Tim Sanger
Football
FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State is ranked No. 4 in the FCS Coaches Poll released Monday, Oct. 17, by the American Football Coaches Association.
The Bison (5-2) dropped from the No. 1 spot the first time this year with a 23-21 home loss to South Dakota State (6-1). The Jackrabbits claimed 26 of 27 first-place votes and are No. 1 for the first time in program history.
Montana, previously ranked second, fell to No. 7 with a 30-23 home loss to Idaho. It was the first loss of the season for the Grizzlies (5-1).
Montana State (6-1) is ranked second in the coaches’ poll followed by Sacramento State (6-0), which received the only other first-place vote.
Idaho’s win moved the Vandals into the poll at No. 24, giving the Big Sky Conference five ranked teams. The other four meet this week with Montana State hosting No. 5 Weber State and Sacramento State hosting Montana.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference has three teams ranked including No. 17 Southern Illinois, which moved up two spots with a 30-7 win over Western Illinois.
North Dakota State is idle this week before returning to action at home next Saturday, Oct. 29, hosting Illinois State.
AFCA FCS Coaches Poll – Oct. 17, 2022
| School (First-Place Votes) | W-L | Pts | Prev | |
| 1. | South Dakota St. (26) | 6-1 | 671 | 3 |
| 2. | Montana St. | 6-1 | 621 | 4 |
| 3. | Sacramento St. (1) | 6-0 | 616 | 5 |
| 4. | North Dakota St. | 5-2 | 593 | 1 |
| 5. | Weber St. | 6-0 | 573 | 6 |
| 6. | Jackson St. | 6-0 | 513 | 7 |
| 7. | Montana | 5-1 | 482 | 2 |
| 8. | Chattanooga | 5-1 | 468 | 9 |
| 9. | Holy Cross | 6-0 | 467 | 8 |
| 10. | Incarnate Word | 6-1 | 438 | 10 |
| 11. | Mercer | 6-1 | 403 | 11 |
| 12. | Delaware | 5-1 | 371 | 12 |
| 13. | William & Mary | 5-1 | 343 | 13 |
| 14. | Tennessee-Martin | 4-2 | 295 | 14 |
| 15. | Samford | 5-1 | 286 | 15 |
| 16. | Fordham | 6-1 | 278 | 17 |
| 17. | Southern Illinois | 5-2 | 237 | 19 |
| 18. | Southeast Missouri St. | 5-1 | 171 | 21 |
| 19. | Rhode Island | 4-2 | 170 | 22 |
| 20. | Stephen F. Austin | 4-3 | 147 | 20 |
| 21. | Richmond | 4-2 | 124 | 25 |
| 22. | Austin Peay | 5-2 | 93 | 24 |
| 23. | Princeton | 5-0 | 87 | 23 |
| 24. | Idaho | 4-2 | 57 | NR |
| 25. | Elon | 5-2 | 56 | 18 |
Dropped Out: Villanova (16)
Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina Central 48, Furman 39, Villanova 31, North Dakota 23, New Hampshire 18, Pennsylvania 14, Florida A&M 11, Abilene Christian 10, St. Thomas (Minn.) 7, Merrimack 5, Eastern Kentucky 4, Illinois St. 2, Campbell 1, Hampton 1, Stetson 1.
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