WACO, TEX.– Missouri State dominated then-No. 16 Illinois State from start to finish, beating the Redbirds 41-7 and extending their winning streak to four games. The Bears racked up 468 yards of total offense and their defense didn’t allow Illinois State to score until midway through the third quarter. The victory moved Missouri State up to No. 20 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Illinois State dropped to No. 23.
Both South Dakota State and North Dakota State won on Saturday setting up the biggest game of the year in FCS with a 1 vs. 2 matchup. The Jackrabbits have not lost to NDSU since 2019 and have not lost to an FCS opponent since the semifinals of the 2021 FCS playoffs.
No. 3 Montana State stayed unbeaten with a commanding 38-7 win over then-No. 8 Idaho. The Bobcats, who are 7-0, dropped the Vandals to No. 14 in this week’s poll. No. 7 Mercer also stayed unblemished at 6-0 with a 34-7 win over Princeton. The Bears will travel to Samford in hopes of continuing their winning streak. The only other undefeated team in the top 25 this week is Dartmouth, who enters for the first time this year at No. 24. The Big Green are 4-0 after erasing a 23-point deficit to beat Yale, 44-43, in overtime.
AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl – October 14, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game |
| 1 | South Dakota St. (21) | 5-1 | 644 | 1 | D. Youngstown St., 63-13 | Oct. 19 at No. 2 North Dakota St. |
| 2 | North Dakota St. (2) | 6-1 | 621 | 2 | D. Southern Illinois, 24-3 | Oct. 19 vs. No. 1 South Dakota St. |
| 3 | Montana St. (3) | 7-0 | 603 | 3 | D. No. 8 Idaho, 38-7 | Oct. 19 at Portland St. |
| 4 | South Dakota | 5-1 | 572 | 4 | D. Northern Iowa, 42-17 | Oct. 19 at Youngstown St. |
| 5 | Villanova | 5-1 | 535 | 5 | Idle | Oct. 19 at Maine |
| 6 | UC Davis | 6-1 | 514 | 6 | D. Cal Poly, 56-10 | Oct. 19 at Eastern Washington |
| 7 | Mercer | 6-0 | 491 | 7 | D. Princeton, 34-7 | Oct. 19 at Samford |
| 8 | Southeast Missouri St. | 6-1 | 455 | 9 | D. Tennessee Tech, 34-3 | Oct. 19 at Charleston Southern |
| 9 | Tarleton St. | 6-1 | 418 | 11 | D. Utah Tech, 42-0 | Oct. 26 at Austin Peay |
| 10 | North Dakota | 4-2 | 403 | 10 | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. Northern Iowa |
| 11 | Montana | 5-2 | 367 | 14 | D. Northern Arizona, 31-20 | Oct. 26 at Northern Colorado |
| 12 | Central Arkansas | 5-2 | 342 | 13 | D. West Georgia, 34-33 | Oct. 26 vs. North Alabama |
| 13 | UIW | 4-2 | 325 | 15 | D. Nicholls, 55-10 | Oct. 19 vs. McNeese |
| 14 | Idaho | 4-3 | 309 | 8 | Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 38-7 | Oct. 19 vs. Cal Poly |
| 15 | Richmond | 4-2 | 255 | 17 | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. Delaware |
| 16 | William & Mary | 4-2 | 249 | 18 | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. Campbell |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 5-1 | 219 | 21 | D. Brown, 31-21 | Oct. 19 at No. 19 New Hampshire |
| 18 | Florida A&M | 3-2 | 157 | 19 | Idle | Oct. 19 at No. 25 Jackson St. |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 4-2 | 136 | 22 | D. Elon, 17-10 | Oct. 19 vs. No. 17 Rhode Island |
| 20 | Missouri St. | 4-2 | 131 | 25 | D. No. 16 Illinois St., 41-7 | Oct. 19 vs. Indiana St. |
| 21t. | ACU | 4-3 | 127 | 12 | Lost to North Alabama, 47-34 | Oct. 19 vs. Eastern Kentucky |
| 21t. | North Carolina Central | 5-2 | 127 | 24 | D. Virginia-Lynchburg, 68-0 | Oct. 26 vs. Morgan St. |
| 23 | Illinois St. | 4-3 | 92 | 16 | Lost to No. 25 Missouri St., 41-7 | Oct. 19 at Murray St. |
| 24 | Dartmouth | 4-0 | 84 | NR | D. Yale, 44-43 OT | Oct. 19 vs. Central Connecticut St. |
| 25 | Jackson St. | 4-2 | 37 | NR | Idle | Oct. 19 vs. No. 18 Florida A&M |
Dropped Out: Sacramento St. (20), Weber St. (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Stony Brook, 36; Duquesne, 35; Chattanooga, 30; East Tennessee St., 28; UT Martin, 22; McNeese, 17; Monmouth (N.J.), 11; Sacramento St., 11; Western Carolina, 11; Drake, 8; Columbia, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 5; Tennessee St., 5; Weber St., 4; Butler, 2; Northern Arizona, 2; Georgetown (D.C.), 1; Indiana St., 1; Lafayette, 1; Lamar, 1.
