Redbirds drop to No. 14/16 in national polls

[October 09, 2012]  PHILADELPHIA -- The Illinois State football suffered its first loss of 2012, but the defeat did not move the Redbirds (5-1, 2-1 MVFC) out of the national polls, as ISU dropped to No. 14 in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 Poll and No. 16 in the FCS Coaches Poll on Monday.

ISU received 1,637 points in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 Poll, as it fell from a tie at No. 9 last week following a 17-0 shutout Saturday at Hancock Stadium at the hands of Southern Illinois. ISU also fell five places in the FCS Coaches Poll to No. 16 with 236 points.

Four Missouri Valley Football Conference teams are ranked in the Top 25 this week, snapping a streak that had five MVFC teams ranked in every previous poll this season. North Dakota State (5-0) maintained its No. 1 ranking in both polls and was a unanimous top pick in the FCS Coaches Poll, following a dominating 48-7 win over then-No. 3-ranked Youngstown State at the Fargo Dome on Saturday.

Youngstown State (4-1) fell to No. 8 in the TSN Poll and No. 9 in the FCS Coaches Poll, after a tough defeat to the Bison on the road. The Penguins will visit Normal, Ill., on Saturday to square off against the Redbirds, setting up another marquee FCS game featuring two nationally ranked MVFC opponents for the second straight week.

South Dakota State (4-1) rounds out the MVFC representatives at No. 20 in the TSN poll but was the first team out of the FCS Coaches Poll this week. Northern Iowa (1-4) dropped out of both polls, breaking a streak of 99 consecutive listings in the regular-season polls.

The game between the Redbirds and Penguins is set to kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN3, with Scott Warmann and Danan Hughes on the call.

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]