FCS Nation Radio Releases Week 5 Top 25 Poll
FCS Nation Top 25 – Week 5 (2026)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 28, 2026
Montana St
SDSU
Montana
Tarleton St
UND
Lehigh
YSU
SFA
USD
TN Tech
Ill St
ID St
APSU
Lamar
SCSU
ASU
UCD
Campbell
Stony Brook
NAU
Harvard
UWF
Colgate
Richmond
SIU
Another week, another shakeup.
Montana State and South Dakota State continue to hold down the top two spots in the FCS Nation Top 25, but behind them, the board has shifted again. Montana is back into the Top 3. Tarleton State moves back to No. 4. North Dakota and Lehigh continue to climb. And after one of the biggest wins of the weekend, Youngstown State is knocking on the door of the Top 5.
North Dakota and Lehigh keep climbing.
North Dakota moves from No. 7 to No. 5 after a 42-35 road win over Indiana State. The Fighting Hawks are now firmly inside our Top 5. Lehigh isn't far behind.
The Mountain Hawks move from No. 9 all the way to No. 6 after going on the road and beating Penn, 20-7.
At this point, Lehigh just keeps winning. The Mountain Hawks have continued to answer every test put in front of them, and they've earned their highest ranking of the season.
Youngstown State makes its move.
One week after going into Brookings and giving No. 2 South Dakota State everything it could handle in a 27-20 loss, Youngstown State responded in a big way.
The Penguins beat previously No. 4 South Dakota, 47-28, behind 502 yards of total offense and a defense that forced three turnovers.
Beau Brungard was at the center of it all.
The Youngstown State quarterback rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns while adding 159 yards and another score through the air.
That's 329 total yards and four touchdowns against a team we had ranked No. 4 in the country.
Youngstown State jumps five spots from No. 12 to No. 7. That's a statement.
South Dakota takes a hit.
Last week, we moved South Dakota all the way to No. 4 despite a loss at Boise State. We believed the Coyotes showed enough in that game to warrant the move. This week was different.
Youngstown State ran for 343 yards, scored on all seven of its red-zone opportunities and pulled away with 21 points in the fourth quarter to beat South Dakota, 47-28.
The Coyotes fall five spots to No. 9. Stephen F. Austin moves up to No. 8, while Tennessee Tech rounds out the Top 10 at No. 10.
Illinois State slides outside the Top 10.
Illinois State falls from No. 3 to No. 11 this week. The Redbirds have already put together one of the strongest early-season résumés in the FCS, including a road win over FBS Northern Illinois, and we still believe this is a team firmly in the national picture. But Week 5 brings a major reshuffling around them. Idaho State follows at No. 12, Austin Peay sits at No. 13 and Lamar moves up to No. 14. South Carolina State rounds out the Top 15.
UC Davis takes one of the biggest falls of the week.
UC Davis entered last week at No. 8. This week, the Aggies fall all the way to No. 17. That opens the door for several teams in the middle of the poll. Alabama State enters at No. 16, Campbell climbs to No. 18 and Stony Brook continues its rise at No. 19. The Seawolves followed their 56-point breakout against Rhode Island with another win over the weekend, beating Fordham 31-16. Two weeks ago, Stony Brook wasn't ranked. Now the Seawolves are inside the Top 20.
Richmond joins the party.
Northern Arizona checks in at No. 20, followed by Harvard at No. 21 and West Florida at No. 22. Colgate moves up to No. 23 after a 28-21 road win over Villanova, and Richmond enters the FCS Nation Top 25 at No. 24 following a 13-9 win over Furman.
Five weeks in, the picture continues to change. Montana State and South Dakota State still control the top. Montana and Tarleton State are back inside the Top 4. North Dakota and Lehigh are climbing. Youngstown State just made one of the loudest statements of the weekend.
And with conference play taking over the schedule, there won't be many places left to hide.
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