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 4 games. The week 3 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 | 5 |
| 6 | Montana | 6 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 7 |
| 8 | Idaho | 11 |
| 9 | Lehigh | 9 |
| 10 | North Dakota | 13 |
| 11 | Southern Illinois | 14 |
| 12 | Illinois State | 10 |
| 13 | Abilene Christian | 18 |
| 14 | UC Davis | 15 |
| 15 | Northern Arizona | 16 |
| 16 | Monmouth | 20 |
| 17 | West Georgia | 17 |
| 18 | Austin Peay | 12 |
| 19 | Villanova | 8 |
| 20 | Jackson State | 19 |
| 21 | Gardner-Webb | 22 |
| 22 | Nicholls | 21 |
| 23 | Harvard | 25 |
| 24 | South Dakota | 23 |
| 25 | Presbyterian | NR |
General Thoughts
Week 4 was another somewhat straightforward week with very few upsets. The top of the poll saw no change among the teams, with most of the changes happening in the bottom 15 spots. As always, there are a handful of deserving top 25 teams that don’t make the cut with strong arguments for or against inclusion.
Week 4 Top 25
1. North Dakota State (3-0) – The Bison were on a bye this week and will play at home next week against South Dakota (2-2).
2. South Dakota State (3-0) – The Jacks were also on a bye this week and will take on Mercyhurst (1-3) at home next week.
3. Tarleton State (5-0) – The Texans were tested early by Chattanooga in week 4, but the offense was clicking despite the loss of quarterback Victor Gabalis to a foot injury. Daniel Greek replaced Gabalis and the offense didn’t miss a beat in a 52-24 win. The Texans get a much-needed bye next week before facing Southern Utah at home on October 4.
4. Montana State (2-2) – The Bobcats took care of Mercyhurst at home in week four with a 17-0 win. The running game propelled the offense with 233 yards. It was another overall unimpressive game from the offense, but the defense continues to be the strength for MSU. Next week is a fourth-straight home game against Eastern Washington (1-3) to start Big Sky play.
5. Tennessee Tech (3-0) – Tennessee Tech was on a bye in week 4 and will take on Tennessee State (1-2) next week to start OVC-Big South action for both teams.
6. Montana (3-0) – The Grizzlies dominated Indiana State 63-20 at home, where the offense came alive. Montana posted 647 yards of offense in a mostly balanced attack (344 passing, 303 rushing) and is clearly setting in as a top team. We’ll find out even more as next week’s game should be a good one when Idaho visits Missoula in a top-10 clash.
7. Rhode Island (4-0) – URI defeated Long Island 28-7 during week 4 in what we’ll call an even effort. The Rams weren’t flashy or overwhelming, but they were efficient in the loss. URI’s defense is good; it feels like the team is a step below the top four… and that quartet may expand as the season progresses. Rhody will be at Western Michigan (1-3) next week in what could be another defensive struggle.
8. Idaho (2-2) – In last week’s ballot, I described Idaho’s defense as Jekyll and Hyde, with Jekyll being strong defense and Hyde being porous defense. This week, it was a bit Jekyll early in the game, but it was more Hyde in the second half during the 31-28 loss against San Jose State. Idaho moves up three spots this week because I can’t ignore two 3-point losses to the FBS. I have some concerns about Idaho’s consistency on defense, but they’ve looked really good despite the inconsistency. We’ll learn a lot more next week when Idaho travels to face Montana (3-0) in Missoula.
9. Lehigh (4-0) – Lehigh’s run defense rebounded this week against Bucknell by holding them to just 80 yards on 27 carries. The pass defense wasn’t bad either, given how prolific Bucknell had been through the air to start the season. Lehigh has the right style to be a dangerous team: a strong rushing offense and a good run-stopping defense. That was on display against Bucknell in the 41-24 win and they’ll need it again next week against Penn (1-0) at home.
10. North Dakota (2-2) – North Dakota started a bit slow against Valparaiso, holding just a 7-0 lead until midway through the second quarter. However, the game never really felt in doubt and the offensive fireworks came in the second half, culminating in the 58-7 win. The defense was strong, allowing only 176 total yards. Next week is a bye for UND, followed by the MVFC opener at Northern Iowa on October 4.
11. Southern Illinois (3-1) – I’ve said it the last two weeks and I’ll say it again: SIU goes as DJ Williams does. Williams had a dazzling performance, putting up 342 yards passing, 151 yards on the ground, and accounting for 6 total TDs. Southern Illinois won 59-31 at Southeast Missouri State in an offensive battle. The Salukis are a real problem in the Valley as long as DJ Williams is playing like he did against SEMO. SIU has a bye next week and will face Indiana State to start MVFC play on October 4.
12. Illinois State (3-1) – The Redbirds needed double overtime to defeat Northern Alabama 38-36 in a game interrupted by inclement weather. Illinois State held a 17-0 lead, but UNA battled back to make it 24-21 in the fourth quarter. ISU made it 27-21 late and UNA nearly won the game when it hit a circus TD pass in the final minute. However, UNA missed the XP and ISU’s field goal was blocked with 11 seconds left to send it to OT, where the Redbirds survived. Illinois State drops a few spots because this game doesn’t alleviate the defensive concerns from previous weeks. Next week is a bye, followed by a huge home game on October 4 against North Dakota State.
13. Abilene Christian (2-2) – ACU makes the biggest jump in the poll this week, moving from 18th to 13th. The Wildcats defeated Austin Peay 45-31 in the UAC opener for both teams, but the game was more impressive than the final score. ACU led 31-3 late into the 3rd quarter and had the Governors looking lost during the game. Next up for ACU is a trip to Incarnate Word (1-3).
14. UC Davis (2-1) – The Aggies held a narrow 22-20 lead at halftime over Southern Utah, but literally ran away with the game in the second half. The rushing attack piled up 357 yards (13.2 yards per carry) and 5 TDs in the 50-34 win against SUU. I’m still concerned about UCD’s defense, which allowed 549 yards in the week 4 victory. The Aggies will play at home next week against Weber State (2-2).
15. Northern Arizona (3-1) – The Lumberjacks defeated Incarnate Word 31-23 in week 4 using big plays. Three of NAU’s 4 touchdowns were 30 yards or longer. While UIW put up 436 yards of offense, the defense was constantly in the backfield making things difficult for EJ Colson. It was a third straight one-score victory for Northern Arizona, which will face Portland State (0-4) on the road next week.
16. Monmouth (3-1) – The Hawks had one of the more impressive victories of the weekend, defeating Villanova 51-33. Derek Robertson had 300 yards passing before halftime, but it was Rodney Nelson’s rushing that really helped the offense in the second half. The defense had its issues, but that’s going to be the case all season long. This was a statement win for Monmouth and they’ll have a bye next week. The next game will be at home on October 4 against Delaware State.
17. West Georgia (4-0) – After the offensive explosions in week 3, West Georgia’s defense came back in week 4. UWG defeated Eastern Kentucky 33-12 and one of the scores was via a fumble returned for a touchdown. The UWG offense sputtered in this game, totaling only 242 total yards, and that will need to change heading into the middle of the season. Up next is a game at Southern Utah (1-3), which is part of a brutal four-game stretch that will include Austin Peay, Abilene Christian, and Tarleton State.
18. Austin Peay (2-2) – Austin Peay tumbles six spots after falling to Abilene Christian 45-31. APSU looked nothing like the team we saw in the first three weeks, giving up yards to ACU (432) than it did to Georgia (421), and also lost 3 fumbles. This could be a blip for Austin Peay and it could also be a sign that the top of the UAC may take turns defeating one another, leaving no clear-cut second-best team. Austin Peay will have a chance to right the ship next week against Utah Tech (1-3) at home.
19. Villanova (1-2) – Villanova is the team that fell the furthest this week, going from 8th to 19th. The 51-33 loss to Monmouth showed that the Wildcats have some work to do. Monmouth put up over 625 yards of offense on Villanova, but the Wildcats didn’t help themselves by committing 13 penalties for 124 yards. Next week will be a matchup at home against William & Mary (2-2).
20. Jackson State (2-1) – Jackson State didn’t play in week 4 and will play at Southern (1-3) next week.
21. Gardner-Webb (2-2) – GWU may have lost 52-35 to Ohio, but they showed some offensive firepower. The Bulldogs put up nearly 500 yards of offense in the loss and they hung around for a long time in the second half. GWU has a bye next week and will take on Charleston Southern on October 4 to start OVC-Big South play.
22. Nicholls (1-3) – The Colonels lost 35-3 to Texas State from the FBS in a game that was all but over at halftime. The schedule hasn’t been easy either, as they’ve played two FBS teams and two solid FCS teams (Incarnate Word and West Georgia). Nicholls will be on the road at Eastern Kentucky (1-3) next week.
23. Harvard (1-0) – The Ivy League finally got underway and Harvard made quick work of Stetson. The Crimson led 45-0 at half and won 59-7. It’s difficult to take too much away from this expected win, but there wasn’t any rust showing. Ivy League action starts next week at home against Brown (1-0).
24. South Dakota (2-2) – South Dakota looked better this week against Drake in the 42-21 win. Don’t let the final score fool you: South Dakota led 42-7 after three quarters. Drake had 302 yards of total offense in the game, but 165 came on the final two drives when the game was no longer in doubt. Next week is a huge test for South Dakota: at #1 North Dakota State (3-0).
25. Presbyterian (4-0) – A new entrant this week, with Presbyterian making its debut. The Blue Hose sit at 4-0 with wins over two SoCon teams (Mercer and Furman), a D-II team (Erskine), and an NAIA team (Bluefield). There is an argument to be made that Presbyterian should have been ranked in previous weeks. It’s fair to say that Presbyterian is the favorite to win the PFL as of right now and that challenge will start next week at home against Morehead State (2-2).
Teams That Dropped Out and Other Notables
One team fell out of the top 25 this week: Incarnate Word. UIW may have been playing a top 25 team in Northern Arizona, but the Cardinals looked like anything but a top 25 squad. A few other teams are sitting outside the top 25, including Dartmouth, ETSU, Lamar, New Hampshire, and Richmond.
Photo Credit to Monmouth University Athletics
