North Dakota State found itself in a struggle with East Tennessee State last weekend. Down 35-23 with a half a quarter to go, the Bison found a way thanks to a pair of defensive stops and some late-game heroics by QB Cam Miller to avoid the upset, 38-35. What would have been a monumental upset for the Bucs turned into a big time season-defining victory for Fargo's finest.
Week 4 in the FCS only means one thing: Ivy League football is back! With every team from the Ancient Eight hitting the field this weekend, you can expect to see a team or two make their way into the rankings next week. One early team to keep an eye on are the Harvard Crimson as they welcome new coach Andrew Aurich after the legendary Tim Murphy retired follow a tenure spanning two decades.
In the SoCon, the Mercer Bears continued their impressive start to the season by knocking off Chattanooga, 10-3. Their ability to shut opponents down defensively is a major reason why they sit undefeated on the year and shot up our FCS Power Rankings for Week 4.
FCS Power Rankings
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Montana State | 3-0 | The Bobcats' schedule over the next three weeks (Mercyhurst, Idaho State, Northern Colorado) is more than manageable. Circle Idaho on Oct. 12, though. |
 | 2. South Dakota State | 2-1 | After taking care of D-II Augustana last weekend, the Jackrabbits will hop on down south to Hammond, Louisiana, to tangle with the Lions of Southeastern Louisiana. It'll be interesting to see how SDSU handles that bayou humidity. |
 | 3. Idaho | 2-1 | Tough road game coming up this weekend against a quality Abilene Christian squad. This battle-tested group of Vandals should be more than ready for the challenge. |
 | 4. North Dakota State | 2-1 | Getting out of Johnson City with a win shows this team's character. What an impressive display of mental and physical fortitude. |
 | 5. Villanova | 3-0 | RB Isaiah Ragland's 141-yard effort helped the Wildcats slide past Towson 14-13. Great showing for the freshman. |
 | 6. South Dakota | 1-1 | From the "things I didn't expect to hear in 2024" files, last week's game vs. Portland State was canceled due to a whooping cough outbreak within the PSU program. Losing that nonconference game could loom large down the line |
 | 7. Sacramento State | 1-2 | The Hornets looked like what we expected them to look like entering the season last weekend against Nicholls. Sac State did an excellent job of getting off to a fast start en route to a 34-7 victory. |
 | 8. Central Arkansas | 2-1 | All three phases of the game helped the Bears blow out Austin Peay 45-17. UCA scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on special teams. Also, another week and another stellar day for RB ShunDerrick Powell, who had three scores. |
 | 9. Southern Illinois | 2-1 | In his best performance of the season, Salukis QB DJ Williams completed 19 of 27 passes for 301 yards and two scores, helping SIU outpace Incarnate Word 35-28. The schedule doesn't ease up , though, with Southeast Missouri State this week. |
 | 10. William & Mary | 2-1 | The Tribe's ground game with Bronson Yoder running behind a talented offensive line, led by NFL Draft prospect Charles Grant, helped pave the way for their victory over Wofford. |
 | 11. North Dakota | 2-1 | UND has to remain focused during the next two weeks against San Diego and Murray State before facing arch rival North Dakota State on Oct. 5. |
 | 12. Montana | 2-1 | The Griz took their frustrations out on Morehead State, knocking off the Eagles 59-2. A much stiffer test awaits this week against a Western Carolina team that gave NC State all it could handle back in Week 1. |
 | 13. Mercer | 3-0 | Big-time victory for the Bears over Chattanooga. That win serves twofold: it helps build confidence for this team and helps them with regards to SoCon tie-breakers down the line. |
 | 14. Florida A&M | 2-1 | With two weeks to prepare for Troy, we'll see if the Rattlers can pull off the upset against the Trojans. |
 | 15. Lamar | 2-1 | Winners of two straight games, I can't understate how big of a win last weekend was against Weber State. That's a huge nonconference win. I like the look of this Lamar team. |
 | 16. Lafayette | 2-1 | The Leopards' special teams scored three touchdowns last week vs. Marist. Defensive back Jaylon Joseph also got that side of the ball into the scoring party with a pick six. |
 | 17. Tarleton State | 2-1 | The Texans got off to a slow start last week against Houston Christian before mashing on the gas in the second quarter. They can't afford to sleepwalk this week against North Alabama. |
 | 18. UC Davis | 2-1 | Good, character-building win last week against Southern Utah, who had been flirting with the top 25. We'll see if UC Davis can build on that win this week against Utah Tech. |
 | 19. Southeast Missouri State | 2-1 | The Redhawks have been tested in every game this season. If they want to make some noise nationally this week, they'll have to go into Carbondale and knock off Southern Illinois. This might be the game of the week in the FCS. |
 | 20. Incarnate Word | 1-2 | The Cardinals better be careful. After two straight losses, they are sliding down this poll and in danger of falling completely out if they lose this week to Northern Arizona. |
 | 21. Northern Iowa | 2-1 | The Panthers face yet another FBS opponent this week in Hawaii. Hey, at least they get to go to Hawaii and ... hey, they might even pull off the upset. |
 | 22. Chattanooga | 0-3 | Still searching for their first win of the season, the Mocs hope it comes in a couple of weeks against Portland State. Finding their offensive rhythm will be the focal point during the bye week. |
 | 23. Illinois State | 2-1 | They've taken care of the west side of the state with their win over Western Illinois last weekend. And now they will look to conquer the east side of the state as they head into a matchup vs. Eastern Illinois. |
 | 24. Albany | 1-2 | Having to sit and stew over a bye week after a bad loss could have one of two outcomes for a football team. We'll learn a lot about this Great Danes squad the next time they see the field vs. Maine on Sept. 28. |
 | 25. Wofford | 2-1 | The Terriers had their chances to knock off William & Mary but couldn't get off the field on third down. Wofford allowed the Tribe to go 11 of 16 while going 3 of 12 in the same situation. That was the difference in the game. |
