Fear The FCS 2025 Week 2 Media Ballot

For the first time, I was invited to vote in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 for the 2025 season. I was beyond thrilled to accept the invitation, and like many others, I take the opportunity seriously. As part of the weekly process, I will provide some thoughts and reasoning for my top 25. Below is the Stats Perform Top 25 poll submitted after the week 2 games.

General Thoughts

This week’s top 25 was not easy to rank after the top 4. There’s been no clear 5th-best team in the FCS, IMO, and I try to avoid “slot-ranking” of simply moving up a team because they didn’t lose. South Dakota would have occupied that spot, but they lost 20-13 at Lamar. Montana struggled defensively with NCAA Division II Central Washington in the first half and held a 21-17 halftime lead before winning 42-17. It was also the first game for the Grizzlies. Ditto for Villanova, which defeated a possibly better than expected Colgate team 24-17 in the first game for the Wildcats.

The next logical team would be Rhode Island, which was sixth on last week’s ballot. However, do they move up simply because they defeated Stony Brook 31-17 and were sixth? No, but then you have to consider the priors. URI hasn’t done anything significantly negative to justify ranking them lower. This is why it isn’t easy to rank teams 5 through 25 this week. Some will have Idaho, Illinois State, UC Davis, or others in fifth after week two.

The bottom 5-10 spots are basically a Baskin-Robbins, where you can choose a variety of teams to complete the poll. There is no shortage of arguments for or against a team being included. I don’t envy anyone who is filling out a poll this week and I look forward to seeing other top 25 submissions.

Week 2 Top 25

1. North Dakota State (2-0) – The Bison have been impressive to start the season with wins over The Citadel and Tennessee State by a combined score of 97-3. The defense has only given up 257 total yards through two games. The FCS runs through Fargo, which is where NDSU will play Southeast Missouri State (1-1) next week in the home opener. Through 2 weeks, NDSU is the most complete team.

2. South Dakota State (2-0) – It wasn’t always pretty, but the Jacks went on the road and defeated Montana State 30-24 in double overtime. It was an early season statement for SDSU, but there’s plenty for them to work on offensively. Combined with the 20-3 win over Sacramento State in week one, and they’re clearly a top-2 team again. They’ll have Drake (1-0) and Mercyhurst (1-1) coming to Brookings for the next two games.

3. Tarleton State (3-0) – There wasn’t much of a post-FBS win hangover as the Texans defeated Mississippi Valley State (0-2) 59-3 at home. Victor Gabalis looked sharp, going 20 of 27 for 295 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tarleton State has earned the third spot and is clearly one of the best FCS teams early this season. Next up is the UAC opener at Central Arkansas (1-1).

4. Montana State (0-2) – The game against the Jackrabbits was a good showing, but like SDSU, there’s some work to be done. Justin Lamson showed flashes of excellence, but Montana State also needs improvement in the trenches. The good thing for the Bobcats is that they don’t face the caliber of Oregon or South Dakota State for a while. Next week is a home game against San Diego (1-1).

5. Rhode Island (2-0) – After all that dialogue above, Rhode Island was placed fifth in this week’s poll. Rhody started slow in week one against Campbell, needing a second half rally to win 31-20. In week two, they started slow again, falling behind 10-0 versus Stony Brook. The offense (and a defensive TD) came alive in the second quarter to put up 24 points and cruised to a 31-17 win. The road doesn’t get easier: next week is at Holy Cross (0-2) in a potential defensive battle.

6. Tennessee Tech (2-0) – Tennessee Tech is in the same boat as Rhode Island. They’ve done nothing wrong to make me think they should be ranked lower. The Golden Eagles opened with a 65-0 victory over NAIA Cumberland, followed by a 45-17 win against Chattanooga. The Mocs were picked second in the SoCon preseason poll, but there are worries about the SoCon having a (very) down year after two weeks. Kekoa Visperas and the offense have looked good so far. TTU will welcome Davidson (0-2) next week.

7. Villanova (1-0) – Villanova opened its season with a 24-17 win against Colgate (0-2). It wasn’t the best-looking win, as the rushing attack averaged just 3.3 yards per carry. Still, this was game one while Colgate had nearly upset Monmouth in Week 1. The waters get way deeper next week at Penn State (2-0).

8. Lehigh (2-0) – It’s clear that Lehigh is going to rely heavily on defense this season. In two games against Richmond and Sacred Heart, the Mountain Hawks have given up a total of 369 yards combined and offenses are averaging 2.4 yards per carry. There’s a case to be made that Lehigh could be ranked higher. Lehigh will play at Duquesne (1-1) next week.

9. Illinois State (1-1) – The Redbirds started with a 35-3 loss to Oklahoma to open the season. This week, they took on Morehead State and won 41-13. However, the passing game still needs work. Tommy Rittenhouse was injured against the Sooners and the coaching staff originally held him out versus MSU. That changed when he was inserted to replace starter Beckham Pellant. ISU needs to get the QB situation in better shape to challenge in the MVFC, but they’ll have a good opportunity next week at Eastern Illinois (1-1).

10. Idaho (1-1) – The Vandals had a very hard-fought, defensive first game against Washington State, but came up just short 13-10. This week was quite different with offensive fireworks in a 37-30 win against St. Thomas. One preseason concern I had was whether the team would continue the momentum without Jason Eck. Against Washington State, the answer was yes. Against St. Thomas, the answer was yes, but… the Vanals were outgained by St. Thomas and the secondary had its struggles. Next week is another good opportunity as Idaho will face a deceptively good 0-2 Utah Tech squad.

11. Montana (1-0) – The Grizzlies struggled in the first half against NCAA Division II Central Washington. CWU led 17-14 until a late first half TD pass gave Montana a lead they didn’t surrender. The second half was a different story: Montana gave up 120 total yards with 58 of those coming on the final drive when the game was well in hand. The rust better have been knocked off because it will be North Dakota (1-1) at Montana next week.

12. Austin Peay (1-1) – The Govs had an impressive opening week win at Middle Tennessee 34-14, which was followed up with a game at Georgia. Austin Peay was never expected to defeat Georgia, but they played admirably, losing 28-6. It’s looking like a deep year for the UAC and the Governors will be a factor in the conference race. The competition will drop off considerably next week with Morehead State (1-1) visiting, but the PFL has been quite pesky this season.

13. North Dakota (1-1) – Let’s address the obvious mistake from last week: North Dakota wasn’t ranked. This was unintentional and just missed on my part and led to a correction this week. UND lost a close opening game at Kansas State, 38-35, one that deserved a top 25 ranking. This week, the Fighting Hawks disposed of Portland State 50-20. UND is another team from the always deep MVFC that could make noise later in the season. Next week is a matchup against Montana (1-0) in Missoula, which is an opportunity for both teams to make an early season non-conference statement.

14. Southern Illinois (1-1) – SIU defeated D-II Thomas More in week one and then went toe-to-toe against Purdue for much of the first half in week two. The Salukis led 7-0 and 14-7 in the first quarter thanks to DJ Williams, but the Boilermakers couldn’t be stopped. It was a 34-17 defeat in the end. SIU goes as DJ Williams does, but the run game could use some improvement if the Salukis want to reach the upper echelon of the MVFC. SIU plays at UT Martin (0-2) next week.

15. UC Davis (1-1) – The Aggies are a difficult team to get a read on. They opened with Mercer, where they were up against the wall defensively while holding a late lead. That game was declared a “no-contest,” leaving us wondering how the final minutes would have played out. In week 1, they rallied from a 24-7 third quarter deficit to defeat Utah Tech 31-24, a team that is clearly improved. Finally, they were crushed by Washington 70-10 in week two. Some will argue that UCD should be much higher, but there are some concerns I’ve seen in the opening weeks, including less aggressive defense with a decent lead. That kind of play won’t work well later in the season. They’ll have another test next week at home against Southern Utah (1-1).

16. Abilene Christian (1-1) – The Wildcats started with a 35-7 loss at Tulsa, but the week two contest against Stephen F. Austin was a 28-20 win. SFA led 14-0, but ACU posted 28 straight points. The defense was dominant in the second and third quarters, which coincided with the offense coming together. It was a good win for ACU against a ranked team. The Wildcats are another team from the UAC that can make noise. They’ll have a tough stretch of games the next few weeks, starting with TCU (1-0).

17. Northern Arizona (1-1) – The Lumberjacks sit at 1-1 this season after losing to Arizona State in the opener (38-19) and then bouncing back to defeat Utah Tech 38-31 in week two. The game against Utah Tech was interesting because NAU led 31-10 and 38-17 in the second half. The Lumberjacks had to survive a late rally from the Trailblazers to secure the win. It’s clear that Northern Arizona is talented and a potential spoiler in the Big Sky. Next week, they’ll be at Southern Utah (1-1).

18. Jackson State (1-1) – There’s no shame in Jackson State’s 38-20 loss to Southern Miss in week two, but the opening week victory against Hampton looks worse in hindsight. The Tigers struggled to pull away from Hampton in week one, holding a slim 14-7 lead going into the fourth, before ultimately winning 28-14. Hampton struggled to defeat D-II Elizabeth City State in week two, needing a double-digit comeback and a last-minute TD to escape 27-20. Jackson State remains a top 25 team and the team to beat in the SWAC. They’ll face D-II Tuskegee (2-0) next week at home.

19. West Georgia (2-0) – West Georgia has been an impressive defensive team this year in only two games. They opened with a 34-3 victory at Samford, holding the Bulldogs to 24 yards rushing. UWG defeated Nicholls 34-10 in week two, holding them to 180 total yards and 66 on the ground. This is another UAC team that will be problematic throughout the season despite not being eligible for the UAC title or FCS playoffs. UWG will have a chance to continue the momentum against a borderline top 25 squad next week at home in East Tennessee State (2-0).

20. Nicholls (1-2) – Nicholls had an excellent start to the season. They impressively defeated Incarnate Word (20-6) in week 0 at home, and then held a 20-17 fourth quarter lead against FBS Troy in week one (lost 38-20). Week two saw that impressive start overtaken by a West Georgia team in its second FCS season. Take nothing away from UWG, which was competitive in its first season despite the 4-7 overall record. UWG is better this season, and Nicholls is still a quality team that has shown it on the field. They’ll face Texas State (2-0) on September 20 after a bye week.

21. Monmouth (2-0) – Monmouth had a rough start to 2025 when Derek Robertson threw four first half interceptions against Colgate in the opener. The Hawks trailed 27-7 at halftime, but Robertson came alive in the second half to lead them to a 42-39 victory. The offensive momentum continued into week 2 as Robertson threw for 6 TDs and ran another in, with Monmouth winning 49-28 over Fordham. Monmouth will have to improve vastly on defense if it wants to make a deep playoff run. Next week is an interesting matchup at Charlotte (0-2).

22. South Dakota (0-2) – The Coyotes were drubbed 55-7 by Iowa State in week one, which isn’t great, but it’s FBS competition. In week 2, USD lost 20-13 on the road against Lamar. It was an ugly game overall, but the ‘Yotes had only 243 yards of offense, three turnovers, and held an early 10-0 lead. They take the biggest fall this week from 5th to 22nd. South Dakota lost some big pieces in the offseason, but the talent was (and still is) there to be a very good team. We haven’t seen it yet and next week will be another surprising test with Northern Colorado (1-1) coming to Sioux Falls.

23. UIW (1-1) – UIW is another team that has started with a downward slide. The Cardinals lost to Nicholls in the opener, 20-6, and the offense never looked in sync. In week 1, the offense looked better early in the game and then sputtered in the second half against Eastern Washington. UIW won 31-21, but serious questions arose from the opening games. After a bye in week 2, UIW’s bold non-conference schedule continues at UTSA (0-2).

24. Gardner-Webb (1-1) – GWU had an impressive comeback against Western Carolina to start the season. The Bulldogs trailed 35-7 midway through the second quarter, and still trailed 42-28 early in the fourth. A few defensive stops and 24 points later, GWU won 52-45. GWU lost handily in week 2 at Georgia Tech, 59-12. The opening week win may not be as impressive in light of the SoCon’s early season struggles, but the Bulldogs are still a good team and the offense looks very dangerous to start 2025. Next up is a matchup against another SoCon school at home: The Citadel (1-1).

25. Harvard (0-0) – Harvard has yet to play this season, but the Crimson are expected to do very well in 2025. Quarterback Jaden Craig returns, as does last year’s top running back Xaviah Bascon. Harvard will begin the season at Stetson, which boasts a 1-1 record after two games against NAIA competition.

Teams That Dropped Out and Other Notables

Two schools fell out of my top 25: Southern Utah (21) and Stephen F. Austin (23). I debated on whether to keep Gardner-Webb or remove them from the top 25 versus other schools, but chose to put GWU at 24. Other teams that were considered for the top 25, and could move into the poll based on results, include Bryant, East Tennessee State, Eastern Kentucky, Lamar, New Hampshire, Presbyterian, Stephen F. Austin, Utah Tech, and UT Martin.

Bryant posted a win over Massachusetts. Sure, it’s UMass, but it’s still an FCS over FBS victory. ETSU is a contender in the SoCon. EKU and SFA are in the deep UAC. Lamar just defeated South Dakota. New Hampshire looks strong defensively. Presbyterian is 2-0 with back-to-back road wins over SoCon opponents. Utah Tech has been deceptively good this season. UT Martin faces a tough non-conference schedule. Those are just 9 teams and there are probably a half dozen more that could be mentioned. It really wasn’t easy ranking teams this week.

Photo Credit to the University of Rhode Island Athletics