TOP 25 DIVISION I-AA

Team/'94 Record/'95 Projection/The Skinny

1. Boise State 13-2 11-0
Last season before Boise State moves to Division I-A

2. Youngstown State 14-0-1 11-0
Coach Jim Tressel turned down the head job at Miami

3. Eastern Kentucky 10-3 10-0
Transfer quarterback Tommy Luginbill will punch up O

4. Marshall 12-2 10-1
The Herd should trample Southern Conference foes

5. Montana 11-3 9-2
Dave Dickenson was second behind Steve McNair in total offense

6. McNeese State 10-3 9-1
Four of the Cowboys' top five receivers are back

7. Appalachian State 9-4 9-2
Loaded: 18 first-stringers return for the Mountaineers

8. Grambling 9-3 10-1
Coach Eddie Robinson is three wins shy of his 400th victory

9. Pennsylvania 9-0 9-1
21 straight wins is the longest streak in college football

10. William & Mary 8-3 9-2
Has won at least eight games in five of the past six years

11. Northern Iowa 8-4 9-2
Has I-AA's best field goal kicker in Matt Waller

12. Idaho 9-3 7-3
The Vandals averaged 42.9 points per game last season

13. James Madison 10-2 9-2
The Dukes won a school-record 10 games in '94

14. South Carolina State 10-2 9-1
Running back Michael Hicks averaged 12 points a game in '94

15. Middle Tennessee State 8-3-1 10-1
Its two regular-season losses were by a total of three points

16. Massachusetts 5-6 9-2
Rene Ingoglia rushed for 1,505 yards and 14 TDs last year

17. Illinois State 5-5-1 9-2
The Redbirds have one of the best offensive lines in I-AA

18. Southern 6-5 10-1
A proven line will keep quarterback Eric Randall happy

19. Delaware 7-3-1 9-2
Courtney Batts averaged 25.6 yards per reception in '94

20. Georgia Southern 6-5 8-3
Smart move: Eagles skip Miami, which beat them 56-0 last year

21. Stephen F. Austin 6-3-2 7-3
First two games are against N. Iowa and Youngstown State

22. Troy State 8-4 9-2
Last fall fullback Derrick Washington rushed for 666 yards

23. Central Florida 7-4 8-3
Fullback Marquette Smith faces his former team, Florida State

24. Boston University 9-3 9-2
The Terrier defense must replace nine starters

25. Butler 7-3 7-3
Arnold Mickens holds or shares 18 NCAA rushing records

COLOR PHOTO: BEN VAN HOOK [football player with rankings of top 25 Division I-AA teams superimposed over him]