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North Dakota on the rise

It appears to be the right season for Tarleton State to be eligible for the FCS playoffs for the first time.

The Texans expect to have their strongest team on the Division I level, as evidenced by their rising to No. 16 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll on Monday.

Tarleton State even has its deepest team, having used its third different starting quarterback (Daniel Greek) while winning at HCU 35-18 and improving to 2-1 Saturday night.

The Texans, under coach Todd Whitten, posted a winning record in each of four seasons during a reclassifying period from Division II. This season, their matchup with No. 7 Central Arkansas on Nov. 23 – the final Saturday of the regular season – could determine the United Athletic Conference title and automatic playoff bid. Both teams have potent offenses, with Tarleton State featuring running backs Kayvon Britten and Derrel Kelley III and wide receiver Darius Cooper.

While the Texans rose four spots in this week’s poll, North Dakota made the biggest move, up 13 spots to No. 10. South Dakota State, the two-time defending FCS champion, strengthened its hold on No. 1 while remaining on top for the 24th straight poll since 2022.

A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll. 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.

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll (Sept. 9)

  1. South Dakota State (1-1, 0–0 MVFC), 1,386 points (44 of 56 first-place votes)
    Previous Ranking: 1; Week 2: 45-24 win over then-No. 12 UIW; Week 3: Augustana
  1. North Dakota State (1-1, 0-0 MVFC), 1,333 (6)
    Previous Ranking: 2; Week 2: 52-3 win over Tennessee State; Week 3: at ETSU
  1. Montana State (3-0, 0-0 Big Sky), 1,301 (6)
    Previous Ranking: 3; Week 2: 41-24 win over Maine; Week 3: No game; Week 4: Mercyhurst
  1. Idaho (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 1,195
    Previous Ranking: 7; Week 2: 17-13 win at Wyoming; Week 3: No. 17 UAlbany
  1. Villanova (2-0, 0-0 CAA), 1,175
    Previous Ranking: 5; Week 2: 28-3 win at Colgate; Week 3: Towson
  1. South Dakota (1-1, 0-0 MVFC), 1,127
    Previous Ranking: 6; Week 2: 27-13 loss at Wisconsin; Week 3: at Portland State
  1. Central Arkansas (1-1, 0-0 UAC), 946
    Previous Ranking: 9; Week 2: 34-13 win at Lindenwood; Week 3: Austin Peay
  1. Montana (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 927
    Previous Ranking: 4; Week 2: 27-24 loss at then-No. 23 North Dakota; Week 3: Morehead State
  1. Southern Illinois (1-1, 0-0 MVFC), 919
    Previous Ranking: 10; Week 2: 31-17 win at Austin Peay; Week 3: No. 12 UIW
  1. North Dakota (1-1, 0-0 MVFC), 853
    Previous Ranking: 23; Week 2: 27-24 win over then-No. 4 Montana; Week 3: Idaho State
  1. Sacramento State (0-2, 0-0 Big Sky), 834
    Previous Ranking: 8; Week 2: 46-30 loss at Fresno State; Week 3: No. 24 Nicholls
  1. UIW (1-1, 0-0 Southland), 646
    Previous Ranking: 12; Week 2: 45-24 loss at then-No. 1 South Dakota State; Week 3: at No. 9 Southern Illinois
  1. William & Mary (1-1, 0-0 CAA), 632
    Previous Ranking: 13; Week 2: 40-21 loss at Coastal Carolina; Week 3: at Wofford
  1. Chattanooga (0-2, 0-0 SoCon), 610
    Previous Ranking: 11; Week 2: 24-21 loss at Georgia State; Week 3: No. 23 Mercer
  1. UC Davis (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 578
    Previous Ranking: 18; Week 2: 36-22 win over Texas A&M-Commerce; Week 3: at Southern Utah
  1. Tarleton State (2-1, 0-0 UAC), 452
    Previous Ranking: 20; Week 2: 35-18 win at HCU; Week 3: No game; Week 4: at North Alabama
  1. UAlbany (1-1, 0-0 CAA), 430
    Previous Ranking: 16; Week 2: 49-14 loss at West Virginia (6 p.m., ESPN+); Week 3: at No. 4 Idaho
  1. Illinois State (1-1, 0-0 MVFC), 374
    Previous Ranking: 21; Week 2: 24-17 win at North Alabama; Week 3: Western Illinois
  1. Lafayette (1-1, 0-0 Patriot), 347
    Previous Ranking: 19; Week 2: 40-35 win at Monmouth; Week 3: Marist
  1. Weber State (1-1, 1-0 Big Sky), 333
    Previous Ranking: 24; Week 2: 43-16 win over Portland State; Week 3: at Lamar
  1. Youngstown State (1-1, 0-0 MVFC), 252
    Previous Ranking: 25; Week 2: 59-25 win over Valparaiso; Week 3: Duquesne
  1. Elon (1-1, 0-0 CAA), 216
    Previous Ranking: NR; Week 2: 41-19 win at North Carolina Central; Week 3: Western Carolina
  1. Mercer (2-0, 0-0 SoCon), 207
    Previous Ranking: NR; Week 2: 31-2 win at Bethune-Cookman; Week 3: at No. 14 Chattanooga
  1. Nicholls (0-2, 0-0 Southland), 200
    Previous Ranking: 22; Week 2: 44-21 loss at LSU; Week 3: at No. 11 Sacramento State
  1. Abilene Christian (1-1, 1-0 UAC), 122
    Previous Ranking: NR; Week 2: 38-24 win over West Georgia; Week 3: at Northern Colorado

Dropped Out: Richmond (14), Furman (15), Western Carolina (17)

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Southeast Missouri (2-1, 1-0 Big South-OVC) 111; Richmond (0-2, 0-0 CAA) 100; Wofford (2-0, 0-0 SoCon) 85; Northern Iowa (2-0, 0-0 MVFC) 70; Florida A&M (2-1, 0-0 SWAC) 69; Western Carolina (0-2, 0-0 SoCon) 67; Eastern Illinois (1-1, 0-0 Big South-OVC) 64; Furman (0-2, 0-0 SoCon) 52; Campbell (1-1, 0-0 CAA) 49; Southern Utah (1-1, 0-0 UAC) 48; Lamar (1-1, 0-0 Southland) 15; Alabama State (1-1, 0-0 SWAC) 13; North Carolina Central (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) 12; Saint Francis (1-1, 0-0 NEC) 11; Austin Peay (0-2, 0-0 UAC) 8; Charleston Southern (1-1, 0-0 Big South-OVC) 7; Harvard (0-0, 0-0 Ivy) 5; Drake (1-0, 0-0 Pioneer) 4

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters – Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. Big South-OVC Football Association: Mike Bradd, Kyle Schwartz, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Roger Brown, Matt Harmon, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: JJ Klein, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Kendrick Lewis, Alysse Scripter. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Sarah Boissonneault, Brian Cleary. Patriot League: Eric Malanoski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Larry Hansgen. Southern Conference: Scott Keeler, Andrew Miller, Ralan Wardlaw. Southland Conference: Matthew Bonnette, James Dixon, James Hill. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Joshua Padilla. United Athletic Conference: Brian Morgan, Benjamin Ray, Jake Withee. National Representatives: Sean Anderson, Stan Becton, Zack Carlton, Gene Clemons, Riley Corcoran, Joe DeLeone, Steven J. Gaither, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Zach McKinnell, Brian McLaughlin, Jon Passman, Omar Rashon Borja, Ryan Roberts, Kent Schmidt, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Ralph Ventre, Jamie Williams.

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