FCS Football: Top 25 Power Poll Following Week 9
William & Mary (6-2) earns Team of the Week honors with CAA upset of Villanova. The Tribe are off to their best start since 2015, when they last earned a share of the CAA Football championship.
William & Mary Athletics
October was a bit salty toward FCS college football with upsets galore.
Yes, you can probably taste the November to remember that’s brewing.
Three weeks of conference races remain before the 24-team playoff pairings are announced on Nov. 21. There are only three unbeaten teams remaining, but 17 teams without a loss in conference play.
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Bank on more upsets ahead. OK, many more.
Here’s the Athlon FCS Power Poll following Week 9 games:
1. Sam Houston
(7-0, 4-0 AQ7)
Previous Ranking: 1
Week 9 Result: 45-27 win at Tarleton
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. Dixie State
2. North Dakota State
(8-0, 5-0 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 9 Result: 44-2 win over Indiana State
Next Game: Nov. 6 at No. 8 South Dakota State
3. James Madison
(7-1, 5-1 CAA)
Previous Ranking: 5
Week 9 Result: 45-21 win over Elon
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. Campbell
4. Montana State
(7-1, 5-0 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 9 Result: Open week
Next Game: Nov. 6 at No. 5 Eastern Washington
5. Eastern Washington
(7-1, 4-1 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 7
Week 9 Result: Open week
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. No. 4 Montana State
6. Northern Iowa
(5-3, 3-2 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 15
Week 9 Result: 23-16 win over Southern Illinois
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Illinois State
7. Southern Illinois
(6-2, 4-1 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 3
Week 9 Result: 23-16 loss at Northern Iowa
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. No. 17 Missouri State
8. South Dakota State
(6-2, 3-2 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 9 Result: 47-16 win at Youngstown State
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. No. 2 North Dakota State
9. Southeastern Louisiana
(7-1, 5-0 Southland)
Previous Ranking: 8
Week 9 Result: 23-20 win over McNeese
Next Game: Nov. 6 at UIW
10. UC Davis
(7-1, 4-1 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 9
Week 9 Result: Open week
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Northern Arizona
11. Kennesaw State
(7-1, 4-0 Big South)
Previous Ranking: 11
Week 9 Result: 34-30 win over Gardner-Webb
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Robert Morris
12. Sacramento State
(6-2, 5-0 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 9 Result: 27-24 win at Northern Colorado
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. Cal Poly
13. Montana
(6-2, 3-2 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 9 Result: 20-19 win over Southern Utah
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Northern Colorado
14. Villanova
(6-2, 4-1 CAA)
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 9 Result: 31-18 loss to William & Mary
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Elon
15. ETSU
(7-1, 4-1 Southern)
Previous Ranking: 14
Week 9 Result: Open week
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. No. 20 VMI
16. Weber State
(4-4, 3-2 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 16
Week 9 Result: 40-17 win at Idaho State
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. Portland State
17. Missouri State
(5-3, 3-2 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 18
Week 9 Result: 32-28 win over North Dakota
Next Game: Nov. 6 at No. 7 Southern Illinois
18. UT Martin
(7-1, 3-0 Ohio Valley)
Previous Ranking: 17
Week 9 Result: 17-16 win over Austin Peay
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. Tennessee State
19. Princeton
(7-0, 4-0 Ivy)
Previous Ranking: 20
Week 9 Result: 34-16 win at Cornell
Next Game: Nov. 5 at Dartmouth
20. VMI
(6-2, 4-1 Southern)
Previous Ranking: 21
Week 9 Result: 46-45 win over Samford
Next Game: Nov. 6 at No. 15 ETSU
Team of the Week
21. William & Mary
(6-2, 4-1 CAA)
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Week 9 Result: 31-18 win at Villanova
The Tribe earned their biggest win under third-year head coach Mike London, building as much as a 28-point lead while handing Villanova its first CAA loss. The defense had four interceptions for the second consecutive game and Bronson Yoder rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Delaware
22. Chattanooga
(5-3, 4-1 Southern)
Previous Ranking: 22
Week 9 Result: 13-3 win over Furman
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Wofford
23. South Dakota
(5-3, 3-2 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 23
Week 9 Result: Open week
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Western Illinois
24. Eastern Kentucky
(6-2, 3-0 AQ7)
Previous Ranking: 24
Week 9 Result: 42-10 win over Lamar
Next Game: Nov. 6 at Stephen F. Austin
25 (tie). Jackson State
(7-1, 5-0 SWAC)
Previous Ranking: 25
Week 9 Result: 28-19 win at Mississippi Valley State
Next Game: Nov. 6 vs. Texas Southern
25 (tie). Mercer
(6-2, 5-1 Southern)
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Week 9 Result: 34-7 win at The Citadel
Next Game: Nov. 13 vs. No. 22 Chattanooga
— Written by Craig Haley, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Haley has covered the FCS level since 1999 and is the national writer for www.TheAnalyst.com. He appears frequently on radio, TV and podcasts to discuss everything FCS. Follow him on Twitter @CraigHaley.
