Jacksonville State, Missouri State make biggest jumps in FCS Top 25

By Craig Haley Stats Perform

Fresh off posting thrilling wins, Jacksonville State and Missouri State were rewarded on Monday, Sept. 13, with the biggest jumps among ranked teams in the Stats

Perform FCS Top 25.

Both teams climbed six spots, Jacksonville State to No. 10 and Missouri State to No. 17 in the national media poll.

The former stunned Florida State 20-17 with a game-winning, 59-yard touchdown pass on the final play and the latter beat Central Arkansas 43-34 after a backand-forth finish in their matchup of ranked teams.

The moves of those two teams, which won conference titles and made the FCS playoffs this past spring, were the exception following a weekend of mostly lopsided scores among FCS teams. Jacksonville State replaced North Dakota in the Top 10, where Sam Houston remained No. 1 as one of seven 2-0 teams.

At No. 23, New Hampshire joined the Top 25 for the first time this season.

A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

Jacksonville State Gamecocks defensive lineman Mitchell Etheridge after defeating the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.