Related: South Dakota to face Nicholls State in first round of FCS playoffs
VERMILLION, S.D.—The University of South Dakota football team (7-4, 4-4 MVFC) is ranked No. 18 in the final FCS Coaches Poll of the regular season. The Coyotes are set to face No. 22 Nicholls State in the first round of the FCS playoffs in a kickoff set for 3 p.m. Saturday in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The Colonels (8-3, 7-2 Southland) are South Dakota's seventh top-25 foe this season.
Of the eight first-round matchups this weekend, five involve two top-25 teams. South Dakota is 3-3 against top-25 opponents this season. This is the first FCS playoff appearance for the Coyotes and their first game against Nicholls State.
This is the 10
th consecutive week that USD has been ranked in the top 25. The Coyotes climbed as high as No. 4 following a 6-0 start to the season.
Other first-round matchups include:
#10 Western Illinois (8-3) at No. 8 Weber State (9-2)
#14 Samford (8-3) at #16 Kennesaw State (10-1)
#23 Monmouth (9-2) at #21 UNI (7-4)
#25 Furman (7-4) at #17 Elon (8-3)
| Week 12 FCS Coaches Poll (Nov. 20, 2017) |
Points |
Last Week |
2017 Record |
| Team (First-Place Votes) |
|
|
|
| 1 |
James Madison (26) |
650 |
1 |
11-0 |
| 2 |
Jacksonville State |
612 |
2 |
10-1 |
| 3 |
Central Arkansas |
588 |
3 |
10-1 |
| 4 |
North Dakota State |
547 |
6 |
10-1 |
| 5 |
Sam Houston State |
538 |
4 |
10-1 |
| 6 |
South Dakota State |
537 |
5 |
9-2 |
| 7 |
North Carolina A&T |
481 |
T-7 |
11-0 |
| 8 |
Weber State |
438 |
9 |
9-2 |
| 9 |
Wofford |
430 |
T-7 |
9-2 |
| 10 |
Western Illinois |
410 |
10 |
8-3 |
| 11 |
Stony Brook |
364 |
12 |
9-2 |
| 12 |
Grambling State |
357 |
11 |
9-1 |
| 13 |
Southern Utah |
326 |
18 |
9-2 |
| 14 |
Samford |
317 |
13 |
8-3 |
| 15 |
McNeese |
242 |
19 |
9-2 |
| 16 |
Kennesaw State |
224 |
21 |
10-1 |
| 17 |
Elon |
209 |
15 |
8-3 |
| 18 |
South Dakota |
201 |
16 |
7-4 |
| 19 |
Eastern Washington |
189 |
20 |
7-4 |
| 20 |
New Hampshire |
142 |
14 |
7-4 |
| 21 |
Northern Iowa |
138 |
RV |
7-4 |
| 22 |
Nicholls |
115 |
17 |
8-3 |
| 23 |
Monmouth |
65 |
22 |
9-2 |
| 24 |
Yale |
58 |
RV |
9-1 |
| 25 |
Furman |
57 |
24 |
7-4 |
Others receiving votes: Northern Arizona (51), Austin Peay (49), Richmond (38), Illinois State (34), Delaware (12), San Diego (11), Central Connecticut State (10), Sacramento State (6), Montana (2), Southeastern Louisiana (1), Western Carolina (1).
