STEPHENVILLE — After seven straight weeks at No. 3, Tarleton State Football rose to the No. 2 spot in both of the major national rankings announced on Monday.
The Texans surpassed South Dakota State in both the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Tarleton State improved to 9-0, 5-0 in conference play, after rolling Eastern Kentucky on the road 31-7, while South Dakota State lost to No. 1 North Dakota State 38-7.
The No. 2 ranking is the highest in Tarleton State Football’s history.
In the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, the Texans earned 1,318 points, behind North Dakota State (1,400 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 FCS Coaches Poll, Tarleton State earned 598 points, with North Dakota State at 625 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.
The Texans have started 9-0 for the first time in their D1 era and for the first time since 2019. They’ve won nine straight games, their longest winning streak in their D1 era, the third longest active winning streak in the FCS, and the sixth longest across all of NCAA Division I football. Tarleton State’s nine wins are the most across all of college football.
The full Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll after Week 9:
1. North Dakota State (8-0, 5-0 MVFC)
Points: 1,400 (56 first-place votes); Previous Ranking: 1; Week 9: 38-7 win at then-No. 2 South Dakota State; Week 10: No. 18 Youngstown State
2. Tarleton State (9-0, 5-0 UAC)
Points: 1,318; Previous Ranking: 3; Week 9: 31-7 win at Eastern Kentucky; Week 10: at No. 24 Abilene Christian
3. Montana (8-0, 4-0 Big Sky)
Points: 1,280; Previous Ranking: 4; Week 9: 49-35 win at Sacramento State; Week 10: Weber State
T4. Montana State (6-2, 4-0 Big Sky)
Points: 1,205; Previous Ranking: 5; Week 9: 34-17 win at Cal Poly; Week 10: at Northern Colorado
T4. South Dakota State (7-1, 3-1 MVFC)
Points: 1,205; Previous Ranking: 2; Week 9: 38-7 at then-No. 1 North Dakota State; Week 10: Indiana State
6. UC Davis (6-1, 4-0 Big Sky)
Points: 1,086; Previous Ranking: 6; Week 9: 27-16 win at Northern Colorado; Week 10: Idaho State
7. Lehigh (8-0, 3-0 Patriot)
Points: 1,034; Previous Ranking: 7; Week 9: 27-6 win at Fordham; Week 10: Georgetown
8. North Dakota (6-2, 4-0 MVFC)
Points: 1,022; Previous Ranking: 8; Week 9: 46-17 win over Indiana State; Week 10: at South Dakota
9. Tennessee Tech (8-0, 5-0 OVC-Big South)
Points: 990; Previous Ranking: 9; Week 9: 42-23 win over Southeast Missouri; Week 10: Gardner-Webb
10. Monmouth (7-1, 4-0 CAA)
Points: 903; Previous Ranking: 10; Week 9: 28-10 win at Hampton; Week 10: at Bryant
11. Villanova (6-2, 5-1 CAA)
Points: 744; Previous Ranking: 11; Week 9: 29-16 win over UAlbany; Week 10: No game
12. Harvard (6-0, 3-0 Ivy)
Points: 682; Previous Ranking: 14; Week 9: 35-14 win at Princeton; Week 10: Dartmouth
13. Rhode Island (7-2, 5-0 CAA)
Points: 678; Previous Ranking: 13; Week 9: 38-17 win over Bryant; Week 10: No game
14. Lamar (7-1, 4-0 Southland)
Points: 651; Previous Ranking: 15; Week 9: 41-14 win at Northwestern State; Week 10: at UIW
15. Mercer (6-1, 5-0 SoCon)
Points: 583; Previous Ranking: 17; Week 9: 62-0 win over VMI; Week 10: at Furman
16. Southern Illinois (5-3, 2-2 MVFC)
Points: 540; Previous Ranking: 16; Week 9: 31-17 win over Northern Iowa; Week 10: at Murray State
17. Illinois State (5-3, 2-2 MVFC)
Points: 511; Previous Ranking: 18; Week 9: 21-13 win at then-No. 21 South Dakota; Week 10: Northern Iowa
18. Youngstown State (5-3, 2-2 MVFC)
Points: 379; Previous Ranking: 22; Week 9: 51-17 win over Murray State; Week 10: at No. 1 North Dakota State
19. Northern Arizona (5-3, 2-2 Big Sky)
Points: 377; Previous Ranking: 20; Week 9: 31-18 win at Idaho State; Week 10: Idaho
20. Stephen F. Austin (6-2, 4-0 Southland)
Points: 301; Previous Ranking: 24; Week 9: 31-21 win at East Texas A&M; Week 10: UTRGV
21. Southeastern Louisiana (6-2, 4-0 Southland)
Points: 272; Previous Ranking: NR; Week 9: 38-14 win at HCU; Week 10: East Texas A&M
22. Austin Peay (5-3, 3-2 UAC)
Points: 217; Previous Ranking: 25; Week 9: 56-28 win over North Alabama; Week 10: at Southern Utah
23. Jackson State (5-2, 3-1 SWAC)
Points: 215; Previous Ranking: 12; Week 9: 26-24 loss to Grambling State; Week 10: at Florida A&M
24. Abilene Christian (4-4, 3-1 UAC)
Points: 192; Previous Ranking: 23; Week 9: No game; Week 10: No. 2 Tarleton State
25. Presbyterian (7-1, 3-1 Pioneer)
Points: 107; Previous Ranking: 19; Week 9: 35-19 loss at Dayton; Week 10: Valparaiso
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