ursus arctos horribilis
October 8th, 2021, 12:13 PM
2021 FCS INSIDER -- KEY LINKS
NCAA Statistics – Click Here (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fstats.ncaa.org%2frankings%2fch ange_sport_year_div&c=E,1,mRjnMdfJ923UgEz_6F_K71TPIgaYLBK4h14t4LGm20rq WWtqfAZgQSQTq6pntUD0a2pxmiKT48pAb9pE53zsA3uTxDpujS 57ux2QBVpU&typo=1) | Top-25 Polls -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/fcs/fcs-coaches-poll) | Scoreboard -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/scoreboard/football/fcs)
FCS Insider -- Click Here (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2ffcsinsider.com%2f&c=E,1,3rB462R9KZ-aj2yNofuGFA9TqKQXYMRWX4Earw7riN3E_ztqOugup5gq2BwpL zt7KVV2pF5uyCpiAUfIkKrtUsBnLvSjTj6jHtoKYe9jgHKVuPp zXHxOEBrbksEt&typo=1) | Stats Perform -- Click Here (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.fcs.football%2ffcsfront.asp&c=E,1,RNp9OmJwGyQPTgnEngU_v5QjJKoipACVxOqXwmSKZRyR PeqAHQOwZzl7U5GVxWDiwWUhGytnkLPvjVLVgWta1mTlttk6oK UmwhlQhdFYHjWZGXR8cFBDG7EaRw,,&typo=1) | HERO Sports -- Click Here
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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.
Saturday's Campbell at Gardner-Webb game is the inaugural East/West BBQ Bowl. The winner of the annual game will hoist and host the well-built, hefty trophy -- topped with a decorative hog and adorned with a placard to engrave each year's winning team and score. On hand to present the trophy will be North Carolina BBQ expert, Bob Garner. Garner has written three books on North Carolina's favorite food and has appeared on Food Network, ABC's "Good Morning America," the Travel Channel's "Road Trip," in addition to producing specials for PBS North Carolina. The losing team will be tasked with supplying a barbecue feast from its region—eastern-style for the Camels, western or Lexington-style for the Bulldogs—to the winning side.
There are five matchups this weekend in which two top-25 teams face one another. Where to watch those key matchups (AFCA rankings denoted)
No. 24 Princeton at No. 25 Monmouth, 12 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
No. 10 Delaware at No. 20 Rhode Island, 12 p.m. CT (FloFootball)
No. 9 Villanova at No. 2 James Madison, 1 p.m. CT (NBC Sports Washington/FloFootball)
No. 7 Southern Illinois at No. 3 South Dakota State, 1 p.m. CT (Midco Sports/ESPN+)
No. 12 UNI at No. 5 North Dakota State, 2 p.m. CT (ABC ND/ESPN+)
#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 have been 10 FCS wins over FBS programs this season, including four 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). The last time the FCS had more than 10 wins in one season against FBS schools was in 2013 (16 that year).
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
UIW 42, Texas State 34
Northern Arizona 21, Arizona 19
FCS in the NFL – There were 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.
Mercer's Fred Davis, Sam Houston's Jahari Kay, Wofford's Atkins Roberts and Delaware State's Sy'Veon Wilkerson were selected Monday as the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week. In addition, Grambling State earned FCS National Team of the Week.
ASUN -- Week six of the 2021 season features three AQ7 matchups on the weekend slate. Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State are both in action on their home fields as they host Abilene Christan and Stephen F. Austin respectively. Sam Houston looks to remain undefeated in AQ7 contests when the Bearkats battle Lamar in Huntsville.
Three student-athletes from Central Arkansas currently rank within in the top three of four national statistical categories led by Breylin Smith who is first with 18 passing touchdowns. Wide receiver Lujuan Winningham ranks second for both receiving yards (584) and receiving yards per game (116.8) while Chiristan Richardson is third with 417 combined kick return yards.
BIG SKY -- EWU won a 34-28 thriller over Montana on ESPN2 last weekend, as the Eagles improved to 5-0 overall and climbed up to No. 4 in the nation in both national polls. EWU's 5-0 start is the best under head coach Aaron Best, and equals the 1985 team under head coach Dick Zornes as EWU's best start as a member of FCS.
UC Davis is also off to a 5-0 start, with it matching the best program start since 2004. A 6-0 start would become the program's best since winning 12 straight to start the 2000 season.
Montana State moved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in league play with a win over Northern Colorado. MSU's defense has held all five 2021 opponents to less than 20 points, 350 total yards, and 20 first downs.
Montana plays non-conference foe Dixie State this week as the Griz look to bounce back from their loss at EWU. Dixie State is 0-3 against Big Sky foes (Sac State, Weber State, UC Davis) this season and have been outscored 120-37.
The Cal Poly/MSU game this Saturday will mark the first of four Big Sky games on ROOT SPORTS this season. The games will be available on ESPN+ subject to blackout in the ROOT SPORTS AT&T Sports Net territories airing the game live.
BIG SOUTH -- Monmouth has opened 2-0 in Big South games for the fifth consecutive season, and has won 12-straight league contests -- tied for the second-longest conference-game win streak in Big South history. The Hawks will try for their fifth-straight 3-0 start next week against Campbell. Meanwhile, Campbell and North Carolina A&T each won their Big South openers last week. The Camels are seeking their second consecutive 2-0 start to the league slate, while the Aggies have opened a conference season 2-0 each of the past five seasons.
North Carolina A&T won its inaugural Big South conference game last week, as the Aggies downed Robert Morris, 41-14 in their league schedule debut. N.C. A&T is just the third member to win its first-ever Big South contest in the conference's 20-year history, joining Gardner-Webb (2002) and Kennesaw State (2015).
North Alabama is the first team in Big South history to have three different quarterbacks with 300 yards of total offense in a game in the same season. In Week 1, Jaylen Gipson amassed 370 total yards against Southeastern Louisiana; Blake Dever finished with 310 yards of offense against Jacksonville State in Week 3, and Rett Files had 359 total offensive yards against Campbell this past Saturday. Meanwhile, UNA is the first Big South squad to have two different quarterbacks with a 300-yard passing game in a season (Gipson - 350 vs. Southeastern Louisiana; Files - 379 vs. Campbell) since Coastal Carolina in 2012.
CAA FOOTBALL -- A pair of Top 25 matchups highlight the five-game CAA Football schedule. #3/2 James Madison hosts #11/9 Villanova and #18/20 Rhode Island entertains #9/10 Delaware. All four squads are unbeaten in league play. Also on the slate, Elon visits Maine, William & Mary welcomes UAlbany and Stony Brook travels to Towson.
Three of the four CAA games last Saturday were decided by seven points or less, including one in overtime. For the season, seven of 11 conference games have had margins of seven points or less.
Road teams have fared well in CAA play thus far, posting a 6-5 record.
JMU is currently on a 15-game winning streak vs. CAA opponents dating back to 2018, which is five shy of the record of 20 set by the Dukes from 2015-18. Rhode Island is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2001. William & Mary is 3-1 for the first time since 2014. Delaware has won six straight CAA games dating back to 2019.
IVY LEAGUE -- An Ivy League clash between Yale and Dartmouth on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. highlights this weekend. The matchup pits two of the top defenses in the nation against each other. The Big Green is ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 9.3 points per game. The Bulldogs rank seventh nationally, allowing 12.33 points per game. No. 22 Harvard plays host to Cornell in the other Ivy League matchup this weekend. There will be four non-conference games this weekend, including a Garden State clash between No. 24 Princeton and No. 25 Monmouth.
Both Harvard and Princeton entered the top 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll this week. After topping then-ranked No. 24 Holy Cross, 38-13, the Crimson earned the No. 22 spot in the poll. Princeton came in at No. 24 in this week's poll after it improved to 3-0 with a 24-7 win over Columbia. Harvard and Princeton rank in the top 10 in the FCS in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The only other team in the top 10 of both categories is No. 2 South Dakota State.
There are four Ancient Eight teams that rank in the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense: Princeton (2.3 ppg, 1st), Dartmouth (9.33 ppg, 4th), Yale (12.33 ppg, 7th) and Harvard (13 ppg, T-9th). Additionally, Penn (20.33 ppg, 25th), Columbia (20.67ppg, 27th) and Cornell (25 ppg, T-42nd) are all in the top 50.
Ivies are collectively 10-6 thus far opposite non-conference opponents. The league's non-conference success is not a new trend. Dating back to the 2010 season, Ivy League schools are 151-105 against non-league opponents.
MEAC -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will make history on Saturday, Oct. 16, when it airs the only on-site, conference-produced football preview show in FCS, televised live on ESPN+, a 60-minute show tabbed MEAC Countdown to Kickoff, Presented by Coca-Cola.
There could be no better way to kick off conference action in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) than under Friday Night Lights. Much like the television series, Friday's battle between the Howard Bison and the Morgan State Bears will also be televised – live on ESPNU at 8 p.m. It will be Howard's first on-campus night game in more than two decades, with the Bison coming off their first victory of the season and Morgan State still in search of that elusive win.
Norfolk State quarterback Juwan Carter was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Football Offensive Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the conference announced earlier this week. Carter ( QB, 6-0, 175, r-Sr., Richmond, Va.) accounted for five touchdowns in the Spartans' overtime win at Hampton this past Saturday, rushing for three and throwing two more. He threw for 294 yards, and one of his touchdown passes was a 70-yarder to Justin Smith, and he also rushed for a career-high 92 yards to account for 386 yards of total offense.
MISSOURI VALLEY --Four of the five MVFC games this weekend will feature at least one Top 25 team. Two games (12th-ranked UNI at No. 5 North Dakota State; 7th-ranked Southern Illinois at No. 2 South Dakota State) pair two MVFC ranked teams. UND, ranked No. 13, travels to play South Dakota, and the Yotes are receiving votes in both polls this week.
Four (or more) league teams have been ranked in the Top 15 of FCS polls all six weeks this year. That's now happened 100 times in league history. All six of the MVFC's ranked teams are in the Top 15 in one or both of the FCS polls this week. That's now happened five times in league history, most recently on March 1, 2021.
Through games of Saturday, Oct. 2, there are only 11 FCS teams who still have a perfect record -- two of those 11 schools are in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. North Dakota State and South Dakota State are both 4-0.
NORTHEAST -- Three Northeast Conference contests are on the Week 6 slate and all will stream (for free) at NECFrontRow.com. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT will host Columbia (Ivy League) and WAGNER will visit Fordham (Patriot League) in the lone two non-league games this week.
BRYANT has won back-to-back non-conference games (at Marist; vs. Brown) and QB Zevi Eckhaus has completed more than 71.0 percent of passes while throwing multiple touchdowns in each victory.
DUQUESNE limited the NEC's top-ranked passing attack to 4.1 yards per attempt in a 37-14 road win over Merrimack and the Dukes came away with four interceptions in the same game for the first time since 2006.
SACRED HEART lost consensus All-American running back Julius Chestnut to a Week 1 injury, but back-up Malik Grant has emerged as the NEC's leading rusher with 442 yards over five games.
WAGNER logged a NCAA FCS single-game season-high 18.0 tackles-for-loss against Delaware State in Week 5 with Buchanan Award hopeful Titus Leo accounting for 5.0 TFL (including 2.0 sacks).
OHIO VALLEY -- This weekend's matchup between Murray State and UT Martin features the league's No. 1 defense (MSU) against the No. 2 offense (UTM). The two teams, who are located just one hour apart, is the 61st all-time in the series. UTM is ranked No. 21 this week; the last time they were ranked (2017 season), the Skyhawks lost at home to the Racers.
Southeast Missouri has forced a turnover in 19-straight games. The Redhawks have forced eight this season, which is 31st nationally.
Tennessee State picked up its first road win of the season at Austin Peay on Saturday. Quarterback Geremy Hickbottom accounted for 367 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in the win. That included a 48-yard rush for a score. He is the first TSU quarterback to through for 300 or more yards in a game since October 2019. Hickbottom, a transfer from Grambling, ranks fourth nationally in passing yards per completion (15.22).
PATRIOT -- Fordham senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen leads the NCAA in tackles, averaging 20.2 per game through five games. He was named the Stats Perform National FCS Defensive Player of the Week after his NCAA Division I and Patriot League record-breaking 31-tackle performance against Nebraska on Sept. 4. He followed up the record-breaking performance with 28 tackles in the Rams' loss to Monmouth on Sept. 11, tying the second-highest single-game total in Patriot League history. He has four double-digit tackle performances through five games.
Four Patriot League football student-athletes were named 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalists when the NFF announced it. Bucknell senior defensive lineman Grayson Cherubino, Georgetown graduate student defensive back Ahmad Wilson, Holy Cross senior running back Peter Oliver and Lehigh senior running back Rashawn Allen were among the 176 semifinalists for the prestigious honor. The Campbell Trophy will be awarded to the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for the 32nd year. Allen, Cherubino, Oliver and Wilson are among the 36 nominees from the FCS level.
First-year Head Coach Stan Dakosty and Colgate have won its first two League games, defeating Lehigh (30-3) and Georgetown (28-21) in consecutive weeks. The Raiders defense has responded after a 0-3 start, holding the Mountain Hawks and Hoyas to a combined 360 yards of total offense and just 3.16 yards per play during the last two games. Senior linebacker Milton Braasch II has made 13 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble in the Raiders' last two games. On offense, Colgate has racked up an average of 396.5 yards of total offense per game and 5.9 yards per play. Fifth-year quarterback Grant Breneman has rushed for 146 yards and thrown for 333 in the last two games, while senior wide receiver Garrett Oakey had five catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns against the Hoyas.
PFL -- League-leading Davidson has the week off, meaning Marist and Morehead State have an opportunity to equal the leader's 2-0 start… Marist, fresh off an overtime road win, returns home to host Stetson in a matchup of the league's two most productive running backs in Stetson's Jalen Leary (357 yards, 3 TDs) and Marist's Hunter Cobb (251 yards, 2 TDs)… Morehead State heads across the Appalachians to meet Presbyterian in what promises to be an offense slugfest with the leagues two most productive quarterbacks facing off in Presbyterian's Ren Hefley (1,489 yards, 17 TDs) facing Morehead State's Mark Pappas (1,228 yards, 12 TDs)
All five PFL contests in Week 5 were decided by a touchdown or less and two games went into overtime… Davidson emerged atop the PFL standings with a 2-0 record with Marist and Morehead State right behind the Wildcats at 1-0
Davidson slot back Eli Turner, Marist safety Kyle Fleitman, Stetson defensive lineman Fermon Reid and Dayton safety Brandon Easterling were each named as semifinalists for the 2021 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy, Sept. 29. The Campbell Trophy is college football's premier scholar-athlete award, recognizing an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments..
SOUTHERN -- Highlighting the Southern Conference's week six schedule, The Citadel aims to knock off its second straight nationally ranked opponent when it visits No. 13/12 ETSU on Saturday in the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates.
Also on Saturday, preseason SoCon favorite Chattanooga visits defending league champion VMI, Furman makes the short trip up I-85 to face rival Wofford, and Western Carolina hosts Mercer.
The Citadel upset then-No. 22/18 VMI 35-24 Saturday to win the Silver Shako for the first time since 2018. Junior quarterback Jaylan Adams ran for a career-high 188 yards and a touchdown and threw for 114 yards and a score to lead the Bulldogs on offense. Freshman corner Dominick Poole was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week presented by GEICO after posting five tackles, three pass breakups and an end zone interception.
ETSU remained perfect on the season with its 27-21 win over Wofford. The Bucs got 81 rushing yards and a TD from running back Quay Holmes, who also caught four passes for a career-high 104 yards and another score. His 77-yard TD reception with 10:46 left to play accounted for the winning points.
SOUTHLAND -- Saturday marks the third-straight meeting in the River Bell Classic in which both Southeastern and Nicholls are ranked with the Lions and Colonels at 14 and 25, respectively, in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
Nicholls quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. is the first FCS quarterback with three consecutive outings with at least 100 rushing yards and 100 passing yards since October of 2018. He has averaged 373.3 yards of total offense in those games, completing 66.3 percent of his passes and averaging 8.3 yards per carry.
Over his last eight games, Cole Kelley has completed 73 percent of his passes (260-for-356) for 3,154 yards (394.25 per game), 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 11 touchdowns.
SWAC -- Grambling State was selected as the STATS Perform National Team of the Week. The Tigers had lost eight of their previous nine games, but pulled off a thrilling 37-28 comeback victory over the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champions, Alabama A&M, on Saturday at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. GSU erased a 14-0 deficit with 34 unanswered points between the second and fourth quarters.
Why Not Us: FAMU Football presented by Cricket Wireless, the second season of the acclaimed Why Not Us series from The Undefeated on ESPN+ and executive produced by NBA All-Star Chris Paul, will premiere Thursday, October 14, exclusively on ESPN+. The new, eight-episode season will take fans behind-the-scenes of Florida A&M Football, one of the most storied athletic teams at an Historically Black College and University, as the Rattlers experience one of the most eagerly anticipated football seasons in school history.
WAC -- Sam Houston's Keegan Shoemaker and Jahari Kay were named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games of last weekend.
Shoemaker, a sophomore quarterback from Prosper, Texas, made his first start as a Bearkat in one of the biggest games of the year, leading top-ranked Sam Houston to a 21-20 come-from-behind win over rival Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium in Houston. On the day, he was 16-for-29 passing for 222.0 yards, finishing with two touchdowns and a 135.3 efficiency rating. He also rushed the ball seven times for seven total yards.
Kay, a senior defensive lineman from Berkeley, Calif., led the Bearkat defense to a 21-20 win over Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium in Houston. Establishing his place in the SFA backfield all day, he finished with 1.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries while also forcing a fumble late in the game. He finished with eight tackles, including six solo stops.
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Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner
NCAA Statistics – Click Here (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fstats.ncaa.org%2frankings%2fch ange_sport_year_div&c=E,1,mRjnMdfJ923UgEz_6F_K71TPIgaYLBK4h14t4LGm20rq WWtqfAZgQSQTq6pntUD0a2pxmiKT48pAb9pE53zsA3uTxDpujS 57ux2QBVpU&typo=1) | Top-25 Polls -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/fcs/fcs-coaches-poll) | Scoreboard -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/scoreboard/football/fcs)
FCS Insider -- Click Here (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2ffcsinsider.com%2f&c=E,1,3rB462R9KZ-aj2yNofuGFA9TqKQXYMRWX4Earw7riN3E_ztqOugup5gq2BwpL zt7KVV2pF5uyCpiAUfIkKrtUsBnLvSjTj6jHtoKYe9jgHKVuPp zXHxOEBrbksEt&typo=1) | Stats Perform -- Click Here (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.fcs.football%2ffcsfront.asp&c=E,1,RNp9OmJwGyQPTgnEngU_v5QjJKoipACVxOqXwmSKZRyR PeqAHQOwZzl7U5GVxWDiwWUhGytnkLPvjVLVgWta1mTlttk6oK UmwhlQhdFYHjWZGXR8cFBDG7EaRw,,&typo=1) | HERO Sports -- Click Here
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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.
Saturday's Campbell at Gardner-Webb game is the inaugural East/West BBQ Bowl. The winner of the annual game will hoist and host the well-built, hefty trophy -- topped with a decorative hog and adorned with a placard to engrave each year's winning team and score. On hand to present the trophy will be North Carolina BBQ expert, Bob Garner. Garner has written three books on North Carolina's favorite food and has appeared on Food Network, ABC's "Good Morning America," the Travel Channel's "Road Trip," in addition to producing specials for PBS North Carolina. The losing team will be tasked with supplying a barbecue feast from its region—eastern-style for the Camels, western or Lexington-style for the Bulldogs—to the winning side.
There are five matchups this weekend in which two top-25 teams face one another. Where to watch those key matchups (AFCA rankings denoted)
No. 24 Princeton at No. 25 Monmouth, 12 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
No. 10 Delaware at No. 20 Rhode Island, 12 p.m. CT (FloFootball)
No. 9 Villanova at No. 2 James Madison, 1 p.m. CT (NBC Sports Washington/FloFootball)
No. 7 Southern Illinois at No. 3 South Dakota State, 1 p.m. CT (Midco Sports/ESPN+)
No. 12 UNI at No. 5 North Dakota State, 2 p.m. CT (ABC ND/ESPN+)
#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 have been 10 FCS wins over FBS programs this season, including four 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). The last time the FCS had more than 10 wins in one season against FBS schools was in 2013 (16 that year).
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
UIW 42, Texas State 34
Northern Arizona 21, Arizona 19
FCS in the NFL – There were 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.
Mercer's Fred Davis, Sam Houston's Jahari Kay, Wofford's Atkins Roberts and Delaware State's Sy'Veon Wilkerson were selected Monday as the Stats Perform FCS National Players of the Week. In addition, Grambling State earned FCS National Team of the Week.
ASUN -- Week six of the 2021 season features three AQ7 matchups on the weekend slate. Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State are both in action on their home fields as they host Abilene Christan and Stephen F. Austin respectively. Sam Houston looks to remain undefeated in AQ7 contests when the Bearkats battle Lamar in Huntsville.
Three student-athletes from Central Arkansas currently rank within in the top three of four national statistical categories led by Breylin Smith who is first with 18 passing touchdowns. Wide receiver Lujuan Winningham ranks second for both receiving yards (584) and receiving yards per game (116.8) while Chiristan Richardson is third with 417 combined kick return yards.
BIG SKY -- EWU won a 34-28 thriller over Montana on ESPN2 last weekend, as the Eagles improved to 5-0 overall and climbed up to No. 4 in the nation in both national polls. EWU's 5-0 start is the best under head coach Aaron Best, and equals the 1985 team under head coach Dick Zornes as EWU's best start as a member of FCS.
UC Davis is also off to a 5-0 start, with it matching the best program start since 2004. A 6-0 start would become the program's best since winning 12 straight to start the 2000 season.
Montana State moved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in league play with a win over Northern Colorado. MSU's defense has held all five 2021 opponents to less than 20 points, 350 total yards, and 20 first downs.
Montana plays non-conference foe Dixie State this week as the Griz look to bounce back from their loss at EWU. Dixie State is 0-3 against Big Sky foes (Sac State, Weber State, UC Davis) this season and have been outscored 120-37.
The Cal Poly/MSU game this Saturday will mark the first of four Big Sky games on ROOT SPORTS this season. The games will be available on ESPN+ subject to blackout in the ROOT SPORTS AT&T Sports Net territories airing the game live.
BIG SOUTH -- Monmouth has opened 2-0 in Big South games for the fifth consecutive season, and has won 12-straight league contests -- tied for the second-longest conference-game win streak in Big South history. The Hawks will try for their fifth-straight 3-0 start next week against Campbell. Meanwhile, Campbell and North Carolina A&T each won their Big South openers last week. The Camels are seeking their second consecutive 2-0 start to the league slate, while the Aggies have opened a conference season 2-0 each of the past five seasons.
North Carolina A&T won its inaugural Big South conference game last week, as the Aggies downed Robert Morris, 41-14 in their league schedule debut. N.C. A&T is just the third member to win its first-ever Big South contest in the conference's 20-year history, joining Gardner-Webb (2002) and Kennesaw State (2015).
North Alabama is the first team in Big South history to have three different quarterbacks with 300 yards of total offense in a game in the same season. In Week 1, Jaylen Gipson amassed 370 total yards against Southeastern Louisiana; Blake Dever finished with 310 yards of offense against Jacksonville State in Week 3, and Rett Files had 359 total offensive yards against Campbell this past Saturday. Meanwhile, UNA is the first Big South squad to have two different quarterbacks with a 300-yard passing game in a season (Gipson - 350 vs. Southeastern Louisiana; Files - 379 vs. Campbell) since Coastal Carolina in 2012.
CAA FOOTBALL -- A pair of Top 25 matchups highlight the five-game CAA Football schedule. #3/2 James Madison hosts #11/9 Villanova and #18/20 Rhode Island entertains #9/10 Delaware. All four squads are unbeaten in league play. Also on the slate, Elon visits Maine, William & Mary welcomes UAlbany and Stony Brook travels to Towson.
Three of the four CAA games last Saturday were decided by seven points or less, including one in overtime. For the season, seven of 11 conference games have had margins of seven points or less.
Road teams have fared well in CAA play thus far, posting a 6-5 record.
JMU is currently on a 15-game winning streak vs. CAA opponents dating back to 2018, which is five shy of the record of 20 set by the Dukes from 2015-18. Rhode Island is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2001. William & Mary is 3-1 for the first time since 2014. Delaware has won six straight CAA games dating back to 2019.
IVY LEAGUE -- An Ivy League clash between Yale and Dartmouth on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. highlights this weekend. The matchup pits two of the top defenses in the nation against each other. The Big Green is ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 9.3 points per game. The Bulldogs rank seventh nationally, allowing 12.33 points per game. No. 22 Harvard plays host to Cornell in the other Ivy League matchup this weekend. There will be four non-conference games this weekend, including a Garden State clash between No. 24 Princeton and No. 25 Monmouth.
Both Harvard and Princeton entered the top 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll this week. After topping then-ranked No. 24 Holy Cross, 38-13, the Crimson earned the No. 22 spot in the poll. Princeton came in at No. 24 in this week's poll after it improved to 3-0 with a 24-7 win over Columbia. Harvard and Princeton rank in the top 10 in the FCS in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The only other team in the top 10 of both categories is No. 2 South Dakota State.
There are four Ancient Eight teams that rank in the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense: Princeton (2.3 ppg, 1st), Dartmouth (9.33 ppg, 4th), Yale (12.33 ppg, 7th) and Harvard (13 ppg, T-9th). Additionally, Penn (20.33 ppg, 25th), Columbia (20.67ppg, 27th) and Cornell (25 ppg, T-42nd) are all in the top 50.
Ivies are collectively 10-6 thus far opposite non-conference opponents. The league's non-conference success is not a new trend. Dating back to the 2010 season, Ivy League schools are 151-105 against non-league opponents.
MEAC -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will make history on Saturday, Oct. 16, when it airs the only on-site, conference-produced football preview show in FCS, televised live on ESPN+, a 60-minute show tabbed MEAC Countdown to Kickoff, Presented by Coca-Cola.
There could be no better way to kick off conference action in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) than under Friday Night Lights. Much like the television series, Friday's battle between the Howard Bison and the Morgan State Bears will also be televised – live on ESPNU at 8 p.m. It will be Howard's first on-campus night game in more than two decades, with the Bison coming off their first victory of the season and Morgan State still in search of that elusive win.
Norfolk State quarterback Juwan Carter was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Football Offensive Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the conference announced earlier this week. Carter ( QB, 6-0, 175, r-Sr., Richmond, Va.) accounted for five touchdowns in the Spartans' overtime win at Hampton this past Saturday, rushing for three and throwing two more. He threw for 294 yards, and one of his touchdown passes was a 70-yarder to Justin Smith, and he also rushed for a career-high 92 yards to account for 386 yards of total offense.
MISSOURI VALLEY --Four of the five MVFC games this weekend will feature at least one Top 25 team. Two games (12th-ranked UNI at No. 5 North Dakota State; 7th-ranked Southern Illinois at No. 2 South Dakota State) pair two MVFC ranked teams. UND, ranked No. 13, travels to play South Dakota, and the Yotes are receiving votes in both polls this week.
Four (or more) league teams have been ranked in the Top 15 of FCS polls all six weeks this year. That's now happened 100 times in league history. All six of the MVFC's ranked teams are in the Top 15 in one or both of the FCS polls this week. That's now happened five times in league history, most recently on March 1, 2021.
Through games of Saturday, Oct. 2, there are only 11 FCS teams who still have a perfect record -- two of those 11 schools are in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. North Dakota State and South Dakota State are both 4-0.
NORTHEAST -- Three Northeast Conference contests are on the Week 6 slate and all will stream (for free) at NECFrontRow.com. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT will host Columbia (Ivy League) and WAGNER will visit Fordham (Patriot League) in the lone two non-league games this week.
BRYANT has won back-to-back non-conference games (at Marist; vs. Brown) and QB Zevi Eckhaus has completed more than 71.0 percent of passes while throwing multiple touchdowns in each victory.
DUQUESNE limited the NEC's top-ranked passing attack to 4.1 yards per attempt in a 37-14 road win over Merrimack and the Dukes came away with four interceptions in the same game for the first time since 2006.
SACRED HEART lost consensus All-American running back Julius Chestnut to a Week 1 injury, but back-up Malik Grant has emerged as the NEC's leading rusher with 442 yards over five games.
WAGNER logged a NCAA FCS single-game season-high 18.0 tackles-for-loss against Delaware State in Week 5 with Buchanan Award hopeful Titus Leo accounting for 5.0 TFL (including 2.0 sacks).
OHIO VALLEY -- This weekend's matchup between Murray State and UT Martin features the league's No. 1 defense (MSU) against the No. 2 offense (UTM). The two teams, who are located just one hour apart, is the 61st all-time in the series. UTM is ranked No. 21 this week; the last time they were ranked (2017 season), the Skyhawks lost at home to the Racers.
Southeast Missouri has forced a turnover in 19-straight games. The Redhawks have forced eight this season, which is 31st nationally.
Tennessee State picked up its first road win of the season at Austin Peay on Saturday. Quarterback Geremy Hickbottom accounted for 367 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in the win. That included a 48-yard rush for a score. He is the first TSU quarterback to through for 300 or more yards in a game since October 2019. Hickbottom, a transfer from Grambling, ranks fourth nationally in passing yards per completion (15.22).
PATRIOT -- Fordham senior linebacker Ryan Greenhagen leads the NCAA in tackles, averaging 20.2 per game through five games. He was named the Stats Perform National FCS Defensive Player of the Week after his NCAA Division I and Patriot League record-breaking 31-tackle performance against Nebraska on Sept. 4. He followed up the record-breaking performance with 28 tackles in the Rams' loss to Monmouth on Sept. 11, tying the second-highest single-game total in Patriot League history. He has four double-digit tackle performances through five games.
Four Patriot League football student-athletes were named 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalists when the NFF announced it. Bucknell senior defensive lineman Grayson Cherubino, Georgetown graduate student defensive back Ahmad Wilson, Holy Cross senior running back Peter Oliver and Lehigh senior running back Rashawn Allen were among the 176 semifinalists for the prestigious honor. The Campbell Trophy will be awarded to the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for the 32nd year. Allen, Cherubino, Oliver and Wilson are among the 36 nominees from the FCS level.
First-year Head Coach Stan Dakosty and Colgate have won its first two League games, defeating Lehigh (30-3) and Georgetown (28-21) in consecutive weeks. The Raiders defense has responded after a 0-3 start, holding the Mountain Hawks and Hoyas to a combined 360 yards of total offense and just 3.16 yards per play during the last two games. Senior linebacker Milton Braasch II has made 13 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble in the Raiders' last two games. On offense, Colgate has racked up an average of 396.5 yards of total offense per game and 5.9 yards per play. Fifth-year quarterback Grant Breneman has rushed for 146 yards and thrown for 333 in the last two games, while senior wide receiver Garrett Oakey had five catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns against the Hoyas.
PFL -- League-leading Davidson has the week off, meaning Marist and Morehead State have an opportunity to equal the leader's 2-0 start… Marist, fresh off an overtime road win, returns home to host Stetson in a matchup of the league's two most productive running backs in Stetson's Jalen Leary (357 yards, 3 TDs) and Marist's Hunter Cobb (251 yards, 2 TDs)… Morehead State heads across the Appalachians to meet Presbyterian in what promises to be an offense slugfest with the leagues two most productive quarterbacks facing off in Presbyterian's Ren Hefley (1,489 yards, 17 TDs) facing Morehead State's Mark Pappas (1,228 yards, 12 TDs)
All five PFL contests in Week 5 were decided by a touchdown or less and two games went into overtime… Davidson emerged atop the PFL standings with a 2-0 record with Marist and Morehead State right behind the Wildcats at 1-0
Davidson slot back Eli Turner, Marist safety Kyle Fleitman, Stetson defensive lineman Fermon Reid and Dayton safety Brandon Easterling were each named as semifinalists for the 2021 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy, Sept. 29. The Campbell Trophy is college football's premier scholar-athlete award, recognizing an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments..
SOUTHERN -- Highlighting the Southern Conference's week six schedule, The Citadel aims to knock off its second straight nationally ranked opponent when it visits No. 13/12 ETSU on Saturday in the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates.
Also on Saturday, preseason SoCon favorite Chattanooga visits defending league champion VMI, Furman makes the short trip up I-85 to face rival Wofford, and Western Carolina hosts Mercer.
The Citadel upset then-No. 22/18 VMI 35-24 Saturday to win the Silver Shako for the first time since 2018. Junior quarterback Jaylan Adams ran for a career-high 188 yards and a touchdown and threw for 114 yards and a score to lead the Bulldogs on offense. Freshman corner Dominick Poole was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week presented by GEICO after posting five tackles, three pass breakups and an end zone interception.
ETSU remained perfect on the season with its 27-21 win over Wofford. The Bucs got 81 rushing yards and a TD from running back Quay Holmes, who also caught four passes for a career-high 104 yards and another score. His 77-yard TD reception with 10:46 left to play accounted for the winning points.
SOUTHLAND -- Saturday marks the third-straight meeting in the River Bell Classic in which both Southeastern and Nicholls are ranked with the Lions and Colonels at 14 and 25, respectively, in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
Nicholls quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. is the first FCS quarterback with three consecutive outings with at least 100 rushing yards and 100 passing yards since October of 2018. He has averaged 373.3 yards of total offense in those games, completing 66.3 percent of his passes and averaging 8.3 yards per carry.
Over his last eight games, Cole Kelley has completed 73 percent of his passes (260-for-356) for 3,154 yards (394.25 per game), 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 11 touchdowns.
SWAC -- Grambling State was selected as the STATS Perform National Team of the Week. The Tigers had lost eight of their previous nine games, but pulled off a thrilling 37-28 comeback victory over the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champions, Alabama A&M, on Saturday at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. GSU erased a 14-0 deficit with 34 unanswered points between the second and fourth quarters.
Why Not Us: FAMU Football presented by Cricket Wireless, the second season of the acclaimed Why Not Us series from The Undefeated on ESPN+ and executive produced by NBA All-Star Chris Paul, will premiere Thursday, October 14, exclusively on ESPN+. The new, eight-episode season will take fans behind-the-scenes of Florida A&M Football, one of the most storied athletic teams at an Historically Black College and University, as the Rattlers experience one of the most eagerly anticipated football seasons in school history.
WAC -- Sam Houston's Keegan Shoemaker and Jahari Kay were named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games of last weekend.
Shoemaker, a sophomore quarterback from Prosper, Texas, made his first start as a Bearkat in one of the biggest games of the year, leading top-ranked Sam Houston to a 21-20 come-from-behind win over rival Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium in Houston. On the day, he was 16-for-29 passing for 222.0 yards, finishing with two touchdowns and a 135.3 efficiency rating. He also rushed the ball seven times for seven total yards.
Kay, a senior defensive lineman from Berkeley, Calif., led the Bearkat defense to a 21-20 win over Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium in Houston. Establishing his place in the SFA backfield all day, he finished with 1.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries while also forcing a fumble late in the game. He finished with eight tackles, including six solo stops.
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Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner