[FCS Poll] North Dakota State Ends 2019 In A Familiar Spot
January 13, 2020
North Dakota State ends the 2019 season in a familiar place, at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bison beat No. 2 James Madison, 28-20, to earn their third straight NCAA FCS National Championship. North Dakota State has now won eight of the last nine national titles, the most of any school in FCS history. They also recorded the first 16-0 season in modern college football history and extended their winning streak to 37 straight games, which is tied for the third longest in the history of Division I football.
RELATED ARTICLE: North Central Finishes On Top Of The Division III Coaches’ Poll
James Madison finished No. 2, a spot they held the entire season. After the Dukes closed the score to 28-20 with 6:55 left to play in the game, their defense forced a turnover on downs. JMU drove the ball down the field, and after a Bison pass interference call gave the Dukes the ball on the three-yard line, JMU quarterback Ben DiNucci threw an interception, which preserved the North Dakota State win.
RELATED ARTICLE: West Florida Tops Final 2019 Division II Coaches’ Poll
Weber State and Montana State both made it to the semifinals in the FCS playoffs and finished the season ranked No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Northern Iowa, who lost to James Madison in the quarterfinals, rounds out the Top 5. Austin Peay and Illinois State made the biggest moves in the poll, both moving up seven spots. Austin Peay landed at No. 9 after winning two playoff games for the first time in program history. Illinois State jumped to No. 7 after losing a close defensive battle to North Dakota State, 9-3, in the quarterfinals.
2019 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Poll – January 13, 2020
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Post-season Head Coach
1 North Dakota St. (25) 16-0 625 1 D. No. 2 James Madison, 28-20, in national championship Matt Entz
2 James Madison 14-2 600 2 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 28-20, in national championship Curt Cignetti
3 Weber St. 11-4 569 4 Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 30-14, in semifinals Jay Hill
4 Montana St. 11-4 551 5 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 42-14, in semifinals Jeff Choate
5 Northern Iowa 10-5 505 6 Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 17-0, in quarterfinals Mark Farley
6 Montana 10-4 495 8 Lost to No. 4 Weber St., 17-10, in quarterfinals Bobby Hauck
7 Illinois St. 10-5 451 14 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 9-3, in quarterfinals Brock Spack
8 Kennesaw St. 11-3 405 9 Lost to No. 4 Weber St., 26-20, in second round Brian Bohannon
9 Sacramento St. 9-4 396 3 Lost to No. 17 Austin Peay, 42-28, in second round Troy Taylor
10 Austin Peay 11-4 394 17 Lost to No. 5 Montana St., 24-10, in quarterfinals Mark Hudspeth
11 Central Arkansas 9-4 363 7 Lost to No. 14 Illinois St., 24-14, in second round Nathan Brown
12 South Dakota St. 8-5 359 12 Lost to No. 6 Northern Iowa, 13-10, in second round John Stiegelmeier
13 Monmouth (N.J.) 11-3 338 11 Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 66-21, in second round Kevin Callahan
14 Nicholls 9-5 265 19 Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 37-13, in second round Tim Rebowe
15 Villanova 9-4 256 10 Lost to No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana, 45-44, in first round Mark Ferrante
16 Southeast Missouri St. 9-4 244 13 Lost to No. 14 Illinois St., 24-6, in first round Tom Matukewicz
17 Wofford 8-4 215 15 Lost to No. 9 Kennesaw St., 28-21, in first round Josh Conklin
18 Southeastern Louisiana 8-5 183 24 Lost to No. 8 Montana, 73-28, in second round Frank Scelfo
19 Furman 8-5 154 16 Lost to No. 17 Austin Peay, 42-6, in first round Clay Hendrix
20 Albany 9-5 137 NR Lost to No. 5 Montana St., 47-21, in second round Greg Gattuso
21 Dartmouth 9-1 125 20 Season Complete Buddy Teevens
22 Central Connecticut St. 11-2 121 18 Lost to Albany, 42-14, in first round Ryan McCarthy
23 North Carolina A&T 9-3 119 22 D. Alcorn St., 64-44, in Celebration Bowl Sam Washington
24 Yale 9-1 79 23 Season Complete Tony Reno
25 Florida A&M 9-2 61 21 DNQ Post-season Willie Simmons
Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (25)
Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 36; Southern Illinois, 26; San Diego, 14; South Carolina St., 13; Towson, 10; Holy Cross, 9; Eastern Washington, 4; UT Martin, 3.
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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North Dakota State ends the 2019 season in a familiar place, at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bison beat No. 2 James Madison, 28-20, to earn their third straight NCAA FCS National Championship. North Dakota State has now won eight of the last nine national titles, the most of any school in FCS history. They also recorded the first 16-0 season in modern college football history and extended their winning streak to 37 straight games, which is tied for the third longest in the history of Division I football.
RELATED ARTICLE: North Central Finishes On Top Of The Division III Coaches’ Poll
James Madison finished No. 2, a spot they held the entire season. After the Dukes closed the score to 28-20 with 6:55 left to play in the game, their defense forced a turnover on downs. JMU drove the ball down the field, and after a Bison pass interference call gave the Dukes the ball on the three-yard line, JMU quarterback Ben DiNucci threw an interception, which preserved the North Dakota State win.
RELATED ARTICLE: West Florida Tops Final 2019 Division II Coaches’ Poll
Weber State and Montana State both made it to the semifinals in the FCS playoffs and finished the season ranked No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Northern Iowa, who lost to James Madison in the quarterfinals, rounds out the Top 5. Austin Peay and Illinois State made the biggest moves in the poll, both moving up seven spots. Austin Peay landed at No. 9 after winning two playoff games for the first time in program history. Illinois State jumped to No. 7 after losing a close defensive battle to North Dakota State, 9-3, in the quarterfinals.
2019 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Poll – January 13, 2020
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (25) | 16-0 | 625 | 1 | D. No. 2 James Madison, 28-20, in national championship | Matt Entz |
| 2 | James Madison | 14-2 | 600 | 2 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 28-20, in national championship | Curt Cignetti |
| 3 | Weber St. | 11-4 | 569 | 4 | Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 30-14, in semifinals | Jay Hill |
| 4 | Montana St. | 11-4 | 551 | 5 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 42-14, in semifinals | Jeff Choate |
| 5 | Northern Iowa | 10-5 | 505 | 6 | Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 17-0, in quarterfinals | Mark Farley |
| 6 | Montana | 10-4 | 495 | 8 | Lost to No. 4 Weber St., 17-10, in quarterfinals | Bobby Hauck |
| 7 | Illinois St. | 10-5 | 451 | 14 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 9-3, in quarterfinals | Brock Spack |
| 8 | Kennesaw St. | 11-3 | 405 | 9 | Lost to No. 4 Weber St., 26-20, in second round | Brian Bohannon |
| 9 | Sacramento St. | 9-4 | 396 | 3 | Lost to No. 17 Austin Peay, 42-28, in second round | Troy Taylor |
| 10 | Austin Peay | 11-4 | 394 | 17 | Lost to No. 5 Montana St., 24-10, in quarterfinals | Mark Hudspeth |
| 11 | Central Arkansas | 9-4 | 363 | 7 | Lost to No. 14 Illinois St., 24-14, in second round | Nathan Brown |
| 12 | South Dakota St. | 8-5 | 359 | 12 | Lost to No. 6 Northern Iowa, 13-10, in second round | John Stiegelmeier |
| 13 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 11-3 | 338 | 11 | Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 66-21, in second round | Kevin Callahan |
| 14 | Nicholls | 9-5 | 265 | 19 | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 37-13, in second round | Tim Rebowe |
| 15 | Villanova | 9-4 | 256 | 10 | Lost to No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana, 45-44, in first round | Mark Ferrante |
| 16 | Southeast Missouri St. | 9-4 | 244 | 13 | Lost to No. 14 Illinois St., 24-6, in first round | Tom Matukewicz |
| 17 | Wofford | 8-4 | 215 | 15 | Lost to No. 9 Kennesaw St., 28-21, in first round | Josh Conklin |
| 18 | Southeastern Louisiana | 8-5 | 183 | 24 | Lost to No. 8 Montana, 73-28, in second round | Frank Scelfo |
| 19 | Furman | 8-5 | 154 | 16 | Lost to No. 17 Austin Peay, 42-6, in first round | Clay Hendrix |
| 20 | Albany | 9-5 | 137 | NR | Lost to No. 5 Montana St., 47-21, in second round | Greg Gattuso |
| 21 | Dartmouth | 9-1 | 125 | 20 | Season Complete | Buddy Teevens |
| 22 | Central Connecticut St. | 11-2 | 121 | 18 | Lost to Albany, 42-14, in first round | Ryan McCarthy |
| 23 | North Carolina A&T | 9-3 | 119 | 22 | D. Alcorn St., 64-44, in Celebration Bowl | Sam Washington |
| 24 | Yale | 9-1 | 79 | 23 | Season Complete | Tony Reno |
| 25 | Florida A&M | 9-2 | 61 | 21 | DNQ Post-season | Willie Simmons |
Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (25)
Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 36; Southern Illinois, 26; San Diego, 14; South Carolina St., 13; Towson, 10; Holy Cross, 9; Eastern Washington, 4; UT Martin, 3.
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.
