SFA Cracks Top-25 in Both Coaches, Media Polls
10/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – On the heels of its 27-17 victory over previously eighth-ranked Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin has cracked the top-25 in both the FCS coaches and media polls. The Lumberjacks check in at 23rd in the latest FCS coaches poll while sitting 23rd in the FCS Sports Network media poll.
It marks the first time since Sept. 24, 2011 that the Lumberjacks have been ranked in either poll as SFA was ranked 22nd before a 35-26 loss to Texas State. It marks the 140th week in program history the Lumberjacks appear as one of the top-25 teams in the country since making the jump to the Division I level as SFA is 90-46-3 (.658) all-time in games in which it is nationally ranked.
A constant in the top-25 rankings from 1988 to 2011, SFA was ranked in the top-25 for a program-record 60 consecutive weeks from Sept. 18, 1993 to Sept. 26, 1998, reaching as high as third on a pair of occasions. The Lumberjacks also had extended streaks from Oct. 15, 1988 to Sept. 8, 1990 (25 weeks) and Oct. 17, 2009 to Sept. 24, 2011 (24 weeks).
The Lumberjacks are one of three Southland Conference schools listed among the top-25 joining McNeese State (No. 8/9) and Southeastern Louisiana (No. 15/15). Central Arkansas received votes in both polls with Sam Houston State and Lamar earning votes in the Sports Network media poll.
The ranking comes the week of SFA’s most anticipated games of the year as the Lumberjacks renew their Battle of the Piney Woods rivalry with Sam Houston State this Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston. The 89th installment, which is the second-longest in FCS history, gets underway at 3 p.m. this Saturday and will be featured as the Southland Conference Game of the Week.
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