SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Chattanooga and VMI are ranked Nos. 18 and 19, respectively, in the preseason AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, released by the organization Monday morning.
Samford, ETSU and Furman received votes in the poll.
Chattanooga went 3-2 overall and 3-1 in SoCon play in 2020-21, dropping a 13-10 setback to FBS Western Kentucky in the fall before logging a 3-1 record in the spring with wins over ranked Furman and Wofford squads prior to opting out of the remainder of the season. The Mocs, who were ranked as high as No. 9 nationally last season and return 72 of 76 letterwinners and every starter from that squad, were the SoCon coaches’ and media’s preseason pick to win the league in fall 2021. UTC was slotted No. 18 in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 last week.
Defending Southern Conference champion VMI went 6-2 overall last season and 6-1 in league play, winning its first SoCon title since 1977. The Keydets were led by Eddie Robinson Award and AFCA National FCS Coach of the Year winner Scott Wachenheim, while linebacker Stone Snyder finished third in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, quarterback Seth Morgan finished third in balloting for the Jerry Rice Award and wide receiver Jakob Herres finished fourth in voting for the Walter Payton Award. VMI, which downed No. 10 Furman for its first league win last season, earned its first-ever FCS national ranking last season, topping out at No. 10 and finished the season ranked No. 12 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA polls. VMI is No. 17 in the Stats Perform preseason poll.
Samford, the sixth team out of the AFCA preseason poll, went 4-3 last season, all in SoCon play. The Bulldogs’ three losses came at the hands of ETSU, No. 17 Furman and No. 18 VMI, each by seven points or fewer, with the Furman and VMI games in overtime, while Samford picked up a win over No. 20 Wofford.
ETSU went 4-2 last season, all in SoCon play. The Bucs appeared in the final four national polls in 2020-21, finishing at No. 24 in the AFCA poll and at No. 21 in the Stats Perform poll. ETSU, which handed VMI its lone SoCon loss last season when the Keydets were ranked No. 10 nationally, returns all 50 letterwinners and every starter from last season.
Furman went 3-4 last season, all in SoCon play. The Paladins opened the season 3-1 with wins over Western Carolina, Samford and ETSU before dropping their final three contests, including a 20-18 setback to No. 11 Chattanooga. Furman was ranked in the 2020-21 Stats Perform Top 25 for the one fall poll and for six weeks in the spring, topping out at No. 10. The Paladins return 21 of 24 starters from last season’s squad.
The 2021 SoCon season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 2, with four squads in action.
For the AFCA’s full release,
click here.
Rank, School (1st votes) Pts. *Rank
1. Sam Houston (18) 682 1
2. James Madison (9) 667 3
3. North Dakota State 633 5
4. South Dakota State (1) 620 2
5. Delaware 567 4
6. Weber State 552 8
7. North Dakota 475 6
8. Jacksonville State 437 7
9. Montana 436 NR
10. Southern Illinois 418 9
11. Montana State 383 NR
12. Monmouth (N.J.) 382 10
13. Central Arkansas 363 NR
14. Eastern Washington 287 11
15. Villanova 284 18
16. Northern Iowa 268 NR
17. Southeastern Louisiana 267 21
18. Chattanooga 204 NR
19. VMI 167 12
20. Kennesaw State 165 15
21. UC Davis 135 16
22. Richmond 104 14
23. Nicholls 88 23
24. North Carolina A&T 75 NR
25. Austin Peay 65 NR
* Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Spring Poll of 2021
Others receiving votes: Murray State, 62; Missouri State, 39; Sacramento State, 39; New Hampshire, 31; Alabama A&M, 29;
Samford, 18; Holy Cross, 16; Southern, 15; Alcorn State, 14; Florida A&M, 13; Stephen F. Austin, 11;
ETSU, 10; Jackson State, 10; Morehead State, 9; Princeton, 9; South Carolina State, 9;
Furman, 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Youngstown State, 6; Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 5; Harvard, 4; Rhode Island, 4; Davidson, 3; Yale, 3; Sacred Heart, 2; Eastern Kentucky, 1; Norfolk State, 1.