EIU Moves Up In All Three FCS Football Polls

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois football won its fifth straight Ohio Valley Conference opener on Saturday with a 56-35 win over Austin Peay.  On Monday the Panthers moved up several spots to land at No. 13 in all three FCS football polls.   EIU will take its 3-1 record, 1-0 in the OVC, on the road this weekend as they play at Southeast Missouri with a 6 p.m. kickoff.
 
During the Panthers win over APSU, defensive end David Johnson was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week with running back Christopher Anderson earning OVC co-Newcomer of the Week honors.
 
North Dakota State remained a unanimous number one in all three polls with Sam Houston State ranked second.  OVC member Jacksonville State was third in two of the three polls and ranked fourth in the other.
 
The STATS/FCS Media Top 25 poll includes North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, Jacksonville State, Eastern Washington and Chattanooga in the top five.  Richmond is sixth followed by James Madison, Western Illinois, The Citadel and Charleston Southern.  Montana is ranked 11th with Northern Iowa, Eastern Illinois, Coastal Carolina, South Dakota State, Cal Poly, Villanova, Illinois State, William & Mary and Youngstown State rounding out the top twenty.  The final five ranked schools include Albany, North Carolina A&T, McNeese State, Indiana State and Harvard.
 
North Dakota State had all 26 first place votes in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll followed by Sam Houston State, Chattanooga, Jacksonville State and Eastern Washington in the top five.  James Madison was sixth with Richmond seventh and Charleston Southern and Western Illinois tied for eighth.  The Citadel was ranked tenth.  Montana led the next group of schools in 11th followed by Northern Iowa, Eastern Illinois, Villanova, Youngstown State, South Dakota State, William & Mary, Cal Poly, Harvard and Illinois State in the twenty.  Albany, McNeese State, North Carolina A&T, Southern Utah and Colgate rounded out the final five schools in the Coaches poll.
 
The HERO Sports Top 25 is a newly created media poll that has North Dakota State ranked number one followed by Sam Houston State, Jacksonville State, Eastern Washington and Chattanooga in the top five.  Richmond, Western Illinois, James Madison, Charleston Southern and The Citadel round out the top ten.  Montana was ranked 11th with Northern Iowa, Eastern Illinois, Cal Poly, Coastal Carolina, South Dakota State, Villanova, William & Mary, Illinois State and Youngstown State completing the top twenty.  Albany was ranked No. 21 with North Carolina A&T, McNeese State, Indiana State and Harvard completing the poll.
 
Note that Coastal Carolina in the in the process of transitioning to the FBS level and is not eligible for the FCS playoffs this season, they will not appear in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll.