Montana State Moves to No. 3 in AFCA FCS Coaches Poll Presented by Hudl
September 3, 2024
The Montana State defense allowed Utah Tech just 41 yards of offense through three quarters and didn’t give up a first down until the fourth quarter, allowing the Bobcats to cruise to a 31-7 victory. The win moves Montana State up one spot to No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bobcats are 2-0 on the season after a week zero upset of New Mexico on August 24, 35-31.
South Dakota State remains No. 1 with 17 first place votes. The Jackrabbits lost to Big 12-member Oklahoma State, 44-20. No. 2 North Dakota State gave another Big 12 member a scare, losing to Colorado, 31-26. Montana dropped one spot to No. 4 despite beating Missouri State, 29-24. Villanova moved into the top five after upending then-No. 23 Youngstown State, 24-17.
There are two top 25 matchups this coming week with the biggest game being No. 1 South Dakota State playing host to No. 11 UIW. The Cardinals are 1-0 after beating Northern Colorado, 28-7. The final matchup has No. 4 Montana traveling to No. 20 North Dakota.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 1 Next Game
1 South Dakota St. (17) 0-1 630 1 Lost to Oklahoma St., 44-20 Sept. 7 vs. No. 11 UIW
2 North Dakota St. (5) 0-1 624 2 Lost to Colorado, 31-26 Sept. 7 vs. Tennessee St.
3 Montana St. (4) 2-0 589 4 D. Utah Tech, 31-7 Sept. 7 vs. Maine
4 Montana 1-0 572 3 D. Missouri St., 29-24 Sept. 7 at No. 20 North Dakota
5 Villanova 1-0 527 6 D. No. 23 Youngstown St., 24-17 Sept. 7 at Colgate
6 South Dakota 1-0 493 5 D. Northern St., 45-3 Sept. 7 at Wisconsin
7 Idaho 0-1 489 7 Lost to Oregon, 24-14 Sept. 7 at Wyoming
8 Sacramento St. 0-1 397 10 Lost to San Jose St., 42-24 Sept. 7 at Fresno St.
9 Central Arkansas 0-1 359 13 Lost to Arkansas St., 34-31 Sept. 7 at Lindenwood
10 Chattanooga 0-1 342 8 Lost to Tennessee, 69-3 Sept. 7 at Georgia St.
11 UIW 1-0 340 15 D. Northern Colorado, 28-7 Sept. 7 at No. 1 South Dakota St.
12 Southern Illinois 0-1 331 11 Lost to BYU, 41-13 Sept. 7 at Austin Peay
13 UAlbany 1-0 302 14 D. LIU, 27-21 Sept. 7 at West Virginia
14 William & Mary 1-0 300 16 D. VMI, 41-7 Sept. 7 at Coastal Carolina
15 Richmond 0-1 289 12 Lost to Virginia, 34-13 Sept. 7 vs. Wofford
16 Furman 0-1 270 9 Lost to Ole Miss, 76-0 Sept. 7 vs. Charleston Southern
17 Western Carolina 0-1 221 19 Lost to NC State, 38-21 Sept. 7 vs. Campbell
18 UC Davis 0-1 197 17 Lost to California, 31-13 Sept. 7 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
19 Lafayette 0-1 156 18 Lost to Buffalo, 30-13 Sept. 7 at Monmouth (N.J.)
20 North Dakota 0-1 152 22 Lost to Iowa St., 21-3 Sept. 7 vs. No. 4 Montana
21 Tarleton St. 1-1 109 21 Lost to Baylor, 45-3 Sept. 7 at Houston Christian
22 Illinois St. 0-1 95 20 Lost to Iowa, 40-0 Sept. 7 at North Alabama
23 Youngstown St. 0-1 88 23 Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 24-17 Sept. 7 vs. Valparaiso
24 Florida A&M 2-0 82 25 D. South Carolina St., 22-18 Sept. 7 at Miami (Fla.)
25 Nicholls 0-1 74 24 Lost to Louisiana Tech, 25-17 Sept. 7 at LSU
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: Northern Iowa, 55; ACU, 43; Mercer, 41; Eastern Washington, 40; North Carolina Central, 33; Eastern Illinois, 30; Rhode Island, 26; Southeast Missouri St., 20; Weber St., 17; Delaware St., 14; Harvard, 14; Missouri St., 14; Princeton, 14; Elon, 13; McNeese, 13; Stephen F. Austin, 12; UT Martin, 11; Wagner, 10; Northern Arizona, 5; Wofford, 5; Indiana St., 3; Yale, 3; Tennessee St., 2; Alabama A&M, 1; Murray St., 1; North Carolina A&T, 1; Samford, 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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The Montana State defense allowed Utah Tech just 41 yards of offense through three quarters and didn’t give up a first down until the fourth quarter, allowing the Bobcats to cruise to a 31-7 victory. The win moves Montana State up one spot to No. 3 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bobcats are 2-0 on the season after a week zero upset of New Mexico on August 24, 35-31.
South Dakota State remains No. 1 with 17 first place votes. The Jackrabbits lost to Big 12-member Oklahoma State, 44-20. No. 2 North Dakota State gave another Big 12 member a scare, losing to Colorado, 31-26. Montana dropped one spot to No. 4 despite beating Missouri State, 29-24. Villanova moved into the top five after upending then-No. 23 Youngstown State, 24-17.
There are two top 25 matchups this coming week with the biggest game being No. 1 South Dakota State playing host to No. 11 UIW. The Cardinals are 1-0 after beating Northern Colorado, 28-7. The final matchup has No. 4 Montana traveling to No. 20 North Dakota.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 1 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (17) | 0-1 | 630 | 1 | Lost to Oklahoma St., 44-20 | Sept. 7 vs. No. 11 UIW | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. (5) | 0-1 | 624 | 2 | Lost to Colorado, 31-26 | Sept. 7 vs. Tennessee St. | |
| 3 | Montana St. (4) | 2-0 | 589 | 4 | D. Utah Tech, 31-7 | Sept. 7 vs. Maine | |
| 4 | Montana | 1-0 | 572 | 3 | D. Missouri St., 29-24 | Sept. 7 at No. 20 North Dakota | |
| 5 | Villanova | 1-0 | 527 | 6 | D. No. 23 Youngstown St., 24-17 | Sept. 7 at Colgate | |
| 6 | South Dakota | 1-0 | 493 | 5 | D. Northern St., 45-3 | Sept. 7 at Wisconsin | |
| 7 | Idaho | 0-1 | 489 | 7 | Lost to Oregon, 24-14 | Sept. 7 at Wyoming | |
| 8 | Sacramento St. | 0-1 | 397 | 10 | Lost to San Jose St., 42-24 | Sept. 7 at Fresno St. | |
| 9 | Central Arkansas | 0-1 | 359 | 13 | Lost to Arkansas St., 34-31 | Sept. 7 at Lindenwood | |
| 10 | Chattanooga | 0-1 | 342 | 8 | Lost to Tennessee, 69-3 | Sept. 7 at Georgia St. | |
| 11 | UIW | 1-0 | 340 | 15 | D. Northern Colorado, 28-7 | Sept. 7 at No. 1 South Dakota St. | |
| 12 | Southern Illinois | 0-1 | 331 | 11 | Lost to BYU, 41-13 | Sept. 7 at Austin Peay | |
| 13 | UAlbany | 1-0 | 302 | 14 | D. LIU, 27-21 | Sept. 7 at West Virginia | |
| 14 | William & Mary | 1-0 | 300 | 16 | D. VMI, 41-7 | Sept. 7 at Coastal Carolina | |
| 15 | Richmond | 0-1 | 289 | 12 | Lost to Virginia, 34-13 | Sept. 7 vs. Wofford | |
| 16 | Furman | 0-1 | 270 | 9 | Lost to Ole Miss, 76-0 | Sept. 7 vs. Charleston Southern | |
| 17 | Western Carolina | 0-1 | 221 | 19 | Lost to NC State, 38-21 | Sept. 7 vs. Campbell | |
| 18 | UC Davis | 0-1 | 197 | 17 | Lost to California, 31-13 | Sept. 7 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce | |
| 19 | Lafayette | 0-1 | 156 | 18 | Lost to Buffalo, 30-13 | Sept. 7 at Monmouth (N.J.) | |
| 20 | North Dakota | 0-1 | 152 | 22 | Lost to Iowa St., 21-3 | Sept. 7 vs. No. 4 Montana | |
| 21 | Tarleton St. | 1-1 | 109 | 21 | Lost to Baylor, 45-3 | Sept. 7 at Houston Christian | |
| 22 | Illinois St. | 0-1 | 95 | 20 | Lost to Iowa, 40-0 | Sept. 7 at North Alabama | |
| 23 | Youngstown St. | 0-1 | 88 | 23 | Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 24-17 | Sept. 7 vs. Valparaiso | |
| 24 | Florida A&M | 2-0 | 82 | 25 | D. South Carolina St., 22-18 | Sept. 7 at Miami (Fla.) | |
| 25 | Nicholls | 0-1 | 74 | 24 | Lost to Louisiana Tech, 25-17 | Sept. 7 at LSU |
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: Northern Iowa, 55; ACU, 43; Mercer, 41; Eastern Washington, 40; North Carolina Central, 33; Eastern Illinois, 30; Rhode Island, 26; Southeast Missouri St., 20; Weber St., 17; Delaware St., 14; Harvard, 14; Missouri St., 14; Princeton, 14; Elon, 13; McNeese, 13; Stephen F. Austin, 12; UT Martin, 11; Wagner, 10; Northern Arizona, 5; Wofford, 5; Indiana St., 3; Yale, 3; Tennessee St., 2; Alabama A&M, 1; Murray St., 1; North Carolina A&T, 1; Samford, 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.
