Beyond The Ballot, Week 4

Four weeks into this spring campaign, the sample size of programs to play multiple times is expanding, so casting a Stats Perform FCS Top 25 ballot is maturing into more of a comparison of resumes and trust in the eye test instead of a guessing exercise.

This spring, I’m one of 40 voters on the panel and each Monday throughout the season, I’ll post my ballot as well as some thoughts about how it came together.

First, let’s start with my vote:

Madia's Ballot

Rank	Team

1	North Dakota
2	James Madison
3	Weber State
4	Southern Illinois
5	South Dakota State
6	North Dakota State
7	Sam Houston State
8	Delaware
9	Jacksonville State
10	Kennesaw State
11	Northern Iowa
12	Southeastern Louisiana
13	Rhode Island
14	Villanova
15	Chattanooga
16	VMI
17	UC Davis
18	Albany
19	New Hampshire
20	Nicholls
21	Idaho
22	Eastern Washington
23	Incarnate Word
24	Furman
25	Richmond

And now, some thoughts …

- For the second straight week, Delaware was the most impressive bunch in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The Blue Hens followed up their season-opening blowout victory over Maine with a 31-3 rout of Stony Brook. Delaware leads the country in scoring defense (1.5 points allowed per game) and is fifth in all of FCS for total defense (192 total yards allowed per game). UD has also forced seven turnovers already this season and it finally appears as if the Blue Hens have found a quarterback to believe in with Nolan Henderson. He’s completing 67 percent of his throws, has four passing touchdowns and one rushing score.

Dominant wins have the Blue Hens catapulting all the way up to No. 8 this week. They are the highest-placed CAA North Division team on my ballot.

- Sticking in the CAA North, Rhode Island’s stunning overtime upset win at Villanova was enough to slide the Rams from afterthought onto my ballot. Tennessee transfer quarterback Kasim Hill looks to have given URI a boost.

Hill threw for 246 yards and rushed for 36 yards and a score against the Wildcats.

- North Dakota kept its top spot on my vote because the Fighting Hawks went on the road and won with the ease they have won at home with.

They continue to win in convincing fashion, beating Western Illinois, 38-21, in Macomb, Ill. UND’s four wins have come by 23 points, 11 points, 11 points and 17 points.

- Sam Houston State’s 71-17 blasting of Nicholls moved the Bearkats from No. 12 on my ballot last week to No. 7 this week.

Wide receiver Jequez Ezzard made three catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

- Throughout this season, I haven’t penalized teams for postponed/canceled games due to coronavirus protocols. So, James Madison stayed put at No. 2 on my ballot even though the Dukes’ previously scheduled game for this past weekend against William & Mary was postponed because of protocol within JMU’s program.