RUSTON, La. -- Louisiana Tech's 63-10 season-opening win over Mississippi Valley State impressed more than just the 18,656 fans in attendance as the Bulldogs received 15 votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Monday.

Tech, which cracked into the Top 25 poll for the first time in school history last season, ranks 37th in this weeks poll.

"It's nice to see that we are starting to receive more national recognition," said Tech Head Coach Jack Bicknell. "But the bottom line is the polls don't mean anything when we step on the field Saturday against Kansas State. Our program deserves the recognition, but we still have to continue to get better."

This marks the earliest any Tech squad has ever received votes since the Bulldogs joined the Division I-A ranks in 1989.

Kansas State remained 8th in the poll with 1,256 votes. Penn State, who Tech plays in two weeks, fell out of the poll for the first time since the end of the 1992 season after losing 29-5 at Southern California Sunday.

Texas A&M took Penn State's place in the poll at No. 25 with 141 votes.