| | '97 Record | '97 Rank* | Returning Starters |
| 1 | McNeese State | 13-2 | 6 | 14 |
|
Former LSU star running back Cecil (the Diesel) Collins adds fuel to high-octane Cowboys offense
|
| 2 | Villanova | 12-1 | 1 | 15 |
|
Quarterback Chris Boden threw for 3,079 yards and I-AA-best 36 touchdowns last season
|
| 3 | Georgia Southern | 10-3 | 8 | 15 |
|
Junior QB Greg Hill leads option attack that
averaged 280.6 rushing yards per game in
1997
|
| 4 | Montana | 8-4 | 11 | 16 |
|
Recovered from knee injury, QB Brian Ah Yat should approach
'96 numbers (3,615 yards, 42
TDs) |
| 5 | Delaware | 12-2 | 3 | 12 |
|
Fightin' Blue Hens will have wing T running on all cylinders but must replace three star linebackers
|
| 6 | Youngstown State | 13-2 | 9 | 12 |
|
RBs Jake Andreadis and Adrian Brown combined for 1,365 yards and 24 TDs for 1997's I-AA champs
|
| 7 | Hampton | 10-2 | 7 | 15 |
|
Four starters return from offensive line that paved the way for 223.6 rushing yards per game in '97
|
| 8 | Eastern Kentucky | 8-4 | 15 | 14 |
|
Ex-UNLV QB Jon Denton joins WR Rondel Menendez (1,073 yards in '97) to form lethal aerial combo
|
| 9 | Southern | 11-1 | 12 | 14 |
|
Running back Steve Wofford (1,274 yards) was SWAC offensive player of the year in 1997
|
| 10 | Northern Iowa | 7-4 | N.R. | 15 |
|
Can All-America LB Matt Pedersen turn around a defense that gave up 30.8 points a game in '97?
|
| 11 | William & Mary | 7-4 | N.R. | 10 |
|
QB Mike Cook is 14-3 as a starter and has thrown at least one TD pass in each of his career starts
|
| 12 | Northwestern State | 8-4 | 17 | 14 |
|
Demon schedule features Missouri, McNeese State, Troy State and Stephen F. Austin
|
| 13 | Western Illinois | 11-2 | 2 | 11 |
|
Aaron Stecker (1,957 yards and 25 touchdowns last season) is the best running back in I-AA |
| 14 | Hofstra | 9-3 | 14 | 15 |
|
Quarterback Giovanni Carmazzi completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,554 yards and 27 TDs in '97
|
| 15 | Troy State | 5-6 | N.R. | 16 |
|
Four returning starters, including 6' 6'', 300-pound tackle Cleve Roberts, anchor strong O-line
|
| 16 | Western Kentucky | 10-2 | 5 | 16 |
|
QB Willie Taggart leads a rushing attack that was I-AA's best in '97 (366.0 yards per game)
|
| 17 | Eastern Washington | 12-2 | 4 | 9 |
|
RB Mike MacKenzie will keep Eagles offense (a I-AA-best 505.6 yards per game last year) rolling
|
| 18 | Stephen F. Austin | 8-3 | 18 | 10 |
|
Top six rushers return for Lumberjacks, who must replace their entire defensive line
|
| 19 | East Tennessee State | 7-4 | N.R. | 14 |
|
Roadkill? Buccaneers face games at Miami, Mississippi State and Georgia Southern
|
| 20 | Murray State | 7-4 | N.R. | 14 |
|
Only three starters lost from defense that was second in I-AA last year (237.5 yards per game)
|
| 21 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 8-3 | N.R. | 16 |
|
Six-foot-six, 261-pound Slammin' Sam Simmons led SWAC in sacks with 10 1/2 last season
|
| 22 | South Carolina State | 9-3 | 19 | 17 |
|
Strong safety Jermaine Derricott had a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference-best 103 tackles in '97
|
| 23 | Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo | 10-1 | 16 | 11 |
|
Two 1,000-yard rushers—Antonio Warren (1,151) and Craig Young (1,038)—are back for the Mustangs
|
| 24 | Dayton | 9-1 | 23 | 8 |
|
Flyers have the highest winning percentage (.899) of any college football team in the past 10 years
|
| 25 | Colgate | 7-5 | 25 | 13 |
|
Junior QB Ryan Vena was Patriot League player of the year in each of his first two seasons
|
