ursus arctos horribilis
September 17th, 2021, 12:14 PM
FCS ALL IN -- "FCS ALL IN" is a weekly news program dedicated to promoting all FCS 15 conferences. Content will be provided by each participating conference, and the program will be distributed via a YouTube channel (//YouTube.com/c/FCSALLIN) and launched each Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. In addition to providing an overview of FCS games, each episode will include interviews with special guests and national media correspondents.
#FearTheFCS -- In Week 1, the Big Sky became first FCS conference to post three wins over FBS opponents in the same week since CAA Football in 2009. Montana knocked off No. 20 Washington, becoming just the sixth FCS school to post a win over a nationally ranked FBS foe. There are 21 FCS vs. FBS matchups on Saturday. The only ranked team is No. 6/7 Delaware at Rutgers.
There have been eight FCS wins over FBS programs this season, including three wins over teams from "Power 5" programs. In 2016, five FCS teams knocked off Power 5 teams (the last time as many as three-such wins have occurred in one season).
FCS Wins Vs. FBS (2021)
Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33 (2OT)
UC Davis 19, Tulsa 17
South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23
Montana 13, No. 20 Washington 7
Holy Cross 38, UConn 28
ETSU 23, Vanderbilt 3
Duquesne 28, Ohio 26
Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17
FCS in the NFL – There are more than two full teams worth of FCS players on NFL opening-day rosters. Better than 130 former FCS players made teams' 53-man rosters. Despite low draft numbers this spring (6) and last (6 in 2019), the number of FCS players on NFL rosters has not altered much --- with more than 210 FCS players on NFL Opening Day rosters in each of the previous three seasons (that number includes 53-man rosters and practice squads).
The 2021 season marks the debut of two new FCS conferences. The ASUN has three members this season: Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Central Arkansas. The WAC has four post-season eligible teams in the fall: Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, and SFA. The two leagues have agreed on a one-year scheduling alliance for this fall.
Saturday will mark 665 days between games for the eight Ivy League teams, who last played nearly 22 months ago on Nov. 23, 2019. Their league was the only one in NCAA Division I not to hold competition in the 2020-21 school year due to the pandemic. The teams return to the field against out-of-league opponents that have combined for 42 games since the last Ivy matchups.
Charleston Southern's Garris Schwarting, Northern Iowa's Spencer Cuvelier, James Madison's Ethan Ratke and Jackson State's Shedeur Sanders were named Monday as the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week. In addition, Duquesne earned National FCS Team of the Week.
There are two games this weekend featuring ranked teams against one another. James Madison (CAA) squares off against Weber State (Big Sky) in a battle between two top-10 teams. Also, CAA teams Villanova and Richmond play one another in a conference-opening game for both teams.
ASUN -- Jacksonville State provided an electric finish to its contest against Florida State as the then 16th-ranked Gamecocks defeated the Seminoles on a last-second 59-yard touchdown as Zerrick Cooper found Damond Philyaw-Johnson for the 20-17 victory. Philyaw-Johnson fought of two FSU defenders to reach the endzone with time expired.
On Sept. 4, Eastern Kentucky produced the first-ever victory by an ASUN Conference Football program as the Colonels defeated Western Carolina on the road, 31-28. WCU's last second game-tying field goal missed as EKU improved to 1-0 on the season for the third time in the past four years.
A total of 11 players from ASUN institutions are currently suiting up for teams in the NFL.
BIG SKY -- The Big Sky had five teams ranked in the Top 15 of both national polls this week, which is believed to be the first time ever for the conference in both polls. Montana led the way for the league, ranked fourth and fifth overall.
No. 8 Weber State will host No. 2 James Madison on Saturday, which will go down as the biggest FCS non-conference game of the year. It will be the farthest travel west for a game in JMU's history.
Eastern Washington won its 18th-straight home game last weekend, which is the second-longest active streak in the FCS behind only James Madison's 19-straight home wins. Northern Colorado defeated Houston Baptist 45-13 on the road last Saturday, which was the first Bear win since its 26-20 win over Idaho State on Nov. 2, 2019. The win also marked the first collegiate victory for head coach Ed McCaffrey. With over 600 days between home games, Montana State got into the win column with a 45-7 victory over Drake last Saturday. The win also marked the first collegiate victory for head coach Brent Vigen.
BIG SOUTH -- For just the second time in conference history, a Big South game will be played in September, as Charleston Southern hosts defending champion Monmouth in the first league game of the season this Saturday, Sept. 18. It will be the earliest Big South contest in conference annals, as the previous earliest game was Sept. 24, 2016. That game also featured the Bucs and the Hawks, as CSU defeated MU, 35-7, that day in West Long Branch. Monmouth carries a 10-game Big South win streak into Saturday's contest, as well as a 6-game win streak in Big South road games.
Charleston Southern WR Garris Schwarting tied the Big South single-game record with his four touchdown receptions this past Saturday at The Citadel. Schwarting matched the mark first set by former CSU receiver Maurice Price in 2005 vs. Savannah State, and equaled by former Monmouth All-American Reggie White Jr. in 2018 at Gardner-Webb. Schwarting entered the 2021 fall season with five career touchdown receptions.
Charleston Southern QB Jack Chambers recorded 327 yards of total offense in the season opener at The Citadel, his fourth consecutive game with more than 300 yards of offense -- tying the Big South record.
North Alabama is opening the season against three-straight nationally-ranked opponents, as the Lions travel to No. 10/11 Jacksonville State after facing Southeastern Louisiana (15/17) in Week 1 and Chattanooga (24) in Week 2. UNA is the first Big South squad in league history to face three consecutive nationally-ranked foes in its first three games. The last Big South team to play three-straight regular-season games against nationally-ranked programs was Liberty in 2012.
CAA FOOTBALL -- There is only one CAA clash on Saturday's busy 11-game schedule, but it's a big one as #21/18 Richmond visits #12/9 Villanova. It's the conference opener for both teams, which have gotten off to 2-0 starts in dominating fashion. The Spiders have outscored their two opponents 69-17 and the Wildcats have beaten their foes by a combined score of 102-6.
Along with the Richmond/Villanova game, there are several big non-conference contests on Saturday. #3/2 James Madison travels to #8/9 Weber State, Towson welcomes #5/4 North Dakota State to Unitas Stadium and unbeaten Rhode Island faces Brown for the Governor's Cup. Four CAA teams - Stony Brook (#4 Oregon), Delaware (Rutgers), UAlbany (Syracuse) and Elon (Appalachian State) - hit the road against FBS opponents.
Six of the CAA's 12 teams - Delaware, JMU, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Richmond and Villanova - are off to 2-0 starts this season. No other FCS league has more than three squads (Big Sky) that are 2-0. CAA Football teams went 6-0 against non-conference foes in Week 2. For the season, the CAA is 11-2 vs. FCS non-conference competition and 11-3 overall. The 11 wins against FCS opponents are the most of any conference.
A season-high five CAA Football teams are ranked in this week's Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches FCS Top 25 polls. James Madison is #2 in the AFCA poll and #3 in the Stats rankings while Delaware is ranked #6 by Stats and #7 by the AFCA. Villanova moved up to #9 in the AFCA poll and is #12 in the Stats poll, Richmond is #18 in the AFCA poll and #21 in the Stats rankings and New Hampshire is #23 in both polls. Rhode Island was among others receiving votes in both polls.
IVY LEAGUE -- The last time the league ran through a non-conference slate, the teams combined for a .667 winning percentage. Ivies have enjoyed plenty of success on opening weekend, boasting a 71-49 (.592) record over the past 15 campaigns.
The Ivy League's six-game national television package, featuring all eight Ivy League programs, commences on Friday, Sept. 24, when Brown visits Harvard at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
There are currently 17 Ivies with spots on NFL teams. Twelve Ivies earned a spot on initial 53-man rosters after they were trimmed following the conclusion of the preseason. The league's 12 players was the third-most in the FCS. Harvard led the way with five former Crimson earning a spot. The Atlanta Falcons currently have four Ivies on their roster; Penn's Brandon Copeland, Yale's Foyesade Oluokun, Columbia's Cam Nizialek and Yale's Jaeden Graham.
Princeton was selected as the League favorite in the 2021 Ivy League Football Preseason Media Poll, which was voted on by a panel of 16 media members from across the league. The Tigers, who claimed a share of the Ivy crown in 2016 and won it outright in 2018, received eight first-place votes and accumulated 113 total points. Yale ranked second with a total of 104 points in the poll to go along with six first-place votes. The Bulldogs went 9-1 in 2019 on their way to claiming their 16th Ivy League title.
Princeton LB Jeremiah Tyler was tabbed to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list. In 2019, he led the league and was 25th in the nation with 14.5 tackles for a loss. His 62 total tackles ranked ninth in the Ivy League. Brown QB EJ Perry was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list. He led the nation in total offense with 367.8 yards per game as a sophomore in 2019. His 3678 yards of total offense marked an Ivy League record, topping Princeton's Chad Kanoff's record (3,553), which was set in 2017. Harvard punter Jon Sot, twice an All-Ivy First Team selection, was named to the FCS Punter of the Year Award watch list. The Clark, N.J., native led the Ivy League in punting average in 2019 with 42.3 yards per kick.
MEAC -- The Howard Bison are eager to put the last two weeks behind them and focus on trying to get in the win column against none other than their most hated rival, the Hampton Pirates. The two teams will meet in the Truth and Service Classic, a contest which is traditionally monikered "The Battle of the Real HU." Hampton will come into the contest 1-1 on the season after losing at Old Dominion this past week.
After a pair of tough road losses to Toledo and Wake Forest, the Norfolk State Spartans finally get a chance to showcase their skills before a home crowd at William "Dick" Price Stadium when they host Elizabeth City State on Saturday. For new head coach Dawson Odums, it'll also be his home debut
The MEAC made history on Sept. 11, as there were two female officials working the football game between Georgetown and Delaware State at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Del. It marked the first time in conference history that multiple female officials worked a football game together. Henrietta Powell and Monique Washington were part of the crew at Delaware State on Saturday; Powell served as head linesman, while Washington was a line judge.
MISSOURI VALLEY --After missing their annual rivalry game last year due to the pandemic, Illinois State and Eastern Illinois will renew one of the longest rivalries in the FCS this weekend in Charleston with the playing of the 109th Mid-America Classic. The two teams last met during the 2019 non-conference slate, with the Redbirds winning 21-3 in Charleston. The win was the third-straight for the Redbirds in the series, the third straight for ISU in Charleston, and their fifth win in the last six games overall against the Panthers. With the win, the Redbirds extended their advantage in the all-time series to 57-42-9.
North Dakota will play its home-opener against Drake on Saturday and has won its last 11 games at the Alerus Center.
With last week's (Sept. 11) 43-34 win over No. 16/19 Central Arkansas, Missouri State claimed its third win in its last four contests against ranked FCS opponents. The Bears also racked up their highest scoring total against a ranked foe since posting 45 points in the team's win at No. 24 Indiana State on Oct. 1, 2016.
NORTHEAST -- Duquesne, the NEC spring runner-up, notched the program's first victory over an FBS member in Week 2, topping Ohio (MAC), 28-26. The Dukes totaled 26 first downs (11 more than the Bobcats) and controlled possession for 41:02. NEC Offensive Player of the Week Darius Perrantes accounted for two touchdowns and a 67.6 completion percentage in his first start as Duquesne's quarterback. NEC Special Teamer of the Week Brian Bruzdewicz made all four of his field goal attempts in Athens.
Merrimack, in its third season as a NEC member, posted its first victory over a FCS Top 25 opponent. Dan Curran's Warriors posted a 35-21 road win over Patriot League preseason favorite Holy Cross. Second-year receiver Jacari Carter made nine catches for 101 yards and one TD while rookie RB Victor Dawson ran 19 times for 111 yards and one TD.
Wagner visits Saint Francis for the week's lone NEC contest, which will be carried live on ESPN 3 and the ESPN app at 12:00 pm ET Saturday. Two non-conference games can be seen live via NECFrontRow.com: Southeastern Louisiana at CCSU (12:00 pm) / Morgan State at Sacred Heart (1:00 pm).
OHIO VALLEY -- UT Martin overcame five first quarter turnovers and a 17-0 deficit to top Samford 33-27 last week. It was the team's first comeback of 14 or more points since the 2015 season. The win was the 91st for head coach Jason Simpson at UTM, one away from fifth place in OVC history.
Murray State QB Preston Rice has 5 rushing touchdowns this season, the most among all FCS players. He had the first score of the game at nationally-ranked Cincinnati, a game that saw the score tied 7-7 at halftime.
Eastern Illinois punter Logen Neidhardt averaged 52.0 yards on six punts against Dayton, including a long of 72 yards, which is the third-longest punt in the FCS this season.
PATRIOT -- All seven Patriot League football programs will be in action Saturday, with each game being available on the ESPN family of networks. Lehigh hosts Princeton, and Holy Cross travels to Yale to kick off Saturday's action at noon with live coverage on ESPN+. Georgetown opens its home slate against Harvard, and Lafayette welcomes New Hampshire in a pair of 12:30 p.m. games on ESPN+. Colgate hosts William & Mary in the second of three consecutive home games, beginning at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. Fordham heads to Boca Raton, Fla., to play C-USA foe Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. on ESPN3. Bucknell celebrates Family Weekend by hosting Penn at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
Fordham senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen recorded 31 tackles and one sack in the Rams' season-opening loss at Nebraska on Sept. 4. The performance broke the NCAA Division I single-game tackles record of 30, previously shared between Chattanooga's Josh Cain (2001), Norfolk State's Kevin Talley (2004) and Stetson's Donald Payne (2014). The previous Patriot League record was 28 total tackles, set in 1990 by Lehigh's Lee Picariello, a two-time All-League honoree. He followed up his record-breaking stat line with 28 tackles in a loss to Monmouth on Sept. 11. His 28-tackle performance is tied for the second-highest single-game total in Patriot League history. He is currently leading the nation with 29.0 tackles per game.
The Patriot League has reached an agreement with TIAA to become the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Patriot League football season. TIAA will also be the Official Retirement Planning Partner of the Patriot League. "We are excited to welcome a trusted brand like TIAA as a partner of League," Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel said. "Our shared values of integrity and helping people reach their goals makes them a fitting partner."
PFL -- Dayton, St. Thomas and Marist saw their 2020 seasons wiped out in response to the pandemic and all three saw their Week 1 contests canceled as the pandemic continued to affect schedules into the 2021 season. Dayton finally took the field in Week 2 for their first game in 658 days while St. Thomas ended a 665-day break from the field with its Week 2 road game. Marist took its off week in Week 2 and will see action in Week 3, bringing an end to its 665-day hiatus.
After scoring a FCS record 84 points in its 2021 season opener, Presbyterian stacked up a 68-point performance against Fort Lauderdale in Week 2, giving the Blue Hose the FCS' No. 1 and No. 3 single-game point totals through two weeks. Morehead State has the FCS' No. 8 total with 62 points in a Week 2 win against Point (Ga.).
As would be expected with the previous note, Presbyterian also holds two of the Top 10 offensive yard marks in the FCS, including its FCS-leading 814-yard outing in the season-opener. But PFL teams have posted five of the FCS's 500-plus yard performances through two weeks with Stetson, Butler and Drake joining Presbyterian.
SOUTHERN -- Southern Conference play opens this weekend with Samford visiting Western Carolina in the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates. Six more games are on Saturday's slate. Ranked squads Chattanooga and Furman visit Power 5 opponents in Kentucky and NC State, respectively, while Wofford hosts 24th-ranked Kennesaw State. VMI visits Cornell, ETSU welcomes Delaware State and The Citadel hosts North Greenville.
Samford has won three straight against Western Carolina and 11 of 13 against the Catamounts since joining the league in 2008.
The SoCon is taking on a pair of Power 5 opponents for the second straight week. Mercer fell at No. 1 Alabama and Western Carolina lost at then-No. 4 Oklahoma last Saturday. Furman heads to NC State seeking its first FBS win since beating UCF in 2015 and its seventh overall. The Paladins are 8-5-4 against the Wolfpack all-time. When Chattanooga visits Kentucky on Saturday, it will be seeking its first win over an FBS squad since beating Georgia State in 2013 and its fourth overall.
Four SoCon teams are nationally ranked this week. ETSU is ranked 17th in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Top 25 and 16th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Chattanooga is No. 22 and Furman is No. 25 in the AFCA poll, while VMI is No. 22 in the Stats Perform poll. The Keydets are the first team out of the AFCA poll, while the Paladins and Mocs are the first two teams out of the Stats Perform rankings. Samford is also receiving votes in the Stats Perform poll.
SOUTHLAND -- Nicholls WR Dai'Jean Dixon, this week's Southland Offensive Player of the Week, hauled in a school-record 14 catches for 198 yards and two TDs vs. Louisiana, becoming just the fifth wide receiver in league history to amass 3,000 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns in a career. He ranks sixth all-time in both career yards (3,105) and TDs (29).
McNeese QB Cody Orgeron set a program record for most consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception, extending his streak to 159 straight. Over that span, he has completed 65.4 percent of his passes (104-159) for 1,403 yards and 10 TDs.
Converting 17-of-29 third-down attempts through the first two weeks, Southeastern ranks second among FCS programs in third-down conversion rate (.586). The Lions are also one of 18 schools with a perfect fourth-down conversion percentage (3-for-3).
SWAC -- Bethune-Cookman will look to claim its first win of the season and first win as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in front of a national television audience when the Wildcats host defending SWAC Champion Alabama A&M on Thursday, September 16 on ESPNU at 6:30 pm CST.
Jackson State's Shedeur Sanders was named the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week after an impressive performance during the Tigers 38-16 win over Tennessee State. It was a record-breaking performance for the Jackson State freshman quarterback at the Southern Heritage Classic. The Canton, Texas product completed 30-of-40 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns. Sanders' 30 completions set a new Southern Heritage Classic record as he distributed the ball to a total of nine different JSU receivers. Jackson State will face FBS opponent Louisiana-Monroe on the road on Saturday, September 18 on ESPN3.
Grambling State returns to action on Sept. 18 as the Tigers visit the University of Houston. GSU and Houston have met twice in the series with the Cougars owning a 2-0 all-time series mark. Houston rolled past Rice to win the Bayou Bucket Classic on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. from TDECU Stadium and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
WAC -- Abilene Christian's Stone Earle, Tarleton's D.J. Harris and Sam Houston's Seth Morgan were named TicketSmarter WAC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week. Earle, a redshirt freshman QB was nearly perfect on Saturday night in a 62-7 win over Louisiana College. Connecting on 18-of-19, he finished the day with 233 yards passing and six TDs for a 302.0 efficiency rating. He connected to five different receivers for scores, finishing just one touchdown short of the program record.
The SFA Football team gave the Red Raiders of Texas Tech everything they wanted and more for four quarters on Saturday night inside Jones AT&T Stadium, attributing themselves very well despite coming up just short in the upset bid, 28-22. Entering the matchup as 31.5 point underdogs, SFA led the Red Raiders 13-7 at the half, the program's first halftime lead over an FBS opponent since 2003, after outperforming the hosts on both sides of the ball in the half. Undeterred by a crowd of over 55,000, the Lumberjacks marched down to Tech's seven-yard line with just over a minute left to play but weren't able to punch in the game winning score.
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Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner
#FearTheFCS -- In Week 1, the Big Sky became first FCS conference to post three wins over FBS opponents in the same week since CAA Football in 2009. Montana knocked off No. 20 Washington, becoming just the sixth FCS school to post a win over a nationally ranked FBS foe. There are 21 FCS vs. FBS matchups on Saturday. The only ranked team is No. 6/7 Delaware at Rutgers.
There have been eight FCS wins over FBS programs this season, including three wins over teams from "Power 5" programs. In 2016, five FCS teams knocked off Power 5 teams (the last time as many as three-such wins have occurred in one season).
FCS Wins Vs. FBS (2021)
Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33 (2OT)
UC Davis 19, Tulsa 17
South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23
Montana 13, No. 20 Washington 7
Holy Cross 38, UConn 28
ETSU 23, Vanderbilt 3
Duquesne 28, Ohio 26
Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17
FCS in the NFL – There are more than two full teams worth of FCS players on NFL opening-day rosters. Better than 130 former FCS players made teams' 53-man rosters. Despite low draft numbers this spring (6) and last (6 in 2019), the number of FCS players on NFL rosters has not altered much --- with more than 210 FCS players on NFL Opening Day rosters in each of the previous three seasons (that number includes 53-man rosters and practice squads).
The 2021 season marks the debut of two new FCS conferences. The ASUN has three members this season: Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Central Arkansas. The WAC has four post-season eligible teams in the fall: Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, and SFA. The two leagues have agreed on a one-year scheduling alliance for this fall.
Saturday will mark 665 days between games for the eight Ivy League teams, who last played nearly 22 months ago on Nov. 23, 2019. Their league was the only one in NCAA Division I not to hold competition in the 2020-21 school year due to the pandemic. The teams return to the field against out-of-league opponents that have combined for 42 games since the last Ivy matchups.
Charleston Southern's Garris Schwarting, Northern Iowa's Spencer Cuvelier, James Madison's Ethan Ratke and Jackson State's Shedeur Sanders were named Monday as the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week. In addition, Duquesne earned National FCS Team of the Week.
There are two games this weekend featuring ranked teams against one another. James Madison (CAA) squares off against Weber State (Big Sky) in a battle between two top-10 teams. Also, CAA teams Villanova and Richmond play one another in a conference-opening game for both teams.
ASUN -- Jacksonville State provided an electric finish to its contest against Florida State as the then 16th-ranked Gamecocks defeated the Seminoles on a last-second 59-yard touchdown as Zerrick Cooper found Damond Philyaw-Johnson for the 20-17 victory. Philyaw-Johnson fought of two FSU defenders to reach the endzone with time expired.
On Sept. 4, Eastern Kentucky produced the first-ever victory by an ASUN Conference Football program as the Colonels defeated Western Carolina on the road, 31-28. WCU's last second game-tying field goal missed as EKU improved to 1-0 on the season for the third time in the past four years.
A total of 11 players from ASUN institutions are currently suiting up for teams in the NFL.
BIG SKY -- The Big Sky had five teams ranked in the Top 15 of both national polls this week, which is believed to be the first time ever for the conference in both polls. Montana led the way for the league, ranked fourth and fifth overall.
No. 8 Weber State will host No. 2 James Madison on Saturday, which will go down as the biggest FCS non-conference game of the year. It will be the farthest travel west for a game in JMU's history.
Eastern Washington won its 18th-straight home game last weekend, which is the second-longest active streak in the FCS behind only James Madison's 19-straight home wins. Northern Colorado defeated Houston Baptist 45-13 on the road last Saturday, which was the first Bear win since its 26-20 win over Idaho State on Nov. 2, 2019. The win also marked the first collegiate victory for head coach Ed McCaffrey. With over 600 days between home games, Montana State got into the win column with a 45-7 victory over Drake last Saturday. The win also marked the first collegiate victory for head coach Brent Vigen.
BIG SOUTH -- For just the second time in conference history, a Big South game will be played in September, as Charleston Southern hosts defending champion Monmouth in the first league game of the season this Saturday, Sept. 18. It will be the earliest Big South contest in conference annals, as the previous earliest game was Sept. 24, 2016. That game also featured the Bucs and the Hawks, as CSU defeated MU, 35-7, that day in West Long Branch. Monmouth carries a 10-game Big South win streak into Saturday's contest, as well as a 6-game win streak in Big South road games.
Charleston Southern WR Garris Schwarting tied the Big South single-game record with his four touchdown receptions this past Saturday at The Citadel. Schwarting matched the mark first set by former CSU receiver Maurice Price in 2005 vs. Savannah State, and equaled by former Monmouth All-American Reggie White Jr. in 2018 at Gardner-Webb. Schwarting entered the 2021 fall season with five career touchdown receptions.
Charleston Southern QB Jack Chambers recorded 327 yards of total offense in the season opener at The Citadel, his fourth consecutive game with more than 300 yards of offense -- tying the Big South record.
North Alabama is opening the season against three-straight nationally-ranked opponents, as the Lions travel to No. 10/11 Jacksonville State after facing Southeastern Louisiana (15/17) in Week 1 and Chattanooga (24) in Week 2. UNA is the first Big South squad in league history to face three consecutive nationally-ranked foes in its first three games. The last Big South team to play three-straight regular-season games against nationally-ranked programs was Liberty in 2012.
CAA FOOTBALL -- There is only one CAA clash on Saturday's busy 11-game schedule, but it's a big one as #21/18 Richmond visits #12/9 Villanova. It's the conference opener for both teams, which have gotten off to 2-0 starts in dominating fashion. The Spiders have outscored their two opponents 69-17 and the Wildcats have beaten their foes by a combined score of 102-6.
Along with the Richmond/Villanova game, there are several big non-conference contests on Saturday. #3/2 James Madison travels to #8/9 Weber State, Towson welcomes #5/4 North Dakota State to Unitas Stadium and unbeaten Rhode Island faces Brown for the Governor's Cup. Four CAA teams - Stony Brook (#4 Oregon), Delaware (Rutgers), UAlbany (Syracuse) and Elon (Appalachian State) - hit the road against FBS opponents.
Six of the CAA's 12 teams - Delaware, JMU, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Richmond and Villanova - are off to 2-0 starts this season. No other FCS league has more than three squads (Big Sky) that are 2-0. CAA Football teams went 6-0 against non-conference foes in Week 2. For the season, the CAA is 11-2 vs. FCS non-conference competition and 11-3 overall. The 11 wins against FCS opponents are the most of any conference.
A season-high five CAA Football teams are ranked in this week's Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches FCS Top 25 polls. James Madison is #2 in the AFCA poll and #3 in the Stats rankings while Delaware is ranked #6 by Stats and #7 by the AFCA. Villanova moved up to #9 in the AFCA poll and is #12 in the Stats poll, Richmond is #18 in the AFCA poll and #21 in the Stats rankings and New Hampshire is #23 in both polls. Rhode Island was among others receiving votes in both polls.
IVY LEAGUE -- The last time the league ran through a non-conference slate, the teams combined for a .667 winning percentage. Ivies have enjoyed plenty of success on opening weekend, boasting a 71-49 (.592) record over the past 15 campaigns.
The Ivy League's six-game national television package, featuring all eight Ivy League programs, commences on Friday, Sept. 24, when Brown visits Harvard at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
There are currently 17 Ivies with spots on NFL teams. Twelve Ivies earned a spot on initial 53-man rosters after they were trimmed following the conclusion of the preseason. The league's 12 players was the third-most in the FCS. Harvard led the way with five former Crimson earning a spot. The Atlanta Falcons currently have four Ivies on their roster; Penn's Brandon Copeland, Yale's Foyesade Oluokun, Columbia's Cam Nizialek and Yale's Jaeden Graham.
Princeton was selected as the League favorite in the 2021 Ivy League Football Preseason Media Poll, which was voted on by a panel of 16 media members from across the league. The Tigers, who claimed a share of the Ivy crown in 2016 and won it outright in 2018, received eight first-place votes and accumulated 113 total points. Yale ranked second with a total of 104 points in the poll to go along with six first-place votes. The Bulldogs went 9-1 in 2019 on their way to claiming their 16th Ivy League title.
Princeton LB Jeremiah Tyler was tabbed to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list. In 2019, he led the league and was 25th in the nation with 14.5 tackles for a loss. His 62 total tackles ranked ninth in the Ivy League. Brown QB EJ Perry was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list. He led the nation in total offense with 367.8 yards per game as a sophomore in 2019. His 3678 yards of total offense marked an Ivy League record, topping Princeton's Chad Kanoff's record (3,553), which was set in 2017. Harvard punter Jon Sot, twice an All-Ivy First Team selection, was named to the FCS Punter of the Year Award watch list. The Clark, N.J., native led the Ivy League in punting average in 2019 with 42.3 yards per kick.
MEAC -- The Howard Bison are eager to put the last two weeks behind them and focus on trying to get in the win column against none other than their most hated rival, the Hampton Pirates. The two teams will meet in the Truth and Service Classic, a contest which is traditionally monikered "The Battle of the Real HU." Hampton will come into the contest 1-1 on the season after losing at Old Dominion this past week.
After a pair of tough road losses to Toledo and Wake Forest, the Norfolk State Spartans finally get a chance to showcase their skills before a home crowd at William "Dick" Price Stadium when they host Elizabeth City State on Saturday. For new head coach Dawson Odums, it'll also be his home debut
The MEAC made history on Sept. 11, as there were two female officials working the football game between Georgetown and Delaware State at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Del. It marked the first time in conference history that multiple female officials worked a football game together. Henrietta Powell and Monique Washington were part of the crew at Delaware State on Saturday; Powell served as head linesman, while Washington was a line judge.
MISSOURI VALLEY --After missing their annual rivalry game last year due to the pandemic, Illinois State and Eastern Illinois will renew one of the longest rivalries in the FCS this weekend in Charleston with the playing of the 109th Mid-America Classic. The two teams last met during the 2019 non-conference slate, with the Redbirds winning 21-3 in Charleston. The win was the third-straight for the Redbirds in the series, the third straight for ISU in Charleston, and their fifth win in the last six games overall against the Panthers. With the win, the Redbirds extended their advantage in the all-time series to 57-42-9.
North Dakota will play its home-opener against Drake on Saturday and has won its last 11 games at the Alerus Center.
With last week's (Sept. 11) 43-34 win over No. 16/19 Central Arkansas, Missouri State claimed its third win in its last four contests against ranked FCS opponents. The Bears also racked up their highest scoring total against a ranked foe since posting 45 points in the team's win at No. 24 Indiana State on Oct. 1, 2016.
NORTHEAST -- Duquesne, the NEC spring runner-up, notched the program's first victory over an FBS member in Week 2, topping Ohio (MAC), 28-26. The Dukes totaled 26 first downs (11 more than the Bobcats) and controlled possession for 41:02. NEC Offensive Player of the Week Darius Perrantes accounted for two touchdowns and a 67.6 completion percentage in his first start as Duquesne's quarterback. NEC Special Teamer of the Week Brian Bruzdewicz made all four of his field goal attempts in Athens.
Merrimack, in its third season as a NEC member, posted its first victory over a FCS Top 25 opponent. Dan Curran's Warriors posted a 35-21 road win over Patriot League preseason favorite Holy Cross. Second-year receiver Jacari Carter made nine catches for 101 yards and one TD while rookie RB Victor Dawson ran 19 times for 111 yards and one TD.
Wagner visits Saint Francis for the week's lone NEC contest, which will be carried live on ESPN 3 and the ESPN app at 12:00 pm ET Saturday. Two non-conference games can be seen live via NECFrontRow.com: Southeastern Louisiana at CCSU (12:00 pm) / Morgan State at Sacred Heart (1:00 pm).
OHIO VALLEY -- UT Martin overcame five first quarter turnovers and a 17-0 deficit to top Samford 33-27 last week. It was the team's first comeback of 14 or more points since the 2015 season. The win was the 91st for head coach Jason Simpson at UTM, one away from fifth place in OVC history.
Murray State QB Preston Rice has 5 rushing touchdowns this season, the most among all FCS players. He had the first score of the game at nationally-ranked Cincinnati, a game that saw the score tied 7-7 at halftime.
Eastern Illinois punter Logen Neidhardt averaged 52.0 yards on six punts against Dayton, including a long of 72 yards, which is the third-longest punt in the FCS this season.
PATRIOT -- All seven Patriot League football programs will be in action Saturday, with each game being available on the ESPN family of networks. Lehigh hosts Princeton, and Holy Cross travels to Yale to kick off Saturday's action at noon with live coverage on ESPN+. Georgetown opens its home slate against Harvard, and Lafayette welcomes New Hampshire in a pair of 12:30 p.m. games on ESPN+. Colgate hosts William & Mary in the second of three consecutive home games, beginning at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. Fordham heads to Boca Raton, Fla., to play C-USA foe Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. on ESPN3. Bucknell celebrates Family Weekend by hosting Penn at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
Fordham senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen recorded 31 tackles and one sack in the Rams' season-opening loss at Nebraska on Sept. 4. The performance broke the NCAA Division I single-game tackles record of 30, previously shared between Chattanooga's Josh Cain (2001), Norfolk State's Kevin Talley (2004) and Stetson's Donald Payne (2014). The previous Patriot League record was 28 total tackles, set in 1990 by Lehigh's Lee Picariello, a two-time All-League honoree. He followed up his record-breaking stat line with 28 tackles in a loss to Monmouth on Sept. 11. His 28-tackle performance is tied for the second-highest single-game total in Patriot League history. He is currently leading the nation with 29.0 tackles per game.
The Patriot League has reached an agreement with TIAA to become the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Patriot League football season. TIAA will also be the Official Retirement Planning Partner of the Patriot League. "We are excited to welcome a trusted brand like TIAA as a partner of League," Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel said. "Our shared values of integrity and helping people reach their goals makes them a fitting partner."
PFL -- Dayton, St. Thomas and Marist saw their 2020 seasons wiped out in response to the pandemic and all three saw their Week 1 contests canceled as the pandemic continued to affect schedules into the 2021 season. Dayton finally took the field in Week 2 for their first game in 658 days while St. Thomas ended a 665-day break from the field with its Week 2 road game. Marist took its off week in Week 2 and will see action in Week 3, bringing an end to its 665-day hiatus.
After scoring a FCS record 84 points in its 2021 season opener, Presbyterian stacked up a 68-point performance against Fort Lauderdale in Week 2, giving the Blue Hose the FCS' No. 1 and No. 3 single-game point totals through two weeks. Morehead State has the FCS' No. 8 total with 62 points in a Week 2 win against Point (Ga.).
As would be expected with the previous note, Presbyterian also holds two of the Top 10 offensive yard marks in the FCS, including its FCS-leading 814-yard outing in the season-opener. But PFL teams have posted five of the FCS's 500-plus yard performances through two weeks with Stetson, Butler and Drake joining Presbyterian.
SOUTHERN -- Southern Conference play opens this weekend with Samford visiting Western Carolina in the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates. Six more games are on Saturday's slate. Ranked squads Chattanooga and Furman visit Power 5 opponents in Kentucky and NC State, respectively, while Wofford hosts 24th-ranked Kennesaw State. VMI visits Cornell, ETSU welcomes Delaware State and The Citadel hosts North Greenville.
Samford has won three straight against Western Carolina and 11 of 13 against the Catamounts since joining the league in 2008.
The SoCon is taking on a pair of Power 5 opponents for the second straight week. Mercer fell at No. 1 Alabama and Western Carolina lost at then-No. 4 Oklahoma last Saturday. Furman heads to NC State seeking its first FBS win since beating UCF in 2015 and its seventh overall. The Paladins are 8-5-4 against the Wolfpack all-time. When Chattanooga visits Kentucky on Saturday, it will be seeking its first win over an FBS squad since beating Georgia State in 2013 and its fourth overall.
Four SoCon teams are nationally ranked this week. ETSU is ranked 17th in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Top 25 and 16th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Chattanooga is No. 22 and Furman is No. 25 in the AFCA poll, while VMI is No. 22 in the Stats Perform poll. The Keydets are the first team out of the AFCA poll, while the Paladins and Mocs are the first two teams out of the Stats Perform rankings. Samford is also receiving votes in the Stats Perform poll.
SOUTHLAND -- Nicholls WR Dai'Jean Dixon, this week's Southland Offensive Player of the Week, hauled in a school-record 14 catches for 198 yards and two TDs vs. Louisiana, becoming just the fifth wide receiver in league history to amass 3,000 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns in a career. He ranks sixth all-time in both career yards (3,105) and TDs (29).
McNeese QB Cody Orgeron set a program record for most consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception, extending his streak to 159 straight. Over that span, he has completed 65.4 percent of his passes (104-159) for 1,403 yards and 10 TDs.
Converting 17-of-29 third-down attempts through the first two weeks, Southeastern ranks second among FCS programs in third-down conversion rate (.586). The Lions are also one of 18 schools with a perfect fourth-down conversion percentage (3-for-3).
SWAC -- Bethune-Cookman will look to claim its first win of the season and first win as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in front of a national television audience when the Wildcats host defending SWAC Champion Alabama A&M on Thursday, September 16 on ESPNU at 6:30 pm CST.
Jackson State's Shedeur Sanders was named the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week after an impressive performance during the Tigers 38-16 win over Tennessee State. It was a record-breaking performance for the Jackson State freshman quarterback at the Southern Heritage Classic. The Canton, Texas product completed 30-of-40 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns. Sanders' 30 completions set a new Southern Heritage Classic record as he distributed the ball to a total of nine different JSU receivers. Jackson State will face FBS opponent Louisiana-Monroe on the road on Saturday, September 18 on ESPN3.
Grambling State returns to action on Sept. 18 as the Tigers visit the University of Houston. GSU and Houston have met twice in the series with the Cougars owning a 2-0 all-time series mark. Houston rolled past Rice to win the Bayou Bucket Classic on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. from TDECU Stadium and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
WAC -- Abilene Christian's Stone Earle, Tarleton's D.J. Harris and Sam Houston's Seth Morgan were named TicketSmarter WAC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week. Earle, a redshirt freshman QB was nearly perfect on Saturday night in a 62-7 win over Louisiana College. Connecting on 18-of-19, he finished the day with 233 yards passing and six TDs for a 302.0 efficiency rating. He connected to five different receivers for scores, finishing just one touchdown short of the program record.
The SFA Football team gave the Red Raiders of Texas Tech everything they wanted and more for four quarters on Saturday night inside Jones AT&T Stadium, attributing themselves very well despite coming up just short in the upset bid, 28-22. Entering the matchup as 31.5 point underdogs, SFA led the Red Raiders 13-7 at the half, the program's first halftime lead over an FBS opponent since 2003, after outperforming the hosts on both sides of the ball in the half. Undeterred by a crowd of over 55,000, the Lumberjacks marched down to Tech's seven-yard line with just over a minute left to play but weren't able to punch in the game winning score.
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Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner