Bobcats 14th, Griz 25th in preseason football poll
Montana State is ranked 14th and Montana 25th in the STATS FCS Preseason Top 25 football poll released Tuesday.
Montana State received 1,866 points in the poll.
The Bobcats, 8-5, advanced to the FCS playoffs last fall, winning their first-round game over Incarnate Word 25-14. MSU lost in the next round at North Dakota State 52-10.
Montana, 6-5 last year, totaled 413 poll points.
The Big Sky Conference has five teams ranked, led by Eastern Washington University at No. 4 (3.594 points). UC Davis is fifth (3,210) and Weber State eighth (2,827).
EWU lost in the NCAA Division FCS championship game last year to North Dakota State 38-24 to finish 12-3.
UC Davis, 10-3, lost in the playoff quarterfinals a year ago as did Weber State, 10-3.
Also receiving poll votes from the Big Sky were Northern Arizona and Idaho State.
North Dakota State (15-0 last year) is No. 1 (3,971) with James Madison (9-4) second (3,635) and South Dakota State (10-3) third (3,631).
Stats Fcs Preseason Top 25
1. North Dakota State (15-0), 3,971 points (142 first-place votes); Final 2018 Ranking: 1
2. James Madison (9-4), 3,635 (14); Final 2018 Ranking: 9
3. South Dakota State (10-3), 3,631 (1); Final 2018 Ranking: 3
4. Eastern Washington (12-3), 3,594 (3); Final 2018 Ranking: 2
5. UC Davis (10-3), 3,210; Final 2018 Ranking: 7
6. Jacksonville State (9-4), 3,004; Final 2018 Ranking: 10
7. Maine (10-4), 2,891; Final 2018 Ranking: 4
8. Weber State (10-3), 2,827; Final 2018 Ranking: 6
9. Wofford (10-3), 2,522; Final 2018 Ranking: 13
10. Kennesaw State (11-2), 2,361; Final 2018 Ranking: 5
11. Towson (7-5), 2,330; Final 2018 Ranking: 20
12. Nicholls (9-4), 2,156; Final 2018 Ranking: 14
13. Colgate (10-2), 1,892; Final 2018 Ranking: 8
14. Montana State (8-5), 1,866; Final 2018 Ranking: 17
15. Illinois State (6-5), 1,432; Final 2018 Ranking: NR
16. Indiana State (7-4), 1,192; Final 2018 Ranking: NR
17. Southeast Missouri (9-4), 1,166; Final 2018 Ranking: 15
18. Northern Iowa (7-6), 1,136; Final 2018 Ranking: 23
19. Furman (6-4), 1,074; Final 2018 Ranking: NR
20. North Carolina A&T (10-2), 885; Final 2018 Ranking: 12
21. Elon (6-5), 870; Final 2018 Ranking: 19
22. Delaware (7-5), 798; Final 2018 Ranking: 24
23. Sam Houston State (6-5), 564; Final 2018 Ranking: NR
24. Princeton (10-0), 432; Final 2018 Ranking: 11
25. Montana (6-5), 413; Final 2018 Ranking: NR
Others Receiving Votes: ETSU (8-4) 323, Stony Brook (7-5) 257, Duquesne (9-4) 235, San Diego (9-3) 209, Eastern Kentucky (7-4) 175, Dartmouth (9-1) 149, Central Arkansas (6-5) 125, McNeese (6-5) 110, Monmouth (8-3) 110, IUW (6-5) 108, Alcorn State (9-4) 85, Yale (5-5) 52, New Hampshire (4-7) 42, Chattanooga (6-5) 38, South Dakota (4-7) 27, Northern Arizona (4-6) 16, Lamar (7-5) 14, Villanova (5-6) 14, Richmond (4-7) 8, The Citadel (5-6) 7, Mercer (5-6) 7, Rhode Island (6-5) 7, Abilene Christian (6-5) 6, Southeastern Louisiana (4-7) 6, 5, Idaho State (6-5) 5, Youngstown State (4-7) 4, Southern (7-4) 3, Samford (6-5) 2, North Dakota (6-5) 1, Sacred Heart (7-4) 1, Wagner (4-7) 1, Western Illinois (5-6) 1