McNeese cracks FCS top 25 poll at No. 19

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese’s impressive come-from-behind, 40-37 double-overtime win at Tarleton State on February 13 has lifted the Cowboys into the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 at the No. 19 spot, the organization released on Monday.

The Cowboys, who are traditionally a regular staple in the poll, are ranked for the first time since falling out of the list after week four of the 2019 season.

Tarleton State, in its first year as a Division I FCS member, is ranked No. 22 after its 43-17 blowout win over New Mexico State over the weekend.

Other McNeese spring opponents that are ranked include Nicholls at No. 9, Sam Houston at No. 17 and Southeastern Louisiana who is one spot ahead of McNeese at No. 18.

North Dakota State tops the poll and is followed by James Madison, South Dakota State, Weber State and Northern Iowa to round out the top five.

McNeese will open up its home slate on Saturday at noon when it hosts Incarnate Word.

STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 (FEB. 22)

1. North Dakota State (2-0, 1-0 MVFC), 1,000 points (40 first-place votes)

Previous Ranking: 1; Last Week’s Result: 25-7 win over Youngstown State

2. James Madison (1-0, 0-0 CAA), 952

Previous Ranking: 2; Last Week’s Result: 52-0 win over Morehead State

3. South Dakota State (1-0 Missouri Valley), 918

Previous Ranking: 5; Last Week’s Result: 24-20 win over No. 3 Northern Iowa

4. Weber State (0-0 Big Sky), 882

Previous Ranking: 4; Last Week’s Result: No game

5. Northern Iowa (0-1 Missouri Valley), 785

Previous Ranking: 3; Last Week’s Result: 24-20 loss to No. 5 South Dakota State

6. Villanova (0-0 CAA), 782

Previous Ranking: 8; Last Week’s Result: No game

7. Illinois State (0-0 Missouri Valley), 730

Previous Ranking: 9; Last Week’s Result: Postponed vs. Missouri State

8. Kennesaw State (0-0 Big South), 686

Previous Ranking: 10; Last Week’s Result: No game

9. Nicholls (1-0, 0-0 Southland), 665

Previous Ranking: 14; Last Week’s Result: 87-3 win over Lincoln (Mo.)

10. Furman (1-0 Southern), 658

Previous Ranking: 15; Last Week’s Result: 35-7 win over Western Carolina

11. Wofford (1-0 Southern), 565

Previous Ranking: 16; Last Week’s Result: 31-14 win over Mercer

12. Eastern Washington (0-0 Big Sky), 502

Previous Ranking: 18; Last Week’s Result: No game

13. Albany (0-0 CAA), 475

Previous Ranking: 17; Last Week’s Result: No game

14. North Dakota (1-0 Missouri Valley), 401

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Last Week’s Result: 44-21 win over Southern Illinois

15. New Hampshire (0-0 CAA), 392

Previous Ranking: 20; Last Week’s Result: No game

16. Jacksonville State (3-1, 0-0 Ohio Valley), 347

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Last Week’s Result: Postponed at Tennessee State

17. Sam Houston (0-0 Southland), 326

Previous Ranking: 22; Last Week’s Result: Postponed at UIW

18. Southeastern Louisiana (0-0 Southland), 322

Previous Ranking: 21; Last Week’s Result: No game

19. McNeese (1-0, 0-0 Southland), 220

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Last Week’s Result: No game

20. Monmouth (0-0 Big South), 212

Previous Ranking: 23; Last Week’s Result: No game

21. Southeast Missouri (0-1, 0-0 Ohio Valley), 161

Previous Ranking: 25; Last Week’s Result: Postponed vs. Eastern Illinois

22. Tarleton (1-1 Independent), 159

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Last Week’s Result: 43-17 win at New Mexico State

23. Tennessee Tech (1-0 Ohio Valley), 132

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Last Week’s Result: 27-21 win over Austin Peay

24. Elon (1-0, 0-0 CAA), 129

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Last Week’s Result: 26-23 win over Davidson

25. Delaware (0-0 CAA), 126

Previous Ranking: Unranked; Last Week’s Result: No game

Other Vote Totals (schools listed on two or more ballots): Austin Peay 125, Southern Illinois 83, The Citadel 42, Youngstown State 32, ETSU 23, Jackson State 22, Chattanooga 21, San Diego 19, Richmond 18, South Carolina State 14, UC Davis 13, Idaho 12, Stony Brook 11, Maine 7, UT Martin 7