Eagles Begin Season No. 1

8/15/2011 2:35:00 PM

OGDEN, UTAH (Aug. 15, 2011) Defending Division I football national champion Eastern Washington is tabbed No. 1 in the preseason Sports Network/Fathead.com Football Championship Subdivision top 25.

The poll was released on Monday. Media, sports information directors and other dignitaries comprised the 140 voting members in the first poll.

Beau Baldwin’s Eagles earned 90 first-place votes and 3,377 total points. Appalachian State is second with 14 first-place votes and 3,142 total points.

Eastern Washington is slated to return 15 starters from its national championship team, which beat Delaware 20-19 in the title game. The Eagles will be led by senior quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, junior wide receiver Brandon Kaufman, senior center Chris Powers, senior defensive tackle Renard Williams, and senior safety Matt Johnson.

The Eagles put their 11-game winning streak on the line when it opens the season on Saturday, Sept. 3, against the Washington Hukies of the Pac-12.

Eastern Washington is one of four Big Sky Conference teams in the inaugural poll. Montana State was selected sixth, followed by Montana at 12 and Sacramento State at 24. Montana State earned 2,623 points, while Montana tallied 1,668. Sacramento State received 587.

Montana State and Eastern Washington shared the 2010 Big Sky Championship. The Bobcats finished 9-3 in 2010, falling to North Dakota State in the second round of the Division I playoffs. The Bobcats are led by sophomore quarterback DeNarius McGhee, the co-Big Sky offensive MVP in 2010.

Montana is coming off a 7-4 campaign in which it failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1992. The Grizzlies are led by senior cornerback Trumaine Johnson, a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award.

Sacramento State cracked the top 25 for the first time since Sept. 10, 2000. The Hornets are coming off a 6-5 season, and return a host of talented players, including senior defensive end Zack Nash and senior quarterback Jeff Fleming.

Only the Colonial Athletic Association has more teams represented in the top 25. Seven CAA teams are ranked, including No. 3 William & Mary. The Tribe earned 20 first-place votes and 3,110 points. Delaware is ranked fifth. The Blue Hens received two first-place votes and 2,806 total points. New Hampshire (10), Villanova (14), James Madison (15), Richmond (16) and Massachusetts (25) rounded out the CAA contingent.

Four teams from the Southern Conference are also ranked. Following Appalachian St ate is Georgia Southern at No. 4. The Eagles received 11 first-place votes and 3,095 total points.

Northern Arizona (18), Weber State (13), and Northern Colorado (10) also received votes.

Three teams who will join the Big Sky Conference in 2012 also earned votes. Southern Utah earned 240 points, Cal Poly garnered 168, and UC Davis netted 48. Those three along with the University of North Dakota will join the Big Sky on July 1, 2012. All four teams will compete in the Great West Conference in 2011.

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