All year long FCS conferences and institutions will join the rest of the nation in celebrating the 150th anniversary of college football. Schools will be wearing a CFB150 patch or helmet decal this year. Schools and conferences should use the hashtag #FCS_CFB150 for all FCS social media posts.

 #FCSonGameDay -- got a suggestion for an FCS matchup or content for College GameDay -- tweet it.

* The D.C. Defenders (XFL) selected James Madison WR Rashard Davis as the first overall pick in the XFL Draft this week. Davis was undrafted in 2017 but had a spot on the practice squad with the Philadelphia Eagles during their Super Bowl season.

* This year, a whopping 167 players from current FCS schools were part of the 32 opening-day rosters for the NFL's 100th season. Add in 43 players that were signed to practice squads (which go through frequent changes) and the FCS haul in the NFL is 210 (data courtesy Craig Haley of STATS). Notably, there are 39 inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who represent current FCS institutions.

* This week, 23 of 25 ranked teams (STATS FCS poll) are in action, and there are two games on the schedule that feature two ranked FCS teams (AFCA/STATS rankings). Top-25 teams Montana State and Villanova are idle this week.

 #22/23 New Hampshire at (4-2) #24/24 Delaware (3-3), 1 pm ET [FloFootball.com]
 #5/6 Montana (5-1) at #15/17 Sacramento State (4-2), 9 pm ET [Fox Montana / SWX in Billings]

* North Dakota State has extended its winning streak to 27 games, the second-longest in FCS history. NDSU holds the FCS record with a 33-game winning streak (2012-14). NDSU hosts Missouri State this Saturday.

* VMI's Alex Ramsey, James Madison's John Daka, Morehead State's Andrew Foster and UC Davis' Nick Eaton were named Monday as the STATS FCS National Players of the Week

* The STATS FCS Team of the Week is Dartmouth, which routed Yale, 42-10 on Saturday. HONORABLE MENTION: Elon (42-7 win over No. 15 Delaware); Florida A&M (42-38 win over South Carolina State); Fordham (30-27 win over Georgetown); Sacramento State (34-21 win over No. 6 Montana State); San Diego (37-17 win over Davidson)

FCS CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION (42nd Season -- first year was in 1978)

  • TEAM COMPOSITION -- (24 TOTAL TEAMS) There are 10 conferences with automatic bids and the selection committee makes 14 at-large selections.
  • DATES -- Selection Sunday is on Sunday, Nov. 24. First-round games take place Saturday, Nov. 30. The top eight seeds receive a first-round bye. The title game will take place Saturday, Jan. 11, in Frisco, Texas.
  • SITE -- In January 2019, the NCAA announced it agreed to a five-year extension with Frisco, Texas, and Toyota Stadium will host the championship through 2025 (for the 2024 season) with an option for the 2026 championship.
  • ESPN provides coverage for all 23 games, and the championship game has aired on ESPN2 since 2002.
  • North Dakota State is the two-time defending champion. NDSU has won 7 of the past 8 titles (James Madison is the other.) Last year, NDSU beat Eastern Washington in the title game.
  • Conferences with the most titles: Missouri Valley (9), Southern (8), Big Sky (6), CAA Football (6).


INDEPENDENTS -- While UND is currently sitting with a 3-0 mark at the Alerus Center, including a pair of ranked wins, the road has not been as kind to the Fighting Hawks. The green and white are currently 0-3 away from Grand Forks, and are being outscored 127-47 in those three games. The Hawks are looking to avoid an 0-4 start on the road for the fourth time in the Division I era (2008-present).

BIG SKY -- Montana, Sacramento State and Weber State lead the Big Sky with undefeated conference records of 2-0. Five more teams have one loss, and the Big Sky is stacked with unknowns on who will come out on top due to the talent that shines from top to bottom in the league.

Big Sky quarterbacks continue to make an impact in 2019. Eastern Washington's Eric Barriere is tied for second in the FCS with 20 touchdowns through seven games. Sacramento State's Kevin Thomson is tied for fifth with 19 through six games, while Northern Arizona's Case Cookus is tied for eighth with 18 through six games, along with UC Davis' Jake Maier who has 18 touchdown passes in seven games. That gives the conference four of the top 10 spots in the FCS. Cookus and Maier rank third and fifth respectively in passing yards per game at 345.8 and 320.4.

Defensively, Idaho's Tre Walker is second in the FCS in total tackles with 78, including 48 solo. Montana's Dante Olson is averaging 11.5 tackles per game for third in the FCS. Montana State's Bryce Sterk and Idaho's Charles Akanno both have 12.5 tackles for loss to rank tied for second in the FCS, just .5 behind the leader. Sterk is also second in sacks with 8.5. Anthony Adams of Portland State leads the nation is passes defended with 14, including three interceptions.

The ROOT SPORTS Game of the Week features Idaho State at Idaho. The game is at 2:30 p.m. PT from the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.

BIG SOUTH -- Four teams have opened 1-0 in Big South games -- Campbell, Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw State and Monmouth. Campbell is 1-0 in the Big South for the first time, and will look to start 2-0 in conference games for the first time since opening the 2017 Pioneer Football League slate with a 4-0 record. Gardner-Webb is 1-0 for the first time since 2016, and is seeking its first 2-0 Big South start since 2009. Kennesaw State is 1-0 for the third consecutive year and has opened 2-0 each of the past two seasons. Monmouth is also 1-0 for the third-straight campaign, and has started 2-0 the last two years as well. Meanwhile, three of the four 1-0 squads can open 2-0 after this weekend, as Gardner-Webb and Monmouth go head-to-head on Saturday.

Gardner-Webb WR DEVRON HARPER's 90-yard catch-and-run last Saturday against Hampton is tied for the second-longest in Big South history, and the longest without reaching the end zone. He did score on a 70-yard pass play earlier in the game to become the first player in Big South history with two catches of at least 70 yards in the same contest. Harper finished the day with four catches for 187 yards ( =46.8 yards per catch), the most receiving yards in a game by a Runnin' Bulldog receiver since KENNY COOK had 251 at VMI on Oct. 18, 2014.

Charleston Southern kicker ALEX USRY is the first placekicker in Big South history to make two field goals of at least 49 yards in the same game, as he achieved the feat last Saturday in the second quarter at Kennesaw State. He first booted a 49-yarder, then followed with a career-long 50-yard field goal. The previous best distance was two from 48 yards, which was accomplished by VMI's MATT SHARPE vs. Gardner-Webb in 2003. Usry is the seventh different kicker in league annals to make one field goal from both 40+ and 50+ yards in the same game.

CAA FOOTBALL -- The depth and parity in the CAA was on display last Saturday as five of the league's six nationally ranked teams lost to conference foes, with four of the setbacks coming to unranked opponents. UAlbany won 38-21 at No. 9 Towson, Elon downed No. 15 Delaware 42-7, Richmond got a 24-17 victory at No. 18 Maine, and New Hampshire picked up a 20-14 win at No. 22 Stony Brook. In a Top 5 showdown, JMU rallied for 21 fourth-quarter points to defeat No. 5 Villanova, 38-24.

Ten of the 18 CAA games played this season have been decided by eight points or less, including three overtime contests. On Oct. 7, JMU edged Stony Brook, 45-38 in overtime after the Seawolves kicked a game-tying field goal with five seconds left. On Sept. 29, Stony Brook edged Rhode Island, 31-27, on Tyquell Fields' 50-yard TD run with 11 seconds to play. On Sept. 21, Villanova edged Towson, 52-45 in overtime, and New Hampshire got past Rhode Island, 27-24, on a field goal as time expired. Delaware pulled out a 36-33 triple OT win at Rhode Island on Sept. 7.

Saturday's matchup between Rhode Island and UAlbany features two of the top receiving tandems in FCS. The Rams' duo of Aaron Parker (47 rec., 746 yds, 6 TD's) and Isaiah Coulter (43 rec., 657 yds, TD's) rank first and second in the CAA in receptions per game, while the Great Danes' Juwan Green (46 rec., 702 yds, 8 TD's) and Jerah Reeves (46 rec., 565 yds, 4 TD's) are tied for third in catches per game. All four rank among the top 15 in FCS in receptions, and Parker, Coulter and Green are also among the top 11 in FCS in receiving yards per game. All four players have had three games with at least 100 receiving yards this season.

IVY LEAGUE -- The Ivy League is home to 2-of-3 remaining unbeaten teams in the FCS, with Dartmouth (4-0) and Princeton (4-0) joining North Dakota State (6-0). Princeton boasts a 14-game winning streak, second only to the two-time defending national champion Bison's 27-game stretch.

The Ivy League's seven-game national television package, featuring all eight Ivy League programs, continues on Friday, Oct. 25, when Dartmouth hosts Columbia at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

22 Ivies earned National Football League (NFL) roster spots entering the 2019 season, with 16 on 53-man active rosters, four on 10-man practice squads and three on reserve lists during Week 6. Eleven earned playing time for their respective teams, including four tight ends that caught passes for a combined 109 yards. An FCS-leading 24 Ivies appeared on NFL rosters during the 2018 season, with Harvard alumnus Kyle Juszczyk earning his third-straight Pro Bowl nod with the San Francisco 49ers and Brown alum James Develin becoming the first Ivy to win three Super Bowls as a player with the New England Patriots.


MEAC -- The game of the week is in Tallahassee, Fla. for Week 8 of the MEAC football schedule, with conference undefeated North Carolina A&T State and Florida A&M squaring off in Bragg Memorial Stadium. Though the Rattlers are ineligible for the league title (and postseason play), the Aggies will hit the road looking to avenge last year's loss to FAMU and continue their march toward a third straight title. In other action, South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough will look to become the program's all-time winningest coach as the Bulldogs celebrate Homecoming against Morgan State. Norfolk State will hit the road to face Bethune-Cookman for the first time since 2016, and Delaware State will be home for a non-conference match-up against Merrimack.

Morgan State celebrated Homecoming with its first win of the season, 34-3 over Delaware State this past Saturday. The win was also the first for Bears head coach Tyrone Wheatley. Running back Josh Chase ran for 116 yards and two scores on 19 carries.

Norfolk State snapped a four-game losing streak with a 49-21 win over Howard this past Saturday. Quarterback Juwan Carter was named MEAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the second time season for his performance in the Spartans' 49-21 win over Howard. Carter accounted for 433 yards of total offense, as well as a career-high and MEAC season-high six touchdowns. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 377 yards and four touchdowns, while adding eight carries for 56 yards and two scores.

MISSOURI VALLEY -- North Dakota State has extended its current winning streak to an FCS-best 27 games. NDSU set a league and FCS record with a 33-game win streak from 2012-14. Clemson has the longest active streak in the FBS with 21-straight victories.

Two MVFC QBs rank among the Top 20 in the nation in TD passes. Trey Lance of NDSU is 13th with 15 TDs; he's the NCAA freshman leader in that category. Austin Simmons of USD is tied for 19th with 14 passing TDs. He tied a career high with four against Missouri State in Springfield on Oct. 12.

Five Valley Football teams rank among the FCS leaders in total defense. North Dakota State (2nd with 275.0 yards per game allowed per game) and South Dakota State (4th, 283.8 ypg) lead the way. Youngstown State (15th, 323.5 ypg), Indiana State (325.8 ypg) and UNI (21st, 327.3 ypg) also represent the league in the Top 25. Three league schools rank in the Top 10 in the FCS for fewest points allowed. North Dakota State leads the MVFC and ranks third nationally (12.0 ppg). South Dakota State ranks 5th (14.3 ppg), while Illinois State clocks in at 10th in the FCS (18.7 ppg).

NORTHEAST -- Defending NEC co-champions Duquesne and Sacred Heart will meet in the featured #NECFB Game of the Week on ESPN3 Saturday at 12:00 pm ET. Both teams' featured running backs went well over the 100-yard mark last time out. Duquesne's AJ Hines, a Preseason All-American, ran for 140 yards and one TD against LIU (Week 6) while SHU's Julius Chestnut, who ranks fifth amongst FCS rushing leaders (689 yards), averaged 5.2 yards per carry and totaled 180 yards from scrimmage in a Week 7 setback at Penn.

Central Connecticut, which is 4-0 on the road against FCS teams, earned its first STATS Top 25 ranking since the 2006 season this week. The Blue Devils' 6.96 yards per play are eighth most in FCS while the defense's 11 interceptions are tied for second most. CCSU has removed the interim tag from first-year head coach Ryan McCarthy.

Bryant senior DE Tomas Wright (27.5) moved to within 2.0 sacks of the program's career record. He ranks fourth overall amongst active FCS career leaders, one spot behind Wagner's Cam Gill (28.0).

Saint Francis, which visits LIU in Week 8 on NECFrontRow.com, owns the nation's top-ranked pass defense efficiency rating (97.11) and sits second amongst FCS team leaders in third-down defense (23.3).

OHIO VALLEY -- UT Martin is now 3-0 in OVC play, one of two teams undefeated in the league, after a 55-14 win at Tennessee Tech. It marks the first 3-0 start for the Skyhawks in OVC action since 2006, a year they started 5-0 on the way to its lone OVC Championship.

Austin Peay is 2-0 in OVC action after wins over nationally-ranked Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri. It marks the first time in program history the team has defeated two nationally-ranked opponents in the same season. Those victories vaulted the Governors into both FCS Top 25 polls, marking only the fourth different season the program has ever been ranked (1978, 1979, 2018, 2019). APSU is No. 19 in the Coaches Poll (its highest-ever ranking in that poll) and No. 20 in the STATS Poll (the Govs were No. 8 in the 1979 Associated Press Top 10 poll).

Tennessee State wide receiver Chris Rowland had a school record 14 receptions against Murray State last week. He is currently on pace for 120 catches this season, which would rank third in OVC history. Rowland ranks first nationally in receiving yards (1,021), receiving yards/game (145.9) and all-purpose yards (207.86/game) and second in receptions/game (10.0).

Offense & Newcomer: QB John Bachus III, UT Martin | Defense: SAF Traco Williams, Jacksonville State
Specialist: K Ryan Courtright, UT Martin

PATRIOT -- Seven PL football teams are in action in Week 8 with Lafayette traveling to Georgetown for the Stadium Game of the Week on Saturday. Matt Martucci, Dave Owens and Morgan Uber will be on the call as coverage on Stadium begins at noon. Holy Cross hosts Harvard and Lehigh travels to Fordham, with coverage on the Patriot League Network (PLN) beginning at 1 p.m. Colgate heads to Cornell for a 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Bucknell plays at former associate member Towson for a 4 p.m. start on FloSports.TV.

The Patriot League boasts four of the top five FCS active leaders in tackles for loss per game, led by Fordham sophomore linebacker Ryan Greenhagen, a three-time League defensive player of the week this season. Junior linebacker and teammate Glenn Cunningham is second in the nation after leading the Patriot League and placing fourth in the FCS with 21.5 tackles for loss in 2018. Preseason Player of the Year Nick Wheeler, a senior defensive lineman at Colgate, has 48.5 TFL's in 37 games for the Raiders' defense. Bucknell junior linebacker Simeon Page has 28.5 TFL's in 22 career games to place seventh.

Wheeler became Colgate's career leader in sacks, passed Georgetown alum Alec May for fifth in League history and vaulted into the lead among active FCS players with 29.5 career sacks, after posting 2.0 vs. Bucknell. He is third among active FCS players in career sacks per game with 0.80. Page recorded 3.0 sacks against Colgate and is fourth among active FCS players with 0.80 sacks per game. The Bison junior linebacker has recorded 18.5 sacks for a loss of 137 yards in 22 career games.

PIONEER -- Drake takes the week off after moving to 3-0 in Week 7 and will watch Dayton and San Diego attempt to improve to 3-0. Dayton stays on the road after a win at Valparaiso and plays this week at Stetson, which is unbeaten at home and looking to keep pace in the PFL race. San Diego, which has not lost a home PFL game since the 2010 season, returns home to host Valparaiso. Morehead State hosts Butler while Davidson travels to Jacksonville with both the Eagles and Wildcats looking to keep pace in the early league race.

With its win against Valparaiso in Week 7, San Diego's extended its PFL win streak to 31 games. It is the third longest conference win streak in PFL history. It trails a 39-game win streak by Duquesne in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association (1999-06) and a 36-game win streak by Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference (2013-18).

Seeing a PFL quarterback listed on the FCS Active Career Leaders list in passing efficiency is a normal occurrence. However, that quarterback not having San Diego next to their name is a new twist. Dayton signal caller Jack Cook is the FCS' active career leader with a 165.65 career pass efficiency rating. That would rank second all-time on the PFL's career pass efficiency list, behind San Diego's Josh Johnson's 176.68 mark (2004-07)

SOUTHERN -- A week after five league teams were idle, four Southern Conference games are on deck for this week, including ETSU visiting Chattanooga on Thursday. Wofford hosts Western Carolina on Saturday in the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week. Wofford has won three straight since an 0-2 start to the season to sit just one game out of first place in the league at 2-1 in SoCon play. The Terriers have won three straight against Western Carolina and 18 of the last 22 in the series.

Catamount quarterback Tyrie Adams had 297 yards of total offense in a 35-17 loss at The Citadel on Oct. 12, running for 87 yards and a touchdown and throwing for 210 yards and a TD.

Despite being idle last week, Furman rose three spots in the national polls to No. 8 in both the AFCA and STATS rankings, good for the Paladins' highest ranking since finishing No. 7 in 2006. VMI and Wofford are receiving votes in both polls.

The Keydets won their second straight on Oct. 12, downing Samford 48-41 in overtime to improve to 4-3. The four wins are VMI's most since going 4-7 in 2008, while the Keydets are over .500 at the latest point in the season since sitting 6-5 entering the final week of their 2003 campaign.

VMI's Alex Ramsey rushed for 163 yards and a career-best six touchdowns in the win over the Bulldogs, matching the SoCon record for rushing TDs and earning STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week honors. VMI QB Reece Udinski has yet to throw an interception this season, as he is 192-for-298 for 2,051 yards and 13 TDs. Udinski has already set SoCon records for consecutive passes without an interception in a season and in a career and sits just 44 back of the FCS season and career records of 342 set by Portland State's Jimmy Blanchard in 1999.

SOUTHLAND -- With 323 total offensive yards in Saturday's win over Northwestern State, Nicholls quarterback Chase Fourcade moved to No. 5 on the Southland Conference's all-time total offense list (10,478).

Fourcade, along with Lamar defensive back Michael Lawson, UIW defensive back Ashton Preston and Central
Arkansas kicker, were named Honorable Mention STATS FCS National Players of the Week.

Lawson tallied a team-high 10 tackles and picked off two passes, including the game-sealing interception in the third overtime of an upset win over Sam Houston State. Preston recorded a career-best two interceptions as UIW knocked off Southeastern Louisiana. His first came with SLU driving at the UIW 36-yard line and another that led to a Cardinals' field goal.

Colonels DL Sully Laiche entered the league's top-10 in career sacks with 28.5 after he tallied his third sack of the year on Saturday.

SWAC -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced that Cricket Wireless will serve as the title sponsor for the 2019 SWAC Football Championship game. The 2019 SWAC Football Championship game is scheduled to be held on Saturday, December 7th at 3:00 pm at the home facility of the highest ranked league team at the conclusion of the regular season. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPNU

SU QB Ladarius Skelton scored on a 6-yard run after Southern blocked a punt and Devon Benn added a late TD run to help the Jaguars hold off Prairie View A&M 34-28 on Saturday night. The Jaguars (3-3, 2-0 Southwest Athletic Conference) beat the Panthers (2-4, 1-1) for a fourth straight time.

It's a light week in the SWAC on Oct. 19 as only five league teams are in action. Two conference games are on the slate, while Prairie View A&M hosts University of Virginia - Lynchburg for its Homecoming game.