North Dakota State Ends 2021 at No.1 in the AFCA Top 25
January 10, 2022
North Dakota State returned to their winning ways, completing a 14-1 season, and claiming the program’s ninth FCS national championship in the past 11 years. The Bison are a perfect 9-0 in FCS national title game appearances. Hunter Luepke earned the game’s Most Outstanding Player, scoring three touchdowns in the first half to lead NDSU to a 38-10 win over Montana State. The Bison finish the 2021 season at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, with Montana State at No. 2.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Sam Houston Ends the Regular Season Where They Started
James Madison, who lost to North Dakota State in the semifinals, finished with a 12-2 record and a No. 3 ranking. Defending national champion Sam Houston, who ran the table at No. 1 during the regular season, finishes at No. 4 ahead of South Dakota State, who jumped six spots to No. 5 after their appearance in the semifinals.
Southern Illinois joined South Dakota State with a six-spot move in the poll to No. 17 thanks to its second-round appearance in the playoffs. Holy Cross ended the season with their highest ranking this year at No. 22. The Crusaders finished the season at 10-3 after recording their first playoff victory in program history.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – January 10, 2022
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Post-season Head Coach
1 North Dakota St. (24) 14-1 600 3 D. No. 9 Montana St., 38-10, in championship Matt Entz
2 Montana St. 12-3 571 9 Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 38-10, in championship Brent Vigen
3 James Madison 12-2 548 2 Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 20-14, in semifinals Curt Cignetti
4 Sam Houston 11-1 520 1 Lost to No. 9 Montana St., 42-19, in quarterfinals K.C. Keeler
5 South Dakota St. 11-4 471 11 Lost to No. 9 Montana St., 31-17, in semifinals John Stiegelmeier
6 Montana 10-3 470 5 Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 28-6, in quarterfinals Bobby Hauck
7 East Tennessee St. 11-2 438 8 Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 27-3, in quarterfinals Randy Sanders
8 Villanova 10-3 435 7 Lost to No. 11 South Dakota St., 35-21, in quarterfinals Mark Ferrante
9 Eastern Washington 10-3 416 6 Lost to No. 5 Montana, 57-41, in second round Aaron Best
10 Kennesaw St. 11-2 399 4 Lost to No. 8 Tennessee St., 32-31, in second round Brian Bohannon
11 Sacramento St. 9-3 358 12 Lost to No. 11 South Dakota St., 24-19, in second round Troy Taylor
12 UT Martin 10-3 307 13 Lost to No. 9 Montana St., 26-7, in second round Jason Simpson
13 UIW 10-3 297 15 Lost to No. 1 Sam Houston, 49-42, in second round Eric Morris
14 Missouri St. 8-4 276 10 Lost to No. 13 UT Martin, 32-31, in first round Bobby Petrino
15 Southeastern Louisiana 9-4 248 17 Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 59-20, in second round Frank Scelfo
16 UC Davis 8-4 205 16 Lost to No. 11 South Dakota St., 56-24, in first round Dan Hawkins
17 Southern Illinois 8-5 203 23 Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 38-7, in second round Nick Hill
18 Stephen F. Austin 8-4 188 19 Lost to No. 15 UIW, 35-28 OT, in first round Colby Carthel
19 Jackson St. 11-2 136 14 Lost to South Carolina St., 31-10, in Celebration Bowl Deion Sanders
20 South Dakota 7-5 133 20t Lost to No. 23 Southern Illinois, 22-10, in first round Bob Nielson
21 Princeton 9-1 130 18 DNQ Playoffs Bob Surace
22 Holy Cross 10-3 117 24 Lost to No. 7 Villanova, 21-16, in second round Bob Chesney
23 Dartmouth 9-1 89 20t DNQ Playoffs Buddy Teevens
24 Florida A&M 9-3 88 22 Lost to No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana, 38-14, in first round Willie Simmons
25 Northern Iowa 6-6 62 25 Lost to No. 6 Eastern Washington, 19-9, in first round Mark Farley
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: Davidson, 20; Sacred Heart, 18; South Carolina St., 17; Eastern Kentucky, 13; Mercer, 9; Monmouth (N.J.), 6; Chattanooga, 5; Harvard, 4; Columbia, 1; Elon, 1; Rhode Island, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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North Dakota State returned to their winning ways, completing a 14-1 season, and claiming the program’s ninth FCS national championship in the past 11 years. The Bison are a perfect 9-0 in FCS national title game appearances. Hunter Luepke earned the game’s Most Outstanding Player, scoring three touchdowns in the first half to lead NDSU to a 38-10 win over Montana State. The Bison finish the 2021 season at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, with Montana State at No. 2.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Sam Houston Ends the Regular Season Where They Started
James Madison, who lost to North Dakota State in the semifinals, finished with a 12-2 record and a No. 3 ranking. Defending national champion Sam Houston, who ran the table at No. 1 during the regular season, finishes at No. 4 ahead of South Dakota State, who jumped six spots to No. 5 after their appearance in the semifinals.
Southern Illinois joined South Dakota State with a six-spot move in the poll to No. 17 thanks to its second-round appearance in the playoffs. Holy Cross ended the season with their highest ranking this year at No. 22. The Crusaders finished the season at 10-3 after recording their first playoff victory in program history.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – January 10, 2022
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (24) | 14-1 | 600 | 3 | D. No. 9 Montana St., 38-10, in championship | Matt Entz |
| 2 | Montana St. | 12-3 | 571 | 9 | Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 38-10, in championship | Brent Vigen |
| 3 | James Madison | 12-2 | 548 | 2 | Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 20-14, in semifinals | Curt Cignetti |
| 4 | Sam Houston | 11-1 | 520 | 1 | Lost to No. 9 Montana St., 42-19, in quarterfinals | K.C. Keeler |
| 5 | South Dakota St. | 11-4 | 471 | 11 | Lost to No. 9 Montana St., 31-17, in semifinals | John Stiegelmeier |
| 6 | Montana | 10-3 | 470 | 5 | Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 28-6, in quarterfinals | Bobby Hauck |
| 7 | East Tennessee St. | 11-2 | 438 | 8 | Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 27-3, in quarterfinals | Randy Sanders |
| 8 | Villanova | 10-3 | 435 | 7 | Lost to No. 11 South Dakota St., 35-21, in quarterfinals | Mark Ferrante |
| 9 | Eastern Washington | 10-3 | 416 | 6 | Lost to No. 5 Montana, 57-41, in second round | Aaron Best |
| 10 | Kennesaw St. | 11-2 | 399 | 4 | Lost to No. 8 Tennessee St., 32-31, in second round | Brian Bohannon |
| 11 | Sacramento St. | 9-3 | 358 | 12 | Lost to No. 11 South Dakota St., 24-19, in second round | Troy Taylor |
| 12 | UT Martin | 10-3 | 307 | 13 | Lost to No. 9 Montana St., 26-7, in second round | Jason Simpson |
| 13 | UIW | 10-3 | 297 | 15 | Lost to No. 1 Sam Houston, 49-42, in second round | Eric Morris |
| 14 | Missouri St. | 8-4 | 276 | 10 | Lost to No. 13 UT Martin, 32-31, in first round | Bobby Petrino |
| 15 | Southeastern Louisiana | 9-4 | 248 | 17 | Lost to No. 2 James Madison, 59-20, in second round | Frank Scelfo |
| 16 | UC Davis | 8-4 | 205 | 16 | Lost to No. 11 South Dakota St., 56-24, in first round | Dan Hawkins |
| 17 | Southern Illinois | 8-5 | 203 | 23 | Lost to No. 3 North Dakota St., 38-7, in second round | Nick Hill |
| 18 | Stephen F. Austin | 8-4 | 188 | 19 | Lost to No. 15 UIW, 35-28 OT, in first round | Colby Carthel |
| 19 | Jackson St. | 11-2 | 136 | 14 | Lost to South Carolina St., 31-10, in Celebration Bowl | Deion Sanders |
| 20 | South Dakota | 7-5 | 133 | 20t | Lost to No. 23 Southern Illinois, 22-10, in first round | Bob Nielson |
| 21 | Princeton | 9-1 | 130 | 18 | DNQ Playoffs | Bob Surace |
| 22 | Holy Cross | 10-3 | 117 | 24 | Lost to No. 7 Villanova, 21-16, in second round | Bob Chesney |
| 23 | Dartmouth | 9-1 | 89 | 20t | DNQ Playoffs | Buddy Teevens |
| 24 | Florida A&M | 9-3 | 88 | 22 | Lost to No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana, 38-14, in first round | Willie Simmons |
| 25 | Northern Iowa | 6-6 | 62 | 25 | Lost to No. 6 Eastern Washington, 19-9, in first round | Mark Farley |
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: Davidson, 20; Sacred Heart, 18; South Carolina St., 17; Eastern Kentucky, 13; Mercer, 9; Monmouth (N.J.), 6; Chattanooga, 5; Harvard, 4; Columbia, 1; Elon, 1; Rhode Island, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.