CLINTON, S.C. – The 5-0 Presbyterian College football team has checked off another box on their month-long journey of first-time achievements, now ranked in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll for the first time in program history.

PC clocks in at #24 in the AFCA rankings, while moving up two spots to #23 in the weekly Stats Perform poll.

Undefeated after five appearances, riding the nation's longest active winning streak (nine games), and coming off a 41-0 laceration over Morehead State, head coach Steve Englehart's club will enter their BYE week this Saturday.

This is the first time in 2025 that any Pioneer Football League member has been named in the AFCA Poll. Presby's inclusion on the Stats Perform rankings last week was the first time since 2018 that any PFL school was selected in that particular poll, breaking an 80-week drought by the conference.

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has conducted a weekly poll of FBS programs since 1950, ranking teams at the FCS level since the late 70's. Founded in 1922, the AFCA is comprised of over 11,000 members and represents 90 percent of college football head coaches.

The Stats Perform panel is comprised of 56 individuals who represent all 13 conferences (129 teams) in FCS.


 
AFCA FCS COACHES POLL – WEEK 6 (SEPTEMBER 29)

1. North Dakota State (4-0) – 649 Points – 25 First-Place Votes

2. South Dakota State (4-0) – 623 Points – 1 First-Place Vote

3. Tarleton State (5-0) – 595 Points

4. Montana (4-0) – 566 Points

5. Montana State (3-2) – 529 Points

6. Illinois State (3-1) – 512 Points

7. UC Davis (3-1) – 441 Points

8. Lehigh (5-0) – 430 Points

9. Tennessee Tech (4-0) – 426 Points

10. Rhode Island (4-1) – 406 Points

11. Southern Illinois (3-1) – 376 Points

12. Monmouth (3-1) – 322 Points

13. Northern Arizona (4-1) – 301 Points

14. North Dakota (2-2) – 284 Points

15. Idaho (2-3) – 249 Points

16. West Georgia (5-0) – 246 Points

17. Jackson State (3-1) – 224 Points

18. Youngstown State (3-1) – 205 Points

19. Villanova (2-2) – 150 Points

20. Incarnate Word (2-3) – 132 Points

21. Austin Peay (3-2) – 131 Points

22. Mercer (3-1) – 126 Points

23. Abilene Christian (2-3) – 111 Points

24. Presbyterian (5-0) – 98 Points

25. Lamar (3-1) – 73 Points


 
STATS PERFORM TOP 25 POLL – WEEK 6 (SEPTEMBER 29)

1. North Dakota State (4-0) – 1,395 Points – 51 First-Place Votes

2. South Dakota State (4-0) – 1,342 Points – 4 First-Place Votes

3. Tarleton State (5-0) – 1,271 Points – 1 First-Place Vote

4. Montana (4-0) – 1,217 Points

5. Montana State (3-2) – 1,203 Points

6. Illinois State (3-1) – 982 Points

7. UC Davis (3-1) – 979 Points

8. Rhode Island (4-1) – 974 Points

9. Lehigh (5-0) – 915 Points

10. Southern Illinois (3-1) – 874 Points

11. Tennessee Tech (4-0) – 826 Points

12. Idaho (2-3) – 765 Points

13. Northern Arizona (4-1) – 708 Points

14. Monmouth (3-1) – 680 Points

15. North Dakota (2-2) – 668 Points

16. West Georgia (5-0) – 566 Points

17. Jackson State (3-1) – 422 Points

18. Villanova (2-2) – 336 Points

19. Abilene Christian (2-3) – 298 Points

20. Lamar (3-1) – 285 Points

21. South Dakota (2-3) – 245 Points

22. Austin Peay (3-2) – 241 Points

23. Presbyterian (5-0) – 208 Points

24. Youngstown State (3-1) – 190 Points

25. Harvard (2-0) – 163 Points


 
#PULLTHEROPE

 
- Presbyterian has reached its second-best start to a season in their 113-year history, trailing only the 1959 team who began 7-0.

- Only Tennessee Tech and the Memphis Tigers can equal the current nine consecutive wins by coach Englehart's squad, as the Blue Hose have also been victorious in each of their last five games at Bailey Memorial Stadium.

- PC is the only FCS school to have nine different players receive a touchdown pass, stomping Morehead last weekend for their first shutout in a conference setting since all the way back in 2006.


 
BLACKOUT SHUTOUT

 
- The Blue Hose pounced on the Eagles with 35 first-half points. It was the third straight contest where Presby has reached at least five touchdowns in the first two quarters.

- Coach Englehart's troops have scored a combined 127 points in just the first 30 minutes across lopsided wins over Erskine, Bluefield, and MSU. PC made life miserable for Morehead on Saturday, not allowing a single fourth-down conversion on five attempts.

- The Scotsman defense has not given up an offensive TD in 10 consecutive quarters, tied for sixth in the nation with an average of 13 points per game allowed. They've intercepted nine passes already, the second-best mark in America.


 
LOOKING AHEAD

 
- PC will enjoy a well-deserved off-week with one PFL encounter in the rearview, playing again on October 11 with a visit to Butler.

- The Bulldogs squeezed out a three-point victory over Marist last weekend and will travel to St. Thomas before turning their attention to the Blue Hose.

- Kickoff will take place at 1:00 from Indianapolis. Presbyterian downed then-#23 Butler at Bailey Memorial in last season's finale, winning a 30-27 thriller.