FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION

• Richmond vaults to top in FCS Top-25

  
  

  Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Richmond used a big second half to forge a 44-17 victory over Maine and then scored a narrow victory Monday in the polls to move into the top spot in the latest Sports Network FCS Top-25.

  The Spiders (3-1) received 49 of 102 first-place votes to edge out Colonial Athletic Association rival James Madison by just two points for first place in the poll. The last time Richmond was No. 1 in any football poll was in 1985.

  James Madison (3-1), fresh off its 35-32 win over then-top-ranked Appalachian State on Saturday night, earned 37 first-place votes, but was out-voted 2,389 to 2,387 by Richmond in this week's race for No. 1.

  Appalachian State (1-2), the three-time national champion and the preseason favorite in the Top 25, drop two spots to No.

  3 after being on top for the previous four weeks.

  Montana, a 29-24 win over UC Davis on Saturday, stayed at No.4. But the Grizzlies (3-0) picked up 12 first-place votes.

  Northern Iowa (2-1) was named on two first-place ballots and remained No.5 in the poll after a 34-20 victory over South Dakota State in a key Missouri Valley Football Conference game.

  The only other team to receive a first-place vote was No. 23 Tennessee State, which knocked off Eastern Kentucky 34-20 in a crucial Ohio Valley Conference clash.

  Completing the top 10 were McNeese State at sixth, New Hampshire at seventh, Elon at eighth, Cal Poly at ninth and North Dakota State at 10th.

  McNeese State moved up one place in a bye week, while New Hampshire shot up three positions, Elon gained nine, Cal Poly jumped four and North Dakota State plummeted seven.

  New Hampshire beat Albany 32-24, Elon stopped then-16th-ranked Georgia Southern 22-20, Cal Poly blasted Northwestern State 52-18 and North Dakota State dropped its second straight game, 32-24 to Youngstown State.

  The next 10 teams in the poll are Eastern Washington at No.11, followed by No.12 Central Arkansas, No.13 The Citadel, No.14.

  Wofford, No. 15 Southern Illinois, No. 16 Furman, No.

  17 Delaware, No.

  18 Massachusetts, No.

  19 Villanova and No. 20 South Dakota State.

  Furman moved from 24th to 16, while Delaware fell 11 places from sixth to 17th after the Paladins beat the Blue Hens 23-21.

  Eastern Illinois comes in at No. 21 and is followed by Western Illinois, Tennessee State, Georgia Southern and Liberty.

  The Sports Network will release a final top-25 poll following the national championship game, which will be held December 19 in Chattanooga, TN.

  09/22 15:41:38 ET