Missouri State Drops Illinois State For Fourth Straight Win
October 14, 2024
Missouri State dominated then-No. 16 Illinois State from start to finish, beating the Redbirds 41-7 and extending their winning streak to four games. The Bears racked up 468 yards of total offense and their defense didn’t allow Illinois State to score until midway through the third quarter. The victory moved Missouri State up to No. 20 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Illinois State dropped to No. 23.
Both South Dakota State and North Dakota State won on Saturday setting up the biggest game of the year in FCS with a 1 vs. 2 matchup. The Jackrabbits have not lost to NDSU since 2019 and have not lost to an FCS opponent since the semifinals of the 2021 FCS playoffs.
No. 3 Montana State stayed unbeaten with a commanding 38-7 win over then-No. 8 Idaho. The Bobcats, who are 7-0, dropped the Vandals to No. 14 in this week’s poll. No. 7 Mercer also stayed unblemished at 6-0 with a 34-7 win over Princeton. The Bears will travel to Samford in hopes of continuing their winning streak. The only other undefeated team in the top 25 this week is Dartmouth, who enters for the first time this year at No. 24. The Big Green are 4-0 after erasing a 23-point deficit to beat Yale, 44-43, in overtime.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 7 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (21) 5-1 644 1 D. Youngstown St., 63-13 Oct. 19 at No. 2 North Dakota St.
2 North Dakota St. (2) 6-1 621 2 D. Southern Illinois, 24-3 Oct. 19 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St.
3 Montana St. (3) 7-0 603 3 D. No. 8 Idaho, 38-7 Oct. 19 at Portland St.
4 South Dakota 5-1 572 4 D. Northern Iowa, 42-17 Oct. 19 at Youngstown St.
5 Villanova 5-1 535 5 Idle Oct. 19 at Maine
6 UC Davis 6-1 514 6 D. Cal Poly, 56-10 Oct. 19 at Eastern Washington
7 Mercer 6-0 491 7 D. Princeton, 34-7 Oct. 19 at Samford
8 Southeast Missouri St. 6-1 455 9 D. Tennessee Tech, 34-3 Oct. 19 at Charleston Southern
9 Tarleton St. 6-1 418 11 D. Utah Tech, 42-0 Oct. 26 at Austin Peay
10 North Dakota 4-2 403 10 Idle Oct. 19 vs. Northern Iowa
11 Montana 5-2 367 14 D. Northern Arizona, 31-20 Oct. 26 at Northern Colorado
12 Central Arkansas 5-2 342 13 D. West Georgia, 34-33 Oct. 26 vs. North Alabama
13 UIW 4-2 325 15 D. Nicholls, 55-10 Oct. 19 vs. McNeese
14 Idaho 4-3 309 8 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 38-7 Oct. 19 vs. Cal Poly
15 Richmond 4-2 255 17 Idle Oct. 19 vs. Delaware
16 William & Mary 4-2 249 18 Idle Oct. 19 vs. Campbell
17 Rhode Island 5-1 219 21 D. Brown, 31-21 Oct. 19 at No. 19 New Hampshire
18 Florida A&M 3-2 157 19 Idle Oct. 19 at No. 25 Jackson St.
19 New Hampshire 4-2 136 22 D. Elon, 17-10 Oct. 19 vs. No. 17 Rhode Island
20 Missouri St. 4-2 131 25 D. No. 16 Illinois St., 41-7 Oct. 19 vs. Indiana St.
21t. ACU 4-3 127 12 Lost to North Alabama, 47-34 Oct. 19 vs. Eastern Kentucky
21t. North Carolina Central 5-2 127 24 D. Virginia-Lynchburg, 68-0 Oct. 26 vs. Morgan St.
23 Illinois St. 4-3 92 16 Lost to No. 25 Missouri St., 41-7 Oct. 19 at Murray St.
24 Dartmouth 4-0 84 NR D. Yale, 44-43 OT Oct. 19 vs. Central Connecticut St.
25 Jackson St. 4-2 37 NR Idle Oct. 19 vs. No. 18 Florida A&M
Dropped Out: Sacramento St. (20), Weber St. (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Stony Brook, 36; Duquesne, 35; Chattanooga, 30; East Tennessee St., 28; UT Martin, 22; McNeese, 17; Monmouth (N.J.), 11; Sacramento St., 11; Western Carolina, 11; Drake, 8; Columbia, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 5; Tennessee St., 5; Weber St., 4; Butler, 2; Northern Arizona, 2; Georgetown (D.C.), 1; Indiana St., 1; Lafayette, 1; Lamar, 1.
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Missouri State dominated then-No. 16 Illinois State from start to finish, beating the Redbirds 41-7 and extending their winning streak to four games. The Bears racked up 468 yards of total offense and their defense didn’t allow Illinois State to score until midway through the third quarter. The victory moved Missouri State up to No. 20 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Illinois State dropped to No. 23.
Both South Dakota State and North Dakota State won on Saturday setting up the biggest game of the year in FCS with a 1 vs. 2 matchup. The Jackrabbits have not lost to NDSU since 2019 and have not lost to an FCS opponent since the semifinals of the 2021 FCS playoffs.
No. 3 Montana State stayed unbeaten with a commanding 38-7 win over then-No. 8 Idaho. The Bobcats, who are 7-0, dropped the Vandals to No. 14 in this week’s poll. No. 7 Mercer also stayed unblemished at 6-0 with a 34-7 win over Princeton. The Bears will travel to Samford in hopes of continuing their winning streak. The only other undefeated team in the top 25 this week is Dartmouth, who enters for the first time this year at No. 24. The Big Green are 4-0 after erasing a 23-point deficit to beat Yale, 44-43, in overtime.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (21) | 5-1 | 644 | 1 | D. Youngstown St., 63-13 | Oct. 19 at No. 2 North Dakota St. | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. (2) | 6-1 | 621 | 2 | D. Southern Illinois, 24-3 | Oct. 19 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St. | |
| 3 | Montana St. (3) | 7-0 | 603 | 3 | D. No. 8 Idaho, 38-7 | Oct. 19 at Portland St. | |
| 4 | South Dakota | 5-1 | 572 | 4 | D. Northern Iowa, 42-17 | Oct. 19 at Youngstown St. | |
| 5 | Villanova | 5-1 | 535 | 5 | Idle | Oct. 19 at Maine | |
| 6 | UC Davis | 6-1 | 514 | 6 | D. Cal Poly, 56-10 | Oct. 19 at Eastern Washington | |
| 7 | Mercer | 6-0 | 491 | 7 | D. Princeton, 34-7 | Oct. 19 at Samford | |
| 8 | Southeast Missouri St. | 6-1 | 455 | 9 | D. Tennessee Tech, 34-3 | Oct. 19 at Charleston Southern | |
| 9 | Tarleton St. | 6-1 | 418 | 11 | D. Utah Tech, 42-0 | Oct. 26 at Austin Peay | |
| 10 | North Dakota | 4-2 | 403 | 10 | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. Northern Iowa | |
| 11 | Montana | 5-2 | 367 | 14 | D. Northern Arizona, 31-20 | Oct. 26 at Northern Colorado | |
| 12 | Central Arkansas | 5-2 | 342 | 13 | D. West Georgia, 34-33 | Oct. 26 vs. North Alabama | |
| 13 | UIW | 4-2 | 325 | 15 | D. Nicholls, 55-10 | Oct. 19 vs. McNeese | |
| 14 | Idaho | 4-3 | 309 | 8 | Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 38-7 | Oct. 19 vs. Cal Poly | |
| 15 | Richmond | 4-2 | 255 | 17 | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. Delaware | |
| 16 | William & Mary | 4-2 | 249 | 18 | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. Campbell | |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 5-1 | 219 | 21 | D. Brown, 31-21 | Oct. 19 at No. 19 New Hampshire | |
| 18 | Florida A&M | 3-2 | 157 | 19 | Idle | Oct. 19 at No. 25 Jackson St. | |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 4-2 | 136 | 22 | D. Elon, 17-10 | Oct. 19 vs. No. 17 Rhode Island | |
| 20 | Missouri St. | 4-2 | 131 | 25 | D. No. 16 Illinois St., 41-7 | Oct. 19 vs. Indiana St. | |
| 21t. | ACU | 4-3 | 127 | 12 | Lost to North Alabama, 47-34 | Oct. 19 vs. Eastern Kentucky | |
| 21t. | North Carolina Central | 5-2 | 127 | 24 | D. Virginia-Lynchburg, 68-0 | Oct. 26 vs. Morgan St. | |
| 23 | Illinois St. | 4-3 | 92 | 16 | Lost to No. 25 Missouri St., 41-7 | Oct. 19 at Murray St. | |
| 24 | Dartmouth | 4-0 | 84 | NR | D. Yale, 44-43 OT | Oct. 19 vs. Central Connecticut St. | |
| 25 | Jackson St. | 4-2 | 37 | NR | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. No. 18 Florida A&M |
Dropped Out: Sacramento St. (20), Weber St. (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Stony Brook, 36; Duquesne, 35; Chattanooga, 30; East Tennessee St., 28; UT Martin, 22; McNeese, 17; Monmouth (N.J.), 11; Sacramento St., 11; Western Carolina, 11; Drake, 8; Columbia, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 5; Tennessee St., 5; Weber St., 4; Butler, 2; Northern Arizona, 2; Georgetown (D.C.), 1; Indiana St., 1; Lafayette, 1; Lamar, 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.
