WACO, TEX.– South Dakota earned a lot of firsts on Saturday. First, they erased an 11-point deficit in the final four minutes of the game to beat then-No. 1 North Dakota State, 29-28. With the win, the Coyotes won a share of the program’s first-ever Missouri Valley Football Conference title and beat NDSU at home for the first time since 2002. It was also their first win over a No. 1-ranked opponent since beating Eastern Washington in 2011. South Dakota moves up one spot to No. 3 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Bison drop to No. 4.
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Montana State ends the regular season as the new No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. This is the first time since the AFCA took over administration of the poll in 2018 that the Bobcats have been ranked in the top spot. They are also the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA FCS playoffs and received a first-round bye, along with seven of the top 10 teams in the poll. The only exceptions were No. 7 Richmond, who hosts Lehigh, and No. 10 Illinois State, who travels to No. 16 Southeast Missouri State, in the first round.
There are three other top 25 matchups in the first round. No. 13 Montana will play host to No. 19 Tennessee State, who is making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2013. No. 17 ACU is in the FCS playoffs for the first time and will host No. 22 Northern Arizona, who last appeared in 2017. The final top 25 matchup has No. 20 UT Martin traveling to No. 24 New Hampshire.
AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl – November 25, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 13 | Next Game |
| 1 | Montana St. (23) | 12-0 | 622 | 2 | D. No. 10 Montana, 34-11 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 2 | South Dakota St. (2) | 10-2 | 593 | 3 | D. No. 18 Missouri St., 45-9 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 3 | South Dakota | 9-2 | 571 | 4 | D. No. 1 North Dakota St., 29-28 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 4 | North Dakota St. | 10-2 | 554 | 1 | Lost to No. 4 South Dakota, 29-28 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 5 | UC Davis | 10-2 | 522 | 5 | D. Sacramento St., 42-39 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 6 | UIW | 10-2 | 495 | 6 | D. East Texas A&M, 38-24 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 7 | Richmond | 10-2 | 453 | 7 | D. William & Mary, 27-0 | Nov. 30 vs. Lehigh |
| 8 | Idaho | 9-3 | 443 | 8 | D. Idaho St., 40-17 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 9 | Mercer | 10-2 | 427 | 9 | D. Furman, 49-23 | Dec. 7 TBA |
| 10 | Illinois St. | 9-3 | 392 | 13 | D. North Dakota, 35-13 | Nov. 30 at No. 16 Southeast Missouri St. |
| 11 | Villanova | 9-3 | 360 | 14 | D. Delaware, 38-28 | Nov. 30 vs. Eastern Kentucky |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 10-2 | 351 | 15 | D. Bryant, 35-21 | Nov. 30 vs. Central Connecticut St. |
| 13 | Montana | 8-4 | 304 | 10 | Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 34-11 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 19 Tennessee St. |
| 14 | Tarleton St. | 9-3 | 290 | 16 | D. Central Arkansas, 39-14 | Nov. 30 vs. Drake |
| 15 | Jackson St. | 10-2 | 266 | 17 | D. Alcorn St., 48-10 | Dec. 7 vs. Southern |
| 16 | Southeast Missouri St. | 9-3 | 236 | 11 | Lost to No. 25 Tennessee St., 28-21 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 10 Illinois St. |
| 17 | ACU | 8-4 | 220 | 12 | Lost to Stephen F. Austin, 32-19 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 22 Northern Arizona |
| 18 | South Carolina St. | 9-2 | 194 | 21t | D. Norfolk St., 53-21 | Dec. 14 TBA |
| 19 | Tennessee St. | 9-3 | 150 | 25 | D. No. 11 Southeast Missouri St., 28-21 | Nov. 30 at No. 13 Montana |
| 20 | UT Martin | 8-4 | 128 | 24 | D. Lindenwood, 33-26 OT | Nov. 30 at No. 24 New Hampshire |
| 21 | Missouri St. | 8-4 | 124 | 18 | Lost to No. 3 South Dakota St., 45-9 | Season Complete |
| 22 | Northern Arizona | 8-4 | 100 | NR | D. Eastern Washington, 30-18 | Nov. 30 at No. 17 ACU |
| 23 | North Carolina Central | 8-3 | 54 | NR | D. Delaware St., 52-10 | Season Complete |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 8-4 | 47 | NR | D. Maine, 27-9 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 20 UT Martin |
| 25 | Duquesne | 8-3 | 46 | 19 | Lost to Central Connecticut St., 21-14 | Season Complete |
Dropped Out: Stony Brook (20),Harvard (21t),Butler (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Stony Brook, 44; Eastern Kentucky, 32; Drake, 29; Lehigh, 19; Dartmouth, 16; Harvard, 16; Central Connecticut St., 12; Chattanooga, 6; Butler, 4; Southeastern Louisiana, 4; Columbia, 2.
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