1 | 184 | 19 | D. Utah Tech, 38-31 | Sept. 13 at Southern Utah | |
| 20 | South Dakota | 0-2 | 172 | 6 | Lost to Lamar, 20-13 | Sept. 13 vs. Northern Colorado | |
| 21 | Sacramento St. | 0-2 | 129 | 16 | Lost to Nevada, 20-17 | Sept. 13 vs. Mercyhurst | |
| 22 | Mercer | 0-1 | 82 | 21 | Idle | Sept. 13 vs. Wofford | |
| 23 | Austin Peay | 1-1 | 73 | NR | Lost to Georgia, 28-6 | Sept. 13 vs. Morehead St. | |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 2-0 | 72 | NR | D. Holy Cross, 19-16 | Sept. 13 at Ball St. | |
| 25 | Youngstown St. | 2-0 | 56 | NR | D. Robert Morris (Pa.), 56-17 | Sept. 13 at Michigan St. | |
Dropped Out: Stephen F. Austin (23), East Tennessee St. (24), Nicholls (25t), Western Carolina (25t)
Others Receiving Votes: East Tennessee St., 43; Lamar, 38; Presbyterian, 35; Richmond, 28; West Georgia, 28; Stephen F. Austin, 22; Bryant, 19; Harvard, 18; Southeastern Louisiana, 17; Furman, 14; Indiana St., 14; South Carolina St., 12; Nicholls, 10; North Alabama, 9; Southeast Missouri St., 9; Central Arkansas, 7; Dartmouth, 7; Eastern Kentucky, 7; Western Carolina, 7; Lafayette, 5; St. Thomas (Minn.), 5; Gardner-Webb, 4; William & Mary, 4; Northern Iowa, 3; Georgetown (D.C.), 2; LIU, 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.
