Pivotal wins change the STATS FCS Top 25

(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

STATS FCS Senior Editor

(STATS) - To the winners go the … national ranking.

Two days after there were a number of high-profile matchups, some of the winning teams were rewarded Monday in the STATS FCS Top 25, the national media poll.

Towson (3-0), which beat defending CAA champion Maine on the road, jumped three spots to No. 5 - its highest ranking since finishing second as the 2013 national runner-up. Jacksonville State (2-1) beat last year's national runner-up, Eastern Washington, and soared seven spots to No. 10.

Youngstown State and The Citadel followed key wins with their first Top 25 appearances this season. Youngstown (3-0), which handled Northeast Conference power Duquesne, was No. 24. The Citadel (1-2), which had lost close games to Towson and Elon (also ranked), earned the season's third FCS win over the FBS - an overtime triumph at Georgia Tech - and was No. 25.

The biggest matchup ahead in Week 4 of the season features No. 1 North Dakota State hosting No. 4 UC Davis. The top-ranked Bison collected 150 of the 158 first-place votes, with the other eight going to No. 2 James Madison.

A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

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STATS FCS Top 25 (Sept. 16)

1. North Dakota State (3-0), 3,941 points (150 first-place votes)

Previous Ranking: 1; Last Week's Result: 47-22 win over Delaware

2. James Madison (2-1), 3,747 (8)

Previous Ranking: 2; Last Week's Result: 63-12 win over Morgan State

3. South Dakota State (2-1), 3,653

Previous Ranking: 3; Last Week's Result: 38-10 win over Drake

4. UC Davis (2-1), 3,352

Previous Ranking: 5; Last Week's Result: 41-13 win over Lehigh

5. Towson (3-0, 1-0 CAA), 3,296

Previous Ranking: 8; Last Week's Result: 45-23 win over Maine

6. Weber State (1-2), 2,848

Previous Ranking: 6; Last Week's Result: 19-13 loss to Nevada

7. Kennesaw State (2-1), 2,757

Previous Ranking: 9; Last Week's Result: 42-7 win over Alabama State

8. Montana State (2-1), 2,536

Previous Ranking: 10; Last Week's Result: 23-14 win over Western Illinois

9. Northern Iowa (1-1), 2,287

Previous Ranking: 11; Last Week's Result: Bye

10. Jacksonville State (2-1), 2,285

Previous Ranking: 17; Last Week's Result: 49-45 win over Eastern Washington

11. Eastern Washington (1-2), 2,284

Previous Ranking: 4; Last Week's Result: 49-45 loss to Jacksonville State

12. Maine (1-2, 0-1 CAA), 2,083

Previous Ranking: 7; Last Week's Result: 45-23 loss to Towson

13. Nicholls (1-1), 2,070

Previous Ranking: 12; Last Week's Result: 42-35 win over Prairie View A&M

14. Central Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 Southland), 1,960

Previous Ranking: 14; Last Week's Result: 31-30 win over Abilene Christian

15. Illinois State (2-1), 1,950

Previous Ranking: 13; Last Week's Result: 21-3 win over Eastern Illinois

16. North Carolina A&T (2-1), 1,540

Previous Ranking: 15; Last Week's Result: 27-21 win over Charleston Southern

17. Furman (1-2), 1,464

Previous Ranking: 16; Last Week's Result: 24-17 loss to Virginia Tech

18. Villanova (3-0), 1,293

Previous Ranking: 22; Last Week's Result: 45-10 win over Bucknell

19. Montana (2-1), 983

Previous Ranking: 20; Last Week's Result: 35-3 loss to Oregon

20. Delaware (2-1, 1-0 CAA), 912

Previous Ranking: 18; Last Week's Result: 47-22 loss to North Dakota State

21. Southeastern Louisiana (1-1), 882

Previous Ranking: 23; Last Week's Result: 40-29 loss to Ole Miss

22. Elon (2-1, 1-0 CAA), 689

Previous Ranking: 25; Last Week's Result: 42-20 win over Richmond

23. Southeast Missouri (1-2), 570

Previous Ranking: 19; Last Week's Result: 50-0 loss to Missouri

24. Youngstown State (3-0), 497

Previous Ranking: N/R; Last Week's Result: 34-14 win over Duquesne

25. The Citadel (1-2), 221

Previous Ranking: N/R; Last Week's Result: 27-24 OT win over Georgia Tech

Dropped Out: Wofford, Sam Houston State

Others Receiving Votes: Princeton 220, Stony Brook 154, South Carolina State 118, Indiana State 110, Dartmouth 74, McNeese 67, Wofford 67, Sam Houston State 61, North Dakota 56, Northern Arizona 53, Southern Illinois 49, Yale 39, Dayton 38, Sacramento State 33, Monmouth 33, Lamar 16, Duquesne 12, Chattanooga 11, Austin Peay 8, Cal Poly 7, Alcorn State 4, Eastern Kentucky 4, Houston Baptist 4, ETSU 3, Mercer 3, William & Mary 3, UIW 1, Holy Cross 1, Idaho State 1