TOWSON, Md. - After opening the season with three convincing victories, the unbeaten Towson University football team broke into the Top 25 of The Sports Network/Fathead.com NCAA FCS College Football Weekly Poll, which was announced on Monday.
The Tigers, who are ranked 23rd in the nation, were ranked for the first time since Sept. 10, 2007. Towson was listed among others receiving votes the last two weeks. The Tigers accumulated 520 points.
The Tigers made their debut in the poll two weeks ago when they were listed among "Others Receiving Votes." They received 116 votes, the 32nd-highest total in the country. Last week, the Tigers had 184 points and were 31st in the nation.
One of five unbeaten teams remaining in NCAA FCS, the Tigers join No. 1 Georgia Southern (3-0), No. 5 North Dakota State (3-0), No. 16 Sam Houston State (3-0) and Yale (2-0) as teams with perfect records. The Tigers are 3-0 for the first time since 2006.
Towson opened the season with a 42-3 victory over Morgan State on Sept. 3 and upset No. 20 Villanova, 31-10, on Sept. 10. On Saturday night, the Tigers celebrated Homecoming by dealing Colgate a 42-17 loss at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium.
By allowing only 30 points in their first three games, the Tigers lead NCAA FCS in scoring defense, allowing 10.0 points per game. Towson ranks 12th nationally in total defense, allowing 288.33 yards of total yards per game. The Tigers, who have a plus-eight turnover ratio, are ranked eighth in NCAA FCS in that category.
"We are honored that our team's hard work has been recognized and has garnered respect from our colleagues thus far," says Towson Coach Rob Ambrose, in his third season as the Tigers' head coach. "This is just one more brick being placed in the foundation being laid for the future of this program."
The Tigers, who have outscored their opponents by a 115-30 margin, are one of seven Colonial Athletic Association teams that are ranked in the NCAA FCS Top 25. Towson is joined in the rankings by No. 6 Delaware, No. 7 New Hampshire, No. 9 James Madison, No. 10 New Hampshire, No. 11 William & Mary and No. 20 Massachusetts.
On Saturday afternoon, the Tigers play their first road game of the season when they travel to Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium to play the University of Maryland at 3:30 p.m. It will be the first-ever game between the Tigers and the Terrapins.
The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 College Football Poll
| Team (First Place Votes) | Record | Points | Prev. Rank |
| 1. Georgia Southern (124) | 3-0 | 3,931 | 1 |
| 2. Northern Iowa (17) | 2-1 | 3,715 | 2 |
| 3. Appalachian State (8) | 3-1 | 3,540 | 3 |
| 4. Montana State (2) | 3-1 | 3,398 | 4 |
| 5. North Dakota State (8) | 3-0 | 3,315 | 8 |
| 6. Delaware (1) | 3-1 | 3,201 | 7 |
| 7. New Hampshire | 2-1 | 2,915 | 11 |
| 8. Wofford | 2-1 | 2,905 | 9 |
| 9. James Madison | 3-1 | 2,695 | 12 |
| 10. Richmond | 3-1 | 2,344 | 5 |
| 11. William & Mary | 2-2 | 2,091 | 6 |
| 12. Southern Illinois | 2-1 | 2,069 | 14 |
| 13. Lehigh | 3-1 | 1,949 | 15 |
| 14. Jacksonville State | 3-1 | 1,795 | 16 |
| 15. Chattanooga | 2-2 | 1,452 | 13 |
| 16. Sam Houston State | 3-0 | 1,449 | 20 |
| 17. Southern Utah | 3-1 | 1,436 | 23 |
| 18. McNeese State | 2-1 | 1,264 | 19 |
| 19. Montana | 2-2 | 1,095 | 10 |
| 20. Massachusetts | 2-1 | 911 | 17 |
| 21. South Dakota | 2-2 | 736 | 18 |
| 22. South Carolina State | 2-2 | 706 | 25 |
| 23. Towson | 3-0 | 520 | NR |
| 24. Indiana State | 3-1 | 447 | NR |
| 25. Sacramento State | 2-2 | 424 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Tennessee Tech 175, Alabama State 152, Maine 144, Old Dominion 144, Weber State 140, Stephen F. Austin 87, Holy Cross 87, Elon 83, Jackson State 68, Bethune-Cookman 66, Liberty 60, Yale 55, Eastern Washington 50, UT Martin 49, North Dakota 44, Murray State 37, Youngstown State 33, Central Arkansas 24, Portland State 23, Missouri State 21, Norfolk State 21, South Dakota State 17, Coastal Carolina 15, Cal Poly 11, Eastern Kentucky 11, Monmouth 10, Hampton 8, Texas State 7, Furman 7, UC Davis 6, Alabama A&M 5, San Diego 5, Stony Brook 5, Dayton 5, Harvard 4, South Alabama 3, Rhode Island 3, Northwestern State 3, Jacksonville 3, Tennessee State 2, Georgetown 1, Texas Southern 1, Northern Arizona 1, Villanova 1.
