North Dakota State remained perfect on the field and in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches Poll this week.
The Bison improved to 7-0 on the season and were once again voted as the unanimous No. 1 pick.
NDSU garnered all 26 first-place votes for a total of 650 points. The Bison topped then No. 23 Indiana State, 31-17, to extend its FCS-record winning streak to 31 games overall. North Dakota State also won its 18th straight home game thanks to a balance attack that saw receiver Zach Vraa catch two touchdowns and running back John Crockett rush for a pair. NDSU held the ball for over 41 minutes in the contest and racked up 24 first downs in the rather one-sided affair.
Eastern Washington held steady in second place with 623 points. The Eagles recorded a 26-18 victory over Northern Colorado to go to 7-1 on the season. The EWU defense forced an interception late in the fourth quarter that allowed to the Eagles to run out the clock and claim the victory.
Coastal Carolina was once again third in the poll, earning 588 points this week. The Chanticleers were idle last week but are back in action this week, hosting Charleston Southern on Saturday. Villanova and New Hampshire remained steady, rounding out the top five at fourth and fifth, respectively. Villanova edged out No. 18 William & Mary, 35-31, to improve to 6-1 on the year.
The rest of the top 10 remained stagnant as well. Montana and Jacksonville State came in sixth and seventh, respectively. Southeastern Louisiana came in eighth and Illinois State held at No. 9 after improving to 6-0 on the year. The Red Birds are one of just four undefeated teams in the top 25, alongside North Dakota State, Coastal Carolina and Harvard. McNeese State earned a 31-20 victory over Abilene Christian to find itself 10th for the second straight week.
Two new teams entered the top 25 this week. Sacred Heart entered the rankings for the first time this season, coming in at No. 22. The Pioneers defeated Duquesne, 23-20, thanks to a 12-yard touchdown pass with just 23 seconds remaining. Bryant reenters the top 25 for the first time since September 15. The Bulldogs came in at No. 25 after improving to 5-1 on Saturday with a 42-27 win over St. Francis (PA).
Eleven different conferences represented among the 25 teams, the highest total this season. The Missouri Valley Football Conference once again led all conferences with seven teams in the top 25. The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) put four teams in the top 25 while the Big Sky had three teams in the rankings.
The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference.
FCS Coaches Poll – Week 8 (October 20, 2014)
Team (First-Place Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. North Dakota State (26) 7-0 650 1
2. Eastern Washington 7-1 623 2
3. Coastal Carolina 7-0 588 3
4. Villanova 6-1 568 4
5. New Hampshire 5-1 550 5
6. Montana 5-2 506 6
7. Jacksonville State 5-1 499 7
8. Southeastern Louisiana 6-2 463 8
9. Illinois State 6-0 443 9
10. McNeese State 4-2 410 10
11. Montana State 6-2 395 11
12. Fordham 6-1 329 13
13. Bethune-Cookman 6-1 314 14
14. Chattanooga 4-3 302 15
15. South Dakota State 5-2 294 16
16. Youngstown State 5-2 246 19
17. Richmond 5-2 235 20
18. Eastern Kentucky 6-1 197 12
19. Southern Illinois 5-3 161 17
20. William & Mary 4-3 157 18
21. Harvard 5-0 127 24
22. Sacred Heart 6-1 73 NR
23. Northern Iowa 3-4 55 21
24. Indiana State 4-3 46 23
25. Bryant 5-1 34 NR
Dropped From Rankings: Charleston Southern, Sam Houston State
Others Receiving Votes: Alcorn State 31, Missouri State 29, Charleston Southern 23, Stephen F. Austin 15, Northwestern State 13, Western Carolina 12, Albany 10, Cal Poly 9, Jacksonville 9, Liberty 9, Idaho State 8, Presbyterian 5, Western Illinois 3, North Carolina A&T 2, Northern Arizona 2, Bucknell 1, Dartmouth 1, Eastern Illinois 1, Sam Houston State 1, Wofford 1
