STEPHENVILLE — Tarleton State Football became the lone team across all of college football to begin 5-0 thus far this season on Saturday, and on Monday, the Texans remained at No. 3 in both of the major national polls.
Tarleton State was slotted No. 3 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and No. 3 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, both announced on Monday. Only North Dakota State and South Dakota State rank ahead of the Texans in both polls.
In the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, the Texans received a first-place vote for the first time, and narrowed the gap in points between North Dakota State (1,395 points) and South Dakota State (1,341 points), with Tarleton State at 1,285 points. 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.
In the AFCA Coaches Poll, Tarleton State earned 598 points, with North Dakota State at 649 points and South Dakota State at 622 points. The AFCA FCS Coaches Poll is voted on by the panel chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the AFCA their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top-25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second-place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.
Tarleton State is the only 5-0 team across all of college football. The Texans have scored 30 points or more in every game this season, 40 points or more four times in five games and now three straight 50-point games, Tarleton State’s longest such streak since 2018 (Nov. 3-17).
The full Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll after Week 4:
1. North Dakota State (3-0)
Points: 1,395 (51 of 56 first-place votes); Previous Ranking: 1; Week 4: No game; Week 5: No. 17 South Dakota
2. South Dakota State (3-0)
Points: 1,341 (4 first-place votes); Previous Ranking: 2; Week 4: No game; Week 5: Mercyhurst
3. Tarleton State (5-0, 1-0 UAC)
Points: 1,285 (1 first-place vote); Previous Ranking: 3; Week 4: 52-24 win over Chattanooga; Week 5: No game
4. Montana State (2-2)
Points: 1,190; Previous Ranking: 4; Week 4: 17-0 win over Mercyhurst; Week 5: Eastern Washington
5. Montana (3-0)
Points: 1,189; Previous Ranking: 5; Week 4: 63-20 win over Indiana State; Week 5: No. 8 Idaho
6. Rhode Island (4-0, 2-0 CAA)
Points: 1,025; Previous Ranking: 7; Week 4: 28-7 win over LIU; Week 5: at Western Michigan
7. Illinois State (3-1)
Points: 966; Previous Ranking: 6; Week 4: 38-36, 2-OT win over North Alabama; Week 5: No game
8. Idaho (2-2)
Points: 935; Previous Ranking: 8; Week 4: 31-28 loss at San Jose State; Week 5: at No. 5 Montana
9. UC Davis (2-1)
Points: 909; Previous Ranking: 9; Week 4: 50-34 win over Southern Utah; Week 5: Weber State
10. Lehigh (4-0, 2-0 Patriot)
Points: 853; Previous Ranking: 10; Week 4: 41-24 win at Bucknell; Week 5: Penn
11. Southern Illinois (3-1)
Points: 789; Previous Ranking: 13; Week 4: 59-31 win at Southeast Missouri; Week 5: No game
12. Abilene Christian (2-2, 1-0 UAC)
Points: 749; Previous Ranking: 14; Week 4: 45-31 win over then-No. 18 Austin Peay; Week 5: at UIW
13. Tennessee Tech (3-0)
Points: 737; Previous Ranking: 12; Week 4: No game; Week 5: at Tennessee State
14. North Dakota (2-2)
Points: 614; Previous Ranking: 16; Week 4: 58-7 win over Valparaiso; Week 5: No game
15. Northern Arizona (3-1)
Points: 612; Previous Ranking: 17; Week 4: 31-23 win over then-No. 19 UIW; Week 5: at Portland State
16. Monmouth (2-1, 1-0 CAA)
Points: 608; Previous Ranking: 21; Week 4: 51-33 win over then-No. 11 Villanova; Week 5: No game
17. South Dakota (2-2)
Points: 520; Previous Ranking: 15; Week 4: 42-21 win over Drake; Week 5: at No. 1 North Dakota State
18. West Georgia (4-0, 1-0 UAC)
Points: 406; Previous Ranking: 22; Week 4: 33-12 win over Eastern Kentucky; Week 5: at Southern Utah
19. Jackson State (2-1)
Points: 369; Previous Ranking: 20; Week 4: No game; Week 5: at Southern
20. Villanova (1-2, 0-1 CAA)
Points: 288; Previous Ranking: 11; Week 4: 51-33 loss at then-No. 21 Monmouth; Week 5: William & Mary
21. Sacramento State (2-2)
Points: 242; Previous Ranking: 24; Week 4: 45-16 win over Central Arkansas; Week 5: Cal Poly
22. Lamar (2-1)
Points: 233; Previous Ranking: 23; Week 4: No game; Week 5: Central Arkansas
23. Austin Peay (2-2, 0-1 UAC)
Points: 217; Previous Ranking: 18; Week 4: 45-31 loss at then-No. 14 Abilene Christian; Week 5: Utah Tech
24. Youngstown State (3-1)
Points: 124; Previous Ranking: NR; Week 4: 31-28 win at Towson; Week 5: No game
25. Presbyterian (4-0)
Points: 123; Previous Ranking: NR; Week 4: 76-3 win over Bluefield; Week 5: Morehead State
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