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 3 games. The week 2 submission can be found here.
| Rank | Team | Previous Week |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State | 1 |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 2 |
| 3 | Tarleton State | 3 |
| 4 | Montana State | 4 |
| 5 | Tennessee Tech | 6 |
| 6 | Montana | 11 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 5 |
| 8 | Villanova | 7 |
| 9 | Lehigh | 8 |
| 10 | Illinois State | 9 |
| 11 | Idaho | 10 |
| 12 | Austin Peay | 12 |
| 13 | North Dakota | 13 |
| 14 | Southern Illinois | 14 |
| 15 | UC Davis | 15 |
| 16 | Northern Arizona | 17 |
| 17 | West Georgia | 19 |
| 18 | Abilene Christian | 16 |
| 19 | Jackson State | 18 |
| 20 | Monmouth | 21 |
| 21 | Nicholls | 20 |
| 22 | Gardner-Webb | 24 |
| 23 | South Dakota | 22 |
| 24 | UIW | 23 |
| 25 | Harvard | 25 |
General Thoughts
Unlike last week’s ballot, this one was a bit more straightforward thanks to fewer upsets. There were some near-upsets involving Rhode Island, West Georgia, and South Dakota that could have caused a second straight week of shuffling. Alas, those teams escaped with close wins. Overall, this ballot didn’t have a ton of change, and some of the possible top 25 inclusions lost, making this week easier to rank. The last 5 spots could have gone any number of ways, but that’s how it goes with rankings. For me, it’s still a clear-cut top 4, while the 31 flavors of Baskin-Robbins could fill out the rest of the ballot.
Week 3 Top 25
1. North Dakota State (3-0) – Another week, another win for the Bison. Southeast Missouri State gave NDSU some relative trouble in the first half, but the defense held the Redhawks to 71 yards and zero points in the second half. North Dakota State still looks like the most complete team. NDSU has a bye in week four and will face South Dakota at home on September 27.
2. South Dakota State (3-0) – A week after defeating Montana State in double overtime, the Jackrabbits defeated Drake 37-21 in week three. Once SDSU went up double digits, the game never felt in danger, but also never truly comfortable until Corey Blair’s five-yard rushing TD midway through the fourth quarter. The offense looked better this week, as expected, and next week is a bye before Mercyhurst visits Brookings on September 27.
3. Tarleton State (4-0) – The Texans built a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back in the 56-10 victory at Central Arkansas. The Texans are firing on all cylinders after the winning start in UAC play and will face Chattanooga (1-2) next week for the final non-conference matchup.
4. Montana State (1-2) – After two tough opponents, Montana State got into the win column with a strong 41-7 victory against San Diego. The Bobcats looked sharp on both sides of the ball with Justin Lamson going 23 of 26 for 293 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception. Taco Dowler had 8 catches for 116 yards and 2 scores. Defensively, the Bobcats held San Diego to 214 total yards, including only 71 on the ground. Montana State will welcome Mercyhurst (1-2) next week.
5. Tennessee Tech (3-0) – The one dark horse FCS contender for me was and still is Tennessee Tech. They blew the doors off Davidson this week, 72-14. I know the competition hasn’t been great for two of the victories, but the week two win against Chattanooga at home was really good. This team had a ton of transfers in the offseason, but they’ve gelled quickly. Next up is a bye in week 4, followed by the OVC-Big South opener at Tennessee State on September 27.
6. Montana (2-0) – The first two games of 2025 have been very similar for Montana – slow starts in the first half, followed by strong second half performances. North Dakota was the better team in the first half and much of the second half. However, the interception after the midway point of the third quarter set up a touchdown that sparked the offense. Even after UND reclaimed the 9-point lead at 23-14 and forced a Montana punt, the Grizzlies’ offense looked close to exploding. Sure enough, it happened on the final two drives with a field goal and touchdown to erase the 23-14 deficit and give them a 24-23 victory. Montana’s comeback win against North Dakota was impressive and it moved them up to 6th this week. They aren’t fifth because right now, I think Tennessee Tech would beat Montana. It could (will?) be a different story in a few weeks. In week 4, Montana will face Indiana State (2-1) at home.
7. Rhode Island (3-0) – The Rams needed nearly the entire second half to find a way to scrap by Holy Cross, but they did it. Rhody’s offense put up 403 yards in the 9-7 win, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Take nothing away from Holy Cross either, which now sits at 0-3 overall with three losses by a combined 7 points to Northern Illinois (19-17), New Hampshire (19-16), and Rhode Island (9-7). I did move URI down two spots this week because the two teams that jumped them have looked better, but I think cases could be made for numerous teams to be ranked fifth. Rhody will play at home next week against Long Island (1-2).
8. Villanova (1-1) – Villanova’s second game was a 52-6 blowout at the hands of Penn State. This isn’t really all that surprising, given Penn State was ranked #2 in the FBS. There’s not much to take away from this game and the Wildcats only slid down a spot because of Montana’s jump to 6th. Next week should be a good one: Villanova will play at Monmouth (2-1) in the CAA opener for both teams.
9. Lehigh (3-0) – Lehigh’s week three matchup against Duquesne looked like a defensive battle for the first half, but that changed as Lehigh’s offense got going. The Mountain Hawks weren’t as strong on defense as they were in the opening two weeks, but the offense stepped up with 35 points in the 35-21 victory. Lehigh is down one spot this week as Montana jumped up. Lehigh will play at Bucknell (2-1) next week.
10. Illinois State (2-1) – Last week, I commented that ISU needed to improve at the quarterback position. In fairness, the QB room has seen early season injuries, but this week it wasn’t a problem as Tommy Rittenhouse threw for 299 yards, 3 TDs, and no interceptions in the 42-30 win against Eastern Illinois. The pass defense is a concern because it has surrendered 392 yards to Oklahoma (not unexpected) and 411 yards to EIU. Next week, the Redbirds will face North Alabama (1-2), which is a more run-focused team.
11. Idaho (2-1) – It’s only been three games, but Idaho’s defense is showing a bit of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Jekyll side came out again this week with a 20-6 win against Utah Tech. Jekyll was also showing against Washington State in the 13-10 opening season loss. The defense allowed 247 total yards against Utah Tech, while the offense put up 405. Idaho has a final non-conference matchup at San Jose State (0-2) next week. Will Hyde come out, or was the 37-30 shootout against St. Thomas a blip?
12. Austin Peay (2-1) – Austin Peay did nothing in the week three win against Morehead State to cause concern. The Govs won 56-7, put up 700 yards of offense, 429 yards on the ground, and held the Eagles to just 178 total yards (only gave up 6 yards (!) rushing). UAC play begins next week with a game at Abilene Christian (1-2).
13. North Dakota (1-2) – There’s no shame in losing 24-23 at Montana, but North Dakota will lament the amount of points left on the field. The missed extra point is the obvious, but UND had five trips to the red zone and only three of those ended with points. In addition, the interception later in the third quarter led to Montana’s second touchdown. Having said all that, UND did look like the better team for much of the game and I don’t think the loss warrants a drop in the polls. The Fighting Hawks will take on Valparaiso (1-2) next week.
14. Southern Illinois (2-1) – I said it last week and I’ll say it again: SIU goes as DJ Williams does. This week, Williams did it all with 345 total yards and 4 touchdowns (1 passing, 3 rushing) against UT Martin in a 37-10 victory. He did have 2 interceptions as well, with one resulting in a TD drive and another that required a fourth down stop. The Salukis looked improved this week and next week will be another road test at Southeast Missouri State (1-2).
15. UC Davis (1-1) – The Aggies were off this week and maintained their position in 15th. UC Davis will take on Southern Utah (1-2) at home in week 4.
16. Northern Arizona – Speaking of Southern Utah, Northern Arizona needed a wild fourth quarter to escape. The Lumberjacks led by two touchdowns three separate times (28-14, 35-21, and 42-28), but saw SUU score three times in the fourth quarter to take the lead 49-42. NAU scored in the final 30 seconds, went for two, converted it to take a 50-49 lead, and then got a late safety to make the final score 52-49. The obvious concern is on defense for Northern Arizona, as it has given up at least 31 points in all three games. Next week won’t be any easier as Incarnate Word (1-2) will visit Flagstaff.
17. West Georgia (3-0) – West Georgia needed a double-digit fourth quarter comeback to defeat East Tennessee State. UWG completed a 51-yard pass in the final minute and capped off the drive with a 2-yard TD pass from Davin Wydner to Devion Newson to win 35-31. It required a much different style for West Georgia, which had dominated its first two opponents with suffocating defense. UWG is up a few spots this week and will take on Eastern Kentucky (1-2) at home next week.
18. Abilene Christian (1-2) – ACU fell behind 28-0 against TCU and was never going to rally from that kind of deficit. However, the Wildcats managed to look much better in the second half, with a final score of 42-21. It has not been an easy start to the season with games against Tulsa, Stephen F. Austin, and TCU, but that doesn’t stop anytime soon. The Wildcats will face Austin Peay (2-1) next week at home in the conference opener for both teams. ACU fell two spots this week despite the FBS opposition, with Northern Arizona and West Georgia jumping over them.
19. Jackson State (2-1) – The Tigers handily defeated NCAA Division II Tuskegee 30-0 in week three, even if the final score wasn’t flashy. The defense allowed only 109 total yards of offense (85 passing, 24 rushing), while the offense put up over 500. JSU falls two spots this week, following more impressive starts by Northern Arizona and West Georgia. The Tigers have a bye in week 4 and will play at Southern on September 27.
20. Monmouth (2-1) – The Hawks nearly pulled an upset over the FBS for the second season in a row. Monmouth really took it to Charlotte’s defense in the 42-35 loss, with Derek Robertson throwing for 410 yards and 4 TDs. Unfortunately, the defense was unable to stop Charlotte’s offense when it mattered most. Monmouth forced three turnovers, but gave up 563 yards of offense. As noted last week, the defense remains the concern. The Hawks do move up a spot to 20th because this team is a threat as long as Robertson is at QB. Monmouth faces Villanova (1-1) next week at home in the CAA opener.
21. Nicholls (1-2) – The Colonels were on a bye this week after starting the season 1-2. Nicholls did fall one spot this week, swapping places with Monmouth. The positioning of those two teams is a coin flip, but that sure does make for an interesting hypothetical… Maybe even a possible early round playoff matchup? There’s a long way to go for that to happen. Nicholls will face Texas State (2-1) in week four.
22. Gardner-Webb (2-1) – GWU held The Citadel in check during the 23-13 win. The defense gave up 307 yards, but 99 of those came on the last drive when The Citadel scored with two seconds left. GWU has won one game in a shootout and one game with strong defense. It’s a matter of combining those two that makes GWU a potential spoiler in the OVC-Big South. Gardner-Webb is up two spots this week and will play at Ohio (1-2) in week 4.
23. South Dakota (1-2) – This may be somewhat controversial, but I seriously considered dropping South Dakota from the top 25. During the week, it was announced that All-American running back Charles Pierre will miss the rest of the season. Then came the game against Northern Colorado, which was not great at times. L.J. Phillips Jr. ran wild with 301 yards and 2 touchdowns on 35 carries. The defense stopped UNC about 100 times in short-yardage situations, which is a good sign.
Northern Colorado is a clearly better team this year than the 1-11 squad from 2024. There is still plenty of talent for USD and the offensive line was better this game, as noted by the 300 yards rushing from Phillips. USD will need more from Aidan Bouman than the 7 of 19 for 99 yards with a TD and INT performance they got against UNC. It’s a fine line at the bottom of the poll and another iffy performance against Drake (1-1) next week might have them on the outside looking in.
24. UIW (1-2) – Incarnate Word lost a 48-20 game against UTSA, but one big change happened at quarterback. EJ Colson replaced Richie Torres in the second half and the offense came alive. Colson threw for 213 yards, 3 TDs, and no picks on 17 of 24 passing. By the time Colson came in, the game was 31-0 UTSA, but there’s no denying how much better the offense looked with him at QB. Colson will be the starter against Northern Arizona (2-1) in a matchup that has the potential to be a shootout.
25. Harvard (0-0) – Harvard stays at 25th this week and will begin play this week at Stetson (1-2).
Teams That Dropped Out and Other Notables
No teams dropped out of my top 25, while the number of teams considered for the top 25 narrowed this week. Bryant, Lamar, New Hampshire, Presbyterian, and Stephen F. Austin were listed last week and won this week to get extra consideration. If I had to list the order of the next few teams, it would have been New Hampshire, Lamar, and Presbyterian. The beginning of the season is always difficult to rank teams. Some teams look great on paper before the season, but fail to meet expectations. Others are expected to perform poorly, but surprise early on. It’s easy to get a muddled picture without head-to-head matchups, leaving us to make inferences with few games played.
Photo Credit to the University of Montana Athletics
