No. 23 Colgate Football Cracks AFCA Top 25

9/21/2026 11:35:00 AM | By: Jordan Doroshenko

Sets up ranked matchup at No. 22 Villanova on Saturday

HAMILTON – Colgate Football has cracked the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS national poll, coming in at No. 23 ahead of Saturday's showdown at No. 22 Villanova.

The Raiders make their first appearance in the top 25 since September 2019 after dispatching Cornell, 20-7, last Saturday to improve to 3-1 on the season. Colgate is also 2-0 in Patriot League play with wins over Fordham (24-14) and Holy Cross (35-10).

Saturday's contest marks the first Top 25 matchup involving Colgate since the eighth-ranked Raiders visited top-ranked North Dakota State in the 2018 FCS Quarterfinals.

Complementary football has been key to Colgate's strong start. Defensively, the Raiders lead the FCS with eight interceptions while ranking second nationally in red zone defense, fifth in scoring defense, and 10th in passing yards allowed per game (147.0). Colgate sits atop the Patriot League in all four categories.

On offense, the Raiders have eclipsed 400 total yards twice this fall and rank in the top three in the Patriot League in both rushing and scoring. Danny Shaban ranks second in the conference in rushing yards per game (132.2), while Matt Fogler leads the league with five touchdown catches.

Colgate visits Villanova for the second straight year and its first meeting as Patriot League opponents. The Raiders fell 24-17 to the then-No. 12 Wildcats last September after giving up the go-ahead 56-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.

While Villanova holds an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series, last year's seven-point decision marked the closest game between the programs since Colgate won the inaugural matchup 20-14 in 1978.

Kickoff from Villanova Stadium is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Print Friendly Version

Sets up ranked matchup at No. 22 Villanova on Saturday

Related Videos

Related Stories