ursus arctos horribilis
December 5th, 2019, 03:08 PM
SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Dec. 7
Southern at Alcorn State, 4 pm ET
FCS PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND -- Saturday, Dec. 7
at Fargo, N.D., 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Nicholls at #1 North Dakota State
at Conway, Arkansas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Illinois State at #8 Central Arkansas
at Bozeman, Montana, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Albany at #5 Montana State
at Sacramento, California, 9 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Austin Peay at #4 Sacramento State
at Ogden, Utah, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Kennesaw State at #3 Weber State
at Missoula, Montana 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Southeastern Louisiana at #6 Montana
at Brookings, S.D., 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | UNI at #7 South Dakota State
at Harrisonburg, Virginia, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Monmouth at #2 James Madison
FIRST ROUND -- Saturday, Nov. 30
at Nicholls 24, North Dakota 6
Illinois State 24, at SE Missouri State 6
at Albany 42, Central Connecticut State 14
at Austin Peay 42, Furman 6
Kennesaw State 28, at Wofford 21
at Southeastern Louisiana 45, Villanova 44
at UNI 17, San Diego 3
at Monmouth 44, Holy Cross 27
LEGACY AWARDS -- Finalists have been announced for the 2019 STATS FCS legacy awards, which honor the national players and coach of the year in college football's Division I subdivision. Nominees were pared to finalists for the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year) and Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year). The winners will be recognized at a banquet on Friday, Jan. 10, in Frisco, Texas.
FCS 101 – FCS and FBS are both Division I. The key differences are scholarship limits (85 for FBS and 63 for FCS), the number of allowable assistant coaches, and resources. FCS stands for Football Championship Subdivision. There are currently 130 FBS programs and 126 FCS programs.
THE FCS CHAMPIONSHIP – It started in 1978, as a four-team field. Now in its 42nd year, the FCS Championship has 24 teams, and the title game is played each January in Frisco, Texas. ESPN provides television coverage of all rounds. The title game this year will be on ABC.
The Big Sky (4), Missouri Valley Football (4), CAA Football (3) and Southland (3) conferences have the most representatives of any league. With four top-8 seeds, the Big Sky set an FCS playoff record. The previous record was 3 (also by the Big Sky, in 2018). The MVFC, meanwhile, has had two Top 8 seeds for an FCS-record six-straight seasons. At 10-straight appearances, North Dakota State's playoff appearance streak is best in the FCS. South Dakota State, meanwhile, has a streak of eight-straight trips, which is second-best among active FCS schools. UNI, making its 21st appearance, trails only Montana (24) for overall FCS championship appearances.
GREAT PLAYERS – The FCS has developed some of the finest athletes in the game. Arguably two of the greatest players of all-time (RB Walter Payton at Jackson State and WR Jerry Rice at Mississippi Valley State) played at an FCS school. The NFL's all-time leading scorer – Adam Vinatieri of South Dakota State -- did, too. This year, a whopping 167 players from current FCS schools were on opening-day NFL rosters (that's the equivalent of more than 3 full teams). Notably, there are 39 inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who represent current FCS institutions. Former JMU LB/DE Charles Haley was the first player to be a member of five teams that won Super Bowls (2 with the 49ers, 3 with the Cowboys). He's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2015).
GREAT COACHES – Eddie Robinson (Grambling) retired in 1997 with a record of 408–165–15. Robinson coached every single game from the field and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Current NFL head coaches and their alma maters include Buffalo's Sean McDermott (William & Mary), Chicago's Matt Nagy (Delaware), Dallas' Jason Garrett (Princeton), Houston's Bill O'Brien (Penn), Minnesota's Mike Zimmer (Illinois State), New Orleans' Sean Payton (Eastern Illinois), Oakland's Jon Gruden (Dayton), and Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin (William & Mary). Notably, Dennis Erickson played at Montana State, coached at Idaho and is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Joe Taylor played at Western Illinois, coached at Howard, Virginia Union, Hampton, and Florida A&M and is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this December. He is the all-time winningest coach in Hampton football history.
GREAT HISTORY – Two of the nation's oldest Division I conferences compete at the FCS level. The Southwestern Athletic Conference was founded in 1920 and the Southern Conference was founded in 1921. Ivy League member Princeton played in the first-ever college football game in 1869. 12 of the 13 FCS conferences have been established for more than 30 years.
GREAT TEAMS – This decade the FCS has averaged 9 wins each year against FBS programs. North Dakota State, which has won 7 of the past 8 FCS championships, has six-straight wins against FBS schools, which includes wins at Power 5 schools Minnesota, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and 11th-ranked Iowa.
GREAT STORIES – One of the greatest stories in NFL history has its roots in the FCS. Northern Iowa's Kurt Warner was stocking shelves at a grocery store before his rise to NFL stardom, earning a Super Bowl title, an NFL MVP honor and a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.
BIG SKY -- The Big Sky Conference continues to stand out among the FCS. Last year, the league had three teams seeded in the playoff field to set an FCS record and in 2019 the league increased that record to four.
Weber State earned the Big Sky's automatic bid to the 2019 Division I Football Championships. The Wildcats and Sacramento State earned a share of the Big Sky championship with a 7-1 league record. It's the third straight year the Wildcats have earned at least a share of the Big Sky crown and the fourth consecutive year they have appeared in the playoffs. The Hornets are making their first-ever appearance after its first conference championship in school history.
Weber State (No. 3), Sacramento State (No. 4), Montana State (No. 5), and Montana (No. 6) captured four of the eight seeded spots and were rewarded with first-round byes. All four teams were also ranked in the top 8 of the STATS FCS and AFCA Coaches' Polls.
The Last Time The Big Sky
Had 3 teams make the playoffs - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU | Had 4 teams make the playoffs - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU
Had 3 teams in the second round - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU | Had 4 teams in the second round - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU
Had a team make the quarterfinals - 2018: EWU, UCD, WSU | Had 2 teams make the quarterfinals - 2018: EWU, UCD, WSU
Had 3 teams make the quarterfinals - 2018: EWU, UCD, WSU
Had a team make the semifinals - 2018: EWU
Had a team make the championship - 2018: EWU | Had a team win the championship - 2010: EWU
BIG SOUTH -- The Big South went 2-0 in the first round of the FCS Playoffs, as Monmouth downed Holy Cross, 44-27, and Kennesaw State rallied from two 7-point deficits to win at Wofford, 28-21. The league has now advanced in the postseason eight times in the last nine years, and improved its playoff record to 12-14. The conference will have two teams in the second round for the third time, as the previous years were 2012 and 2014. Kennesaw State is appearing in the second round for the third consecutive year, which ties a Big South record.
The Big South is 4-4 all-time in the second round of the FCS Playoffs, and is seeking its third-straight berth into the quarterfinals and sixth appearance in the last seven years. Of the four second round defeats, three have been by one possession. Meanwhile, the Big South is 3-2 all-time against CAA Football members in the playoffs (1-2 in the second round), and 1-1 against Big Sky squads (both meetings in the second round).
Monmouth RB PETE GUERRIERO collected Big South-playoff game records of 220 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in leading the Hawks to the second round of the postseason. It was his third-straight 200-yard rushing effort -- another Big South record. Guerriero's three TD runs against Holy Cross included a 68-yard scamper, the longest touchdown run by a Big South player in the playoffs, and the second-longest rush from scrimmage in a postseason game.
Kennesaw State back-up QB JONATHAN MURPHY set three Big South-playoff rushing records for a quarterback in the Owls' 28-21 first round win at Wofford. He rushed for a QB-best 206 yards -- the second-most by a Big South quarterback in ANY game; scored a quarterback-record three rushing TDs (tied with Monmouth's PETE GUERRIERO for the most in a playoff game), and reeled off runs of 61, 40 and 35 against the Terriers -- the top three longest runs by a Big South signal-caller in a playoff contest. He scored on the 61-yarder to mark the second-longest touchdown run in the league's playoff history.
CAA FOOTBALL -- James Madison hosts Monmouth and UAlbany visits Montana State in second-round playoff action Saturday. The CAA has had at least two teams in the second round every year since the field expanded to 24 teams in 2010, and CAA teams are 15-14 all-time in second-round games. JMU, the #2 national seed, is making its 6th straight playoff appearance and 16th overall. UAlbany, which is making its first appearance since 2011, recorded its first playoff win in school history last week by beating NEC champ Central Connecticut State, 42-14.
No conference has proven to be as strong from top to bottom as CAA Football in recent years. Eleven of the league's 12 teams have participated in the FCS playoffs since 2015. The conference has had at least one team reach the quarterfinals every year since 1991.
UAlbany redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Undercuffler threw for 304 yards and a school-record 6 TD's vs. CCSU. He has at least 2 TD passes in 11 games and leads FCS with a school-record 39 TD passes. His 3,270 passing yards are a UA season record. His top receiver, senior Juwan Green leads FCS with a school-record 16 TD catches. He owns UA records for receiving yards (1,263) and receptions (80) in a season and has six 100+-yard outings.
MISSOURI VALLEY -- This decade the league is 61-25 (.709) -- which includes nine intra-conference games (meaning the league is 52-16 against teams from other leagues.) Only two others have a winning record in the playoffs since 2010 (CAA is 41-37 and the Southland is 22-21).
Since the playoff bracket expanded to 20 teams in 2010 (3 years) and 24 in 2013 (6 years), the MVFC has had a minimum of two teams in the Round of 16 every year. Five MVFC teams made the Round of 16 in 2014.
Since the playoff bracket expanded to 20 teams in 2010 (3 years) and 24 in 2013 (6 years), the MVFC has had a minimum of two teams in the quarterfinals seven times. Twice the league has had three quarterfinal teams (2015 and 2016).
This week's game between South Dakota State and fellow MVFC member UNI is the 12th matchup of two MVFC schools in the playoffs. It's the fourth time UNI has faced another league school in the playoffs -- the Panthers have lost the previous three. It's the sixth-such meeting for SDSU, which is 1-4 in its previous five (0-4 vs. NDSU and 1-0 vs. the Panthers).
In the past nine+ playoffs (2010-19), five leagues (Big Sky, CAA Football, MVFC, Southern and Southland) have combined to win 169 of 203 total games. The MVFC has 61 of those 169 wins (36 percent).
OHIO VALLEY -- Beginning with the 2001 season the OVC went until 2013 without a FCS Playoff victory. But over the past seven seasons (2013-19) OVC teams have performed well in the playoff s, winning 10 total games. In 2013 the OVC placed three teams in the field for the first time and each won at least one game with Eastern Illinois and Jacksonville State advancing to the quarterfinals (the first time that had happened in the league since 1991). In 2015 Jacksonville State (who during that year became the first OVC team ranked No. 1 in the Top 25 since 1999) won three playoff games to become the first OVC team to advance to the National Championship game since 1982. Along the way JSU set an OVC record for points in a playoff game with 58 against Charleston Southern in the quarterfinals, and then broke the record a week later in a 62-10 victory over Sam Houston State in the semifinals. A year ago Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri each won a game in the playoffs. OVC teams are 34-62 all-time in the FCS Playoff s including Eastern Kentucky winning the 1979 and 1982 National Championships.
By winning a share of the OVC Championship and winning the head-to-head meeting with Southeast Missouri, Austin Peay earned the OVC's automatic bid to this year's FCS Playoffs. It marked the first-ever playoff appearance for the Governors, who topped Furman 42-6 in the first round for its first playoff victory.
Southeast Missouri earned its second-straight and third overall FCS Playoff berth this season (2010, 2018, 2019). In the last two appearances the Redhawks have been at-large selections. Following a loss to Illinois State this year, SEMO is now 1-3 all-time in the playoffs, besting Stony Brook at home in the first round a year ago.
Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri finished the year tied with 7-1 records in OVC play and were declared "co-champions." It marked the second title for each Austin Peay (and first since 1977) and Southeast Missouri (and first since 2010).
SOUTHLAND -- Saturday marks the first time that three Southland Conference institutions will represent the league in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Central Arkansas earned the No. 8 national seed and a bye in the first round after being crowned conference co-champions. Nicholls secured their second-round matchup by defeating North Dakota 24-6 at home on Nov. 30, extending their win streak to five games. Southeastern Louisiana advanced to the second round by way of a 45-44 comeback victory over Villanova, the Lions' first playoff win since 2013.
The Southland is 3-0 against FCS Top-25 teams with wins over No. 6 Jacksonville State, No. 8 Villanova and No. 24 North Dakota.
With a strip sack in the win over North Dakota, Nicholls DL Sully Laiche moved into third on the Southland's all-time sacks list (36.5). He also broke the top-10 for career sacks in FCS history.
Teammate Chase Fourcade has also been busy rewriting the league's record book, moving into fourth in career passing yards (10,613) and career completions (793) on Saturday.
SLU QB Chason Virgil threw for a career-high 474 yards in the team's first round win and the Lions had three receivers with over 100 yards in a game for the first time in program history.
UCA will aim to repeat history as its last postseason victory came against Illinois State in the 2016 FCS Playoffs.
Southern at Alcorn State, 4 pm ET
FCS PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND -- Saturday, Dec. 7
at Fargo, N.D., 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Nicholls at #1 North Dakota State
at Conway, Arkansas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Illinois State at #8 Central Arkansas
at Bozeman, Montana, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Albany at #5 Montana State
at Sacramento, California, 9 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Austin Peay at #4 Sacramento State
at Ogden, Utah, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Kennesaw State at #3 Weber State
at Missoula, Montana 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Southeastern Louisiana at #6 Montana
at Brookings, S.D., 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | UNI at #7 South Dakota State
at Harrisonburg, Virginia, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3) | Monmouth at #2 James Madison
FIRST ROUND -- Saturday, Nov. 30
at Nicholls 24, North Dakota 6
Illinois State 24, at SE Missouri State 6
at Albany 42, Central Connecticut State 14
at Austin Peay 42, Furman 6
Kennesaw State 28, at Wofford 21
at Southeastern Louisiana 45, Villanova 44
at UNI 17, San Diego 3
at Monmouth 44, Holy Cross 27
LEGACY AWARDS -- Finalists have been announced for the 2019 STATS FCS legacy awards, which honor the national players and coach of the year in college football's Division I subdivision. Nominees were pared to finalists for the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year) and Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year). The winners will be recognized at a banquet on Friday, Jan. 10, in Frisco, Texas.
FCS 101 – FCS and FBS are both Division I. The key differences are scholarship limits (85 for FBS and 63 for FCS), the number of allowable assistant coaches, and resources. FCS stands for Football Championship Subdivision. There are currently 130 FBS programs and 126 FCS programs.
THE FCS CHAMPIONSHIP – It started in 1978, as a four-team field. Now in its 42nd year, the FCS Championship has 24 teams, and the title game is played each January in Frisco, Texas. ESPN provides television coverage of all rounds. The title game this year will be on ABC.
The Big Sky (4), Missouri Valley Football (4), CAA Football (3) and Southland (3) conferences have the most representatives of any league. With four top-8 seeds, the Big Sky set an FCS playoff record. The previous record was 3 (also by the Big Sky, in 2018). The MVFC, meanwhile, has had two Top 8 seeds for an FCS-record six-straight seasons. At 10-straight appearances, North Dakota State's playoff appearance streak is best in the FCS. South Dakota State, meanwhile, has a streak of eight-straight trips, which is second-best among active FCS schools. UNI, making its 21st appearance, trails only Montana (24) for overall FCS championship appearances.
GREAT PLAYERS – The FCS has developed some of the finest athletes in the game. Arguably two of the greatest players of all-time (RB Walter Payton at Jackson State and WR Jerry Rice at Mississippi Valley State) played at an FCS school. The NFL's all-time leading scorer – Adam Vinatieri of South Dakota State -- did, too. This year, a whopping 167 players from current FCS schools were on opening-day NFL rosters (that's the equivalent of more than 3 full teams). Notably, there are 39 inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who represent current FCS institutions. Former JMU LB/DE Charles Haley was the first player to be a member of five teams that won Super Bowls (2 with the 49ers, 3 with the Cowboys). He's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2015).
GREAT COACHES – Eddie Robinson (Grambling) retired in 1997 with a record of 408–165–15. Robinson coached every single game from the field and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Current NFL head coaches and their alma maters include Buffalo's Sean McDermott (William & Mary), Chicago's Matt Nagy (Delaware), Dallas' Jason Garrett (Princeton), Houston's Bill O'Brien (Penn), Minnesota's Mike Zimmer (Illinois State), New Orleans' Sean Payton (Eastern Illinois), Oakland's Jon Gruden (Dayton), and Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin (William & Mary). Notably, Dennis Erickson played at Montana State, coached at Idaho and is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Joe Taylor played at Western Illinois, coached at Howard, Virginia Union, Hampton, and Florida A&M and is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this December. He is the all-time winningest coach in Hampton football history.
GREAT HISTORY – Two of the nation's oldest Division I conferences compete at the FCS level. The Southwestern Athletic Conference was founded in 1920 and the Southern Conference was founded in 1921. Ivy League member Princeton played in the first-ever college football game in 1869. 12 of the 13 FCS conferences have been established for more than 30 years.
GREAT TEAMS – This decade the FCS has averaged 9 wins each year against FBS programs. North Dakota State, which has won 7 of the past 8 FCS championships, has six-straight wins against FBS schools, which includes wins at Power 5 schools Minnesota, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and 11th-ranked Iowa.
GREAT STORIES – One of the greatest stories in NFL history has its roots in the FCS. Northern Iowa's Kurt Warner was stocking shelves at a grocery store before his rise to NFL stardom, earning a Super Bowl title, an NFL MVP honor and a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.
BIG SKY -- The Big Sky Conference continues to stand out among the FCS. Last year, the league had three teams seeded in the playoff field to set an FCS record and in 2019 the league increased that record to four.
Weber State earned the Big Sky's automatic bid to the 2019 Division I Football Championships. The Wildcats and Sacramento State earned a share of the Big Sky championship with a 7-1 league record. It's the third straight year the Wildcats have earned at least a share of the Big Sky crown and the fourth consecutive year they have appeared in the playoffs. The Hornets are making their first-ever appearance after its first conference championship in school history.
Weber State (No. 3), Sacramento State (No. 4), Montana State (No. 5), and Montana (No. 6) captured four of the eight seeded spots and were rewarded with first-round byes. All four teams were also ranked in the top 8 of the STATS FCS and AFCA Coaches' Polls.
The Last Time The Big Sky
Had 3 teams make the playoffs - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU | Had 4 teams make the playoffs - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU
Had 3 teams in the second round - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU | Had 4 teams in the second round - 2019: UM, MSU, SAC, WSU
Had a team make the quarterfinals - 2018: EWU, UCD, WSU | Had 2 teams make the quarterfinals - 2018: EWU, UCD, WSU
Had 3 teams make the quarterfinals - 2018: EWU, UCD, WSU
Had a team make the semifinals - 2018: EWU
Had a team make the championship - 2018: EWU | Had a team win the championship - 2010: EWU
BIG SOUTH -- The Big South went 2-0 in the first round of the FCS Playoffs, as Monmouth downed Holy Cross, 44-27, and Kennesaw State rallied from two 7-point deficits to win at Wofford, 28-21. The league has now advanced in the postseason eight times in the last nine years, and improved its playoff record to 12-14. The conference will have two teams in the second round for the third time, as the previous years were 2012 and 2014. Kennesaw State is appearing in the second round for the third consecutive year, which ties a Big South record.
The Big South is 4-4 all-time in the second round of the FCS Playoffs, and is seeking its third-straight berth into the quarterfinals and sixth appearance in the last seven years. Of the four second round defeats, three have been by one possession. Meanwhile, the Big South is 3-2 all-time against CAA Football members in the playoffs (1-2 in the second round), and 1-1 against Big Sky squads (both meetings in the second round).
Monmouth RB PETE GUERRIERO collected Big South-playoff game records of 220 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in leading the Hawks to the second round of the postseason. It was his third-straight 200-yard rushing effort -- another Big South record. Guerriero's three TD runs against Holy Cross included a 68-yard scamper, the longest touchdown run by a Big South player in the playoffs, and the second-longest rush from scrimmage in a postseason game.
Kennesaw State back-up QB JONATHAN MURPHY set three Big South-playoff rushing records for a quarterback in the Owls' 28-21 first round win at Wofford. He rushed for a QB-best 206 yards -- the second-most by a Big South quarterback in ANY game; scored a quarterback-record three rushing TDs (tied with Monmouth's PETE GUERRIERO for the most in a playoff game), and reeled off runs of 61, 40 and 35 against the Terriers -- the top three longest runs by a Big South signal-caller in a playoff contest. He scored on the 61-yarder to mark the second-longest touchdown run in the league's playoff history.
CAA FOOTBALL -- James Madison hosts Monmouth and UAlbany visits Montana State in second-round playoff action Saturday. The CAA has had at least two teams in the second round every year since the field expanded to 24 teams in 2010, and CAA teams are 15-14 all-time in second-round games. JMU, the #2 national seed, is making its 6th straight playoff appearance and 16th overall. UAlbany, which is making its first appearance since 2011, recorded its first playoff win in school history last week by beating NEC champ Central Connecticut State, 42-14.
No conference has proven to be as strong from top to bottom as CAA Football in recent years. Eleven of the league's 12 teams have participated in the FCS playoffs since 2015. The conference has had at least one team reach the quarterfinals every year since 1991.
UAlbany redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Undercuffler threw for 304 yards and a school-record 6 TD's vs. CCSU. He has at least 2 TD passes in 11 games and leads FCS with a school-record 39 TD passes. His 3,270 passing yards are a UA season record. His top receiver, senior Juwan Green leads FCS with a school-record 16 TD catches. He owns UA records for receiving yards (1,263) and receptions (80) in a season and has six 100+-yard outings.
MISSOURI VALLEY -- This decade the league is 61-25 (.709) -- which includes nine intra-conference games (meaning the league is 52-16 against teams from other leagues.) Only two others have a winning record in the playoffs since 2010 (CAA is 41-37 and the Southland is 22-21).
Since the playoff bracket expanded to 20 teams in 2010 (3 years) and 24 in 2013 (6 years), the MVFC has had a minimum of two teams in the Round of 16 every year. Five MVFC teams made the Round of 16 in 2014.
Since the playoff bracket expanded to 20 teams in 2010 (3 years) and 24 in 2013 (6 years), the MVFC has had a minimum of two teams in the quarterfinals seven times. Twice the league has had three quarterfinal teams (2015 and 2016).
This week's game between South Dakota State and fellow MVFC member UNI is the 12th matchup of two MVFC schools in the playoffs. It's the fourth time UNI has faced another league school in the playoffs -- the Panthers have lost the previous three. It's the sixth-such meeting for SDSU, which is 1-4 in its previous five (0-4 vs. NDSU and 1-0 vs. the Panthers).
In the past nine+ playoffs (2010-19), five leagues (Big Sky, CAA Football, MVFC, Southern and Southland) have combined to win 169 of 203 total games. The MVFC has 61 of those 169 wins (36 percent).
OHIO VALLEY -- Beginning with the 2001 season the OVC went until 2013 without a FCS Playoff victory. But over the past seven seasons (2013-19) OVC teams have performed well in the playoff s, winning 10 total games. In 2013 the OVC placed three teams in the field for the first time and each won at least one game with Eastern Illinois and Jacksonville State advancing to the quarterfinals (the first time that had happened in the league since 1991). In 2015 Jacksonville State (who during that year became the first OVC team ranked No. 1 in the Top 25 since 1999) won three playoff games to become the first OVC team to advance to the National Championship game since 1982. Along the way JSU set an OVC record for points in a playoff game with 58 against Charleston Southern in the quarterfinals, and then broke the record a week later in a 62-10 victory over Sam Houston State in the semifinals. A year ago Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri each won a game in the playoffs. OVC teams are 34-62 all-time in the FCS Playoff s including Eastern Kentucky winning the 1979 and 1982 National Championships.
By winning a share of the OVC Championship and winning the head-to-head meeting with Southeast Missouri, Austin Peay earned the OVC's automatic bid to this year's FCS Playoffs. It marked the first-ever playoff appearance for the Governors, who topped Furman 42-6 in the first round for its first playoff victory.
Southeast Missouri earned its second-straight and third overall FCS Playoff berth this season (2010, 2018, 2019). In the last two appearances the Redhawks have been at-large selections. Following a loss to Illinois State this year, SEMO is now 1-3 all-time in the playoffs, besting Stony Brook at home in the first round a year ago.
Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri finished the year tied with 7-1 records in OVC play and were declared "co-champions." It marked the second title for each Austin Peay (and first since 1977) and Southeast Missouri (and first since 2010).
SOUTHLAND -- Saturday marks the first time that three Southland Conference institutions will represent the league in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Central Arkansas earned the No. 8 national seed and a bye in the first round after being crowned conference co-champions. Nicholls secured their second-round matchup by defeating North Dakota 24-6 at home on Nov. 30, extending their win streak to five games. Southeastern Louisiana advanced to the second round by way of a 45-44 comeback victory over Villanova, the Lions' first playoff win since 2013.
The Southland is 3-0 against FCS Top-25 teams with wins over No. 6 Jacksonville State, No. 8 Villanova and No. 24 North Dakota.
With a strip sack in the win over North Dakota, Nicholls DL Sully Laiche moved into third on the Southland's all-time sacks list (36.5). He also broke the top-10 for career sacks in FCS history.
Teammate Chase Fourcade has also been busy rewriting the league's record book, moving into fourth in career passing yards (10,613) and career completions (793) on Saturday.
SLU QB Chason Virgil threw for a career-high 474 yards in the team's first round win and the Lions had three receivers with over 100 yards in a game for the first time in program history.
UCA will aim to repeat history as its last postseason victory came against Illinois State in the 2016 FCS Playoffs.