ursus arctos horribilis
March 19th, 2021, 01:58 PM
FCS FOOTBALL – KEY LINKS
NCAA Statistics -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fcs) | NCAA Scoreboard / Schedule -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/scoreboard/football/fcs)
Standings -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/standings/football/fcs) | Rankings / Polls -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/fcs/fcs-coaches-poll)
FCS Insider -- Click Here (https://fcsinsider.com/) | Stats Perform – Click Here (http://www.fcs.football/fcsfront.asp) | HERO Sports -- Click Here (https://herosports.com/college-football/fcs/)
HEADLINES
Key Matchups – Seventeen of the Stats Perform Top 25 are in action this week. Here are the four games (two matchups are postponed) featuring top-25 teams against one another:
Saturday – No. 11 Chattanooga at No. 13 Furman (Nexstar/ESPN+), 12 pm ET
Saturday – No. 12 Delaware at No. 20 New Hampshire (POSTPONED)
Saturday – No. 6 South Dakota State at No. 5 Southern Illinois (ESPN+), 1 pm ET
Saturday – No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana at No. 22 UIW (ESPN+), 3 pm ET
Saturday – No. 2 North Dakota at No. 4 North Dakota State (Midco/NBC ND/ESPN+), 3:30 pm ET
Saturday – No. 23 Richmond at No. 1 James Madison (POSTPONED)
Stats Perform National Players of the Week – Click Here (http://www.fcs.football/cfb/story.asp?i=20210315132937769978804&ref=hea&tm=&src=FCS)
Craig’s Take (Must See Games This Week) -- Story (http://www.fcs.football/cfb/story.asp?i=20210318053538716477404)
FCS Schools (ranked by all-time wins) -- Read More (http://www.fcs.football/cfb/story.asp?i=20210317110418578302904&ref=hea&tm=&src=FCS)
BIG SKY -- Link to Football Home Page (https://bigskyconf.com/index.aspx?path=football)
Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere was named the Stats Perform National Offensive Player of the Week. It is the second national weekly honor for a Big Sky player this spring.
For the third straight week there was a game that went down to the wire. Eastern Washington scored a six-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left to beat Idaho State on the road.
Weber State is the lone undefeated team left in the Big Sky with a 2-0 record.
BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://bigsouthsports.com/index.aspx?path=football&)
Kennesaw State hosts Dixie State Saturday, and KSU is seeking its second 3-0 start in program history. The Owls opened their inaugural 2015 campaign with a 3-0 record.
KSU QB Jonathan Murphy became the 18th different quarterback in league history to run for 100 yards and pass for 100 yards in the same game when he tallied 113 yards on the ground and threw for 108 last week against Charleston Southern.
The Big South announced on March 16 a revised conference schedule for the spring, and the league’s season will now conclude on Saturday, April 17. Games involving four of the five Big South members have been adjusted to address postponements to this point.
CAA FOOTBALL -- Link to CAA Football Home Page (https://caasports.com/index.aspx?path=football&)
A nation’s best six CAA Football teams were ranked in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 poll released on Monday, while Rhode Island was honored as the National Team of the Week. James Madison remained at No. 1 in the poll despite having its game last Saturday postponed due to CoVID-related protocols.
Rhode Island was honored as the STATS Perform National Team of the Week after opening its season with a 40-37 overtime road victory at No. 6 Villanova. It was the highest-ranked opponent that the Rams have beaten since 2010. Rhode Island is the second straight CAA Football squad to be recognized as Delaware was the National Team of the Week on March 8.
This weekend’s Delaware-New Hampshire game and Richmond-James Madison games have been postponed.
IVY LEAGUE -- Link to Football Home Page (https://ivyleague.com/index.aspx?path=football)
MEAC FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://meacsports.com/index.aspx?path=football)
No games this week. Next up on the schedule is a March 27 Delaware State-Howard contest in Washington, D.C.
MISSOURI VALLEY – Link to Football Home Page (https://valley-football.org/)
Indiana State and Eastern Illinois announced Tuesday that an NCAA waiver permitting a Week Zero matchup has been approved. Originally a week one matchup, when a majority of college football begins, the Sycamores and Panthers will be one of three FCS games to open the 2021 season during Week Zero. The two teams will now meet on Aug. 28, 2021 with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. ET from Memorial Stadium.
For just the third time in league history, and first time since 2015, four MVFC teams represent the league in the Top 6 of the national polls. League newcomer North Dakota headlines the list at No. 2, while five MVFC teams this week are in the Top 10 of the Stats Perform poll for the second-straight week, matching a league record (achieved three times prior to this season).
North Dakota is off to one of its best starts since moving to Division I in 2008, going to 4-0 for the second time in the program’s DI history (2008). UND is also 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2016, a year that saw the Hawks go 8-0 on the way to a Big Sky Conference title.
NEC FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://northeastconference.org/index.aspx?path=fball&)
Sacred Heart's Julius Chestnut ran all over an opposing defense for the second week in a row. After piling up 209 yards from scrimmage in the opener at Duquesne, Chestnut carried 24 times for 203 yards and four scores in a 35-7 home win over LIU. The powerful runner added 46 yards on a pair of receptions, single-handedly out-gaining the opposition during the Week 2 matchup on Campus Field.
Bryant University football junior Derrius Perryman was named the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Perryman picks up the first weekly honor of his career after helping the Bulldogs earn a 14-7 victory over Merrimack on Sunday. He finished with eight tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFLs and a forced fumble. Bryant plays its first home game of the spring this weekend when it welcomes Wagner to Beirne Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
OHIO VALLEY – Click for More Info (http://ovcsports.com/index.aspx?path=football)
Tennessee State junior Antonio Zita tied the OVC record with a 62-yard field goal against Eastern Illinois on March 14; it was one yard shy of the FCS record (accomplished three times)...Zita was named Stats Perform National Specialist of the Week for his efforts.
Jacksonville State has now won six games in a row, the longest winning streak in the FCS (among teams playing this spring).
Murray State is off to its first 3-0 start since the 1998 season...Jacksonville State is ranked No. 8 in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll while Murray State is No. 25 (the Racers are No. 24 in the AFCA Coaches Poll); it marks the first time since Sept. 19, 2011 that the Racers have been ranked
PATRIOT LEAGUE -- Link to Football Home Page (https://patriotleague.org/index.aspx?path=football&)
Patriot League Announces Spring 2021 Preseason Honors -- Click Here (https://patriotleague.org/news/2021/3/3/patriot-league-announces-2021-spring-football-preseason-honors.aspx)
Holy Cross and Lafayette split the four Patriot League GEICO Football Weekly Awards when the League office announced the first set of honors for the 2021 spring season on Monday.
Holy Cross senior defensive lineman Jordan Jackson was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, while junior placekicker Derek Ng collected special teams player of the week honors.
Lafayette senior quarterback Cole Northrup received Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week accolades, and freshman defensive lineman Marcus Joseph earned rookie of the week following the first week of the season.
PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE -- Link to Football Home Page (http://www.pioneer-football.org/)
Three of the league’s four games in the opening weekend went to the road team, with only Presbyterian picking up a home victory. Defending champion San Diego eked out a 13-10 victory thanks to a defensive effort, led by STATS PERFORM National Defensive Player of the Week Kevin Glajchen, that held Drake to 25 offensive yards.
For the 10th consecutive year, the University of San Diego has been picked to win the Pioneer Football League regular-season race in a preseason vote of the league’s coaches. San Diego, which has won the regular-season title each of the past six seasons, again received the coaches’ nod to win the Spring 2021 PFL title with all six possible first-place votes and maximum 36 points.
With its win at Drake last week, San Diego’s extended its PFL win streak to 38 games. It is the secondlongest conference win streak in FCS history, surpassing a 36-game win streak by Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference (2013-18). It trails a 39-game win streak by Duquesne in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association (1999-06).
SoCON FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://soconsports.com/index.aspx?path=football)
VMI made history this week when it appeared in the national rankings for the first time as an FCS program. The Keydets, who visit Samford on Saturday and own wins over then-No. 10 Furman, Western Carolina and Mercer this spring, debuted at No. 19 in the Stats Perform poll and at No. 18 in the AFCA poll.
Furman hosts Chattanooga and Mercer welcomes Western Carolina for an Ingles Southern Conference Games of the Week doubleheader on select Nexstar affiliates to highlight Saturday’s league slate. The Paladins and the Mocs will meet at noon Eastern in a battle of ranked squads. Chattanooga is No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, while Furman sits 13th in that poll. The Paladins are No. 11 in the AFCA poll, with the Mocs tied for 12th right behind them. Furman has won the last three games in the series. Chattanooga enters the game 2-0 in league play, half a game back of VMI. The Mocs have already beaten one ranked opponent this season in then-No. 11 Wofford. Furman is 3-1 in the SoCon standings.
SOUTHLAND -- Link to Football Home Page (https://www.southland.org/index.aspx?path=football)
The Southland Conference accounted for four teams in the national polls, led by Sam Houston at No. 6 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the STATS Perform rankings. Nicholls came in at 16 in AFCA and 17 in STATS Perform, while Southeastern Louisiana was 17/16. UIW (22/20) also appears in both rankings.
For the third time in the last four weeks, the Southland Conference will have a top-25 matchup as No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana visits No. 22 UIW on Saturday.
Sam Houston’s 71-17 upset of No. 7 Nicholls was the program’s largest win over a ranked opponent, the most points scored by the Bearkats against a ranked opponent and the eighth-straight victory over a top-10 team at home.
SWAC – Link to Football Home Page (https://swac.org/index.aspx?path=football)
Three league games are on the slate for this weekend (Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M has been postponed). Arkansas-Pine Bluff visits Grambling State; Jackson State visits Alabama State (ESPN2) and Southern is at Texas Southern.
The SWAC has announced make-up dates for the Prairie View A&M versus Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M versus Jackson State football games originally slated to be played on Mar. 20 and Mar. 28 respectively. Alabama A&M at Prairie View A&M has been rescheduled for April 3rd at 2:00 pm. Prairie View A&M at Jackson State has been rescheduled for April 24th at 1:00 pm. Both games are slated to be carried live on ESPN platforms.
The Jackson State football team entered the FCS Coaches Poll ranked No. 21 in the country. It's the first time the program has entered the FCS Coaches Poll since the final 2011 rankings, which the Tigers finished 24th. The Tigers earned 102 points and rank ahead No. 22 Richmond by 17 points and two points behind No. 20 Incarnate Word.
NCAA Statistics -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fcs) | NCAA Scoreboard / Schedule -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/scoreboard/football/fcs)
Standings -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/standings/football/fcs) | Rankings / Polls -- Click Here (https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/fcs/fcs-coaches-poll)
FCS Insider -- Click Here (https://fcsinsider.com/) | Stats Perform – Click Here (http://www.fcs.football/fcsfront.asp) | HERO Sports -- Click Here (https://herosports.com/college-football/fcs/)
HEADLINES
Key Matchups – Seventeen of the Stats Perform Top 25 are in action this week. Here are the four games (two matchups are postponed) featuring top-25 teams against one another:
Saturday – No. 11 Chattanooga at No. 13 Furman (Nexstar/ESPN+), 12 pm ET
Saturday – No. 12 Delaware at No. 20 New Hampshire (POSTPONED)
Saturday – No. 6 South Dakota State at No. 5 Southern Illinois (ESPN+), 1 pm ET
Saturday – No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana at No. 22 UIW (ESPN+), 3 pm ET
Saturday – No. 2 North Dakota at No. 4 North Dakota State (Midco/NBC ND/ESPN+), 3:30 pm ET
Saturday – No. 23 Richmond at No. 1 James Madison (POSTPONED)
Stats Perform National Players of the Week – Click Here (http://www.fcs.football/cfb/story.asp?i=20210315132937769978804&ref=hea&tm=&src=FCS)
Craig’s Take (Must See Games This Week) -- Story (http://www.fcs.football/cfb/story.asp?i=20210318053538716477404)
FCS Schools (ranked by all-time wins) -- Read More (http://www.fcs.football/cfb/story.asp?i=20210317110418578302904&ref=hea&tm=&src=FCS)
BIG SKY -- Link to Football Home Page (https://bigskyconf.com/index.aspx?path=football)
Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere was named the Stats Perform National Offensive Player of the Week. It is the second national weekly honor for a Big Sky player this spring.
For the third straight week there was a game that went down to the wire. Eastern Washington scored a six-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left to beat Idaho State on the road.
Weber State is the lone undefeated team left in the Big Sky with a 2-0 record.
BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://bigsouthsports.com/index.aspx?path=football&)
Kennesaw State hosts Dixie State Saturday, and KSU is seeking its second 3-0 start in program history. The Owls opened their inaugural 2015 campaign with a 3-0 record.
KSU QB Jonathan Murphy became the 18th different quarterback in league history to run for 100 yards and pass for 100 yards in the same game when he tallied 113 yards on the ground and threw for 108 last week against Charleston Southern.
The Big South announced on March 16 a revised conference schedule for the spring, and the league’s season will now conclude on Saturday, April 17. Games involving four of the five Big South members have been adjusted to address postponements to this point.
CAA FOOTBALL -- Link to CAA Football Home Page (https://caasports.com/index.aspx?path=football&)
A nation’s best six CAA Football teams were ranked in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 poll released on Monday, while Rhode Island was honored as the National Team of the Week. James Madison remained at No. 1 in the poll despite having its game last Saturday postponed due to CoVID-related protocols.
Rhode Island was honored as the STATS Perform National Team of the Week after opening its season with a 40-37 overtime road victory at No. 6 Villanova. It was the highest-ranked opponent that the Rams have beaten since 2010. Rhode Island is the second straight CAA Football squad to be recognized as Delaware was the National Team of the Week on March 8.
This weekend’s Delaware-New Hampshire game and Richmond-James Madison games have been postponed.
IVY LEAGUE -- Link to Football Home Page (https://ivyleague.com/index.aspx?path=football)
MEAC FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://meacsports.com/index.aspx?path=football)
No games this week. Next up on the schedule is a March 27 Delaware State-Howard contest in Washington, D.C.
MISSOURI VALLEY – Link to Football Home Page (https://valley-football.org/)
Indiana State and Eastern Illinois announced Tuesday that an NCAA waiver permitting a Week Zero matchup has been approved. Originally a week one matchup, when a majority of college football begins, the Sycamores and Panthers will be one of three FCS games to open the 2021 season during Week Zero. The two teams will now meet on Aug. 28, 2021 with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. ET from Memorial Stadium.
For just the third time in league history, and first time since 2015, four MVFC teams represent the league in the Top 6 of the national polls. League newcomer North Dakota headlines the list at No. 2, while five MVFC teams this week are in the Top 10 of the Stats Perform poll for the second-straight week, matching a league record (achieved three times prior to this season).
North Dakota is off to one of its best starts since moving to Division I in 2008, going to 4-0 for the second time in the program’s DI history (2008). UND is also 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2016, a year that saw the Hawks go 8-0 on the way to a Big Sky Conference title.
NEC FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://northeastconference.org/index.aspx?path=fball&)
Sacred Heart's Julius Chestnut ran all over an opposing defense for the second week in a row. After piling up 209 yards from scrimmage in the opener at Duquesne, Chestnut carried 24 times for 203 yards and four scores in a 35-7 home win over LIU. The powerful runner added 46 yards on a pair of receptions, single-handedly out-gaining the opposition during the Week 2 matchup on Campus Field.
Bryant University football junior Derrius Perryman was named the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Perryman picks up the first weekly honor of his career after helping the Bulldogs earn a 14-7 victory over Merrimack on Sunday. He finished with eight tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFLs and a forced fumble. Bryant plays its first home game of the spring this weekend when it welcomes Wagner to Beirne Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
OHIO VALLEY – Click for More Info (http://ovcsports.com/index.aspx?path=football)
Tennessee State junior Antonio Zita tied the OVC record with a 62-yard field goal against Eastern Illinois on March 14; it was one yard shy of the FCS record (accomplished three times)...Zita was named Stats Perform National Specialist of the Week for his efforts.
Jacksonville State has now won six games in a row, the longest winning streak in the FCS (among teams playing this spring).
Murray State is off to its first 3-0 start since the 1998 season...Jacksonville State is ranked No. 8 in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll while Murray State is No. 25 (the Racers are No. 24 in the AFCA Coaches Poll); it marks the first time since Sept. 19, 2011 that the Racers have been ranked
PATRIOT LEAGUE -- Link to Football Home Page (https://patriotleague.org/index.aspx?path=football&)
Patriot League Announces Spring 2021 Preseason Honors -- Click Here (https://patriotleague.org/news/2021/3/3/patriot-league-announces-2021-spring-football-preseason-honors.aspx)
Holy Cross and Lafayette split the four Patriot League GEICO Football Weekly Awards when the League office announced the first set of honors for the 2021 spring season on Monday.
Holy Cross senior defensive lineman Jordan Jackson was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, while junior placekicker Derek Ng collected special teams player of the week honors.
Lafayette senior quarterback Cole Northrup received Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week accolades, and freshman defensive lineman Marcus Joseph earned rookie of the week following the first week of the season.
PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE -- Link to Football Home Page (http://www.pioneer-football.org/)
Three of the league’s four games in the opening weekend went to the road team, with only Presbyterian picking up a home victory. Defending champion San Diego eked out a 13-10 victory thanks to a defensive effort, led by STATS PERFORM National Defensive Player of the Week Kevin Glajchen, that held Drake to 25 offensive yards.
For the 10th consecutive year, the University of San Diego has been picked to win the Pioneer Football League regular-season race in a preseason vote of the league’s coaches. San Diego, which has won the regular-season title each of the past six seasons, again received the coaches’ nod to win the Spring 2021 PFL title with all six possible first-place votes and maximum 36 points.
With its win at Drake last week, San Diego’s extended its PFL win streak to 38 games. It is the secondlongest conference win streak in FCS history, surpassing a 36-game win streak by Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference (2013-18). It trails a 39-game win streak by Duquesne in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association (1999-06).
SoCON FOOTBALL -- Link to Football Home Page (https://soconsports.com/index.aspx?path=football)
VMI made history this week when it appeared in the national rankings for the first time as an FCS program. The Keydets, who visit Samford on Saturday and own wins over then-No. 10 Furman, Western Carolina and Mercer this spring, debuted at No. 19 in the Stats Perform poll and at No. 18 in the AFCA poll.
Furman hosts Chattanooga and Mercer welcomes Western Carolina for an Ingles Southern Conference Games of the Week doubleheader on select Nexstar affiliates to highlight Saturday’s league slate. The Paladins and the Mocs will meet at noon Eastern in a battle of ranked squads. Chattanooga is No. 11 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, while Furman sits 13th in that poll. The Paladins are No. 11 in the AFCA poll, with the Mocs tied for 12th right behind them. Furman has won the last three games in the series. Chattanooga enters the game 2-0 in league play, half a game back of VMI. The Mocs have already beaten one ranked opponent this season in then-No. 11 Wofford. Furman is 3-1 in the SoCon standings.
SOUTHLAND -- Link to Football Home Page (https://www.southland.org/index.aspx?path=football)
The Southland Conference accounted for four teams in the national polls, led by Sam Houston at No. 6 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the STATS Perform rankings. Nicholls came in at 16 in AFCA and 17 in STATS Perform, while Southeastern Louisiana was 17/16. UIW (22/20) also appears in both rankings.
For the third time in the last four weeks, the Southland Conference will have a top-25 matchup as No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana visits No. 22 UIW on Saturday.
Sam Houston’s 71-17 upset of No. 7 Nicholls was the program’s largest win over a ranked opponent, the most points scored by the Bearkats against a ranked opponent and the eighth-straight victory over a top-10 team at home.
SWAC – Link to Football Home Page (https://swac.org/index.aspx?path=football)
Three league games are on the slate for this weekend (Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M has been postponed). Arkansas-Pine Bluff visits Grambling State; Jackson State visits Alabama State (ESPN2) and Southern is at Texas Southern.
The SWAC has announced make-up dates for the Prairie View A&M versus Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M versus Jackson State football games originally slated to be played on Mar. 20 and Mar. 28 respectively. Alabama A&M at Prairie View A&M has been rescheduled for April 3rd at 2:00 pm. Prairie View A&M at Jackson State has been rescheduled for April 24th at 1:00 pm. Both games are slated to be carried live on ESPN platforms.
The Jackson State football team entered the FCS Coaches Poll ranked No. 21 in the country. It's the first time the program has entered the FCS Coaches Poll since the final 2011 rankings, which the Tigers finished 24th. The Tigers earned 102 points and rank ahead No. 22 Richmond by 17 points and two points behind No. 20 Incarnate Word.