ursus arctos horribilis
October 7th, 2022, 01:15 PM
School SIDs – please forward to your football media. Thank you!
Added feature this week – Conference Standings, provided by NCAA (at very bottom of this notebook)
Here is a link to this week’s fan/media video (courtesy NCAA staff) -- Click Here (https://youtu.be/WZ-L97YvEnI)
Previously Released:
Week 1 Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t2VO8-UKY0) | Week 2 Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEm3RT4TeKw&feature=youtu.be) | Week 3 Video (https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FnnOgWD9YjMQ&data=05%7C01%7Cthalpin%40ncaa.org%7C58c5926ba3264a 96dc2908da9ca8ef96%7C85a1e95666374b1db6eec72a59ee0 87f%7C0%7C0%7C637994546706429598%7CUnknown%7CTWFpb GZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI 6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=yF2DfCSCFM4f6tAz2m1TTudrQSsPxuRvMj%2F09nzRoQ E%3D&reserved=0) | Week 4 Video (https://youtu.be/dVuTLwxZq5w)
2022 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) | AGS Top 25 -- Click Here (http://thefcswedge.com/ags-poll/ags-poll-week-5-top-25-results-4/) | FCS 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 (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fherosports.com%2fcategory%2fco llege-football%2ffcs%2f&c=E,1,RCc8_tC95gi2TageeGldFZx1_AffWt8LvdZDJ5-vLbx7CSpI2r98jPXJkxrGsIvPuPexsxfl3iB5CLLsEx5otyGav hh87fPePZRbmbyDGzYYTi8Cp2mfP5A,&typo=1) | Talking Pigskin -- Click Here (https://talkingpigskin.com/)
FCS ALL-IN AIRS EVERY FRIDAY ON ESPN+ AT 7 PM ET -- Click To Learn More (https://fcsinsider.com/news/2022/8/25/football-fcs-all-in-debuts-friday-on-espn.aspx)
The 2023 FCS championship game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 8, and will air on ABC starting at 2 p.m. ET. -- Read (https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2022-09-07/abc-broadcast-2022-fcs-championship-game-frisco)
The last time the game was held on a Sunday was at the end of the 2021 spring season which saw Sam Houston defeat South Dakota St. 23-21.
CRAIG HALEY OF STATS PERFORM PREVIEWS THIS WEEK’S MATCHUPS -- Read (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/fcs-football-preview-and-predictions-week-6-games-of-the-week/)
FedEx Ground FCS National Players of the Week -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/chambers-east-stonehill-headline-weekly-fcs-awards/)
There are 8 FCS teams that remain unbeaten heading into this week:
Delaware (5-0); Holy Cross (5-0); Montana (5-0); Jackson State (4-0); Sac State (4-0); Weber State (4-0); Penn (3-0); Princeton (3-0). Reclassifying Stonehill is also 3-0.
Sam Herder of HERO Sports is talking bracketology -- his very early predictions: Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-playoff-predictions-3-bzbz/)
Top 25 FCS vs. Top 25 FCS This Week (AFCA Coaches Poll rank noted)
#6 Delaware at #17 William & Mary, 3:30 pm ET (COX Yurview/FloFootball)
#21 Eastern Washington at #7 Weber State, 6 pm MT (KJZZ/ESPN+)
#24 Southern Illinois at #19 Missouri State, 2 pm CT (ESPN+)
FCS ROUNDUP (Conference Headlines) – Read below
FBS WINS OVER FBS PROGRAMS – THE FCS HAD 12 SUCH VICTORIES IN 2021 (8 so far this year) -- #FearTheFCS
DATE
FCS TEAM
SCORE
FBS TEAM
Sept. 2
William & Mary
41-24
Charlotte
Sept. 3
Delaware
14-7
Navy
Sept. 10
Eastern Kentucky
59-57 (7 OT)
Bowling Green
Sept. 10
Holy Cross
37-31
Buffalo
Sept. 10
UIW
55-41
Nevada
Sept. 10
Weber State
35-7
Utah State
Sept. 17
Southern Illinois
31-24
Northwestern
Sept. 24
Sacramento State
41-10
Colorado State
FCS INSIDER – AROUND THE FCS
ASUN
Week six for ASUN Conference Football includes just two games as a trio of squads will be on a bye this Saturday. North Alabama visits Kennesaw State in a conference clash while Central Arkansas steps out of league action to host Lindenwood. Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State are all scheduled to return to action on Saturday, Oct. 15.
North Alabama and Kennesaw State are former Big South Conference foes with Saturday marking the first meeting for the pair as ASUN Conference rivals. The game will also be the conference debut for UNA, who is also eligible for the first time to win an FCS conference title and earn a playoff bid. Both squads are looking to rebound from losses in their last outings as North Alabama fell to Tarleton State and KSU was edged in overtime at Jacksonville State.
UNA running back ShunDerrick Powell ranks second in the nation with his 143.2 yards per game rushing while the KSU defense is holding opponents to 123 yards per game on the ground this season.
BIG SKY
Montana State Keeps Home Winning Streak Alive at 15 Games -- Montana State defeated UC Davis on ESPNU last Saturday 41-24, as the Bobcats improved to 4-1 overall on the year. With the win in Bozeman, Montana State has now won 15 straight home games which is currently the best streak in the FCS.
Hornets Seek First 5-0 Start in Program History -- Sacramento State remained undefeated with a 49-21 win at Cal Poly last week, as the Hornets improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1982. The Hornets have never opened the year 5-0 in program history, which dates back to 1954.
Five Big Sky Teams Ranked in Massey Rating Top 20 -- The Big Sky has had a great start to the 2022 football season, with four teams owning four or more wins so far. The conference has five teams overall ranked in the Top 20 of the Massey Rating, with the trio of Sacramento State, Montana and Weber State going 1, 2, 3 in the computer rankings.
BIG SOUTH
Big South preseason favorite North Carolina A&T won its league opener last week, 24-13, over new associate member Bryant, which was playing its inaugural Big South conference game. The Aggies have continued a long-standing conference tradition by becoming the 18th consecutive preseason favorite to win its Big South opener, as the preseason Big South favorite has started 1-0 in the conference standings 21 times overall since the league’s opening season of 2002.
The remaining conference openers are this weekend, with Campbell hosting Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb visiting Robert Morris. The Camels are 2-1 all-time in Big South openers, and will look to start 1-0 for the third-straight time. The Buccaneers are 7-12 in their first conference game of the year, and are looking to start 1-0 for the first time since 2018. The Runnin’ Bulldogs are 9-11 in their all-time Big South openers, and are seeking to begin 1-0 for the first time since 2019. The Colonials are 0-2 in their previous Big South lidlifters.
North Carolina A&T RB Bhayshul Tuten is the Big South’s leading rusher after five weeks with 534 yards -- 514 of which have come in the past four games (128.5 average). His season rushing total after five games is the most in the conference since Monmouth’s Pete Guerriero had the same amount in 2019. Tuten is the first Big South rusher with four consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Guerriero and Hampton’s Shai McKenzie in 2019, while his 534 rushing yards this season are already more than the Aggies’ leading rusher from 2021 -- 522 by Jah-Maine Martin.
CAA
UD/W&M HIGHLIGHTS FULL SLATE OF CONFERENCE GAMES: A Top 25 matchup between #6 Delaware and #16 William & Mary highlights the Week 6 slate in CAA Football, which features all conference games for the first time this season. The Blue Hens are one of only three FCS teams with a 5-0 mark, while the Tribe is off to a 4-1 start for the second year in a row. Elon, riding a four-game win streak, hosts Towson, Monmouth, which has won three straight, faces UAlbany, New Hampshire, which is 3-0 in CAA play, welcomes Stony Brook and Maine travels to Hampton for the Pirates' first home CAA contest.
DOMINANT IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: CAA teams have been dominant against FCS non-conference opponents over the past five years, winning a remarkable 76% of those games. The success has continued in 2022 as CAA teams are 18-4 (.818) against FCS opponents. The 18 wins and the .818 win percentage are the best of any FCS conference.
RECORD-SETTING KICKERS: Elon's Skylar Davis tied the Elon record for career field goals with 59 last Saturday when he kicked a game-tying 42-yarder with 37 seconds left in regulation vs. Richmond. Davis is now tied for 3rd in career FG's on the CAA list. W&M's Ethan Chang booted a 57-yard FG at Stony Brook last week, which set a new W&M record and tied a CAA mark that had stood for 20 years.
IVY
The Ivy League football weekend slate kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday with Cornell hosting Harvard before a national television audience on ESPNU. Dartmouth will play Yale in the second league game of the weekend at noon in New Haven, Conn.
Four of the top five teams in the nation in rushing defense are Ivies: Columbia (1st, 24.7 ypg), Princeton (2nd, 40.7), Harvard (4th, 76.7), Penn (5th, 79.0). Additionally, Dartmouth ranks 25th in the category, allowing 113.3 yards per game.
Four Ivy quarterbacks rank in the top 15 in completions per game. Penn’s Aidan Sayin leads the group with 26.33, which ranks sixth nationally. Brown’s Jake Wilcox (10th, 25.67), Columbia’s Joe Green (15th, 23.00) and Princeton’s Blake Stenstrom (15th, 23.00) round out the group.
The league has enjoyed non-conference success over the past several years. Since 2010, Ivies collectively own a mark of 170-110 (.607) against non-league opponents. This year, Ivies are 12-4 against non-league opponents. Last season, all eight schools had a combined record of 17-7. Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton each went 3-0 in their non-conference slate. The Tigers have claimed 15 straight non-league games.
MEAC
There are just two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football games on the docket this Saturday, but one of them marks the official start of conference play when the Spartans of Norfolk State head to Baltimore to take on Morgan State.
Morgan State will celebrate Homecoming this Saturday as the Bears, winners of two straight will open MEAC play against visiting Norfolk State. The Bears, in their first season under head coach Damon Wilson, have won their last two games after a 44-10 defeat of Virginia University of Lynchburg this past Saturday – a game in which quarterback Carson Baker threw three touchdown passes. With that victory, the Bears have already matched 2021’s win total. The Spartans, in their second season under head coach Dawson Odums, are in search of their first win of the season after last Saturday’s 31-14 loss to Sacred Heart. Norfolk State leads the all-time series 22-11 over the Bears and has won 13 of the last 14 meetings, including a 31-20 victory last year.
Defending MEAC and Cricket Celebration Bowl champion South Carolina State will be at home for the first time this season on Saturday, welcoming Florida A&M, an old, familiar foe to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The Bulldogs will do so coming off a 50-10 loss to South Carolina this past Thursday, and they will also be in search of their second win over a MEAC-turned-SWAC opponent this season – having defeated Bethune-Cookman 33-9 on Sept. 10. The Rattlers, in their fifth season under head coach Willie Simmons, have won three in a row after this past Saturday’s 34-7 win over Mississippi Valley State. FAMU leads the series, which dates all the way back to 1930, 31-26-2, and the Rattlers have won the last two meetings – including a 30-7 win in Tallahassee, Fla., last year.
MVFC
Nine MVFC teams rank in the Top 30 of the Sagarin football ratings, which includes eight of the Top 20, and three among the Top 8. The same nine MVFC schools rank in the Top 38 of the Massey FCS computer rankings. Notably, nine MVFC programs rank in the Top 20 of Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings, which includes South Dakota, which has the FCS’ hardest SOS. The MVFC is the top-rated FCS league in the Sagarin, followed by the Big Sky, ASUN, Southern, and WAC.
What’s The Score? -- Fullback Hunter Luepke of North Dakota State has scored 10 touchdowns in five NDSU games this year. His 10 total scores tie him for third in the FCS.
On Purpose -- Youngstown State’s Jaleel McLaughlin ranks third in the FCS by averaging 170.5 all-purpose yards per game.
Running Game -- North Dakota State ranks fifth in the FCS by averaging 257.8 yards per game on the ground.
Top Defenses -- Two MVFC schools rank in the Top 9 in the FCS in rushing yards allowed per game. South Dakota State ranks third nationally, yielding only 50.6 yards per game (253 total yards in five contests). Southern Illinois is also under 100 yards per contest, as the Salukis surrender just 88.4 yards on the ground per game. Meanwhile, three league teams rank in the Top 13 in total defense, led by SDSU (5th/246.4 ypg); NDSU (7th/269.8 ypg) and Illinois State (13th/296.2 ypg).
NEC
For the third time in as many weeks, the NEC landed a StatsPerform FedEx Ground FCS National honoree when Stonehill was tabbed the Team of the Week on Monday (Oct. 3). LIU redshirt-sophomore kicker Michael Coney was previously tabbed the FedEx Ground FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week (Sep. 29), while Saint Francis U freshman wide receiver Makai Jackson was named the FedEx Ground FCS National Rookie of the Week (Sep. 22).
Stonehill improved to 3-0 this season after defeating Duquesne, 24-20, in its inaugural NEC game on Saturday.
Sacred Heart is coming off back-to-back non-conference wins against Dartmouth and Norfolk State to improve to 3-2 on the season. With their win against the Spartans, the Pioneers extended their home winning streak to 13 games, which is the third-longest rally in the FCS. Sacred Heart’s defense is ranked No. 16 in the FCS and is first the nation in passing yards allowed (98.2) and second in passes intercepted (9).
Saint Francis U defeated Central Connecticut to improve to 2-0 in NEC play, while Merrimack erased a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat LIU, 24-23, in its conference debut last week. Wagner and Central Connecticut face Columbia and Brown, respectively, in non-conference action, while Duquesne plays host to Merrimack on Saturday in a 1 pm matchup on ESPN3.
OVC
Southeast Missouri’s Geno Hess rushed for 276 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Lindenwood on October 1. It marked the third-most yards by a FCS player this season, and the second-most by an OVC player in the past 12 seasons. In the process Hess set the SEMO career marks for rushing touchdowns (37) and total touchdowns (39). SEMO is now 4-1 overall, including 4-0 against FCS teams in 2022.
Geno Hess is the third different OVC player to rush for 200 or more yards in a game this year, making the OVC the only FCS conference to have three different players reach that mark in 2022.
UT Martin became the first OVC team to win two Conference games this season after a 17-point victory over Tennessee Tech. The Skyhawks eclipsed the 500-yard mark of total offense for the third in five games this season.
PATRIOT
HOLY CROSS AND FORDHAM CLIMB IN AFCA FCS COACHES POLL; CRUSADERS NO. 9 IN STATS PERFORM POLL -- Three-time defending champion Holy Cross climbed one spots in the FCS Coaches Poll to rank No. 10 while moving up to No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS Poll after a 30-21 win over Harvard to open the season 5-0 for the first time since 1991. Fordham won its Patriot League opener in a 59-38 shootout against Georgetown and climbed four spots to No. 16 in the FCS Coaches Poll. The Rams are receiving votes in the FCS Coaches Poll for the fifth-straight week. This is the fourth-consecutive week with two Patriot League teams in the rankings during the regular season. Prior to this season, the last time two League teams were ranked at the same time was Sept. 4, 2017, when Lehigh was No. 19 and Colgate checked in at No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll.
JACKSON, GREENHAGEN, HOLLENSTEINER AND OLIVER NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS -- Bucknell Sr. S Brent Jackson, Fordham Gr. LB Ryan Greenhagen, Georgetown Gr. OL Mac Hollensteiner and Holy Cross Gr. RB Peter Oliver were named semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation (NFF), awarded to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. Jackson, a senior finance major, earned academic All-League honors in 2021. Greenhagen received his bachelor’s degree in business administration in May and is working on his master’s degree. Hollensteiner earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in government in May and is working on his master’s in Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. Oliver, the defending Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and Spanish. He was a Campbell Trophy semifinalist in 2021.
DEMORAT CLIMBING LEAGUE CAREER LEADER LISTS -- Two-time defending Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Tim DeMorat continues to close in on career milestones, throwing for-348 yards and four TDs in a 59-38 win vs. Georgetown. The FCS active leader in passing yardage passed Rams’ great John Skelton to move into third place in the League record book in career passing yards. His 93 passing touchdowns make him the FCS active leader and second in League history behind Holy Cross’s Dominic Randolph (117). The Walter Payton Award candidate leads the FCS, averaging 430.6 passing yards per game this season.
PFL
WILDCATS DO RUN RUN -- Davidson rushed for a FCS single-game best 498 yards against Butler, Oct. 1, it’s third 400-yard rushing day of 2022. The Wildcats topped their previous season best of 417 yards set against St. Andrews, Sept. 17. Davidson also amassed 403 yards against Barton, Sept. 10, and nearly hit the 400-yard mark with 396 yards against Presbyterian, Sept. 24. Those four games rank first, second, fourth, and fifth, respectively in the FCS this season. Only Gardner-Webb’s 412 yards against Limestone break up Davidson’s hold on the top five spots. Davidson is averaging an FCS best 389.4 rushing yards per game – 91.7 yards per game more than second-ranked Dartmouth.
HATTERS THROUGH THE AIR --Meanwhile, Stetson enters Week 6 ranked No. 5 among FCS teams with 351.2 passing yards per game. The Hatters 444-yard performance against Louisiana Christian is the seventh-best passing performance in 2022 while its 384 yards against Concordia ranks 19th.
NO FLAG ZONE -- PFL teams rank among the FCS’ least-penalized teams in 2022. Drake ranks third among the subdivision with just 3.6 penalties per game with Dayton and Morehead State both tied for fifth with 4.0 flags per game. Meanwhile, Morehead State is second in the FCS with just 28.4 penalty yards per game. Dayton is seventh (30.75 yards per game) and Drake is 11th (34.60 yards per game).
SOCON
VMI hosts ETSU on Saturday for the Ingles Southern Conference Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates, while nationally ranked Mercer and Samford squads try to remain unbeaten in SoCon play and The Citadel welcomes Furman in the league’s oldest active rivalry.
Three SoCon squads are ranked in the top 15 in the latest national polls. Chattanooga, idle this week, is ranked No. 9 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 and No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Mercer is No. 12 in both polls, while Samford is ranked No. 15 in the coaches’ poll and No. 13 in the Stats Perform poll. Furman is receiving votes in both polls.
ETSU, the defending league champion, is seeking its first conference win of the season. Bucs running back Jacob Saylors, the preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, paces the league in rushing (112.0 yards per game) and all-purpose yards per game (134.6) this season.
VMI dropped a 38-17 decision at Western Carolina last week despite picking up two interceptions and blocking a punt for the second straight game. Chance Knox had nine catches for 105 yards, both career highs.
SOUTHLAND
The Southland features one of the nation’s top passing offenses in UIW (ranked 2nd in yards per game). UIW is also third the nation in passing efficiency (196.7). Northwestern State ranks 14th nationally in passing yardage with a 273.4 yards per game average.
The UIW Cardinals have remained near the top of the national scoring charts after a 48-20 win over McNeese. This puts the Cardinals at 233 total points through five games for an average of 46.6 points. The Southland record book notes the most total points scored in a season, with Sam Houston scoring 616 points in 15 games in 2015 - an average of 41.1 points per game.
After its comeback 36-33 victory over Nicholls last week, Northwestern State is 2-0 to start Southland play for the first time since 2005. The Demons’ push for a third consecutive Southland win to start the year will wait for a week, as NSU plays at Eastern Illinois of the OVC this week. NSU’s next opportunity for a Southland win will come on October 15, when the Demons travel to Houston Christian. Northwestern State’s last 3-0 conference start was in 2002.
SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced the release of a new pregame show that will air weekly highlighting football from around the league. Cricket SWAC Football Game Day presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar will air each week on the SWAC Digital Network on YouTube.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Alabama A&M’s Donovan Eaglin, Southern’s Jason Dumas, Alabama State’s Nathanial Eichner, and Florida A&M’s Jeremy Moussa its SWAC Football Players of the Week for their impressive performances during games played this past week of competition.
Jackson State moved up one spot to No. 8 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll.
Jackson State currently leads the SWAC in points allowed per game (9.3 ppg). The Tigers also rank 1st in sacks per game (4.0 spg). Jackson State currently leads the SWAC in points per game averaging 47.5 points per contest.
The 2022 Cricket SWAC Football Championship will be carried live on ESPN on Saturday, December 3 at 3:00 pm CST.
WAC
TWO TEAMS TIED AT THE TOP OF THE CONFERENCE STANDINGS -- Abilene Christian joined Southern Utah with matching 1-0 records in conference play to kick off the 2022 league slate. Abilene Christian downed Utah Tech 26-10 on Oct. 1.
FINAL SCHEDULED BATTLE OF THE PINEY WOODS GOES TO SAM HOUSTON -- Sam Houston won the Battle of the Piney Woods matchup with Stephen F. Austin for the 12th consecutive time, defeating the Lumberjacks by one point (21-20 in 2021) for the second straight season. In what was the last scheduled meeting of the teams on the books in the immediate future, Sam Houston improved to 58-35-2 in the series. The tide started to turn for Sam Houston late in the first half with SFA ahead 13-0. Donovan Adkins broke through the line and blocked a punt for the Bearkats, returning the ball to the SFA 7-yard line to set up the first Sam Houston touchdown of the game that cut the deficit to 13-7. SFA led 16-7 with eight minutes remaining in the game before Sam Houston chipped away on the scoreboard with a 21-yard field goal by Seth Morgan. With the game on the line and trailing 16-10, the Bearkats drove 78 yards in 11 plays in just 2:06 of game time, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run from Dezmon Jackson on 4th and goal for the victory. Despite the defeat, SFA safety Myles Heard claimed conference defensive player of the week honors after registering 14 tackles (12 solo) with a pass breakup for the Lumberjacks.
ACU PICKS UP FIRST CONFERENCE W, MOVES TO 4-1 OVERALL -- Abilene Christian pushed its season record to 4-1 with a first victory in conference play, defeating Utah Tech 26-10 in the WAC opener. The Wildcats rolled up 440 yards of total offense and limited the Trailblazers to just 284 yards and 4.2 yards per play.
ASUN
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Jacksonville St.
1
0
5
1
Central Ark.
1
0
2
3
Austin Peay
1
1
4
2
Eastern Ky.
0
1
3
2
North Ala.
0
0
1
3
Kennesaw St.
0
1
1
3
BIG SKY
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Montana
2
0
5
0
Sacramento St.
1
0
4
0
Weber St.
1
0
4
0
Montana St.
2
0
4
1
Idaho
2
0
3
2
Northern Colo.
1
1
2
3
Portland St.
1
1
1
3
Eastern Wash.
0
1
1
3
Cal Poly
0
1
1
3
UC Davis
0
2
1
4
Northern Ariz.
0
2
1
4
Idaho St.
0
2
0
5
BIG SOUTH
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
N.C. A&T
1
0
2
3
Campbell
0
0
2
2
Bryant
0
1
1
4
Gardner-Webb
0
0
1
4
Charleston So.
0
0
0
4
Robert Morris
0
0
0
4
CAA
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Delaware
3
0
5
0
Elon
2
0
4
1
New Hampshire
3
0
3
2
William & Mary
1
1
4
1
Monmouth
1
1
3
2
Villanova
1
1
3
2
Richmond
1
1
3
2
Rhode Island
1
1
3
2
Hampton
0
1
3
1
Towson
0
2
2
3
UAlbany
0
1
1
3
Maine
0
1
0
4
Stony Brook
0
3
0
4
IVY LEAGUE
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Princeton
1
0
3
0
Penn
1
0
3
0
Yale
1
0
2
1
Harvard
1
0
2
1
Columbia
0
1
2
1
Cornell
0
1
2
1
Dartmouth
0
1
1
2
Brown
0
1
1
2
MEAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
N.C. Central
0
0
4
1
Delaware St.
0
0
3
2
Morgan St.
0
0
2
2
South Carolina St.
0
0
1
3
Howard
0
0
1
4
Norfolk St.
0
0
0
5
MVFC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
North Dakota St.
2
0
4
1
South Dakota St.
2
0
4
1
Southern Ill.
2
0
3
2
North Dakota
2
1
3
2
UNI
2
1
2
3
Youngstown St.
0
1
2
2
Illinois St.
0
1
2
2
Missouri St.
0
2
2
3
South Dakota
0
1
1
3
Indiana St.
0
1
1
3
Western Ill.
0
2
0
5
NEC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Stonehill
1
0
3
0
Merrimack
2
0
4
2
Saint Francis (PA)
2
0
3
2
Sacred Heart
1
0
3
2
Duquesne
0
1
1
4
LIU
0
2
0
6
Central Conn. St.
0
2
0
5
Wagner
0
1
0
4
OVC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Southeast Mo. St.
1
0
4
1
UT Martin
2
0
3
2
Eastern Ill.
1
0
1
3
Lindenwood
0
2
2
2
Tennessee Tech
0
1
1
3
Tennessee St.
0
0
0
4
Murray St.
0
1
0
5
PATRIOT
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Colgate
0
1
1
4
Holy Cross
1
0
5
0
Fordham
1
0
4
1
Lafayette
1
0
2
3
Lehigh
1
0
1
4
Georgetown
0
2
1
4
Bucknell
0
1
0
4
PIONEER
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Davidson
2
0
4
1
St. Thomas (MN)
1
0
3
1
Stetson
1
0
3
1
Dayton
1
0
3
1
Valparaiso
1
0
2
2
Morehead St.
1
1
2
3
Marist
1
1
1
3
Butler
0
1
2
2
San Diego
0
1
1
3
Presbyterian
0
2
1
4
Drake
0
2
0
5
SoCON
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Mercer
2
0
4
1
Chattanooga
2
0
4
1
Samford
2
0
4
1
Western Caro.
1
1
3
2
Furman
1
1
3
2
The Citadel
1
1
1
3
ETSU
0
3
2
3
VMI
0
1
1
3
Wofford
0
2
0
5
SOUTHLAND
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Southeastern La.
1
0
3
2
Houston Christian
1
0
2
2
Northwestern St.
2
0
2
3
UIW
1
1
4
1
Tex. A&M-Commerce
0
0
2
2
McNeese
0
1
1
4
Lamar University
0
2
0
5
Nicholls
0
1
0
5
SWAC
CONFERENCE
W
L
W
L
Jackson St.
2
0
4
0
Florida A&M
2
1
3
2
Alabama St.
1
1
3
2
Bethune-Cookman
1
1
1
3
Alabama A&M
1
1
1
4
Mississippi Val.
0
2
0
5
WEST
Prairie View
3
0
3
2
Alcorn
1
0
2
2
Southern U.
1
1
2
2
Texas Southern
1
2
1
4
Ark.-Pine Bluff
0
2
2
3
Grambling
0
2
1
4
WAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Abilene Christian
1
0
4
1
Southern Utah
1
0
3
2
Sam Houston
1
0
2
2
Tarleton St.
0
0
3
1
SFA
0
1
2
3
Utah Tech
0
2
1
4
Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner
Mike sends an attachent with these emails that I will start including each week. On this one, it is catchup time so there will be a few included in other posts.
Added feature this week – Conference Standings, provided by NCAA (at very bottom of this notebook)
Here is a link to this week’s fan/media video (courtesy NCAA staff) -- Click Here (https://youtu.be/WZ-L97YvEnI)
Previously Released:
Week 1 Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t2VO8-UKY0) | Week 2 Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEm3RT4TeKw&feature=youtu.be) | Week 3 Video (https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FnnOgWD9YjMQ&data=05%7C01%7Cthalpin%40ncaa.org%7C58c5926ba3264a 96dc2908da9ca8ef96%7C85a1e95666374b1db6eec72a59ee0 87f%7C0%7C0%7C637994546706429598%7CUnknown%7CTWFpb GZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI 6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=yF2DfCSCFM4f6tAz2m1TTudrQSsPxuRvMj%2F09nzRoQ E%3D&reserved=0) | Week 4 Video (https://youtu.be/dVuTLwxZq5w)
2022 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) | AGS Top 25 -- Click Here (http://thefcswedge.com/ags-poll/ags-poll-week-5-top-25-results-4/) | FCS 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 (https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fherosports.com%2fcategory%2fco llege-football%2ffcs%2f&c=E,1,RCc8_tC95gi2TageeGldFZx1_AffWt8LvdZDJ5-vLbx7CSpI2r98jPXJkxrGsIvPuPexsxfl3iB5CLLsEx5otyGav hh87fPePZRbmbyDGzYYTi8Cp2mfP5A,&typo=1) | Talking Pigskin -- Click Here (https://talkingpigskin.com/)
FCS ALL-IN AIRS EVERY FRIDAY ON ESPN+ AT 7 PM ET -- Click To Learn More (https://fcsinsider.com/news/2022/8/25/football-fcs-all-in-debuts-friday-on-espn.aspx)
The 2023 FCS championship game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 8, and will air on ABC starting at 2 p.m. ET. -- Read (https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2022-09-07/abc-broadcast-2022-fcs-championship-game-frisco)
The last time the game was held on a Sunday was at the end of the 2021 spring season which saw Sam Houston defeat South Dakota St. 23-21.
CRAIG HALEY OF STATS PERFORM PREVIEWS THIS WEEK’S MATCHUPS -- Read (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/fcs-football-preview-and-predictions-week-6-games-of-the-week/)
FedEx Ground FCS National Players of the Week -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/chambers-east-stonehill-headline-weekly-fcs-awards/)
There are 8 FCS teams that remain unbeaten heading into this week:
Delaware (5-0); Holy Cross (5-0); Montana (5-0); Jackson State (4-0); Sac State (4-0); Weber State (4-0); Penn (3-0); Princeton (3-0). Reclassifying Stonehill is also 3-0.
Sam Herder of HERO Sports is talking bracketology -- his very early predictions: Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-playoff-predictions-3-bzbz/)
Top 25 FCS vs. Top 25 FCS This Week (AFCA Coaches Poll rank noted)
#6 Delaware at #17 William & Mary, 3:30 pm ET (COX Yurview/FloFootball)
#21 Eastern Washington at #7 Weber State, 6 pm MT (KJZZ/ESPN+)
#24 Southern Illinois at #19 Missouri State, 2 pm CT (ESPN+)
FCS ROUNDUP (Conference Headlines) – Read below
FBS WINS OVER FBS PROGRAMS – THE FCS HAD 12 SUCH VICTORIES IN 2021 (8 so far this year) -- #FearTheFCS
DATE
FCS TEAM
SCORE
FBS TEAM
Sept. 2
William & Mary
41-24
Charlotte
Sept. 3
Delaware
14-7
Navy
Sept. 10
Eastern Kentucky
59-57 (7 OT)
Bowling Green
Sept. 10
Holy Cross
37-31
Buffalo
Sept. 10
UIW
55-41
Nevada
Sept. 10
Weber State
35-7
Utah State
Sept. 17
Southern Illinois
31-24
Northwestern
Sept. 24
Sacramento State
41-10
Colorado State
FCS INSIDER – AROUND THE FCS
ASUN
Week six for ASUN Conference Football includes just two games as a trio of squads will be on a bye this Saturday. North Alabama visits Kennesaw State in a conference clash while Central Arkansas steps out of league action to host Lindenwood. Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State are all scheduled to return to action on Saturday, Oct. 15.
North Alabama and Kennesaw State are former Big South Conference foes with Saturday marking the first meeting for the pair as ASUN Conference rivals. The game will also be the conference debut for UNA, who is also eligible for the first time to win an FCS conference title and earn a playoff bid. Both squads are looking to rebound from losses in their last outings as North Alabama fell to Tarleton State and KSU was edged in overtime at Jacksonville State.
UNA running back ShunDerrick Powell ranks second in the nation with his 143.2 yards per game rushing while the KSU defense is holding opponents to 123 yards per game on the ground this season.
BIG SKY
Montana State Keeps Home Winning Streak Alive at 15 Games -- Montana State defeated UC Davis on ESPNU last Saturday 41-24, as the Bobcats improved to 4-1 overall on the year. With the win in Bozeman, Montana State has now won 15 straight home games which is currently the best streak in the FCS.
Hornets Seek First 5-0 Start in Program History -- Sacramento State remained undefeated with a 49-21 win at Cal Poly last week, as the Hornets improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1982. The Hornets have never opened the year 5-0 in program history, which dates back to 1954.
Five Big Sky Teams Ranked in Massey Rating Top 20 -- The Big Sky has had a great start to the 2022 football season, with four teams owning four or more wins so far. The conference has five teams overall ranked in the Top 20 of the Massey Rating, with the trio of Sacramento State, Montana and Weber State going 1, 2, 3 in the computer rankings.
BIG SOUTH
Big South preseason favorite North Carolina A&T won its league opener last week, 24-13, over new associate member Bryant, which was playing its inaugural Big South conference game. The Aggies have continued a long-standing conference tradition by becoming the 18th consecutive preseason favorite to win its Big South opener, as the preseason Big South favorite has started 1-0 in the conference standings 21 times overall since the league’s opening season of 2002.
The remaining conference openers are this weekend, with Campbell hosting Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb visiting Robert Morris. The Camels are 2-1 all-time in Big South openers, and will look to start 1-0 for the third-straight time. The Buccaneers are 7-12 in their first conference game of the year, and are looking to start 1-0 for the first time since 2018. The Runnin’ Bulldogs are 9-11 in their all-time Big South openers, and are seeking to begin 1-0 for the first time since 2019. The Colonials are 0-2 in their previous Big South lidlifters.
North Carolina A&T RB Bhayshul Tuten is the Big South’s leading rusher after five weeks with 534 yards -- 514 of which have come in the past four games (128.5 average). His season rushing total after five games is the most in the conference since Monmouth’s Pete Guerriero had the same amount in 2019. Tuten is the first Big South rusher with four consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Guerriero and Hampton’s Shai McKenzie in 2019, while his 534 rushing yards this season are already more than the Aggies’ leading rusher from 2021 -- 522 by Jah-Maine Martin.
CAA
UD/W&M HIGHLIGHTS FULL SLATE OF CONFERENCE GAMES: A Top 25 matchup between #6 Delaware and #16 William & Mary highlights the Week 6 slate in CAA Football, which features all conference games for the first time this season. The Blue Hens are one of only three FCS teams with a 5-0 mark, while the Tribe is off to a 4-1 start for the second year in a row. Elon, riding a four-game win streak, hosts Towson, Monmouth, which has won three straight, faces UAlbany, New Hampshire, which is 3-0 in CAA play, welcomes Stony Brook and Maine travels to Hampton for the Pirates' first home CAA contest.
DOMINANT IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: CAA teams have been dominant against FCS non-conference opponents over the past five years, winning a remarkable 76% of those games. The success has continued in 2022 as CAA teams are 18-4 (.818) against FCS opponents. The 18 wins and the .818 win percentage are the best of any FCS conference.
RECORD-SETTING KICKERS: Elon's Skylar Davis tied the Elon record for career field goals with 59 last Saturday when he kicked a game-tying 42-yarder with 37 seconds left in regulation vs. Richmond. Davis is now tied for 3rd in career FG's on the CAA list. W&M's Ethan Chang booted a 57-yard FG at Stony Brook last week, which set a new W&M record and tied a CAA mark that had stood for 20 years.
IVY
The Ivy League football weekend slate kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday with Cornell hosting Harvard before a national television audience on ESPNU. Dartmouth will play Yale in the second league game of the weekend at noon in New Haven, Conn.
Four of the top five teams in the nation in rushing defense are Ivies: Columbia (1st, 24.7 ypg), Princeton (2nd, 40.7), Harvard (4th, 76.7), Penn (5th, 79.0). Additionally, Dartmouth ranks 25th in the category, allowing 113.3 yards per game.
Four Ivy quarterbacks rank in the top 15 in completions per game. Penn’s Aidan Sayin leads the group with 26.33, which ranks sixth nationally. Brown’s Jake Wilcox (10th, 25.67), Columbia’s Joe Green (15th, 23.00) and Princeton’s Blake Stenstrom (15th, 23.00) round out the group.
The league has enjoyed non-conference success over the past several years. Since 2010, Ivies collectively own a mark of 170-110 (.607) against non-league opponents. This year, Ivies are 12-4 against non-league opponents. Last season, all eight schools had a combined record of 17-7. Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton each went 3-0 in their non-conference slate. The Tigers have claimed 15 straight non-league games.
MEAC
There are just two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football games on the docket this Saturday, but one of them marks the official start of conference play when the Spartans of Norfolk State head to Baltimore to take on Morgan State.
Morgan State will celebrate Homecoming this Saturday as the Bears, winners of two straight will open MEAC play against visiting Norfolk State. The Bears, in their first season under head coach Damon Wilson, have won their last two games after a 44-10 defeat of Virginia University of Lynchburg this past Saturday – a game in which quarterback Carson Baker threw three touchdown passes. With that victory, the Bears have already matched 2021’s win total. The Spartans, in their second season under head coach Dawson Odums, are in search of their first win of the season after last Saturday’s 31-14 loss to Sacred Heart. Norfolk State leads the all-time series 22-11 over the Bears and has won 13 of the last 14 meetings, including a 31-20 victory last year.
Defending MEAC and Cricket Celebration Bowl champion South Carolina State will be at home for the first time this season on Saturday, welcoming Florida A&M, an old, familiar foe to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The Bulldogs will do so coming off a 50-10 loss to South Carolina this past Thursday, and they will also be in search of their second win over a MEAC-turned-SWAC opponent this season – having defeated Bethune-Cookman 33-9 on Sept. 10. The Rattlers, in their fifth season under head coach Willie Simmons, have won three in a row after this past Saturday’s 34-7 win over Mississippi Valley State. FAMU leads the series, which dates all the way back to 1930, 31-26-2, and the Rattlers have won the last two meetings – including a 30-7 win in Tallahassee, Fla., last year.
MVFC
Nine MVFC teams rank in the Top 30 of the Sagarin football ratings, which includes eight of the Top 20, and three among the Top 8. The same nine MVFC schools rank in the Top 38 of the Massey FCS computer rankings. Notably, nine MVFC programs rank in the Top 20 of Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings, which includes South Dakota, which has the FCS’ hardest SOS. The MVFC is the top-rated FCS league in the Sagarin, followed by the Big Sky, ASUN, Southern, and WAC.
What’s The Score? -- Fullback Hunter Luepke of North Dakota State has scored 10 touchdowns in five NDSU games this year. His 10 total scores tie him for third in the FCS.
On Purpose -- Youngstown State’s Jaleel McLaughlin ranks third in the FCS by averaging 170.5 all-purpose yards per game.
Running Game -- North Dakota State ranks fifth in the FCS by averaging 257.8 yards per game on the ground.
Top Defenses -- Two MVFC schools rank in the Top 9 in the FCS in rushing yards allowed per game. South Dakota State ranks third nationally, yielding only 50.6 yards per game (253 total yards in five contests). Southern Illinois is also under 100 yards per contest, as the Salukis surrender just 88.4 yards on the ground per game. Meanwhile, three league teams rank in the Top 13 in total defense, led by SDSU (5th/246.4 ypg); NDSU (7th/269.8 ypg) and Illinois State (13th/296.2 ypg).
NEC
For the third time in as many weeks, the NEC landed a StatsPerform FedEx Ground FCS National honoree when Stonehill was tabbed the Team of the Week on Monday (Oct. 3). LIU redshirt-sophomore kicker Michael Coney was previously tabbed the FedEx Ground FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week (Sep. 29), while Saint Francis U freshman wide receiver Makai Jackson was named the FedEx Ground FCS National Rookie of the Week (Sep. 22).
Stonehill improved to 3-0 this season after defeating Duquesne, 24-20, in its inaugural NEC game on Saturday.
Sacred Heart is coming off back-to-back non-conference wins against Dartmouth and Norfolk State to improve to 3-2 on the season. With their win against the Spartans, the Pioneers extended their home winning streak to 13 games, which is the third-longest rally in the FCS. Sacred Heart’s defense is ranked No. 16 in the FCS and is first the nation in passing yards allowed (98.2) and second in passes intercepted (9).
Saint Francis U defeated Central Connecticut to improve to 2-0 in NEC play, while Merrimack erased a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat LIU, 24-23, in its conference debut last week. Wagner and Central Connecticut face Columbia and Brown, respectively, in non-conference action, while Duquesne plays host to Merrimack on Saturday in a 1 pm matchup on ESPN3.
OVC
Southeast Missouri’s Geno Hess rushed for 276 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Lindenwood on October 1. It marked the third-most yards by a FCS player this season, and the second-most by an OVC player in the past 12 seasons. In the process Hess set the SEMO career marks for rushing touchdowns (37) and total touchdowns (39). SEMO is now 4-1 overall, including 4-0 against FCS teams in 2022.
Geno Hess is the third different OVC player to rush for 200 or more yards in a game this year, making the OVC the only FCS conference to have three different players reach that mark in 2022.
UT Martin became the first OVC team to win two Conference games this season after a 17-point victory over Tennessee Tech. The Skyhawks eclipsed the 500-yard mark of total offense for the third in five games this season.
PATRIOT
HOLY CROSS AND FORDHAM CLIMB IN AFCA FCS COACHES POLL; CRUSADERS NO. 9 IN STATS PERFORM POLL -- Three-time defending champion Holy Cross climbed one spots in the FCS Coaches Poll to rank No. 10 while moving up to No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS Poll after a 30-21 win over Harvard to open the season 5-0 for the first time since 1991. Fordham won its Patriot League opener in a 59-38 shootout against Georgetown and climbed four spots to No. 16 in the FCS Coaches Poll. The Rams are receiving votes in the FCS Coaches Poll for the fifth-straight week. This is the fourth-consecutive week with two Patriot League teams in the rankings during the regular season. Prior to this season, the last time two League teams were ranked at the same time was Sept. 4, 2017, when Lehigh was No. 19 and Colgate checked in at No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll.
JACKSON, GREENHAGEN, HOLLENSTEINER AND OLIVER NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS -- Bucknell Sr. S Brent Jackson, Fordham Gr. LB Ryan Greenhagen, Georgetown Gr. OL Mac Hollensteiner and Holy Cross Gr. RB Peter Oliver were named semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation (NFF), awarded to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. Jackson, a senior finance major, earned academic All-League honors in 2021. Greenhagen received his bachelor’s degree in business administration in May and is working on his master’s degree. Hollensteiner earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in government in May and is working on his master’s in Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. Oliver, the defending Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and Spanish. He was a Campbell Trophy semifinalist in 2021.
DEMORAT CLIMBING LEAGUE CAREER LEADER LISTS -- Two-time defending Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Tim DeMorat continues to close in on career milestones, throwing for-348 yards and four TDs in a 59-38 win vs. Georgetown. The FCS active leader in passing yardage passed Rams’ great John Skelton to move into third place in the League record book in career passing yards. His 93 passing touchdowns make him the FCS active leader and second in League history behind Holy Cross’s Dominic Randolph (117). The Walter Payton Award candidate leads the FCS, averaging 430.6 passing yards per game this season.
PFL
WILDCATS DO RUN RUN -- Davidson rushed for a FCS single-game best 498 yards against Butler, Oct. 1, it’s third 400-yard rushing day of 2022. The Wildcats topped their previous season best of 417 yards set against St. Andrews, Sept. 17. Davidson also amassed 403 yards against Barton, Sept. 10, and nearly hit the 400-yard mark with 396 yards against Presbyterian, Sept. 24. Those four games rank first, second, fourth, and fifth, respectively in the FCS this season. Only Gardner-Webb’s 412 yards against Limestone break up Davidson’s hold on the top five spots. Davidson is averaging an FCS best 389.4 rushing yards per game – 91.7 yards per game more than second-ranked Dartmouth.
HATTERS THROUGH THE AIR --Meanwhile, Stetson enters Week 6 ranked No. 5 among FCS teams with 351.2 passing yards per game. The Hatters 444-yard performance against Louisiana Christian is the seventh-best passing performance in 2022 while its 384 yards against Concordia ranks 19th.
NO FLAG ZONE -- PFL teams rank among the FCS’ least-penalized teams in 2022. Drake ranks third among the subdivision with just 3.6 penalties per game with Dayton and Morehead State both tied for fifth with 4.0 flags per game. Meanwhile, Morehead State is second in the FCS with just 28.4 penalty yards per game. Dayton is seventh (30.75 yards per game) and Drake is 11th (34.60 yards per game).
SOCON
VMI hosts ETSU on Saturday for the Ingles Southern Conference Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates, while nationally ranked Mercer and Samford squads try to remain unbeaten in SoCon play and The Citadel welcomes Furman in the league’s oldest active rivalry.
Three SoCon squads are ranked in the top 15 in the latest national polls. Chattanooga, idle this week, is ranked No. 9 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 and No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Mercer is No. 12 in both polls, while Samford is ranked No. 15 in the coaches’ poll and No. 13 in the Stats Perform poll. Furman is receiving votes in both polls.
ETSU, the defending league champion, is seeking its first conference win of the season. Bucs running back Jacob Saylors, the preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, paces the league in rushing (112.0 yards per game) and all-purpose yards per game (134.6) this season.
VMI dropped a 38-17 decision at Western Carolina last week despite picking up two interceptions and blocking a punt for the second straight game. Chance Knox had nine catches for 105 yards, both career highs.
SOUTHLAND
The Southland features one of the nation’s top passing offenses in UIW (ranked 2nd in yards per game). UIW is also third the nation in passing efficiency (196.7). Northwestern State ranks 14th nationally in passing yardage with a 273.4 yards per game average.
The UIW Cardinals have remained near the top of the national scoring charts after a 48-20 win over McNeese. This puts the Cardinals at 233 total points through five games for an average of 46.6 points. The Southland record book notes the most total points scored in a season, with Sam Houston scoring 616 points in 15 games in 2015 - an average of 41.1 points per game.
After its comeback 36-33 victory over Nicholls last week, Northwestern State is 2-0 to start Southland play for the first time since 2005. The Demons’ push for a third consecutive Southland win to start the year will wait for a week, as NSU plays at Eastern Illinois of the OVC this week. NSU’s next opportunity for a Southland win will come on October 15, when the Demons travel to Houston Christian. Northwestern State’s last 3-0 conference start was in 2002.
SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced the release of a new pregame show that will air weekly highlighting football from around the league. Cricket SWAC Football Game Day presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar will air each week on the SWAC Digital Network on YouTube.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Alabama A&M’s Donovan Eaglin, Southern’s Jason Dumas, Alabama State’s Nathanial Eichner, and Florida A&M’s Jeremy Moussa its SWAC Football Players of the Week for their impressive performances during games played this past week of competition.
Jackson State moved up one spot to No. 8 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll.
Jackson State currently leads the SWAC in points allowed per game (9.3 ppg). The Tigers also rank 1st in sacks per game (4.0 spg). Jackson State currently leads the SWAC in points per game averaging 47.5 points per contest.
The 2022 Cricket SWAC Football Championship will be carried live on ESPN on Saturday, December 3 at 3:00 pm CST.
WAC
TWO TEAMS TIED AT THE TOP OF THE CONFERENCE STANDINGS -- Abilene Christian joined Southern Utah with matching 1-0 records in conference play to kick off the 2022 league slate. Abilene Christian downed Utah Tech 26-10 on Oct. 1.
FINAL SCHEDULED BATTLE OF THE PINEY WOODS GOES TO SAM HOUSTON -- Sam Houston won the Battle of the Piney Woods matchup with Stephen F. Austin for the 12th consecutive time, defeating the Lumberjacks by one point (21-20 in 2021) for the second straight season. In what was the last scheduled meeting of the teams on the books in the immediate future, Sam Houston improved to 58-35-2 in the series. The tide started to turn for Sam Houston late in the first half with SFA ahead 13-0. Donovan Adkins broke through the line and blocked a punt for the Bearkats, returning the ball to the SFA 7-yard line to set up the first Sam Houston touchdown of the game that cut the deficit to 13-7. SFA led 16-7 with eight minutes remaining in the game before Sam Houston chipped away on the scoreboard with a 21-yard field goal by Seth Morgan. With the game on the line and trailing 16-10, the Bearkats drove 78 yards in 11 plays in just 2:06 of game time, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run from Dezmon Jackson on 4th and goal for the victory. Despite the defeat, SFA safety Myles Heard claimed conference defensive player of the week honors after registering 14 tackles (12 solo) with a pass breakup for the Lumberjacks.
ACU PICKS UP FIRST CONFERENCE W, MOVES TO 4-1 OVERALL -- Abilene Christian pushed its season record to 4-1 with a first victory in conference play, defeating Utah Tech 26-10 in the WAC opener. The Wildcats rolled up 440 yards of total offense and limited the Trailblazers to just 284 yards and 4.2 yards per play.
ASUN
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Jacksonville St.
1
0
5
1
Central Ark.
1
0
2
3
Austin Peay
1
1
4
2
Eastern Ky.
0
1
3
2
North Ala.
0
0
1
3
Kennesaw St.
0
1
1
3
BIG SKY
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Montana
2
0
5
0
Sacramento St.
1
0
4
0
Weber St.
1
0
4
0
Montana St.
2
0
4
1
Idaho
2
0
3
2
Northern Colo.
1
1
2
3
Portland St.
1
1
1
3
Eastern Wash.
0
1
1
3
Cal Poly
0
1
1
3
UC Davis
0
2
1
4
Northern Ariz.
0
2
1
4
Idaho St.
0
2
0
5
BIG SOUTH
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
N.C. A&T
1
0
2
3
Campbell
0
0
2
2
Bryant
0
1
1
4
Gardner-Webb
0
0
1
4
Charleston So.
0
0
0
4
Robert Morris
0
0
0
4
CAA
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Delaware
3
0
5
0
Elon
2
0
4
1
New Hampshire
3
0
3
2
William & Mary
1
1
4
1
Monmouth
1
1
3
2
Villanova
1
1
3
2
Richmond
1
1
3
2
Rhode Island
1
1
3
2
Hampton
0
1
3
1
Towson
0
2
2
3
UAlbany
0
1
1
3
Maine
0
1
0
4
Stony Brook
0
3
0
4
IVY LEAGUE
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Princeton
1
0
3
0
Penn
1
0
3
0
Yale
1
0
2
1
Harvard
1
0
2
1
Columbia
0
1
2
1
Cornell
0
1
2
1
Dartmouth
0
1
1
2
Brown
0
1
1
2
MEAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
N.C. Central
0
0
4
1
Delaware St.
0
0
3
2
Morgan St.
0
0
2
2
South Carolina St.
0
0
1
3
Howard
0
0
1
4
Norfolk St.
0
0
0
5
MVFC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
North Dakota St.
2
0
4
1
South Dakota St.
2
0
4
1
Southern Ill.
2
0
3
2
North Dakota
2
1
3
2
UNI
2
1
2
3
Youngstown St.
0
1
2
2
Illinois St.
0
1
2
2
Missouri St.
0
2
2
3
South Dakota
0
1
1
3
Indiana St.
0
1
1
3
Western Ill.
0
2
0
5
NEC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Stonehill
1
0
3
0
Merrimack
2
0
4
2
Saint Francis (PA)
2
0
3
2
Sacred Heart
1
0
3
2
Duquesne
0
1
1
4
LIU
0
2
0
6
Central Conn. St.
0
2
0
5
Wagner
0
1
0
4
OVC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Southeast Mo. St.
1
0
4
1
UT Martin
2
0
3
2
Eastern Ill.
1
0
1
3
Lindenwood
0
2
2
2
Tennessee Tech
0
1
1
3
Tennessee St.
0
0
0
4
Murray St.
0
1
0
5
PATRIOT
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Colgate
0
1
1
4
Holy Cross
1
0
5
0
Fordham
1
0
4
1
Lafayette
1
0
2
3
Lehigh
1
0
1
4
Georgetown
0
2
1
4
Bucknell
0
1
0
4
PIONEER
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Davidson
2
0
4
1
St. Thomas (MN)
1
0
3
1
Stetson
1
0
3
1
Dayton
1
0
3
1
Valparaiso
1
0
2
2
Morehead St.
1
1
2
3
Marist
1
1
1
3
Butler
0
1
2
2
San Diego
0
1
1
3
Presbyterian
0
2
1
4
Drake
0
2
0
5
SoCON
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Mercer
2
0
4
1
Chattanooga
2
0
4
1
Samford
2
0
4
1
Western Caro.
1
1
3
2
Furman
1
1
3
2
The Citadel
1
1
1
3
ETSU
0
3
2
3
VMI
0
1
1
3
Wofford
0
2
0
5
SOUTHLAND
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Southeastern La.
1
0
3
2
Houston Christian
1
0
2
2
Northwestern St.
2
0
2
3
UIW
1
1
4
1
Tex. A&M-Commerce
0
0
2
2
McNeese
0
1
1
4
Lamar University
0
2
0
5
Nicholls
0
1
0
5
SWAC
CONFERENCE
W
L
W
L
Jackson St.
2
0
4
0
Florida A&M
2
1
3
2
Alabama St.
1
1
3
2
Bethune-Cookman
1
1
1
3
Alabama A&M
1
1
1
4
Mississippi Val.
0
2
0
5
WEST
Prairie View
3
0
3
2
Alcorn
1
0
2
2
Southern U.
1
1
2
2
Texas Southern
1
2
1
4
Ark.-Pine Bluff
0
2
2
3
Grambling
0
2
1
4
WAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
W
L
W
L
Abilene Christian
1
0
4
1
Southern Utah
1
0
3
2
Sam Houston
1
0
2
2
Tarleton St.
0
0
3
1
SFA
0
1
2
3
Utah Tech
0
2
1
4
Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner
Mike sends an attachent with these emails that I will start including each week. On this one, it is catchup time so there will be a few included in other posts.