A dominating victory over Missouri State and a stumble from James Madison all helped South Dakota State move up a notch in this week's STATS FCS Top 25.

Last Saturday (November 3) while the number-seven Jackrabbits were beating up on the Bears, 59-7, the number-three Dukes were being upset, 35-24, on the road at New Hampshire.

That loss dropped James Madison to ninth in this week's poll. giving three teams, including South Dakota State, a chance to move up in the rankings.

SDSU is now sixth after being as high as number-two earlier in the season.

In all, the Missouri Valley Football Conference is back to four teams in the Top 25 this week, as Northern Iowa re-entered the poll at number-22 after beating then-number-14 Illinois State at home. The Redbirds, on the heels of that loss, fell nine spots to number-23.

North Dakota State is once again a unanimous number-one.

STATS FCS Top 25 (first place votes) 

  1. North Dakota State 9-0 (158)
  2. Kennesaw State 8-1
  3. Weber State 7-2
  4. UC Davis 8-1
  5. Eastern Washington 7-2
  6. South Dakota State 6-2
  7. Elon 6-2
  8. Jacksonville State 7-2
  9. James Madison 6-3
  10. Colgate 8-0
  11. Delaware 7-2
  12. Stony Brook 6-3
  13. Princeton 8-0
  14. North Carolina A&T 7-2
  15. Wofford 6-3
  16. Maine 6-3
  17. Nicholls 6-3
  18. McNeese 6-3
  19. ETSU 8-2
  20. Towson 6-3
  21. Southeast Missouri State 7-2
  22. UNI 5-4
  23. Illinois State 5-4
  24. Idaho State 6-3
  25. Dartmouth 7-1

This week (November 10), the #6 Jackrabbits are at Southern Illinois, #1 North Dakota State plays at Missouri State, #22 Northern Iowa plays at Youngstown State, and #23 Illinois State plays at Indiana State.


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