Colonial Athletic Association

Wofford rises to No. 5, CAA has seven in FCS Top 25

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:49 p.m. ET

(STATS) - If it was easy, it wouldn't be Wofford, but the fifth-ranked team in the FCS tends to thrive in competitive games.

The Terriers remained unbeaten Saturday night, pulling away in the fourth quarter to a 31-7 triumph at Presbyterian.

"We were fortunate to come out of here with a win and we are 4-0," veteran coach Mike Ayers said. "The conference starts again after this and it is nothing but tough."

The preseason favorite in the Southern Conference keeps getting it done - its first three wins were by a combined five points - so the Terriers were rewarded on Monday with their highest ranking in the STATS FCS Top 25 in nearly five years. The last time they were No. 5 was Oct. 8, 2012.

James Madison, North Dakota State, Youngstown State and Jacksonville State stand above Wofford in the poll, but the big picture likely isn't the Terriers' focus yet. Conference play comes first, and the Terriers, who made it to the FCS playoff quarterfinals last season, are tied with No. 22 Western Carolina for first place in the SoCon standings. They will square off at Wofford on Saturday.

A balanced lineup has been key for the Terriers, whose vaunted flexbone option has the 11th-highest rushing average in the FCS, with three rushers over 200 yards. The defense ranks 17th in the national statistics, and the team's top eight tacklers have between 20 and 23 tackles.

They also have a veteran team that reacts well in tight games. Eight of their last 12 games have been decided by eight points or less, with their only two losses coming in overtime.

Top-ranked James Madison (5-0) moved into its bye week off a 20-10 win at Delaware The reigning champion, which earned 157 of the 165 first-place votes, was one of seven CAA Football teams in the poll, tying the conference's all-time high.

The other eight first-place votes went to No. 2 North Dakota State (4-0), which opened pursuit of a seventh straight Missouri Valley Football Conference title by defeating Missouri State 38-11.

The Missouri Valley has six teams in the rankings, including Youngstown State (3-1), which moved up three spots to No. 3 following a 19-7 win over South Dakota State. The Penguins were one spot ahead of Jacksonville State (3-1), whose 34-7 win at Tennessee Tech was its 25th straight in the Ohio Valley Conference - one shy of the league record.

Following Wofford in the Top 10 were Central Arkansas (3-1), which knocked off Sam Houston State 41-30 in a Southland Conference showdown; South Dakota (4-0); South Dakota State (3-1); Sam Houston State (3-1); and Eastern Washington (3-2).

Missouri Valley programs Illinois State (4-0) and Western Illinois (3-1) were Nos. 11 and 15, respectively, with three CAA teams in between - Villanova (3-2), New Hampshire (4-1) and Richmond (2-2). Unbeaten North Carolina A&T (5-0) was a sweet 16, followed by The Citadel (3-1), Elon (4-1), Weber State (4-1) and Samford (3-2).

Rounding out the rankings were No. 21 Grambling State (4-1), Western Carolina (4-1), Stony Brook (4-1), Albany (3-2) and UT Martin (3-2). Western Carolina and Stony Brook appeared in the Top 25 for the first time this season, with Liberty and Tennessee State dropping out.

A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

The Top 25 is released every Monday afternoon during the regular season, except for Sunday morning, Nov. 19, prior to the selection of the 24-team FCS playoff field. A final Top 25 will follow the FCS championship game, which will be held Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.