MSU started and finished the 2012 season in the top five.
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats Finish the Year Ranked #5
1/7/2013 5:13:00 PM | Football
MSU lands highest spot in final poll since 1984
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State capped its most successful season since 1984 Monday in fitting style, landing at fifth in the season-ending writers' and coaches' polls.
The Bobcats finished fifth in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 and the final FCS Coaches Poll, the highest final ranking for MSU since it won the 1984 national title. The Bobcats finish right behind fourth-ranked Eastern Washington, with Cal Poly (12th) and Northern Arizona (20th) bringing the total of Big Sky schools in the final poll to four.
The 2012 season's final poll extends a pair of impressive streaks for MSU. The Bobcats have been ranked for 43 consecutive weeks, including 29 straight polls among the nation's top 10 teams. The Cats spent the entire 2012 season ranked among the nation's top five teams. Each of those strings are the longest in Bobcat history.
The Bobcats enjoyed a degree of success against nationally-ranked teams in 2012 – all at home. MSU topped then-23rd ranked Stephen F. Austin 43-35, and in the FCS Playoffs beat 11th-ranked Stony Brook 16-10. The Bobcats dropped a heartbreaking decision to then-No. 6 Eastern Washington and eventual national runner-up Sam Houston State.
Montana State's last three seasons have ended at the hands of one of the two teams that played for the national title in 2011 and '12, Sam Houston State and North Dakota State.
2012 FCS Coaches Final Poll (January 7, 2013)
Team (No. 1 Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. North Dakota State (26) 14-1 650 1
2. Sam Houston State 11-4 618 5
3. Georgia Southern 12-4 579 7
4. Eastern Washington 11-3 572 4
5. Montana State 11-2 539 2
6. Old Dominion 11-2 527 3
7. Wofford 9-4 496 9
8. Appalachian State 8-4 434 6
9. Illinois State 9-4 408 15
10. Central Arkansas 9-3 401 8
11. Cal Poly 9-3 378 12
12. Stony Brook 10-3 366 11
13. New Hampshire 8-4 334 13
14. Lehigh 10-1 295 10
15. Towson 7-4 235 14
16. Villanova 8-4 227 18
17. South Dakota State 9-4 222 21
18. Richmond 8-3 188 17
19. Eastern Kentucky 8-3 163 16
20. Northern Arizona 8-2 142 19
21. James Madison 7-4 111 20
22. Wagner 9-4 103 NR
23. Bethune-Cookman 9-3 89 22
24. Coastal Carolina 8-5 88 NR
25. Eastern Illinois 7-5 75 NR
The Bobcats finished fifth in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 and the final FCS Coaches Poll, the highest final ranking for MSU since it won the 1984 national title. The Bobcats finish right behind fourth-ranked Eastern Washington, with Cal Poly (12th) and Northern Arizona (20th) bringing the total of Big Sky schools in the final poll to four.
The 2012 season's final poll extends a pair of impressive streaks for MSU. The Bobcats have been ranked for 43 consecutive weeks, including 29 straight polls among the nation's top 10 teams. The Cats spent the entire 2012 season ranked among the nation's top five teams. Each of those strings are the longest in Bobcat history.
The Bobcats enjoyed a degree of success against nationally-ranked teams in 2012 – all at home. MSU topped then-23rd ranked Stephen F. Austin 43-35, and in the FCS Playoffs beat 11th-ranked Stony Brook 16-10. The Bobcats dropped a heartbreaking decision to then-No. 6 Eastern Washington and eventual national runner-up Sam Houston State.
Montana State's last three seasons have ended at the hands of one of the two teams that played for the national title in 2011 and '12, Sam Houston State and North Dakota State.
| The Sports Network FCS Top 25 Final | ||||||
| SID and Writers College Football Poll | ||||||
| Team (First-place votes) | 2012 Record | Points | Previous Rank | |||
| 1. | North Dakota State Bison (142) | 14-1 | 3550 | 1 | ||
| 2. | Sam Houston State Bearkats | 11-4 | 3386 | 5 | ||
| 3. | Georgia Southern Eagles | 10-4 | 3183 | 6 | ||
| 4. | Eastern Washington Eagles | 11-3 | 3143 | 4 | ||
| 5. | Montana State Bobcats | 11-2 | 2949 | 2 | ||
| 6. | Old Dominion Monarchs | 11-2 | 2859 | 3 | ||
| 7. | Wofford Terriers | 9-4 | 2673 | 9 | ||
| 8. | Illinois State Redbirds | 9-4 | 2289 | 16 | ||
| 9. | Appalachian State Mountaineers | 8-4 | 2229 | 7 | ||
| 10. | Central Arkansas Bears | 9-3 | 2166 | 8 | ||
| 11. | Stony Brook Seawolves | 10-3 | 2158 | 10 | ||
| 12. | Cal Poly Mustangs | 9-3 | 1930 | 12 | ||
| 13. | New Hampshire Wildcats | 8-4 | 1839 | 11 | ||
| 14. | South Dakota State Jackrabbits | 9-4 | 1537 | 19 | ||
| 15. | Villanova Wildcats | 8-4 | 1354 | 14 | ||
| 16. | Lehigh Mountain Hawks | 10-1 | 1346 | 13 | ||
| 17. | Towson Tigers | 7-4 | 1147 | 15 | ||
| 18. | Richmond Spiders | 8-3 | 938 | 18 | ||
| 19. | James Madison Dukes | 7-4 | 894 | 17 | ||
| 20. | Northern Arizona Lumberjacks | 8-3 | 736 | 20 | ||
| 21. | Wagner Seahawks | 9-4 | 603 | NR | ||
| 22. | Bethune-Cookman Wildcats | 9-3 | 523 | 22 | ||
| 23. | Eastern Kentucky Colonels | 8-3 | 515 | 21 | ||
| 24. | Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | 8-5 | 495 | NR | ||
| 25. | Colgate Raiders | 8-4 | 383 | 24 | ||
2012 FCS Coaches Final Poll (January 7, 2013)
Team (No. 1 Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. North Dakota State (26) 14-1 650 1
2. Sam Houston State 11-4 618 5
3. Georgia Southern 12-4 579 7
4. Eastern Washington 11-3 572 4
5. Montana State 11-2 539 2
6. Old Dominion 11-2 527 3
7. Wofford 9-4 496 9
8. Appalachian State 8-4 434 6
9. Illinois State 9-4 408 15
10. Central Arkansas 9-3 401 8
11. Cal Poly 9-3 378 12
12. Stony Brook 10-3 366 11
13. New Hampshire 8-4 334 13
14. Lehigh 10-1 295 10
15. Towson 7-4 235 14
16. Villanova 8-4 227 18
17. South Dakota State 9-4 222 21
18. Richmond 8-3 188 17
19. Eastern Kentucky 8-3 163 16
20. Northern Arizona 8-2 142 19
21. James Madison 7-4 111 20
22. Wagner 9-4 103 NR
23. Bethune-Cookman 9-3 89 22
24. Coastal Carolina 8-5 88 NR
25. Eastern Illinois 7-5 75 NR
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