BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Samford football team moved into the Division I-FCS Top 25 Coaches poll at No. 25 on Monday after winning its fourth-straight game to open the season Saturday at Western Carolina.
The ranking marks the first time Samford has been ranked in one of the official Division I-FCS polls since 1995. Samford has started the season 4-0 for the first time since 1995, and the team is 2-0 in Southern Conference play for the first time since joining the league in 2008. The Bulldogs have won four in a row for the first time since 1999.
Samford is one of five Southern Conference teams to be ranked in this week's Coaches Poll. Wofford leads the pack at No. 5, while Georgia Southern is ranked ninth. The Citadel is ranked 15
th in the poll, and Appalachian State is ranked 16
th.
The Bulldogs are also receiving votes in the Sports Network poll, earning 237 points, just three spots from making the Top 25.
Saturday's game at No. 9 Georgia Southern is scheduled for a 5 p.m. (CT) kickoff from Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. The game can be seen live on ESPN3.com.
Coaches Poll (Sept. 24)
Team (1st-place votes) Pts. Prev.
1. North Dakota State (25) 648 1
2. Montana State (1) 618 2
3. Youngstown State 597 T-3
4. Old Dominion 572 5
5. Wofford 522 6
6. James Madison 517 7
7. Eastern Washington 470 9
8. Delaware 429 12
9. Georgia Southern 410 10
10. Sam Houston State 360 T-3
11. Lehigh 357 13
12. Illinois State 350 15
13. Towson 298 16
14. Central Arkansas 295 21
15. The Citadel 276 14
16. Appalachian State 237 18
17. Northern Iowa 227 8
18. Stony Brook 200 20
19. Eastern Kentucky 160 23
20. Montana 135 11
21. McNeese State 121 17
22. New Hampshire 97 19
23. Cal Poly 95 NR
24. Harvard 89 24
25. Samford 69 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Northern Arizona (63), Tennessee State (60), North Dakota (48), Albany (24), South Dakota State (23), Alabama A&M (18), Lafayette (10), Indiana State (9), Jacksonville State (9), Maine (9), Florida A&M (3), Richmond (2), UT Martin (1).
**Southern Conference teams in bold
