THE HOSE up to #19

The still-unbeaten Presbyterian College football team continues to move up the ladder in the FCS national scene, moving up to #19 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and #21 in the Stats Perform Poll.

One win away from matching the school-record for their best-ever start to a season, the 6-0 Blue Hose will return to Bailey Memorial Stadium this Saturday for a Homecoming Pink-Out against Stetson. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

Presbyterian is the first Pioneer Football League member since 2018 to be listed on both the AFCA Coaches Poll and the Stats Perform rankings simultaneously. They join San Diego, Dayton, and Butler as the only four PFL institutions to be ranked in both polls all-time.

Head coach Steve Englehart has his squad on a 10-game winning streak after defeating Butler in Indianapolis, tied for the second-longest active streak in all of NCAA Division I football.

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has conducted a weekly poll of FBS programs since 1950, ranking teams at the FCS level since the late 70’s. Founded in 1922, the AFCA is comprised of over 11,000 members and represents 90 percent of college football head coaches.

The Stats Perform panel is made up of 56 individuals who represent all 13 conferences (129 teams) in FCS.

AFCA FCS COACHES POLL – WEEK 8 (OCTOBER 13)

1. North Dakota State (6-0) – 650 Points – 26 First-Place Votes
2. South Dakota State (6-0) – 621 Points
3. Tarleton State (7-0) – 598 Points
4. Montana (6-0) – 567 Points
5. Montana State (5-2) – 525 Points
6. UC Davis (5-1) – 504 Points
7. Lehigh (7-0) – 470 Points
8. Tennessee Tech (6-0) – 465 Points
9. Illinois State (4-2) – 431 Points
10. Monmouth (5-1) – 410 Points
11. North Dakota (4-2) – 391 Points
12. Southern Illinois (4-2) – 323 Points
13. Jackson State (5-1) – 318 Points
14. Villanova (4-2) – 289 Points
15. Rhode Island (5-2) – 267 Points
16. Mercer (5-1) – 249 Points
17. Abilene Christian (4-3) – 228 Points
18. Lamar (5-1) – 203 Points
19. Presbyterian (6-0) – 176 Points
20. Harvard (4-0) – 145 Points
21. Northern Arizona (4-3) – 100 Points
22. Southeastern Louisiana (4-2) – 98 Points
23. West Georgia (5-2) – 70 Points
24. Austin Peay (4-3) – 64 Points
25. Youngstown State (3-3) – 53 Points

STATS PERFORM TOP 25 POLL – WEEK 8 (OCTOBER 13)

1. North Dakota State (6-0) – 1,399 Points – 55 First-Place Votes
2. South Dakota State (6-0) – 1,340 Points – 1 First-Place Vote
3. Tarleton State (7-0) – 1,265 Points
4. Montana (6-0) – 1,222 Points
5. Montana State (5-2) – 1,206 Points
6. UC Davis (5-1) – 1,086 Points
7. Lehigh (7-0) – 1,023 Points
8. Tennessee Tech (6-0) – 954 Points
9. North Dakota (4-2) – 869 Points
10. Illinois State (4-2) – 866 Points
11. Monmouth (5-1) – 846 Points
12. Southern Illinois (4-2) – 812 Points
13. Abilene Christian (4-3) – 560 Points
14. Jackson State (5-1) – 557 Points
15. Villanova (4-2) – 521 Points
16. Rhode Island (5-2) – 512 Points
17. Lamar (5-1) – 454 Points
18. Harvard (4-0) – 435 Points
19. Northern Arizona (4-3) – 376 Points
20. Mercer (5-1) – 359 Points
21. Presbyterian (6-0) – 299 Points
22. South Dakota (4-3) – 257 Points
23. Austin Peay (4-3) – 224 Points
24. Idaho (2-4) – 183 Points
25. Stephen F. Austin (4-2) – 152 Points

RISING UP

- PC moves up four spots in the AFCA Coaches Poll in the wake of the Butler win, going up three spots in the Stats Perform rankings.

- This continues a trend of first-time feats for Englehart’s troops, the only undefeated Division I program in the state of South Carolina and one of eight FCS teams nationwide to still be without a loss.

- The Blue Hose are averaging 41 points per game this fall while giving up just 15 on the other end of the field. They have conceded six points (two field goals) in the fourth quarter all year long.

- The 1959 edition of PC football started 7-0, a mark that the ’25 crew can equal in their next matchup. Should the Scotsmen take down Stetson this weekend, they will complete a full 365-day stretch without a single loss.

DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN STREAK

- Presby slayed their 10^th consecutive challenger with a 31-25 decision at Butler, overcoming a 4^th-quarter deficit with a 75-yard touchdown bomb from Collin Hurst to Nathan Levicki.

- PC managed to avoid the upset despite 40 total minutes of possession by the Bulldogs, holding Butler to field goals instead of touchdowns on two time-consuming drives that lasted over seven minutes each.

- The Blue Hose are now tied with Harvard for the longest active road winning streak in the country, with the Indianapolis trip being their fifth win in a row when playing the visitors’ role.

HOSTING THE HATTERS

- Presbyterian started their 10-game winning streak against the same squad who they’ll play next, pounding Stetson in Florida last October by a 42-14 margin.

- The rushing attack was unstoppable on that day last year, as PC ran for 329 yards (a school-record against a Division I opponent) along with five touchdowns on the ground.

• Stetson will come to Clinton with back-to-back wins in their pocket, edging out Davidson (35-32) and Morehead State (21-14). However, the Hatters have yet to win on the road this semester, losing to Chattanooga and Dayton by a combined score of 111-14.

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