MISSOULA — Montana State held steady at No. 2 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll on Monday, while Montana moved up one spot to No. 7.
The Bobcats, who are 9-0 for the second time in program history after outlasting Eastern Washington 42-28 last week, is ranked second for the third consecutive week. North Dakota State is still the top-ranked team. The Bison received 43 of 56 first-place votes, and the Bobcats received the other 13.
South Dakota State, UC Davis, South Dakota and Southeast Missouri maintained their Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 rankings, as well. The highest movement in this week's poll from last week's is Montana at No. 7. The Grizzlies, winners of three consecutive games after rolling Cal Poly 42-7 last week, were previously ranked eighth.
Tarleton State, last week's seventh-ranked team, tumbled to No. 14 in the poll after a 17-13 loss to unranked Eastern Kentucky.
Following Montana in the rankings are Incarnate Word at No. 8, Idaho at No. 9 and Mercer at No. 10.
Aside from Montana State, UC Davis, Montana and Idaho, no other Big Sky Conference teams are ranked. Northern Arizona received votes. View the complete poll.
Big top-25 matchups loom this week. Third-ranked South Dakota State, which has won the past two FCS national championships, travels to No. 21 North Dakota, and No. 4 UC Davis visits No. 7 Montana.
