Following its season opening victory at Albany last Saturday, the Hofstra Pride moved up one spot to 23 in The Sports Network I-AA Top 25 Poll released Monday. After a week where four of the top five and 11 of the top 25 teams lost, the Southern Illinois Salukis moved all the way from No. 4 to the No. 1 position in the country. The Salukis, who were ranked No. 1 for the last 10 weeks of the regular season in 2004, have a 2-0 mark after an 82-7 win against NAIA Union (Ky.). Southern Illinois earned 79 of a possible 117 first-place votes and tallied 2,817 points overall to claim the top spot. The Salukis face a tough test this Saturday with a trip to I-A Western Michigan.

The Gateway Football Conference took the top two spots in the rankings with Western Kentucky vaulting six spots to No. 2. The Hilltoppers won, 23-21, on a last-second field goal against rival Eastern Kentucky. New Hampshire also benefited from teams losing in the top five, as the idle Wildcats moved up four spots to No. 3. A pair of Big Sky Conference teams fill out the top five. Montana fell one notch to No. 4 after a 47-14 loss at Oregon, while idle Eastern Washington went up a notch to No. 5.

Teams from the Atlantic 10 claimed the next three positions. Delaware held on for a 34-33 overtime victory against Lehigh and rose four spots to No. 6. William & Mary also moved four notches to No. 7. James Madison, the defending national champion and preseason No. 1 team, fell from the top spot all the way to No. 8 with a 31-27 loss at Coastal Carolina. Northern Iowa moved into the top 10 at No. 9, while Furman dropped eight notches to No. 10 with a 41-21 loss at Western Carolina.

Montana State vaulted five positions to No. 11. North Dakota State makes the biggest move of the week, climbing eight positions to No. 12 after a 35-7 road win at then No. 9 Northwestern State. Hampton stays put at No. 13, while Georgia Southern is at No. 14 and Northwestern State comes in at No. 15. The Eagles experienced the biggest drop in the poll with a nine position fall after losing at home to McNeese State, while the Demons dropped six spots after losing to North Dakota State.

Lehigh comes in at No. 16, followed by Coastal Carolina at No. 17, Cal Poly at No. 18, Harvard at No. 19 and Texas State at No. 20. A third-year program, Coastal Carolina earns its highest ranking in school history after the upset win against James Madison.

McNeese State is in at No. 21, with Western Carolina at No. 22, Hofstra at No. 23, Sam Houston State at No. 24 and Massachusetts at No. 25. Coastal Carolina, McNeese State and Western Carolina all move into the rankings after posting upset victories, while Jacksonville State, Wofford and Appalachian State drop out of the top 25. Wofford's drop from the poll ends a 38-week streak in the top 25 that began on October 21, 2002.

22 of the poll's 25 teams will be in action this weekend, with one game between ranked opponents as No. 11 Montana State visits No. 18 Cal Poly. In addition to Southern Illinois' tilt at Western Michigan, four other teams take on I-A opponents with No. 15 Northwestern State visiting Louisiana-Lafayette, No. 21 McNeese State at Southern Mississippi, No. 22 Western Carolina at Cincinnati, and No. 24 Sam Houston State traveling to Texas Tech.

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The Sports Network 2005 I-AA Top 25 Poll (Sept. 12)

No.     Team (First-place votes)      W-L     Pts         LW     Next Week

1.        Southern Illinois (79)             2-0      2,817     4         at Western Michigan

2.        Western Kentucky (4)            2-0      2,579     8         OPEN

3.        New Hampshire (5)               1-0      2,445     7         at Towson

4.        Montana (8)                             1-1      2,415     3         South Dakota State

5.        Eastern Washington (10)     0-1      2,338     6         Western Oregon

6.        Delaware (4)                           1-0      2,291     10      West Chester

7.        William & Mary (1)                  1-1      1,961     11      at Rhode Island

8.        James Madison                      1-1      1,926     1         Delaware State

9.        Northern Iowa (1)                   2-0      1,918     12      at Iowa

10.      Furman                                    1-1      1,661     2         Samford

11.      Montana State (1)                   1-1      1,601     16      at No. 18 Cal Poly

12.      North Dakota State (1)          2-0      1,492     20      Weber State

13.      Hampton                                  2-0      1,491     13      at NC A & T (Thurs)

14.      Georgia Southern                  1-1      1,311     5         at Wofford

15.      Northwestern State                1-1      995        9         at UL-Lafayette

16.      Lehigh                                      1-1      939        14      OPEN

17.      Coastal Carolina (1)              2-0      919        NR     at Appalachian State

18.      Cal Poly                                    1-1      809        19      No. 11 Montana State

19.      Harvard (1)                              0-0      806        18      at Holy Cross

20.      Texas State                             2-0      746        23      OPEN

21.      McNeese State (1)                 1-0      667        NR     at Southern Mississippi

22.      Western Carolina                   2-0      661        NR     at Cincinnati

23.      Hofstra                                     1-0      518        24      Stony Brook

24.      Sam Houston State               1-1      514        17      at Texas Tech

25.      Massachusetts                        1-1      333        15      Albany