GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota climbed two spots to No. 6 in the Stats Perform poll and to No. 7 in the AFCA Coaches' poll following a 62-26 victory over St. Thomas in the 60^th annual Potato Bowl USA game. The Fighting Hawks were the only team inside the top 10 of either poll to move up multiple spots this week.

The jump came after Nodak tallied six first-half touchdowns for the second straight week to claim a 41-12 halftime lead on the Tommies, who they were playing for the first time since 1964. UND would post a 62-26 victory, piling up the program's third most points against an FCS opponent.

UND is joined by four other Missouri Valley Conference programs inside the top 12 of both the Stats and AFCA polls.

UND takes to the road for the first time this Saturday to play Portland State in the back-half of a home-and-home series with the Big Sky foe. Kickoff against the Vikings is set for 9 p.m. CT.

For more information on North Dakota football, follow @UNDfootball on social media or visit FightingHawks.com.

STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 (Sept. 5; Week Two)
1. Montana State (2-0; 1-0 Big Sky), 1,425 (57)
2. South Dakota State (1-1), 1,303
3. Montana (2-0; 1-0 Big Sky), 1,292
4. Tarleton State (2-0), 1,272
5. Illinois State (2-0), 1,209
6. North Dakota (2-0), 1,037
7. UC Davis (2-0; 1-0 Big Sky), 1,003
8. Rhode Island (1-1), 994
9. Lehigh (2-0; 2-0 Patriot), 941
10. Youngstown State (1-1), 939
11. South Dakota (2-0), 901
12. Tennessee Tech (2-0), 836
13. Stephen F. Austin (2-0; 2-0 Southland), 806
14. Lamar (1-1), 545
15. Austin Peay (1-1), 540
16. William & Mary (2-0), 506
17. Idaho State (2-0), 478
18. Mercer (2-0), 417
19. Yale (0-0), 383
20. West Florida (2-0;1-0 UAC), 317
21. Villanova (1-1, 1-1 Patriot); 275
22. South Carolina State (1-0), 270
23. Abilene Christian (0-2), 196
24. Northern Arizona (1-1, 1-0 Big Sky); 160
25. Harvard (0-0);64

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama State (2-0), 55; Southern Utah (1-1, 0-1 Big Sky), 51; Campbell (2-0), 49; Cal Poly (2-0, 1-0 Big Sky), 46; Southern Illinois (1-1), 30; Richmond (2-0, 1-0 Patriot), 28; Houston Christian (1-1, 1-0 Southland), 24; Elon (2-0), 21; Jackson State (2-0), 21; Wofford (2-0), 19; Western Carolina (1-1), 15; Southeast Missouri (1-1), 14; UAlbany (1-1, 1-0 CAA), 13; UTRGV (1-1), 12; Prairie View A&M (1-1, 1-0 SWAC), 8; Monmouth (1-1, 1-0 CAA), 4; The Citadel (1-1, 0-1 Southern), 3

AFCA FCS COACHES TOP 25 (Sept. 5, Week Two)
1. Montana State (2-0), 648 (25)
2. Montana (2-0), 591
3. South Dakota State (1-1), 582
4. Illinois State (2-0), 575
5. Tarleton State (2-0), 551
6. UC Davis (2-0), 519
7. North Dakota (2-0), 448
8. Lehigh (2-0), 425
9. Stephen F. Austin (2-0), 417
10. Youngstown State (1-1), 372
11. Tennessee Tech (2-0), 357
12. South Dakota (2-0), 352
13. Rhode Island (1-1), 333
14. Mercer (2-0), 316
15. Austin Peay (1-1), 237
16. William & Mary (2-0), 216
17. Lamar (1-1), 195
18. Villanova (1-1), 163
19. Yale (0-0), 142
20. South Carolina State (2-0), 132
21. Richmond (2-0), 130
22. West Florida (2-0), 102
23. Northern Arizona (1-1), 101
24. Idaho State (2-0), 75
25. Harvard (0-0); 71

Others Receiving Votes: Wofford, 53; Cal Poly, 44; Southern Illinois, 41; Prairie View A&M, 32; Elon, 31; Colgate, 25; Campbell, 23; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 15; Alabama St., 13; Jackson St., 13; Robert Morris (Pa.), 13; UIW, 13; Harvard, 12; Furman, 10; Southern Utah, 10; UT Martin, 10; Southeast Missouri St., 8; Central Arkansas, 6; Chattanooga, 6; Portland St., 5; Western Carolina, 5; Dartmouth, 4; Monmouth (N.J.), 4; East Tennessee St., 1; Eastern Washington, 1; San Diego, 1; The Citadel, 1.

-- UND --