CHICAGO – Oct. 7, 2019 – Top-ranked North Dakota State tied for the second-longest winning streak in FCS history with its 26th straight victory this past Saturday.
Princeton is halfway behind with the second-longest active streak at 13. It’s a run that will be put to the test in the Ivy League, according to the STATS FCS Top 25 on Monday.
Princeton moved up four spots to No. 21 in the national media rankings, but Dartmouth and Yale weren’t far behind among teams receiving votes just outside the Top 25. All three teams are 3-0, giving the Ivy League, which starts its season later than other conferences, a trio of the five unbeaten teams in the FCS, joining NDSU (5-0) and No. 5 Villanova (6-0).
On Saturday, Dartmouth will host Yale, while NDSU (No. 10 Northern Iowa) and Villanova (No. 2 James Madison) face Top 10 opponents. Princeton, whose program was one of the participants in the first college football game 150 years ago, will host winless Lafayette Friday night.
Weber State, Montana State and Montana held steady after each notching victories. The Wildcats held on for a 41-35 win over Idaho to stick at No. 4. The Bobcats emerged with a 34-28 overtime win at Cal Poly to hold at No. 6. And Montana is still No. 8 after a 59-20 homecoming victory over Idaho State.
UC Davis fell 12 spots to No. 24 after its third straight loss, a 38-36 defeat at North Dakota. Eastern Washington fell out of the Top 25 this season after losing 48-27 at Sacramento State.
NDSU, the top-time defending FCS champion, collected all but one of the 156 first-place votes in the poll. James Madison claimed the other first-place vote.
A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
STATS FCS Top 25 (Oct. 7)
1. North Dakota State (5-0), 3,899 points (155 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1; Last Week’s Result: 37-3 win over Illinois State
2. James Madison (5-1), 3,704 (1 first-place vote)
Previous Ranking: 2; Last Week’s Result: 45-38 OT win over Stony Brook
3. South Dakota State (4-1), 3,611
Previous Ranking: 3; Last Week’s Result: 28-10 win over Southern Illinois
4. Weber State (3-2), 3,286
Previous Ranking: 4; Last Week’s Result: 41-35 win over Idaho
5. Villanova (6-0), 3,221
Previous Ranking: 5; Last Week’s Result: 35-28 win over William & Mary
6. Montana State (5-1), 3,043
Previous Ranking: 6; Last Week’s Result: 34-28 OT win over Cal Poly
7. Kennesaw State (4-1), 2,820
Previous Ranking: 7; Last Week’s Result: Bye
8. Montana (5-1), 2,815
Previous Ranking: 8; Last Week’s Result: 59-20 win over Idaho State
9. Towson (3-2), 2,497
Previous Ranking: 9; Last Week’s Result: Bye
10. Northern Iowa (3-2), 2,357
Previous Ranking: 13; Last Week’s Result: 21-14 win over Youngstown State
11. Furman (4-2), 2,271
Previous Ranking: 14; Last Week’s Result: 58-14 win over Samford
12. Nicholls (3-2), 2,173
Previous Ranking: 16; Last Week’s Result: 34-14 win over Central Arkansas
13. North Carolina A&T (4-1), 1,993
Previous Ranking: 15; Last Week’s Result: 58-19 win over Norfolk State
14. Illinois State (3-2), 1,810
Previous Ranking: 10; Last Week’s Result: 37-3 loss to North Dakota State
15. Delaware (3-2), 1,437
Previous Ranking: 19; Last Week’s Result: Bye
16. Central Arkansas (3-2), 1,391
Previous Ranking: 11; Last Week’s Result: 34-14 loss to Nicholls
17. Jacksonville State (4-2), 1,118
Previous Ranking: 21; Last Week’s Result: 31-23 win over Tennessee State
18. Maine (2-3), 1,071
Previous Ranking: 20; Last Week’s Result: Bye
19. Youngstown State (4-1), 985
Previous Ranking: 18; Last Week’s Result: 21-14 loss to Youngstown State
20. Southeast Missouri (3-2), 959
Previous Ranking: 23; Last Week’s Result: 43-37, 2-OT win over Tennessee Tech
21. Princeton (3-0), 775
Previous Ranking: 25; Last Week’s Result: 21-10 win over Columbia
22. Stony Brook (4-2), 680
Previous Ranking: 24; Last Week’s Result: 45-38 OT loss to James Madison
23. Southeastern Louisiana (3-2), 525
Previous Ranking: 17; Last Week’s Result: 38-34 loss to McNeese
24. UC Davis (2-4), 414
Previous Ranking: 12; Last Week’s Result: 38-36 loss to North Dakota
25. Sam Houston State (4-2), 351
Previous Ranking: N/R; Last Week’s Result: 31-20 win over Stephen F. Austin
Dropped Out: Eastern Washington (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Sacramento State 350; Dartmouth 281; South Carolina State 198; North Dakota 195; Austin Peay 114; Yale 88; Central Connecticut State 70; Wofford 39; Alcorn State 28; Eastern Washington 26; New Hampshire 24; Tennessee Tech 23; McNeese 20; Houston Baptist 17; Samford 8; UT Martin 7; Elon 3; Georgetown 2; Cal Poly 1
