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TOWSON, Md. - After opening the season with back-to-back victories over Morgan State and #20 Villanova, the Tigers are listed among "Others Receiving Votes" in The Sports Network/Fathead.com NCAA FCS College Football Weekly Poll.
The Tigers, who haven't been nationally-ranked since 2007, received 116 points, the 32nd-leading total in the country.
Six Colonial Athletic Association schools are ranked among the Top 25 this week, including #4 William & Mary, #6 Richmond, #7 Delaware, #11 New Hampshire, #13 James Madison and #21 Massachusetts. The other five CAA schools, Villanova, Towson, Old Dominion, Rhode Island and Maine, are listed among those receiving votes.
During the 2006 season, the Tigers were ranked among the Top 25 for most of the year. However, a season-ending loss to James Madison dropped them out of the Top 25. In 2007, the Tigers were ranked in the pre-season and remained in the Top 25 when they started the season with a 2-0 record.
The Tigers opened the season with a 42-3 victory over Morgan State and earned national recognition by beating #20 Villanova, 31-10. It was the Tigers' first win over a nationally-ranked team since a 23-21 over #14 Richmond on Oct. 6, 2007.
Under the direction of Coach Rob Ambrose, the Tigers' third-year coach, the Tigers are one of 12 NCAA FCS teams that have a 2-0 record. Number one-ranked Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, Delaware State, Georgetown, Hampton, Jackson State, #8 North Dakota State, Old Dominion, Richmond, San Diego and South Alabama are also undefeated through two games.
Coach Ambrose has been steadily building the program to the point where the Tigers have already doubled last year's victory total.
"I am incredibly proud of our players," said Ambrose, after the Tigers' win over Villanova. "For the last two years, I've been saying that this is a project and it's a process. Beating Villanova is another block in our building process. It's a prettier block than most of them and it feels great."
Villanova, which won the NCAA FCS championship in 2009, came into Johnny Unitas® Stadium with 33 wins in their last 43 games. In 2010, the Wildcats handed the Tigers a 43-7 loss. En route to their national championship in 2009, Villanova beat the Tigers, 49-7.
"I like that Towson team very much," said Villanova Coach Andy Talley after the game. "They've been building for the last few years and now it's starting to pay off. Their defense plays hard and runs well. I think that Towson is ready to compete for the CAA championship.
The Tigers, who have outscored their opponents by 73-13 margin in the first two games of the season, will have a bye this week. The Tigers return to action when they host Colgate on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.
The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top-25 College Football Poll
| Team (First Place Votes) | Record | Points | Prev. Rank |
| 1. Georgia Southern (102) | 2-0 | 3,622 | 2 |
| 2. Northern Iowa (16) | 1-1 | 3,329 | 4 |
| 3. Appalachian State (10) | 1-1 | 3,282 | 3 |
| 4. William & Mary (5) | 1-1 | 3,048 | 5 |
| 5. Montana State (2) | 1-1 | 2,985 | 6 |
| 6. Richmond (9) | 2-0 | 2,874 | 9 |
| 7. Delaware (1) | 1-1 | 2,688 | 8 |
| 8. North Dakota State (1) | 2-0 | 2,553 | 11 |
| 9. Wofford | 1-1 | 2,489 | 7 |
| 10. Eastern Washington (2) | 0-2 | 2,218 | 1 |
| 11. New Hampshire | 1-1 | 2,202 | 13 |
| 12. Montana | 1-1 | 1,913 | 15 |
| 13. James Madison | 1-1 | 1,373 | 19 |
| 14. Chattanooga | 1-1 | 1,349 | 23 |
| 15. Southern Illinois | 1-1 | 1,289 | 17 |
| 16. Lehigh | 1-1 | 1,222 | 14 |
| 17. Jacksonville State | 1-1 | 1,147 | 10 |
| 18. Central Arkansas | 1-1 | 1,096 | 18 |
| 19. Stephen F. Austin | 1-1 | 971 | 16 |
| 20. Sacramento State | 1-1 | 959 | 11 |
| 21. Massachusetts | 1-0 | 897 | 21 |
| 22. Liberty | 1-1 | 714 | 24 |
| 23. McNeese State | 0-1 | 614 | 22 |
| 24. South Dakota | 1-1 | 603 | NR |
| 25. South Carolina State | 1-1 | 555 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Southern Utah 289, Eastern Kentucky 224, Pennsylvania 199, Murray State 180, Sam Houston 158, Villanova 128, Towson 116, Jackson State 106, Hampton 100, Youngstown State 98, Bethune-Cookman 62, Western Illinois 50, South Dakota State 45, Harvard 43, Old Dominion 34, Rhode Island 34, Grambling State 26, Maine 22, Morehead State 21, Stony Brook 19, Elon 16, Holy Cross 14, Brown 12, Yale 12, Coastal Carolina 11, Duquesne 10, Delaware State 10, Eastern Illinois 7, Indiana State 7, Georgetown 7, UC Davis 6, Portland State 6, The Citadel 6, Northern Arizona 5, Weber State 4, UT Martin 4, Central Connecticut State 4, Bucknell 3, Furman 3, Florida A&M 2, San Diego 2, Jacksonville 1, Dayton 1, Samford 1.
