GRAND FORKS, N.D. – After the cruising past Portland State, 50-20, last week, North Dakota moved up to No. 16 in the Stats Perform Poll and is No. 17 in the AFCA Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
 
The MVFC has six teams represented in the Stats Perform Poll. North Dakota State (No. 1) and South Dakota State (No. 2) continue to hold the top two spots, trailed by Illinois State (No. 7) and South Dakota (No. 12). North Dakota moved up four spots to No. 16, while Southern Illinois rounds out the poll for the conference at No. 17.

In the AFCA Coaches' Top 25, the league has seven teams ranked. The Bison (No. 1) have the top spot, followed by the Jackrabbits (No. 2) and Redbirds (No. 4). The Salukis are No. 14, trailed by the Fighting Hawks (No. 17), Coyotes (No. 20) and Penguins (No. 25).
 
No. 16/17 North Dakota will visit No. 5/7 Montana at 2 p.m. (CT) on Saturday. The game will be televised on Midco Sports and carried on the Fighting Hawks Radio Network.
 
STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 (Sept. 8)
1. North Dakota State (2-0), 1,393 points (49 of 56 first-place votes)
2. South Dakota State (2-0), 1,351 (7)
3. Tarleton State (3-0), 1,260
4. Montana State (0-2), 1,202
5. Montana (1-0), 1,123
6. Rhode Island (2-0), 1,050
7. Illinois State (1-1), 1,049
8. Idaho (1-1), 937
9. UC Davis (1-1), 885
10. Lehigh (2-0), 836
11. Villanova (1-0), 743
12. South Dakota (0-2), 649
13. Abilene Christian (1-1), 648
14. Incarnate Word (1-1), 568
15. Tennessee Tech (2-0), 560
16. North Dakota (1-1), 535
17. Southern Illinois (1-1), 510
18. Northern Arizona (1-1), 409
19. Jackson State (1-1), 381
20. Monmouth (2-0), 373
21. Sacramento State (0-2), 253
22. Austin Peay (1-1), 233
23. New Hampshire (2-0), 132
24. Lamar (1-1), 121
25. West Georgia (2-0), 110

Others Receiving Votes: Mercer, 101; Presbyterian, 100; Harvard, 86; Southeast Missouri, 86; ETSU, 73; Richmond, 64; UT Martin, 59; Youngstown State, 59; Nicholls, 52; Eastern Kentucky, 31; Southern Utah, 29; Gardner-Webb, 27; Stephen F. Austin, 27; South Carolina State, 14; Stony Brook, 13; Tennessee State, 13; Towson, 9; Western Carolina, 5; Bryant, 5; LIU, 5.

AFCA FCS Coaches TOP 25 (Sept. 8)
1. North Dakota State (24)
2. South Dakota State (2)
3. Tarleton State
4. Illinois State
5. Rhode Island
6. Montana State
7. Montana
8. Incarnate Word
9. UC Davis
10. Idaho
11. Villanova
12. Lehigh
13. Abilene Christian
14. Southern Illinois
15. Jackson State
16. Tennessee Tech
17. North Dakota
18. Monmouth
19. Northern Arizona
20. South Dakota
21. Sacramento State
22. Mercer
23. Austin Peay
24. New Hampshire
25. Youngstown State

Others Receiving Votes: East Tennessee State, 43; Lamar, 38; Presbyterian, 35; Richmond, 28; West Georgia, 28; Stephen F. Austin, 22; Bryant, 19; Harvard, 18; Southeastern Louisiana, 17; Furman, 14; Indiana State, 14; South Carolina State, 12; Nicholls, 10; North Alabama, 9; Southeast Missouri State, 9; Central Arkansas, 7; Dartmouth, 7; Eastern Kentucky, 7; Western Carolina, 7; Lafayette, 5; St. Thomas (Minn.), 5; Gardner-Webb, 4; William & Mary, 4; Northern Iowa, 3; Georgetown (D.C.), 2; LIU, 1.