Southeastern Louisiana rises to No. 6, Bison remain No. 2

By Craig Haley Stats Perform

When FCS national champion Sam Houston departed the Southland Conference this past summer, the Bearkats knew one of the nation’s better teams would remain there.

Look no further than the Stats Perform FCS

Top 25, where on Monday

Southeastern Louisiana moved up two spots to No. 6 — the Lions’ highest ranking since they were third in 2014.

Southeastern coach Frank Scelfo called the Lions’ 23-20 win over McNeese on Saturday night the kind of effort that helps a team become championship-level. The Lions (7-1, 5-0) can become that for the third time in the Southland if they win at No. 22 UIW this weekend.

The Lions, who boast the nation’s second-ranked offense behind Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback Cole Kelley, are unbeaten against FCS opponents, with only a 45-42 loss at Louisiana Tech.

Including the Southland showdown, there are five games between ranked teams this weekend. Sam Houston (7-0) and North Dakota State (8-0) enter the important week at No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the national media poll, with No. 21 Princeton (7-0) the only other unbeaten FCS team.

A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is

Stats Perform FCS

Top 25 (Nov. 1)

1. Sam Houston (7-0, 5-0 AQ7), 1,240 points (40 firstplace votes)

Previous Ranking: 1; Week 9

Result: 45-27 win at Tarleton

2. North Dakota State (8-0, 5-0 Missouri Valley), 1,208 (10)

Previous Ranking: 2; Week 9

Result: 44-2 win over Indiana State

3. James Madison (7-1, 5-1 CAA), 1,133

Previous Ranking: 5; Week 9

Result: 45-21 win over Elon

4. Montana State (7-1, 5-0 Big Sky), 1,082

Previous Ranking: 6; Week 9

Result: Open week

6. Southeastern Louisiana (7-1, 5-0 Southland), 970

Previous Ranking: 8; Week 9

Result: 23-20 win over McNeese 7. Southern Illinois (6-2,

Missouri Valley), 893

Previous Ranking: 3; Week 9 over Samford

Result: 23-16 loss at then-No.

19. Jackson State (7-1, 5-0 SWAC), 292

Previous Ranking: 20; Week 9

Result: 28-19 win at Mississippi Valley State

20.(tie) Princeton (7-0, 4-0 Ivy), 277

Previous Ranking: 19; Week 9

Result: 34-16 win at Cornell 20.(tie) William & Mary (6-2, 4-1 CAA), 277

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Week 9 Result: 31-18 win at then-No. 4 Villanova

22. UIW (6-2, 4-1 Southland), 229

Previous Ranking:

Prairie View A&M 34, Chattanooga 20, Mercer 14, Florida A&M 12, Dartmouth 10, Rhode Island 9, Stephen F. Austin 8, Harvard 7, Monmouth 2