Big Sky makes early statement in STATS FCS Top 25

STATS FCS Senior Editor

(STATS) - The Big Sky Conference is building off one of its stronger seasons with an even bigger statement in the early season STATS FCS Top 25.

Five of the 13 teams in the largest FCS conference held spots in the national media poll Monday, including a whopping four in the top 10.

Eastern Washington, last year's FCS runner-up, maintained its No. 4 ranking and was followed by the conference's other two 2018 tri-champs and national quarterfinalists, No. 5 UC Davis and No. 6 Weber State. Montana State, which also made the playoffs and contributed to the Big Sky's six postseason wins, moved up three spots to No. 10 after beating nationally ranked Southeast Missouri and Montana moved up two to No. 20.

CAA Football had the most Top 25 teams with six and the Missouri Valley and Southland conferences collected four each.

Top-ranked North Dakota State, the two-time defending national champion, received 149 of the 158 first-place votes following a 38-7 win over rival North Dakota. The Bison, now led by first-year coach Matt Entz, have been No. 1 in 18 consecutive polls.

Saturday's Week 3 schedule includes three Top 25 matchups: NDSU at No. 18 Delaware, Eastern Washington traveling to No. 17 Jacksonville State and No. 7 Maine hosting No. 8 Towson.

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. 9)

1. North Dakota State (2-0), 3,939 points (149 first-place votes)

Previous Ranking: 1; Last Week's Result: 38-7 win over North Dakota

2. James Madison (1-1), 3,712 (9)

Previous Ranking: 2; Last Week's Result: 44-7 win over Saint Francis

3. South Dakota State (1-1), 3,639

Previous Ranking: 3; Last Week's Result: 38-3 win over Long Island

4. Eastern Washington (1-1), 3,398

Previous Ranking: 4; Last Week's Result: 59-31 win over Lindenwood

5. UC Davis (1-1), 3,195

Previous Ranking: 5; Last Week's Result: 38-35 win over San Diego

6. Weber State (1-1), 3,039

Previous Ranking: 7; Last Week's Result: 41-24 win over Cal Poly

7. Maine (1-1), 2,846

Previous Ranking: 6; Last Week's Result: 26-18 loss to Georgia Southern

8. Towson (2-0), 2,783

Previous Ranking: 8; Last Week's Result: 42-3 win over North Carolina Central

9. Kennesaw State (1-1), 2,489

Previous Ranking: 9; Last Week's Result: 26-23 OT loss to Kent State

10. Montana State (1-1), 2,268

Previous Ranking: 13; Last Week's Result: 38-17 win over Southeast Missouri

11. Northern Iowa (1-1), 2,221

Previous Ranking: 11; Last Week's Result: 34-14 win over Southern Utah

12. Nicholls (0-1), 2,165

Previous Ranking: 10; Last Week's Result: Bye

13. Illinois State (1-1), 1,693

Previous Ranking: 16; Last Week's Result: 42-14 win over Morehead State

14. Central Arkansas (2-0), 1,542

Previous Ranking: 20; Last Week's Result: 24-16 win over Austin Peay

15. North Carolina A&T (1-1), 1,385

Previous Ranking: 15; Last Week's Result: 45-13 loss to Duke

16. Furman (1-1), 1,332

Previous Ranking: 17; Last Week's Result: 48-42 loss to Georgia State

17. Jacksonville State (1-1), 1,322

Previous Ranking: 18; Last Week's Result: 41-20 win over Chattanooga

18. Delaware (2-0, 1-0 CAA), 1,216

Previous Ranking: 21; Last Week's Result: 44-36, 3-OT win over Rhode Island

19. Southeast Missouri (1-1), 1,170

Previous Ranking: 12; Last Week's Result: 38-17 loss to Montana State

20. Montana (2-0), 1,107

Previous Ranking: 22; Last Week's Result: 61-17 win over North Alabama

21. Wofford (0-1), 906

Previous Ranking: 19; Last Week's Result: Bye

22. Villanova (2-0), 843

Previous Ranking: 24; Last Week's Result: 38-10 win over Lehigh

23. Southeastern Louisiana (1-0), 782

Previous Ranking: 23; Last Week's Result: Canceled at Bethune-Cookman

24. Sam Houston State (1-1), 516

Previous Ranking: 25; Last Week's Result: 77-0 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State

25. Elon (1-1), 289

Previous Ranking: N/R; Last Week's Result: 35-28 win over The Citadel

Dropped Out: Indiana State

Others Receiving Votes: Indiana State 256, Princeton 229, South Carolina State 167, Duquesne 109, ETSU 100, Stony Brook 99, Eastern Kentucky 91, Dartmouth 83, Youngstown State 50, Alcorn State 46, Colgate 44, Mercer 42, McNeese 35, Dayton 30, Lamar 30, Yale 30, Southern Illinois 28, Northern Arizona 26, Monmouth 24, Chattanooga 15, Cal Poly 11, Holy Cross 3, Idaho State 2, Sacramento State 2, The Citadel 1