North Dakota State Moves To No. 1
October 21, 2024
For the first time since 2019, North Dakota State took possession of the Dakota Marker trophy. The Bison scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 left to go in their game against then-No. 1 South Dakota State, then Logan Kopp intercepted a pass on the Jackrabbits ensuing drive to clinch the 13-9 victory. North Dakota State moves to No. 1 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while South Dakota State drops to No. 3.
Montana State moves to No. 2 and is one of only two unbeaten teams in FCS after a 44-14 win over Portland State. South Dakota remains in the fourth spot and will travel to No. 3 South Dakota State and try to keep the Jackrabbits on a losing skid. UC Davis moves up to No. 5 thanks to Maine’s upset of Villanova, 35-7. The Wildcats dropped to No. 14 after the loss.
The only other top 25 matchup this coming weekend besides the South Dakota-South Dakota State game has newly ranked and No. 24 Stony Brook hosting No. 15 William & Mary. The last time Stony Brook beat William & Mary at home was on Nov. 5, 2016, 14-9.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 8 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (24) 7-1 648 2 D. No. 1 South Dakota St., 13-9 Oct. 26 at Murray St.
2 Montana St. (2) 8-0 614 3 D. Portland St., 44-14 Nov. 2 at Eastern Washington
3 South Dakota St. 5-2 590 1 Lost to No. 2 North Dakota St., 13-9 Oct. 26 vs. No. 4 South Dakota
4 South Dakota 6-1 581 4 D. Youngstown St., 27-17 Oct. 26 at No. 3 South Dakota St.
5 UC Davis 7-1 542 6 D. Eastern Washington, 48-38 Nov. 2 vs. Northern Colorado
6 Southeast Missouri St. 7-1 502 8 D. Charleston Southern, 26-13 Oct. 26 vs. Gardner-Webb
7 North Dakota 5-2 476 10 D. Northern Iowa, 31-7 Oct. 26 at Youngstown St.
8 Tarleton St. 6-1 472 9 Idle Oct. 26 at Austin Peay
9 Montana 5-2 409 11 Idle Oct. 26 at Northern Colorado
10 Central Arkansas 5-2 366 12 Idle Oct. 26 vs. North Alabama
11 UIW 5-2 350 13 D. McNeese, 30-17 Oct. 26 at Southeastern Louisiana
12 Idaho 5-3 327 14 D. Cal Poly, 34-29 Oct. 26 vs. Eastern Washington
13 Richmond 5-2 308 15 D. Delaware, 28-9 Oct. 26 at Bryant
14 Villanova 5-2 301 5 Lost to Maine, 35-7 Oct. 26 vs. New Hampshire
15 William & Mary 5-2 285 16 D. Campbell, 35-28 Oct. 26 at No. 24 Stony Brook
16 Rhode Island 6-1 262 17 D. No. 19 New Hampshire, 26-9 Oct. 26 vs. Maine
17 Mercer 6-1 261 7 Lost to Samford, 55-35 Oct. 26 vs. Western Carolina
18 Missouri St. 5-2 201 20 D. Indiana St., 46-21 Oct. 26 at Northern Iowa
19 ACU 5-3 192 21t D. Eastern Kentucky, 34-20 Nov. 2 vs. Southern Utah
20 Illinois St. 5-3 147 23 D. Murray St., 40-32 Nov. 2 vs. Youngstown St.
21 North Carolina Central 5-2 131 21t Idle Oct. 26 vs. Morgan St.
22 Dartmouth 5-0 110 24 D. Central Connecticut St., 20-16 Oct. 26 at Columbia
23 Jackson St. 5-2 82 25 D. No. 18 Florida A&M, 35-21 Oct. 26 at Bethune-Cookman
24 Stony Brook 5-2 49 NR D. Towson, 52-24 Oct. 26 vs. No. 15 William & Mary
25 Chattanooga 4-3 40 NR D. Wofford, 37-5 Oct. 26 vs. VMI
Dropped Out: Florida A&M (18), New Hampshire (19)
Others Receiving Votes: Duquesne, 37; New Hampshire, 22; East Tennessee St., 18; UT Martin, 18; Western Carolina, 18; Florida A&M, 15; Monmouth (N.J.), 15; Tennessee St., 13; Sacramento St., 10; Harvard, 8; Drake, 7; Columbia, 5; Lafayette, 4; Robert Morris, 4; Lamar, 3; Butler, 2; Northern Arizona, 2; Samford, 2; Southeastern Louisiana, 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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For the first time since 2019, North Dakota State took possession of the Dakota Marker trophy. The Bison scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 left to go in their game against then-No. 1 South Dakota State, then Logan Kopp intercepted a pass on the Jackrabbits ensuing drive to clinch the 13-9 victory. North Dakota State moves to No. 1 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while South Dakota State drops to No. 3.
Montana State moves to No. 2 and is one of only two unbeaten teams in FCS after a 44-14 win over Portland State. South Dakota remains in the fourth spot and will travel to No. 3 South Dakota State and try to keep the Jackrabbits on a losing skid. UC Davis moves up to No. 5 thanks to Maine’s upset of Villanova, 35-7. The Wildcats dropped to No. 14 after the loss.
The only other top 25 matchup this coming weekend besides the South Dakota-South Dakota State game has newly ranked and No. 24 Stony Brook hosting No. 15 William & Mary. The last time Stony Brook beat William & Mary at home was on Nov. 5, 2016, 14-9.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (24) | 7-1 | 648 | 2 | D. No. 1 South Dakota St., 13-9 | Oct. 26 at Murray St. | |
| 2 | Montana St. (2) | 8-0 | 614 | 3 | D. Portland St., 44-14 | Nov. 2 at Eastern Washington | |
| 3 | South Dakota St. | 5-2 | 590 | 1 | Lost to No. 2 North Dakota St., 13-9 | Oct. 26 vs. No. 4 South Dakota | |
| 4 | South Dakota | 6-1 | 581 | 4 | D. Youngstown St., 27-17 | Oct. 26 at No. 3 South Dakota St. | |
| 5 | UC Davis | 7-1 | 542 | 6 | D. Eastern Washington, 48-38 | Nov. 2 vs. Northern Colorado | |
| 6 | Southeast Missouri St. | 7-1 | 502 | 8 | D. Charleston Southern, 26-13 | Oct. 26 vs. Gardner-Webb | |
| 7 | North Dakota | 5-2 | 476 | 10 | D. Northern Iowa, 31-7 | Oct. 26 at Youngstown St. | |
| 8 | Tarleton St. | 6-1 | 472 | 9 | Idle | Oct. 26 at Austin Peay | |
| 9 | Montana | 5-2 | 409 | 11 | Idle | Oct. 26 at Northern Colorado | |
| 10 | Central Arkansas | 5-2 | 366 | 12 | Idle | Oct. 26 vs. North Alabama | |
| 11 | UIW | 5-2 | 350 | 13 | D. McNeese, 30-17 | Oct. 26 at Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 12 | Idaho | 5-3 | 327 | 14 | D. Cal Poly, 34-29 | Oct. 26 vs. Eastern Washington | |
| 13 | Richmond | 5-2 | 308 | 15 | D. Delaware, 28-9 | Oct. 26 at Bryant | |
| 14 | Villanova | 5-2 | 301 | 5 | Lost to Maine, 35-7 | Oct. 26 vs. New Hampshire | |
| 15 | William & Mary | 5-2 | 285 | 16 | D. Campbell, 35-28 | Oct. 26 at No. 24 Stony Brook | |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 6-1 | 262 | 17 | D. No. 19 New Hampshire, 26-9 | Oct. 26 vs. Maine | |
| 17 | Mercer | 6-1 | 261 | 7 | Lost to Samford, 55-35 | Oct. 26 vs. Western Carolina | |
| 18 | Missouri St. | 5-2 | 201 | 20 | D. Indiana St., 46-21 | Oct. 26 at Northern Iowa | |
| 19 | ACU | 5-3 | 192 | 21t | D. Eastern Kentucky, 34-20 | Nov. 2 vs. Southern Utah | |
| 20 | Illinois St. | 5-3 | 147 | 23 | D. Murray St., 40-32 | Nov. 2 vs. Youngstown St. | |
| 21 | North Carolina Central | 5-2 | 131 | 21t | Idle | Oct. 26 vs. Morgan St. | |
| 22 | Dartmouth | 5-0 | 110 | 24 | D. Central Connecticut St., 20-16 | Oct. 26 at Columbia | |
| 23 | Jackson St. | 5-2 | 82 | 25 | D. No. 18 Florida A&M, 35-21 | Oct. 26 at Bethune-Cookman | |
| 24 | Stony Brook | 5-2 | 49 | NR | D. Towson, 52-24 | Oct. 26 vs. No. 15 William & Mary | |
| 25 | Chattanooga | 4-3 | 40 | NR | D. Wofford, 37-5 | Oct. 26 vs. VMI |
Dropped Out: Florida A&M (18), New Hampshire (19)
Others Receiving Votes: Duquesne, 37; New Hampshire, 22; East Tennessee St., 18; UT Martin, 18; Western Carolina, 18; Florida A&M, 15; Monmouth (N.J.), 15; Tennessee St., 13; Sacramento St., 10; Harvard, 8; Drake, 7; Columbia, 5; Lafayette, 4; Robert Morris, 4; Lamar, 3; Butler, 2; Northern Arizona, 2; Samford, 2; Southeastern Louisiana, 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.
