Tennessee Tech climbs to No. 12 in latest FCS poll
Everything’s Golden (Eagles) with Tennessee Tech football.
The Golden Eagles are soaring in the first month of the 2025 season, including a No. 12 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll on Monday that’s their highest since 1994.
They’re off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 1977 after pounding Davidson 72-14 for their highest point total since 1928. Coach Bobby Wilder’s program, which was part of a four-way tie for the OVC-Big South title in his first season last year, is on an eight-game winning streak that is the longest in the FCS. Transfer quarterback Kekoa Visperas’ 10 total touchdowns have helped the team to an FCS-high 60.7 points per game, while the defense ranks No. 4 in allowing just 10.3 points on average.
Tennessee Tech’s ranking, up three this week, is its highest since being No. 11 on Sept. 27, 1994.
The top five spots in the national media poll remained unchanged. Top-ranked North Dakota State, the defending national champion, extended its record streak of appearances in the rankings to 206.
The Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll is released each Monday during the regular season and one day after the FCS championship game (to be played Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tennessee). 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.
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll (Sept. 15)
1. North Dakota State (3-0)
Points: 1,396 (52 of 56 first-place votes); Previous Ranking: 1; Week 3: 41-14 win over Southeast Missouri; Week 4: No game
2. South Dakota State (3-0)
Points: 1,341 (4); Previous Ranking: 2; Week 3: 37-21 win over Drake; Week 4: No game
3. Tarleton State (4-0, 1-0 UAC)
Points: 1,277; Previous Ranking: 3; Week 3: 56-10 win at Central Arkansas; Week 4: Chattanooga
4. Montana State (1-2)
Points: 1,210; Previous Ranking: 4; Week 3: 41-7 win over San Diego; Week 4: Mercyhurst
5. Montana (2-0)
Points: 1,175; Previous Ranking: 5; Week 3: 24-23 win over then-No. 16 North Dakota; Week 4: Indiana State
6. Illinois State (2-1)
Points: 1,051; Previous Ranking: 7; Week 3: 42-30 win at Eastern Illinois; Week 4: North Alabama
7. Rhode Island (3-0, 2-0 CAA)
Points: 1,037 Previous Ranking: 6; Week 3: 9-7 win at Holy Cross; Week 4: LIU
8. Idaho (2-1)
Points: 968; Previous Ranking: 8; Week 3: 20-6 win over Utah Tech; Week 4: at San Jose State
9. UC Davis (1-1)
Points: 873; Previous Ranking: 9; Week 3: No game; Week 4: Southern Utah
10. Lehigh (3-0, 1-0 Patriot)
Points: 846; Previous Ranking: 10; Week 3: 35-21 win at Duquesne; Week 4: at Bucknell
11. Villanova (1-1)
Points: 694; Previous Ranking: 11; Week 3: 52-6 loss at Penn State; Week 4: at No. 21 Monmouth
12. Tennessee Tech (3-0)
Points: 679; Previous Ranking: 15; Week 3: 72-14 win over Davidson; Week 4: No game
13. Southern Illinois (2-1)
Points: 624; Previous Ranking: 17; Week 3: 37-10 win at UT Martin; Week 4: at Southeast Missouri
14. Abilene Christian (1-2)
Points: 606; Previous Ranking: 13; Week 3: 42-21 loss at TCU; Week 4: No. 18 Austin Peay
15. South Dakota (1-2)
Points: 542; Previous Ranking: 12; Week 3: 24-17 OT win over Northern Colorado; Week 4: Drake
16. North Dakota (1-2)
Points: 540; Previous Ranking: 16; Week 3: 24-23 loss at then-No. 5 Montana; Week 4: Valparaiso
17. Northern Arizona (2-1)
Points: 511; Previous Ranking: 18; Week 3: 52-49 win at Southern Utah; Week 4: No. 19 UIW
18. Austin Peay (2-1)
Points: 377; Previous Ranking: 22; Week 3: 56-7 win over Morehead State; Week 4: at No. 14 Abilene Christian
19. UIW (1-2, 0-1 Southland)
Points: 374; Previous Ranking: 14; Week 3: 48-20 loss at USTA; Week 4: at No. 17 Northern Arizona
20. Jackson State (2-1)
Points: 364; Previous Ranking: 19; Week 3: 30-0 win over Tuskegee; Week 4: No game
21. Monmouth (2-1)
Points: 321; Previous Ranking: 20; Week 3: 42-35 loss at Charlotte; Week 4: No. 11 Villanova
22. West Georgia (3-0)
Points: 253; Previous Ranking: 25; Week 3: 35-31 win over ETSU; Week 4: Eastern Kentucky
23. Lamar (2-1)
Points: 204; Previous Ranking: 24; Week 3: 31-7 win at Texas Southern; Week 4: No game
24. Sacramento State (1-2)
Points: 203; Previous Ranking: 21; Week 3: 49-28 win over Mercyhurst; Week 4: Central Arkansas
25. New Hampshire (2-1)
Points: 191; Previous Ranking: 23; Week 3: 34-29 OT loss at Ball State; Week 4: at Dartmouth
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Presbyterian (3-0): 83; Mercer (1-1): 63; Harvard (0-0): 54; Youngstown State (2-1): 47; Southeast Missouri (1-2): 43; Gardner-Webb (2-1): 41; Richmond (1-2, 0-1 Patriot): 33; UT Martin (0-3): 28; Stephen F. Austin (1-2): 22; Eastern Kentucky (1-2): 21; Nicholls (1-2, 1-0 Southland): 18; ETSU (1-2): 13; Southeastern Louisiana (1-2): 13; Tennessee State (1-2): 13; South Carolina State (2-1): 11; Stony Brook (1-2, 0-1 CAA): 10; Bryant (2-1): 9; Elon (2-1): 9