Entering Week 6 puts the Football Championship Subdivision at nearly the midseason point. While we are not quite there yet, we are far enough into it to see some pictures clearing up to become much sharper images.
For instance, with regards to the Walter Payton Award, you would be hard-pressed to find five better candidates than quarterbacks Tim DeMorat (Fordham), Lindsay Scott Jr. (Incarnate Word), Shedeur Sanders (Jackson State), fullback Hunter Luepke (North Dakota State) and running back Jaden Shirden (Monmouth). With the way these guys are leading their football teams while being dynamic in the process, it's no surprise that you will find virtually all of them in the latest FCS Power Rankings.
Also, Stonehill College deserves a quick shout out. The private school located in North Easton, Massachusetts, made the jump from Division II this season and notched its first win over a Division I team last weekend (Duquesne). The Dukes have been one of the better teams in the Northeast Conference over the last five years, and the Skyhawks notched their first conference win and Division I win in the same game, beating the Dukes 24-20. What's even more impressive is that Stonehill is sitting undefeated at 3-0. Now, two of those wins came against Division II opponents, but nonetheless, it's a great start.
Here's how the rest of the FCS Power Rankings look.
Biggest Risers - Elon -- No. 10 (Last Week: 16), Mercer -- No. 11 (LW: 15)
Dropped Out: Missouri State, New Hampshire, Furman, North Carolina Central
On the Cusp: Monmouth (3-2), (Campbell (2-2), Princeton (3-0)
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Montana | 5-0 | The undefeated Grizzlies head into an open week after mowing down their first five opponents. It's time to gear up for an even tougher six-game slate after the break, beginning with Idaho on Oct. 15. |
 | 2. North Dakota State | 4-1 | It'll be interesting to see if star FB Hunter Luepke can become a Walter Payton Award finalist, or flat-out win the thing with how well he's playing. |
 | 3. South Dakota State | 4-1 | We'll learn a lot about the Jackrabbits' focus over the next two weeks; they have this pesky little game coming up vs. South Dakota before the Dakota Marker game against North Dakota State. |
 | 4. Sacramento State | 4-0 | The Hornets are able to pile up the points vs. opponents, scoring 40 or more in three of their first four games. After three straight road games, they finally come home to face Northern Colorado. |
 | 5. Delaware | 5-0 | The Blue Hens fly south to take on William & Mary in what should definitely be the CAA Game of the Week. This is a statement game for both programs. |
 | 6. Holy Cross | 5-0 | The Crusaders finally got over the Harvard slump by snapping a three-game losing streak to the Crimson. Now, Holy Cross dives into the meat of Patriot League play ready to make a run. |
 | 7. Weber State | 4-0 | Weber State's defense is dominating, and it gets an opportunity to take advantage of an Eastern Washington team coming off a Sunday game vs. Florida. |
 | 8. Montana State | 4-1 | As Sean Chambers proved last weekend vs. UC Davis, it pays to have quarterback depth. The transfer from Wyoming was excellent in relief of the injured Tommy Mellott. |
 | 9. Jackson State | 4-0 | Back from an open week, the Tigers take their show on the road against a tough Alabama State Hornets squad. |
 | 10. Elon | 4-1 | "Find Ways to Win" should be the motto for the Phoenix. We'll see if they can put together a complete game against Towson this weekend. |
 | 11. Mercer | 4-1 | The Bears made a big-time jump in the rankings because of how dominant and impressive they've looked in their victories. This is arguably the most complete Mercer team I've seen come out of Macon. |
 | 12. Incarnate Word | 4-1 | I like how QB Lindsay Scott Jr. casually scores seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) in a 48-20 win vs. McNeese, and it's accepted as normal. What an excellent player he is. |
 | 13. Chattanooga | 4-1 | The mark of a good team is how it handles adversity, and the Mocs showed great resolve last weekend in their 24-16 comeback victory over East Tennessee State. |
 | 14. William & Mary | 4-1 | The Tribe bounced back from their loss to Elon and got back on the winning track vs. Stony Brook, setting up a huge game against Delaware in Week 6. |
 | 15. Fordham | 4-1 | Fordham goes into every game seeing how many points the scoreboard can hold. This is a super fun team to watch, and the Rams are the only threat to Holy Cross in the Patriot League. |
 | 16. Southern Illinois | 3-2 | I don't know what happened in the second half offensively for the Salukis vs. Illinois State, but at least we saw them tighten defensively and win a game 19-14 that they more than likely would've let slip away last season. |
 | 17. Villanova | 3-2 | The open week comes at a much-needed time for the Wildcats, which got back on the winning track last weekend vs, Maine. They get two weeks to prepare for a road trip to Richmond. |
 | 18. Richmond | 3-2 | The Spiders have two weeks to stew on that tough 30-27 loss to Elon last weekend. |
 | 19. Samford | 4-1 | The Bulldogs got the break they needed courtesy of a big-time officiating mistake in a 34-27 win over Furman. They definitely turned it around after that critical point in the game. |
 | 20. Austin Peay | 4-2 | Hopefully the Governors' pass defense gets better the next time they take the field on Oct. 15 vs. Murray State. |
 | 21. Southeastern Louisiana | 3-2 | This is a dangerous team coming out of Hammond, Louisiana. I wouldn't want to play this team with the way it is rolling right now. |
 | 22. Southeast Missouri State | 4-1 | The Redhawks nearly made it into my top 25 last week, and they definitely earned their way in this week after picking up their fourth straight victory last week vs. Lindenwood. |
 | 23. Eastern Kentucky | 3-2 | Southern Utah put up more of a fight than expected, but a win is a win. That is something the Colonels desperately needed in a competitive ASUN-WAC. |
 | 24. North Dakota | 3-2 | I thought last week's win over Missouri State told me a lot about this Fighting Hawks squad -- with a heavy emphasis on fighting. It didn't quit and withstood the Bears' fury to come away with a win. |
 | 25. Idaho | 3-2 | The Vandals were highly competitive in their FBS games earlier in the season, and that experience has yielded positive results in FCS play as they have won three straight games. They get two weeks to prepare for Montana on Oct. 15. |
