BY RALPH VENTRE
Saint Francis landed on this week’s Talking Pigskin FCS Top 25 ballot at No. 25 on the strength of becoming the first team to clinch an automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.
The Red Flash, who have secured the Northeast Conference’s AQ for the second time in history, own a 6-1 record against FCS opponents this season. The lone loss came on the road against nationally-ranked Richmond.
After its Week 9 road victory over two-time defending conference champion Sacred Heart, Saint Francis was honored as Stats Perform’s FedEx Ground National FCS Team of the Week.
Head coach Chris Villiarrial, a former 11-year National Football League veteran, has established a winning culture at Saint Francis over the past decade. In 2010, the former All-Pro guard took over a program that had never posted a winning season at the FCS level.
Although SFU is locked into an FCS Playoffs spot, it has yet to secure its conference crown. The Red Flash and Merrimack are tied atop the league standings with 5-0 records, but the latter is ineligible for NCAA postseason play as part of its reclassification process into Division I.
Saint Francis and Merrimack are slated to face off in the regular season finale on November 19.
As for the top of Talking Pigskin’s Stats Perform Top 25 ballot, the top-six teams remained unchanged with South Dakota State continuing to lead the way at No. 1 overall. Holy Cross retained the No. 6 slot after surviving a wild Patriot League overtime affair against a ranked Fordham team.
Samford, whose lone defeat came to SEC member Georgia, jumped up to No. 10 overall right in front of Southern Conference rivals Furman (11) and Chattanooga (12). Samford’s Michael Hiers leads the Southern Conference in pass yards (2161) and completion percentage (76.0). He has a 23:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Ballot
(Ralph Ventre – Week 9)
25. Saint Francis (6-2)
24. Southeastern Louisiana (5-3)
23. Montana (5-3)
22. Idaho (5-3)
21. Rhode Island (5-3)
20. UT Martin (5-3)
19. Delaware (6-2)
18. North Dakota (5-3)
17. Southeast Missouri State (6-2)
16. Fordham (6-2)
15. Richmond (6-2)
14. Mercer (7-2)
13. New Hampshire (6-2)
12. Chattanooga (6-2)
11. Furman (7-2)
10. Samford (7-1)
9. Incarnate Word (8-1)
8. William & Mary (7-1)
7. Weber State (7-1)
6. Holy Cross (8-0)
5. Jackson State (8-0)
4. North Dakota State (6-2)
3. Sacramento State (8-0)
2. Montana State (7-1)
1. South Dakota State (8-1)
TALKING PIGSKIN 
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