2008 FCS Coaches Poll

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2008

 

North Dakota State Takes Over Top Spot in FCS Coaches Poll

 

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After defeating Austin Peay 41-6 on Thursday and previous No. 1 Appalachian State losing 41-13 to LSU on Saturday, the North Dakota State Bison have taken over the top spot in the FCS Coaches Poll, as voted on by a panel of FCS coaches from around the division.

 

The Bison, after piling up 453 total yards to the Governors’ 91 total yards, picked up 13 first-place votes and 671 total points. The Mountaineers, after being unanimous No. 1 in the preseason poll, secured 12 first-place votes and 664 total points.

 

Rounding out the top five is Richmond, Massachusetts and Northern Iowa. The Spiders jumped up three spots from six and received one first-place vote after its 28-10 victory at then No. 15 Elon.

 

Also receiving first-place votes were Delaware, which received one first-place vote after its 14-7 loss at Maryland, and Cal Poly, which secured the only FCS victory over an FBS school last week with its 29-27 triumph over San Diego State.

 

Making the biggest leap in the poll this week is Western Illinois, which narrowly lost to SEC member Arkansas, 28-24. The Leathernecks jumped from No. 22 in the poll last week to No. 17 this week. The team dropping the most in the poll this week is Eastern Kentucky, after its 40-7 loss to FBS Cincinnati Saturday.

 

The poll continues to be dominated by three conferences, the Colonial Athletic Association, Missouri Valley Conference and the Southern Conference. The CAA has six teams, including four teams in the top 10, in the poll. The MVC also has six teams with the Bison leading the way at No. 1. The SoCon has five teams ranked with Wofford and The Citadel picking up wins this past weekend.

 

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. Two head coaches from each of the 14 FCS conferences participate in the voting.

 

The FCS Coaches Poll website can be viewed here and is updated every week after the release of the poll.   

 

2008 FCS Coaches Poll – Week 1 (September 1, 2008)

 

Team (1st votes)                                       Record                               Points                          Previous Ranking      

1. North Dakota State (13)                          1-0                                      671                                           2

2. Appalachian State (12)                           0-1                                      664                                           1

3. Richmond (1)                                            1-0                                      603                                           6

4. Massachusetts                                         1-0                                      587                                           5

5. Northern Iowa                                           0-1                                      569                                           4

6. Montana                                                     0-0                                      539                                           7

7. Delaware (1)                                             0-1                                      519                                           8

8. James Madison                                       0-1                                      482                                           3

9. McNeese State                                         0-1                                      466                                          10

10. Eastern Washington                             0-1                                      460                                           9

11. Cal Poly (1)                                             1-0                                      435                                          14

12. Southern Illinois                                     0-0                                      427                                          11

13. Wofford                                                    1-0                                      349                                          13

14. Youngstown State                                 0-1                                      327                                          12

15. New Hampshire                                    0-0                                      290                                          16

16. Georgia Southern                                  0-1                                      237                                          17

17. Western Illinois                                      0-1                                      179                                          22

18. Eastern Illinois                                       0-1                                      173                                          18

19. Elon                                                          0-1                                      160                                          15

T20. Villanova                                                0-1                                      155                                          19

T20. South Dakota State                             0-1                                      155                                          20

22. Eastern Kentucky                                   0-1                                      113                                          13

23. The Citadel                                             1-0                                       94                                           23

24. Central Arkansas                                   1-0                                       82                                           25

25. Harvard                                                    0-0                                       47                                           24

 

Other receiving votes (points in parentheses): Northern Arizona (39), Fordham (35), Montana State (34), UC Davis (30), Delaware State (29), Sam Houston State (22), Yale (18), Furman (16), Hofstra (13), Holy Cross (11), Liberty (11), South Carolina State (10), Jacksonville State (9), Hampton (7), Tennessee State (5), Florida A&M (5), Prairie View A&M (5), Weber State (4), Maine (4), Sacramento State (3), Dayton (3), Missouri State (2), Grambling State (1), Stony Brook (1).