UC Davis Runs Away from Northern Arizona
October 13, 2025
In a shootout of two top 20 ranked teams, it was UC Davis who came out on top. The Aggie offense scored 35 points in the second half while their defense sacked the Northern Arizona quarterback six times in a 45-24 win. UC Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was the star of the show, completing 25 of 29 passes for a career high 348 yards and five touchdowns. The Aggies remain at No. 6 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Lumberjacks drop five spots to No. 21.
The top five remained intact after seven weeks of action. No. 1 North Dakota State took down another ranked opponent, this time it was then-No. 9 Southern Illinois, 45-17. The loss only dropped the Salukis three places to No. 12. No. 3 Tarleton State moved its record to 7-0 after beating Utah Tech, 41-23. The Texans will host No. 23 West Georgia, who are looking to rebound after dropping a tough one to No. 17 ACU, 30-13.
Idaho lost to Northern Colorado, 49-33, and dropped out of the top 25, making room for Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions come in at No. 22 and are 4-2 on the season. They had a bye this past weekend and will face Northwestern State on October 18.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 7 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (26) 6-0 650 1 D. No. 9 Southern Illinois, 45-17 Oct. 18 at Indiana St.
2 South Dakota St. 6-0 621 2 D. Northern Iowa, 31-3 Oct. 18 at Murray St.
3 Tarleton St. 7-0 598 3 D. Utah Tech, 41-23 Oct. 18 vs. No. 23 West Georgia
4 Montana 6-0 567 4 D. Cal Poly, 28-9 Oct. 18 vs. Sacred Heart
5 Montana St. 5-2 525 5 D. Idaho St., 48-14 Oct. 25 at Cal Poly
6 UC Davis 5-1 504 6 D. No. 16 Northern Arizona, 45-24 Oct. 25 at Northern Colorado
7 Lehigh 7-0 470 8 D. Columbia, 31-7 Oct. 25 at Fordham
8 Tennessee Tech 6-0 465 7 D. Charleston Southern, 27-13 Oct. 18 at Lindenwood
9 Illinois St. 4-2 431 10 D. Murray St., 46-32 Oct. 18 vs. No. 25 Youngstown St.
10 Monmouth (N.J.) 5-1 410 11 D. Towson, 42-31 Oct. 18 vs. Stony Brook
11 North Dakota 4-2 391 12 D. No. 20 Youngstown St., 35-17 Oct. 18 at No. 12 Southern Illinois
12 Southern Illinois 4-2 323 9 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 45-17 Oct. 18 vs. No. 11 North Dakota
13 Jackson St. 5-1 318 14 D. Alabama St., 38-34 Oct. 25 vs. Grambling St.
14 Villanova 4-2 289 17 D. Elon, 29-21 Oct. 18 vs. Hampton
15 Rhode Island 5-2 267 18 D. New Hampshire, 38-27 Oct. 18 at UAlbany
16 Mercer 5-1 249 19 D. Princeton, 38-14 Oct. 25 vs. VMI
17 ACU 4-3 228 21t D. No. 21t West Georgia, 30-13 Oct. 18 at Southern Utah
18 Lamar 5-1 203 24 D. East Texas A&M, 33-23 Oct. 18 vs. UT Rio Grande Valley
19 Presbyterian 6-0 176 23 D. Butler, 31-25 Oct. 18 vs. Stetson
20 Harvard 4-0 145 25 D. Cornell, 34-10 Oct. 18 vs. Merrimack
21 Northern Arizona 4-3 100 16 Lost to No. 6 UC Davis, 45-24 Oct. 25 at Idaho St.
22 Southeastern Louisiana 4-2 98 NR Idle Oct. 18 vs. Northwestern St.
23 West Georgia 5-2 70 21t Lost to No. 21t ACU, 30-13 Oct. 18 at No. 3 Tarleton St.
24 Austin Peay 4-3 64 15 Lost to Eastern Kentucky, 34-20 Oct. 25 vs. North Alabama
25 Youngstown St. 3-3 53 20 Lost to No. 12 North Dakota, 35-17 Oct. 18 at No. 9 Illinois St.
Dropped Out: Idaho (13)
Others Receiving Votes: Gardner-Webb, 37; South Dakota, 34; Stephen F. Austin, 34; Lafayette, 28; Western Carolina, 19; North Carolina Central, 14; Idaho, 10; Sacramento St., 10; UT Rio Grande Valley, 10; Brown, 8; Dartmouth, 7; Penn, 7; Alabama St., 5; Central Arkansas, 4; Elon, 3; Furman, 3; East Tennessee St., 1; Eastern Kentucky, 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 shootout of two top 20 ranked teams, it was UC Davis who came out on top. The Aggie offense scored 35 points in the second half while their defense sacked the Northern Arizona quarterback six times in a 45-24 win. UC Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was the star of the show, completing 25 of 29 passes for a career high 348 yards and five touchdowns. The Aggies remain at No. 6 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Lumberjacks drop five spots to No. 21.
The top five remained intact after seven weeks of action. No. 1 North Dakota State took down another ranked opponent, this time it was then-No. 9 Southern Illinois, 45-17. The loss only dropped the Salukis three places to No. 12. No. 3 Tarleton State moved its record to 7-0 after beating Utah Tech, 41-23. The Texans will host No. 23 West Georgia, who are looking to rebound after dropping a tough one to No. 17 ACU, 30-13.
Idaho lost to Northern Colorado, 49-33, and dropped out of the top 25, making room for Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions come in at No. 22 and are 4-2 on the season. They had a bye this past weekend and will face Northwestern State on October 18.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (26) | 6-0 | 650 | 1 | D. No. 9 Southern Illinois, 45-17 | Oct. 18 at Indiana St. | |
| 2 | South Dakota St. | 6-0 | 621 | 2 | D. Northern Iowa, 31-3 | Oct. 18 at Murray St. | |
| 3 | Tarleton St. | 7-0 | 598 | 3 | D. Utah Tech, 41-23 | Oct. 18 vs. No. 23 West Georgia | |
| 4 | Montana | 6-0 | 567 | 4 | D. Cal Poly, 28-9 | Oct. 18 vs. Sacred Heart | |
| 5 | Montana St. | 5-2 | 525 | 5 | D. Idaho St., 48-14 | Oct. 25 at Cal Poly | |
| 6 | UC Davis | 5-1 | 504 | 6 | D. No. 16 Northern Arizona, 45-24 | Oct. 25 at Northern Colorado | |
| 7 | Lehigh | 7-0 | 470 | 8 | D. Columbia, 31-7 | Oct. 25 at Fordham | |
| 8 | Tennessee Tech | 6-0 | 465 | 7 | D. Charleston Southern, 27-13 | Oct. 18 at Lindenwood | |
| 9 | Illinois St. | 4-2 | 431 | 10 | D. Murray St., 46-32 | Oct. 18 vs. No. 25 Youngstown St. | |
| 10 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 5-1 | 410 | 11 | D. Towson, 42-31 | Oct. 18 vs. Stony Brook | |
| 11 | North Dakota | 4-2 | 391 | 12 | D. No. 20 Youngstown St., 35-17 | Oct. 18 at No. 12 Southern Illinois | |
| 12 | Southern Illinois | 4-2 | 323 | 9 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 45-17 | Oct. 18 vs. No. 11 North Dakota | |
| 13 | Jackson St. | 5-1 | 318 | 14 | D. Alabama St., 38-34 | Oct. 25 vs. Grambling St. | |
| 14 | Villanova | 4-2 | 289 | 17 | D. Elon, 29-21 | Oct. 18 vs. Hampton | |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 5-2 | 267 | 18 | D. New Hampshire, 38-27 | Oct. 18 at UAlbany | |
| 16 | Mercer | 5-1 | 249 | 19 | D. Princeton, 38-14 | Oct. 25 vs. VMI | |
| 17 | ACU | 4-3 | 228 | 21t | D. No. 21t West Georgia, 30-13 | Oct. 18 at Southern Utah | |
| 18 | Lamar | 5-1 | 203 | 24 | D. East Texas A&M, 33-23 | Oct. 18 vs. UT Rio Grande Valley | |
| 19 | Presbyterian | 6-0 | 176 | 23 | D. Butler, 31-25 | Oct. 18 vs. Stetson | |
| 20 | Harvard | 4-0 | 145 | 25 | D. Cornell, 34-10 | Oct. 18 vs. Merrimack | |
| 21 | Northern Arizona | 4-3 | 100 | 16 | Lost to No. 6 UC Davis, 45-24 | Oct. 25 at Idaho St. | |
| 22 | Southeastern Louisiana | 4-2 | 98 | NR | Idle | Oct. 18 vs. Northwestern St. | |
| 23 | West Georgia | 5-2 | 70 | 21t | Lost to No. 21t ACU, 30-13 | Oct. 18 at No. 3 Tarleton St. | |
| 24 | Austin Peay | 4-3 | 64 | 15 | Lost to Eastern Kentucky, 34-20 | Oct. 25 vs. North Alabama | |
| 25 | Youngstown St. | 3-3 | 53 | 20 | Lost to No. 12 North Dakota, 35-17 | Oct. 18 at No. 9 Illinois St. | |
Dropped Out: Idaho (13)
Others Receiving Votes: Gardner-Webb, 37; South Dakota, 34; Stephen F. Austin, 34; Lafayette, 28; Western Carolina, 19; North Carolina Central, 14; Idaho, 10; Sacramento St., 10; UT Rio Grande Valley, 10; Brown, 8; Dartmouth, 7; Penn, 7; Alabama St., 5; Central Arkansas, 4; Elon, 3; Furman, 3; East Tennessee St., 1; Eastern Kentucky, 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.
