September 4, 2012

Best result yet: Tech 29th in voting in College Sports Journal Top 25 FCS poll

A third national poll, announced Tuesday, has provided the best numbers yet for Tennessee Tech as the Golden Eagles received enough votes to place it 29th by College Sports Journal.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- A

PHILADELPHIA, PA. — North Dakota State retained its No. 1 spot from the preseason, narrowly holding off Georgia Southern in the first week of the College Sports Journal Football Championship Subdivision Top-25 poll.

North Dakota State rolled to a 52-0 victory at home over Robert Morris in a rematch of a 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship first-round playoff game.

Georgia Southern hopped from fifth to second after a 58-0 win against Jacksonville at home.

Sam Houston State fell one spot on a week where it didn't play. The Bearkats, last season's national runner-up, open play on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Incarnate Word.

While there was plenty of shuffling around in the first week's poll, Youngstown State had the biggest rise in the top-25, moving up eight spots from No. 15 to No. 7 with its impressive 31-17 victory at BCS Pittsburgh.

McNeese State was unranked in the preseason, but vaulted into the poll at the No. 18 slot by beating FBS Middle Tennessee State, 27-21.

Altogether, four teams captured victories over FBS opponents. Eastern Washington skipped up three places from No. 12 to No. 9 with a dominating 20-3 win at ex-Big Sky rival Idaho and Tennessee-Martin was third in the receiving votes category after outlasting Memphis 20-17.

Two other previously unranked teams moved into the poll, Central Arkansas and Liberty.

Central Arkansas was 26th in the preseason voting and moved up to No. 24 with a 49-27 loss at Mississippi, while Liberty tied Eastern Kentucky at No. 25 after falling just short at Wake Forest, 20-17.

This week's poll was released on Tuesday, due the Labor Day holiday. The poll will normally be released on Monday afternoons during the regular season.

Position Team Record Previous Rank Result

1: North Dakota State Bison 1-0 1 W 52-0 vs Robert Morris
2: Georgia Southern Eagles 1-0 5 W 59-0 vs Jacksonville
3: Sam Houston State Bearkats 0-0 2 Did Not Play
4: Montana State Bobcats 1-0 4 W vs Chadron State 33-6
5: Appalachian State Mountaineers 0-1 3 L 35-13 at East Carolina
6: Northern Iowa Panthers 0-1 9 L 26-21 at Wisconsin
7: Youngstown State Penguins 1-0 15 W 31-17 at Pittsburgh
8: James Madison Dukes 1-0 7 W 55-0 vs St. Francis
9: Eastern Washington Eagles 1-0 12 W 20-3 at Idaho
10: Old Dominion 1-0 13 W 57-23 vs Duquesne
11: Towson Tigers 0-1 6 L 41-21 at Kent State
12: Stony Brook Seawolves 1-0 11 W 49-17 vs Central Connecticut State
13: Lehigh Mountain Hawks 1-0 10 W 27-17 vs Monmouth
15: Montana Grizzlies 1-0 16 W 35-24 vs South Dakota
16: Wofford Terriers 1-0 8 W 34-7 at Gardner-Webb
17: New Hampshire Wildcats 1-0 19 W 38-17 at Holy Cross
18: McNeese State Cowboys 1-0 NR W 27-21 at Middle Tennessee State
19: Maine Black Bears 0-0 17 DId Not Play
20: Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 1-0 14 W vs West Chester 41-21
21: Illinois State Redbirds 1-0 21 W 56-14 vs Dayton
22: Indiana State Sycamores 0-1 18 L 24-17 at Indiana
23: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 1-0 22 W vs Southwestern Oklahoma 49-14
24: Central Arkansas Bears 0-1 NR L at Mississippi 49-27
25: (tie) Eastern Kentucky Colonels 0-1 25 L 48-6 at Purdue
25: (tie) Liberty 0-1 NR L 20-17 at Wake Forest

Also Received Votes (In Order Of Points):
Cal Poly, Norfolk State, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee Tech, Georgetown, Bethune-Cookman, Southern Utah, Harvard, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Albany, South Carolina State, William & Mary, Alabama State.