CHARLOTTE - Although Northwest is off to a 3-0 start that includes a pair of ranked wins against Hinds and Pearl River, the Rangers continue to hold firm at No. 4 in the latest NJCAA Division I Football Rankings, released Monday afternoon.

Northwest has been stuck at No. 4 since the preseason rankings came out in mid-August. The logjam continues through the rest of the top four, with New Mexico Military Institute, Hutchinson (Kan.) and Iowa Western all remaining in the top three slots.

Fellow MACCC foes Jones College and East Mississippi are also in the top 10, with the Bobcats checking in at No. 5 and the Lions ranked eighth. Pearl River inched up a spot from 14th to 13th, despite last week's loss, and Coahoma enters the rankings at 15th.

Northwest will put its unbeaten record on the line on Thursday against Itawamba (1-2, 0-1 MACCC), a team coming off last week's 28-27 rivalry victory against Northeast. The Rangers are 42-26-1 all-time against the Indians and have won four of the last six meetings, but ICC's wins against Northwest in 2017 and 2019 came when the Rangers were ranked in the top five.

Kickoff from Bobby Franklin Field is set for 7 P.M., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 P.M. on Ranger TV and Facebook Live.