With some of the top teams falling over the weekend, there was plenty of shifting in this week's Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, including a new No. 1.
Those shifts affected the two schools in the Treasure State as well. Montana State (6-1, 4-0 Big Sky Conference) moved up one spot to No. 3 after the Bobcats defeated Northern Colorado 37-14 over the weekend. MSU had consistently sat at No. 4 in the poll throughout the year.
The latest poll was released on Monday.
Montana, meanwhile, fell from No. 3 to No. 7 after losing 30-23 at home to Idaho over the weekend for their first loss of the season. The Grizzlies (5-1, 2-1) fell to the Vandals for the first time since 1999 with the defeat.
But the changes in the poll didn't end there. South Dakota State (6-1, 4-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) rose to No. 1 after the Jackrabbits toppled North Dakota State on the road, 23-21, on Saturday. The Bison (5-2, 3-1) fell to No. 4 in this week's poll.
Sacramento State (6-0, 3-0) jumped up to No. 2 from No. 5 in the poll, making the Hornets the highest-ranked Big Sky team. Sac State beat Eastern Washington 52-28 on the road over the weekend.
The Big Sky continues to have four teams in the top 10, with Weber State coming in at No. 5 after being No. 6 a week ago. The Wildcats (6-0, 3-0) defeated Portland State 42-7 on Saturday.
After their upset over the Griz, the Vandals (4-2, 3-0) cracked the rankings for the first time this season to round out the five Big Sky teams ranked this week. Idaho entered the poll at No. 17 on Monday.
No other Big Sky teams earned votes in the latest poll.
It's a huge week for the Big Sky Conference and FCS football landscape with two top-10 matchups on deck this Saturday in the conference. No. 3 MSU will host No. 5 Weber State on Saturday at 1 p.m., while No. 2 Sac State welcomes No. 7 Montana on Saturday. The Montana Television Network will carry the broadcast for the Bobcats and Wildcats, while the Hornets and Griz will kick off at 9 p.m. Mountain Time (8 p.m. local) in front of a national TV audience on ESPN2.
For the full Stats Perform FCS Top 25 rankings, click here.
