Football 10/13/2025 11:23:00 AM Grant Cohen

Tarleton State Football remains No. 3 in national rankings entering Homecoming Week

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Entering its annual Homecoming Week game on Saturday, Tarleton State Football stays at No. 3 in the national rankings.

The Texans (7-0, 3-0 UAC) are still undefeated and won their seventh straight game on Saturday, a new program NCAA Division I era record. Behind James Paige's five touchdowns, Tarleton State defeated Utah Tech on the road in St. George 41-23 last week.

Only North Dakota State and South Dakota State ranked ahead of the Texans in both polls. NDSU received 1,399 points and SDSU tallied 1,340 points to Tarleton State's 1,265 points in the FCS Stats Perform Poll. The Texans received 598 points in the AFCA Coaches Poll, just shy of NDSU (650) and SDSU (621).

The full Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll after Week 7:

1. North Dakota State (6-0)
Points: 1,399 (55 of 56 first-place votes); Previous Ranking: 1; Week 7: 45-17 win over then-No. 8 Southern Illinois; Week 8: at Indiana State

2. South Dakota State (6-0)
Points: 1,340 (1 first-place vote); Previous Ranking: 2; Week 7: 31-3 win over Northern Iowa; Week 8: at Murray State

3. Tarleton State (7-0, 3-0 UAC)
Points: 1,265; Previous Ranking: 3; Week 7: 41-23 win at Utah Tech; Week 8: West Georgia

4. Montana (6-0)
Points: 1,222; Previous Ranking: 4; Week 7: 28-9 win over Cal Poly; Week 8: Sacred Heart

5. Montana State (5-2)
Points: 1,206; Previous Ranking: 5; Week 7: 48-14 win over Idaho State; Week 8: No game

6. UC Davis (5-1)
Points: 1,086; Previous Ranking: 6; Week 7: 45-24 win over then-No. 14 Northern Arizona; Week 8: No game

7. Lehigh (7-0)
Points: 1,023; Previous Ranking: 7; Week 7: 31-7 win at Columbia; Week 8: No game

8. Tennessee Tech (6-0)
Points: 954; Previous Ranking: 10; Week 7: 27-13 win at Charleston Southern; Week 8: at Lindenwood

9. North Dakota (4-2)
Points: 869; Previous Ranking: 13; Week 7: 35-17 win over Youngstown State; Week 8: at No. 12 Southern Illinois

10. Illinois State (4-2)
Points: 866; Previous Ranking: 9; Week 7: 46-32 win at Murray State; Week 8: at Youngstown State

11. Monmouth (5-1)
Points: 846; Previous Ranking: 12; Week 7: 42-31 win at Towson; Week 8: Stony Brook

12. Southern Illinois (4-2)
Points: 812; Previous Ranking: 8; Week 7: 45-17 loss at then-No. 1 North Dakota State; Week 8: No. 9 North Dakota

13. Abilene Christian (4-3)
Points: 560; Previous Ranking: 19; Week 7: 30-13 win at then-No. 21 West Georgia; Week 8: at Southern Utah

14. Jackson State (5-1)
Points: 557; Previous Ranking: 15; Week 7: 38-34 win over Alabama State; Week 8: No game

15. Villanova (4-2)
Points: 521; Previous Ranking: 18; Week 7: 29-21 win at Elon; Week 8: Hampton

16. Rhode Island (5-2)
Points: 512; Previous Ranking: 17; Week 7: 38-27 win over New Hampshire; Week 8: at UAlbany

17. Lamar (5-1)
Points: 454; Previous Ranking: 20; Week 7: 33-23 win at East Texas A&M; Week 8: UTRGV

18. Harvard (4-0)
Points: 435; Previous Ranking: 22; Week 7: 34-10 win over Cornell; Week 8: Merrimack

19. Northern Arizona (4-3)
Points: 376; Previous Ranking: 14; Week 7: 45-24 loss at then-No. 6 UC Davis; Week 8: No game

20. Mercer (5-1)
Points: 359; Previous Ranking: 25; Week 7: 38-14 win at Princeton; Week 8: No game

21. Presbyterian (6-0)
Points: 299; Previous Ranking: 24; Week 7: 31-25 win at Butler; Week 8: Stetson

22. South Dakota (4-3)
Points: 257; Previous Ranking: 24; Week 7: 31-25 win at Butler; Week 8: Stetson

23. Austin Peay (4-3)
Points: 224; Previous Ranking: 16; Week 7: 34-20 loss at Eastern Kentucky; Week 8: No game

24. Idaho (2-4)
Points: 183; Previous Ranking: 11; Week 7: 49-33 loss to Northern Colorado; Week 8: at Eastern Washington

25. Stephen F. Austin (4-2)
Points: 152; Previous Ranking: NR; Week 7: No game; Week 8: Nicholls

Dropped Out of Top 25: West Georgia (21)

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Players Mentioned

#14 James Paige: QB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#14 James Paige
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: QB

Players Mentioned

#14 James Paige

Players Mentioned

#14 James Paige