Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Rankings Following Week 9 | The Analyst
Jacksonville State Impressing in Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Rankings
FCS

Jacksonville State Impressing in Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Rankings

Jacksonville State has done quite well while becoming the first FCS school to navigate a full regular season over the unprecedented 2020-21 schedule, earning a No. 9 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 on Monday.

In a season that allows 11 regular-season games, the Gamecocks got a start on it with four nonconference games in October before they played their Ohio Valley Conference schedule in the spring semester, capping it on Sunday with a 28-14 win at then-No. 17 Murray State to claim the conference title and an automatic bid to the upcoming FCS playoffs. At 9-2, they have three more wins than any other team.

“This never gets old. I’ve never been more proud of a group than this bunch,” said coach John Grass, whose team rose one spot in the national media poll.

James Madison held the No. 1 ranking for the seventh straight week, although No. 2 North Dakota State (6-1), the three-time defending national champion, moved closer to the Dukes.

This weekend’s schedule will precede the NCAA’s announcement of the 16-team playoff pairings on Sunday. Like Jacksonville State, No. 3 Weber State (Big Sky), No. 5 Sam Houston (Southland), No. 12 Monmouth (Big South) and Sacred Heart (Northeast), just two spots outside the rankings, have clinched automatic bids already.

A national panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, which this spring includes only schools that have committed to playing a regular schedule. 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 (APRIL 12)

1. James Madison (4-0, 2-0 CAA), 968 points (25 first-place votes)

Previous Ranking: 1; Week 9 Result: No game                            

2. North Dakota State (6-1, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 950 (12)

Previous Ranking: 2; Week 9 Result: 23-20 win at then-No. 24 Northern Iowa

3. Weber State (5-0 Big Sky), 911

Previous Ranking: 3; Week 9 Result: 20-15 win over Idaho State

4. South Dakota State (4-1 Missouri Valley), 880 (1)

Previous Ranking: 4; Week 9 Result: No game

5. Sam Houston (5-0 Southland), 862 (2)

Previous Ranking: 5; Week 9 Result: 27-13 win over McNeese

6. North Dakota (4-1 Missouri Valley), 803

Previous Ranking: 6; Week 9 Result: No game

7. Delaware (4-0, 3-0 CAA), 755

Previous Ranking: 8; Week 9 Result: 34-14 win at Delaware State

8. Eastern Washington (5-1 Big Sky), 717

Previous Ranking: 9; Week 9 Result: 38-31 win over Idaho

9. Jacksonville State (9-2, 6-1 Ohio Valley), 693

Previous Ranking: 10; Week 9 Result: 28-14 win at then-No. 17 Murray State

10. Villanova (2-1 CAA), 563

Previous Ranking: 11; Week 9 Result: No game

11. Richmond (3-0 CAA), 553

Previous Ranking: 12; Week 9 Result: No game

12. Monmouth (3-0 Big South), 539

Previous Ranking: 20; Week 9 Result: 42-17 win over then-No. 7 Kennesaw State

13. UC Davis (3-2 Big Sky), 459

Previous Ranking: 13; Week 9 Result: No game

14. Missouri State (5-4, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 457

Previous Ranking: 15; Week 9 Result: 21-10 win over Youngstown State

15. VMI (5-1 Southern), 452

Previous Ranking: 14; Week 9 Result: No game

16. Kennesaw State (4-1, 2-1 Big South), 382

Previous Ranking: 7; Week 9 Result: 42-17 loss at then-No. 20 Monmouth                                                                                                                     

17. Southeastern Louisiana (4-2 Southland), 357

Previous Ranking: 23; Week 9 Result: 52-45 win at then-No. 18 Nicholls                                                                                                                                       

18. Southern Illinois (4-3, 3-3 Missouri Valley), 351

Previous Ranking: 16; Week 9 Result: No game

19. Rhode Island (2-1 CAA), 252

Previous Ranking: 22; Week 9 Result: No game

20. Murray State (5-2 Ohio Valley), 231

Previous Ranking: 17; Week 9 Result: 28-14 loss to then-No. 10 Jacksonville State

21. Nicholls (4-3, 3-3 Southland), 138

Previous Ranking: 18; Week 9 Result: 52-45 loss to then-No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana

22. Austin Peay (4-5, 4-2 Ohio Valley), 137

Previous Ranking: 25 (tie); Week 9 Result: No game

23. Mercer (5-5 5-2 Southern), 130

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Week 9 Result: 21-13 win over ETSU

24. ETSU (4-2 Southern), 118

Previous Ranking: 21; Week 9 Result: 21-13 loss at Mercer

25. UIW (3-2 Southland), 104

Previous Ranking: 19; West 9 Result: 49-47 loss to Northwestern State

Dropped Out: Northern Iowa (24) and Duquesne (T25)

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Northern Iowa 75, Sacred Heart 44, Duquesne 26, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20, Gardner-Webb 19, Southern 15, Maine 14, Alabama A&M 11, San Diego 3