BILLINGS — After knocking off No. 3 Idaho 23-21 on the road Saturday night, the Montana football team jumped seven spots to No. 9 in the latest STATS Perform FCS Top 25 poll released Monday.
The win was Montana's third in a row and second straight over a ranked opponent. The Grizzlies enter their bye week with a 6-1 overall record.
Meanwhile, Montana State (5-1) extended its home winning streak to a Division I-best 24 games with a 59-19 rout of Cal Poly. The Bobcats, as a result, remained ranked No. 2 in the top 25 poll. MSU is the only remaining undefeated team in the league at 3-0.
The Big Sky has five teams ranked in the poll this week. Joining the Bobcats and Grizzlies are No. 3 Sacramento State (5-1), No. 10 Idaho (5-2) and No. 23 UC Davis (4-2). The Aggies returned to the top 25 following a 17-16 win at Weber State on Saturday.
Weber State and Eastern Washington are among this week's receiving-votes category.
No. 1 South Dakota State (6-1) received 56 first-place votes to remain in the top position. Furman (5-1) held steady at No. 4 while Incarnate Word (5-1) climbed into the upper echelon at No. 5.
North Dakota State (4-2) saw its string of 173 consecutive weeks in the top 10 come to an end following a 49-24 defeat on the road to in-state foe and Missouri Valley Football Conference rival North Dakota. The Bison are ranked No. 14 while UND came in at No. 11.
