Jackrabbits win Showdown, Move to No. 1
October 17, 2022
Defense was the name of the game in the battle of No. 1 versus No. 3. South Dakota State’s defense held North Dakota State’s offense scoreless after the 11:08 mark of the second quarter, allowing the Jackrabbit offense time to score 16 unanswered points in the second half to record a 23-21 victory. The win moved South Dakota State to No. 1 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while the loss dropped North Dakota State to No. 4. This was SDSU’s third straight win in the Dakota Marker rivalry game.
The No. 2 team last week also lost causing a major shakeup in the Top 25. Idaho used a dominant defense and a special teams unit that forced a safety on a punt, blocked a PAT and snagged an on-side kick to beat conference rival and then-No. 2 Montana, 30-23. It was the Vandals first victory over Montana since 1999. The win moved Idaho into the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 24, while Montana dropped to No. 7.
There are two big Top 25 matchups this coming weekend, and both are from the Big Sky Conference. No. 2 Montana State hosts No. 5 Weber State while No. 3 Sacramento State plays host to No. 7 Montana. Both games will have an impact on who sits at the top of the conference standings.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 7 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (26) 6-1 671 3 D. No. 1 North Dakota St., 23-21 Oct. 22 at North Dakota
2 Montana St. 6-1 621 4 D. Northern Colorado, 37-14 Oct. 22 vs. No. 5 Weber St.
3 Sacramento St. (1) 6-0 616 5 D. Eastern Washington, 52-28 Oct. 22 vs. No. 7 Montana
4 North Dakota St. 5-2 593 1 Lost to No. 3 South Dakota St., 23-21 Oct. 29 vs. Illinois St.
5 Weber St. 6-0 573 6 D. Portland St., 42-7 Oct. 22 at No. 2 Montana St.
6 Jackson St. 6-0 513 7 D. Bethune-Cookman, 48-8 Oct. 22 vs. Campbell
7 Montana 5-1 482 2 Lost to Idaho, 30-23 Oct. 22 at No. 3 Sacramento St.
8 Chattanooga 5-1 468 9 D. VMI, 41-13 Oct. 22 vs. No. 11 Mercer
9 Holy Cross 6-0 467 8 Idle Oct. 22 at Lafayette
10 UIW 6-1 438 10 D. Nicholls, 49-14 Oct. 22 vs. Faulkner
11 Mercer 6-1 403 11 D. East Tennessee St., 55-33 Oct. 22 at No. 8 Chattanooga
12 Delaware 5-1 371 12 Idle Oct. 22 vs. Morgan St.
13 William & Mary 5-1 343 13 Idle Oct. 22 at Towson
14 UT Martin 4-2 295 14 Idle Oct. 22 at Tennessee
15 Samford 5-1 286 15 Idle Oct. 22 at East Tennessee St.
16 Fordham 6-1 278 17 D. Stony Brook, 45-14 Oct. 29 at No. 9 Holy Cross
17 Southern Illinois 5-2 237 19 D. Western Illinois, 30-7 Oct. 22 at South Dakota
18 Southeast Missouri St. 5-1 171 21 Idle Oct. 22 at Northwestern St.
19 Rhode Island 4-2 170 22 D. No. 18 Elon, 17-10 Oct. 22 at Monmouth (N.J.)
20 Stephen F. Austin 4-3 147 20 D. Tarleton, 41-24 Oct. 22 at Southern Utah
21 Richmond 4-2 124 25 D. No. 16 Villanova, 20-10 Oct. 22 at Hampton
22 Austin Peay 5-2 93 24 D. Murray St., 52-17 Oct. 29 vs. Jacksonville St.
23 Princeton 5-0 87 23 D. Brown, 35-19 Oct. 21 at Harvard
24 Idaho 4-2 57 NR D. No. 2 Montana, 30-23 Oct. 22 vs. Portland St.
25 Elon 5-2 56 18 Lost to No. 22 Rhode Island, 17-10 Oct. 22 at New Hampshire
Dropped Out: Villanova (16)
Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina Central, 48; Furman, 39; Villanova, 31; North Dakota, 23; New Hampshire, 18; Pennsylvania, 14; Florida A&M, 11; Abilene Christian, 10; St. Thomas (Minn.), 7; Merrimack, 5; Eastern Kentucky, 4; Illinois St., 2; Campbell, 1; Hampton, 1; Stetson, 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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Defense was the name of the game in the battle of No. 1 versus No. 3. South Dakota State’s defense held North Dakota State’s offense scoreless after the 11:08 mark of the second quarter, allowing the Jackrabbit offense time to score 16 unanswered points in the second half to record a 23-21 victory. The win moved South Dakota State to No. 1 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while the loss dropped North Dakota State to No. 4. This was SDSU’s third straight win in the Dakota Marker rivalry game.
The No. 2 team last week also lost causing a major shakeup in the Top 25. Idaho used a dominant defense and a special teams unit that forced a safety on a punt, blocked a PAT and snagged an on-side kick to beat conference rival and then-No. 2 Montana, 30-23. It was the Vandals first victory over Montana since 1999. The win moved Idaho into the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 24, while Montana dropped to No. 7.
There are two big Top 25 matchups this coming weekend, and both are from the Big Sky Conference. No. 2 Montana State hosts No. 5 Weber State while No. 3 Sacramento State plays host to No. 7 Montana. Both games will have an impact on who sits at the top of the conference standings.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (26) | 6-1 | 671 | 3 | D. No. 1 North Dakota St., 23-21 | Oct. 22 at North Dakota |
| 2 | Montana St. | 6-1 | 621 | 4 | D. Northern Colorado, 37-14 | Oct. 22 vs. No. 5 Weber St. |
| 3 | Sacramento St. (1) | 6-0 | 616 | 5 | D. Eastern Washington, 52-28 | Oct. 22 vs. No. 7 Montana |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 5-2 | 593 | 1 | Lost to No. 3 South Dakota St., 23-21 | Oct. 29 vs. Illinois St. |
| 5 | Weber St. | 6-0 | 573 | 6 | D. Portland St., 42-7 | Oct. 22 at No. 2 Montana St. |
| 6 | Jackson St. | 6-0 | 513 | 7 | D. Bethune-Cookman, 48-8 | Oct. 22 vs. Campbell |
| 7 | Montana | 5-1 | 482 | 2 | Lost to Idaho, 30-23 | Oct. 22 at No. 3 Sacramento St. |
| 8 | Chattanooga | 5-1 | 468 | 9 | D. VMI, 41-13 | Oct. 22 vs. No. 11 Mercer |
| 9 | Holy Cross | 6-0 | 467 | 8 | Idle | Oct. 22 at Lafayette |
| 10 | UIW | 6-1 | 438 | 10 | D. Nicholls, 49-14 | Oct. 22 vs. Faulkner |
| 11 | Mercer | 6-1 | 403 | 11 | D. East Tennessee St., 55-33 | Oct. 22 at No. 8 Chattanooga |
| 12 | Delaware | 5-1 | 371 | 12 | Idle | Oct. 22 vs. Morgan St. |
| 13 | William & Mary | 5-1 | 343 | 13 | Idle | Oct. 22 at Towson |
| 14 | UT Martin | 4-2 | 295 | 14 | Idle | Oct. 22 at Tennessee |
| 15 | Samford | 5-1 | 286 | 15 | Idle | Oct. 22 at East Tennessee St. |
| 16 | Fordham | 6-1 | 278 | 17 | D. Stony Brook, 45-14 | Oct. 29 at No. 9 Holy Cross |
| 17 | Southern Illinois | 5-2 | 237 | 19 | D. Western Illinois, 30-7 | Oct. 22 at South Dakota |
| 18 | Southeast Missouri St. | 5-1 | 171 | 21 | Idle | Oct. 22 at Northwestern St. |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 4-2 | 170 | 22 | D. No. 18 Elon, 17-10 | Oct. 22 at Monmouth (N.J.) |
| 20 | Stephen F. Austin | 4-3 | 147 | 20 | D. Tarleton, 41-24 | Oct. 22 at Southern Utah |
| 21 | Richmond | 4-2 | 124 | 25 | D. No. 16 Villanova, 20-10 | Oct. 22 at Hampton |
| 22 | Austin Peay | 5-2 | 93 | 24 | D. Murray St., 52-17 | Oct. 29 vs. Jacksonville St. |
| 23 | Princeton | 5-0 | 87 | 23 | D. Brown, 35-19 | Oct. 21 at Harvard |
| 24 | Idaho | 4-2 | 57 | NR | D. No. 2 Montana, 30-23 | Oct. 22 vs. Portland St. |
| 25 | Elon | 5-2 | 56 | 18 | Lost to No. 22 Rhode Island, 17-10 | Oct. 22 at New Hampshire |
Dropped Out: Villanova (16)
Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina Central, 48; Furman, 39; Villanova, 31; North Dakota, 23; New Hampshire, 18; Pennsylvania, 14; Florida A&M, 11; Abilene Christian, 10; St. Thomas (Minn.), 7; Merrimack, 5; Eastern Kentucky, 4; Illinois St., 2; Campbell, 1; Hampton, 1; Stetson, 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.
