ursus arctos horribilis
September 30th, 2022, 09:03 PM
Man, I got behind on two of these. I am posting them up late (sorry) but I want them here for posterity and some of you probably would still rather see them late than not at all.
School SIDs – please forward to your football media. Thank you!
Here is a link to the first fan/media video of the year (courtesy NCAA staff) -- Click Here (https://youtu.be/ZEm3RT4TeKw)
Previously Released:
Week 1 Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t2VO8-UKY0) 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-2-top-25-results-4/Scoreboard) | 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 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/2022/09/fcs-football-preview-and-predictions-week-3-games-of-the-week/)
Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series Concludes w Four Games This Saturday (Tied 1-1 So Far)
Sept. 17 -- Cal Poly at South Dakota | Montana at Indiana State | North Dakota at Northern Arizona | Sacramento State at UNI
FedEx Ground FCS National Players of the Week -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/09/sluka-jones-eastern-kentucky-headline-fcs-weekly-awards/)
FCS ROUNDUP (Conference Headlines) – Read below
#9 Delaware vs #17 Rhode Island is a matchup featuring two Top-25 FCS programs (1 pm ET, FloFootball)
Four FCS Wins Over FBS Programs Last Week -- #FearTheFCS
Four of the Top 6 in the FCS Stats Perform Poll face an FBS program this Saturday
Top-ranked NDSU plays at Arizona and the Bison have won six-straight games against FBS schools (11 pm ET, FS1)
FBS WINS OVER FBS PROGRAMS – THE FCS HAD 12 SUCH VICTORIES IN 2021 (six so far this year)
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
FCS INSIDER – AROUND THE FCS
ASUN
Five ASUN Conference Football teams hit the field Saturday but only No. 19/24 Eastern Kentucky will be playing at home in week three. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State and North Alabama will each be on the road in search of gridiron victories this weekend.
The Colonels, coming off their thrilling seven-overtime win at FBS opponent Bowling Green last Saturday, will be making their home debut on CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium against Charleston Southern. After earning their first win as an ASUN member, the Lions visit No. 9/10 Chattanooga in search of a road victory versus a nationally-ranked opponent while the Bears visit Idaho State for their second of three consecutive road clashes on their schedule. The undefeated Gamecocks (3-0) travel to Oklahoma for a matchup with FBS opponent Tulsa and the Govs look to build on back-to-back shutout victories when they face Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Ala.
No. 22/23 Kennesaw State has a bye and will return to action next Saturday (Sept. 24) in its home opener against Wofford.
BIG SKY
Weber State Breaks FBS Win Drought at Utah State -- Weber State dominated Utah State on the road 35-7, as the Wildcats earned their first win over an FBS foe since 1993 and the first against the Aggies since 1978. Utah State was 14-1 all-time against Weber State before Saturday’s defeat.
NAU Earns 10-3 Win at Sam Houston -- Northern Arizona earned a 10-3 victory at Sam Houston last week, allowing the fewest points on the road by a Lumberjack defense since 2006. NAU has now won its last four games in Texas dating back to 2014 (UTEP, SFA and Abilene Christian).
Griz Keep Rolling With 2-0 Start -- Montana sits at 2-0 on the season having outscored its first two opponents by a combined 71-7, the team’s highest combined two-game total to open the year since 2002.
Sacramento State Ventures to the State of Iowa for the First Time -- Saturday’s game will mark Sacramento State’s first trip to the state of Iowa, as the Hornets face Northern Iowa. Counting this week, Sacramento State football will have played games in 13 different states since the inception of the program in 1954.
BIG SOUTH
Bryant LB Joe Andreessen is the first player in the program’s Division I history with 10+ tackles in back-to-back games to start the season. He posted 10 (3-7) in the opener at FIU in Week 1, and tallied a team-high 11 (9-2) this past Saturday against nationally-ranked Rhode Island.
Campbell TE Julian Hill ranks fifth all-time in Big South history for most catches by a tight end with 56, and needs four to move past Gardner-Webb’s Josh Miller (59) for fourth-place. Hill’s 699 career receiving yards are fifth in the conference record book among tight ends, and 19 shy of surpassing North Alabama’s Corson Swan’s total of 717 for fourth.
Campbell QB Hajj-Malik Williams has rushed for 1,117 yards in his career, which ranks 11th all-time in Big South history among quarterbacks. He needs 66 rushing yards to enter the conference’s Top 10, and 383 yards to become the sixth with 1,500 in a career. Williams has 15 career rushing touchdowns (T-14th), and needs five to become just the sixth QB with 20.
CAA
TOP 25 SHOWDOWN HIGHLIGHTS WEEK 3 SCHEDULE: The lone conference game on the Week 3 schedule features 9th-ranked Delaware visiting 17th-ranked Rhode Island. It's the only FCS matchup nationally between a pair of Top 25 squads. Both teams are 2-0 and they have split their past four meetings, including a 44-36 triple OT win by UD in 2019 and a 22-15 win by URI last season after returning a blocked punt for a TD with 3:46 to play.
ELEVEN GAMES ON NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: In addition to the UD/URI matchup, there are 11 non-conference games in Week 3. Four of the contests are against FBS opponents, where the CAA will be looking to build on its two wins in Week 1. There are seven contests against FCS foes as the CAA hopes to improve on an impressive 10-2 mark (.833) thus far.
DEFENSES CREATING OFFENSE: While offenses around the CAA are putting plenty of points on the board, several teams have gotten help from their defense. Through two weeks, four teams have scored on a pick six. In Week 1, Rhode Island's Jordan Jones (42 yards) and New Hampshire's Randall Harris (25 yards) returned interceptions for TD's. W&M's Jalen Jones (33 yards) and Richmond's Aaron Banks (35 yards) scored on pickoffs in Wk 2.
IVY
OFF TO A GOOD START -- Ivy League teams have racked up a 76-52 record on opening weekend over the past 16 seasons. The Ancient Eight has posted a .500-or-better opening weekend record in 13 of those seasons – and have done so in the last six.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS -- The league has enjoyed non-conference success over the past several years. Since 2010, Ivies collectively own a mark of 158-106 (.598) 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.
PRESEASON POLL -- Just three points separated the top three teams in the Ivy League Preseason poll. Harvard and Dartmouth were voted the preseason favorites with each earning 108 points in the poll. Princeton was just shy with 105. Over the past six seasons, 5-of-8 teams have captured an Ivy League title – Dartmouth (2015, 2019, 2021), Harvard (2015), Penn (2015, 2016), Princeton (2016, 2018, 2021) and Yale (2017, 2019).
MEAC
Former conference foes will square off at Dick Price Stadium this Saturday to highlight a five-game slate of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football action. Off its 33-9 win over Bethune-Cookman this past Saturday, South Carolina State (1-1) is idle this week.
Morgan State will have its home opener this weekend, storming Hughes Stadium after narrowly falling 29-21 to crosstown rival Towson this past Saturday. The Bears are looking for their first win of the Damon Wilson era, and they’ll be facing Sacred Heart for the second straight season and third time overall; the two squads met in 2021 in Fairfield, Conn., with the Pioneers coming away with the 21-7 win. Morgan State posted a 30-27 win in the initial meeting between the teams on Sept. 1, 2012.
While the Norfolk State Spartans and Hampton Pirates are no longer conference foes, the Battle of the Bay is still very much a thing, and this year, Norfolk State will welcome Hampton to Dick Price Stadium in search of its first win of 2022. Norfolk State’s home opener will mark the 57th all-time meeting between the two teams, with the Spartans holding a 27-26-1 edge in the series.
MVFC
3 Teams in the Top 5 -- NDSU (1), SDSU (2), and Missouri State (5) represent the Conference in the Top 5 of the Stats Perform Top 25 poll. Before this year the league last had 3 teams in the Top 5 was on March 8, 2021, when UND (3), UNI (4) and NDSU (5) represented the league. Prior to that, the Conference accomplished the feat on Sept. 25, 2017 with NDSU (2), SDSU (4), and Youngstown State (5). (Rankings noted are the highest rank in either the Stats Perform or AFCA Coaches polls.)
Against the FBS -- Missouri Valley Football Conference schools have combined for 47 wins against FBS teams since 1985. A league member has picked up at least one FBS win for 11 of the last 12 seasons (only missing the 2020-21 COVID season in which only one FBS team was played. Four league teams play FBS schools this weekend. MVFC schools are a combined 0-18 vs. the SEC; 4-66 against the Big Ten; and 0-2 vs. the Pac-12.
Against the FCS -- The MVFC started the season with a 9-4 record against FCS schools. Three of the four losses have been against ranked teams. Remarkably, a league member has only lost one game to an unranked FCS opponent since September of 2019, going 31-1 against FCS unranked teams during that span, including a perfect 24-0 last year.
NEC
Sacred Heart topped in-state foe Central Connecticut, 14-10, in both teams’ Northeast Conference opener on Saturday. With the victory, the preseason favorite and two-time defending conference champion Pioneers extended their conference winning streak to seven games, dating back to a 20-10 win against Merrimack on Oct. 9, 2021.
Stonehill defeated Post, 76-0, after putting up a school-record in scoring to move to 2-0. Merrimack (1-1) defeated Assumption, 45-17, while Duquesne (1-2) also got in the win column with a 34-14 win against Thomas More. Saint Francis U has taken two quality opponents down to the wire to start the season. The Red Flash opened the season with an overtime loss to FBS member Akron before coming up short to Richmond in what was a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter.
Sacred Heart’s defense has been impenetrable in the early part of the season under head coach Mark Nofri. Holding opponents to 8.0 points per game this season, the Pioneers to rank No. 6 in the FCS in scoring defense and No. 3 in the nation in third down conversion percentage defense.
Seven NEC teams will be in action this week, with two taking on FBS opponents. LIU will head to Kent State for a Saturday matchup on ESPN3, while Duquesne will trek to Hawaii. NEC action continues with Wagner hosting Saint Francis U on Saturday.
OVC
OVC teams won three games in the final minute last Saturday. That included SEMO throwing a touchdown pass with 11 seconds left to beat No. 17 Southern Illinois, Lindenwood blocking a punt and recovering it for a touchdown with 28 seconds left to top Houston Baptist and Tennessee Tech overcoming a 12-point deficit with 7:41 to play as it scored with two seconds left to beat Texas A&M-Commerce.
Southeast Missouri State WR Johnny King had 14 receptions in a win at No. 17 Southern Illinois on September 10; it is the second-most catches by a FCS player this season (15 is the top mark) .
Lindenwood's Andrew Martin was named the National Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Lions' 21-20 win over Houston Baptist. Martin recovered a blocked punt in the HBU end zone with 28 seconds remaining to give Lindenwood a road victory in its first game as an FCS program. The Lions trailed 20-15 when Jalen Bethany blocked the punt. Martin entered the game without a career TD, but he had two, first scoring on a four-yard run in the third quarter to pull LU to within 20-12.
PATRIOT
HOLY CROSS AND FORDHAM MOVE UP IN THE STATS PERFORM AND AFCA COACHES POLLS -- Three-time defending champion Holy Cross moved up four spots to 12th in the FCS Coaches Poll and two places to 13th in the Stats Perform FCS Poll after a dramatic 37-31 upset victory over FBS opponent Buffalo. Chesney and the Crusaders were picked 18th in the preseason FCS Coaches Poll, and 16th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Fordham defeated Monmouth 52-49 and will make its first appearance in the FCS Coaches Poll, ranking No. 21 this week. The Rams are receiving votes in the FCS Coaches Poll for the third-straight week. This is the first time that two Patriot League teams have been in the regular-season polls since Sept. 4, 2017 when Lehigh was ranked No. 19 and Colgate checked in at No. 25.
DEMORAT AND SLUKA CLAIM NATIONAL FCS WEEKLY HONORS -- Fordham graduate student QB Tim DeMorat captured Patriot League Offensive Player and NCAA FCS National Player of the Week honors. He passed for a career-high 452 yards and tied a career-high with six touchdown passes to lead the Rams to a 52-49 victory over Monmouth. Holy Cross junior QB Matthew Sluka earned Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 238 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 146 yards in a 37-31 upset victory over FBS opponent Buffalo. The two quarterbacks have their squads undefeated through two weeks of the season.
DEMORAT CLIMBING PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER LEADER LISTS -- Two-time defending Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Tim DeMorat threw for a career-high 452 yards and six touchdowns in the Rams’ 52-49 win against Monmouth. The FCS active leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns (78) is sixth in the League record book in career passing yards after beginning the season in eighth place. The Walter Payton Award Watch List selection posted six games with 300 or more yards during his career-best 2021 season. With his top-three pass catchers from last season still in uniform, DeMorat is in striking distance of becoming the third quarterback in Patriot League history to eclipse 10,000 career passing yards.
PFL
PFL-IVY STARTUP -- Three PFL teams will help Ivy League teams get their season’s underway in Week 3. Stetson will host Princeton, Valparaiso will travel to Dartmouth, and Columbia will visit Marist to highlight the week’s action. The PFL and Ivy League are the FCS’ only two non-scholarship leagues.
MARIST’S PARADY SEEKS 150TH FCS VICTORY -- Entering the 2022 season, Marist head coach James Parady needs seven wins to record 150 career FCS victories. Since the FCS was created in 1978, only 14 head coaches have won 150 or more FCS games, including five active head coaches (see list, page 7). FCS wins are only counted for head coaches when their program is listed as a Division I FCS program by the NCAA.
EIGHT IS GREAT FOR TOREROS -- With their season-opening victory against La Verne, San Diego stretched its win streak to eight games – the longest active win streak among FCS programs. North Dakota State owns a seven game win streak while Dayton is among a group of five teams with four-game win streaks after the season’s opening week.
SOCON
Fresh off its upset of defending Southern Conference champion ETSU, The Citadel visits Mercer on Saturday for the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates. The Bucs look to get back on track when they host Furman for the only other league game of the weekend, while the other five league teams take on nonconference foes.
Two-thirds of the SoCon’s nine squads are either ranked or receiving votes in the latest national polls. Chattanooga is ranked No. 9 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 and No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. ETSU is No. 19 in the AFCA poll and No. 20 in the Stats Perform poll, while Mercer is No. 20 in both. Samford is No. 25 in the AFCA poll and No. 24 in the Stats Perform poll. Furman is receiving votes in both polls and The Citadel is receiving votes in the Stats Perform rankings.
The Citadel pulled off a big upset of ETSU on Sept. 10, getting a 39-yard field goal from Colby Kintner as time expired to hand the then-No. 8/9 Bucs a 20-17 setback. Logan Billings had runs of 31 and 32 yards on consecutive plays on the Bulldogs’ final drive, which started on their own 3-yard line.
SOUTHLAND
UIW earned a 55-41 win over Nevada for the Southland’s first win over an FBS opponent this season. Not counting the 2020-21 CoVID season (where not all conferences and divisions played at the same time), the Southland has had a win over an FBS team in the last four seasons. This is UIW’s second consecutive season with a win over an FBS team after defeating Texas State 42-34 in 2021. • The victory is the Southland’s 56th win over an FBS/I-A team since the divisions split in 1978, according to NCAA.com’s tracker.
A total of seven Southland-related players were on active NFL rosters for opening week contests. This includes players from current Southland institutions, as well as players who played primarily in the Southland, but finished their careers elsewhere, or players whose institutions left the conference.
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 and ESPN+.
There were no conference games scheduled this past week of competition. Week Two will feature two league contests as Grambling State travels to face Jackson State while Texas Southern will face Southern in Arlington, Texas.
SWAC Offensive Player of the Week Quaterius Hawkins put on a showcase in the second quarter of Grambling State’s game versus Northwestern State on Saturday. He contributed touchdown passes of 83 yards, 20 yards and 71 yards as he threw for 292 yards in the first half. SWAC Defensive Player of the Week Nyles Gaddy tallied a career-high 3.5 sacks while also contributing a career-high 4.0 tackles for loss in Jackson State’s 16-3 win over Tennessee State this past Saturday.
WAC
With a second consecutive win to open the 2022 season, Abilene Christian sits alone as the remaining undefeated team in the WAC after week two of the season. The Wildcats outlasted Prairie View 21-13 on Sept. 10. Utah Tech joined a three-team contingent at 1-1 (also Southern Utah, Tarleton) with its first win of the new year, racing past Chadron State 56-10. Abilene Christian heads to Missouri on Sept. 17 for an 11 a.m. local kickoff against the SEC foe.
Tarleton placekicker Adrian Guzman established a career-high with a 47-yard made field goal for the Texans at TCU, adding a pair of extra points in the battle in Fort Worth. Guzman owns the longest two made field goals in the WAC this season after previously connecting on a 46-yard try against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 1, and ranks fifth among all conference players with 16 points (4 FG, 4 PAT) as of Sept. 11.
Wide receiver Joey Hobert from Utah Tech has enjoyed a stellar two-game stretch to open 2022, leading the WAC with 17 receptions, 344 yards and three touchdowns thus far this season. Hobert went for 183 yards on 11 grabs with a touchdown against No. 7 Sacramento State on Sept. 3 and added six catches for 161 yards and two scores in week two against Chadron State. Hobert’s 359 all-purpose yards also pace the conference as of Sept. 11.
Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner
School SIDs – please forward to your football media. Thank you!
Here is a link to the first fan/media video of the year (courtesy NCAA staff) -- Click Here (https://youtu.be/ZEm3RT4TeKw)
Previously Released:
Week 1 Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t2VO8-UKY0) 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-2-top-25-results-4/Scoreboard) | 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 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/2022/09/fcs-football-preview-and-predictions-week-3-games-of-the-week/)
Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series Concludes w Four Games This Saturday (Tied 1-1 So Far)
Sept. 17 -- Cal Poly at South Dakota | Montana at Indiana State | North Dakota at Northern Arizona | Sacramento State at UNI
FedEx Ground FCS National Players of the Week -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/09/sluka-jones-eastern-kentucky-headline-fcs-weekly-awards/)
FCS ROUNDUP (Conference Headlines) – Read below
#9 Delaware vs #17 Rhode Island is a matchup featuring two Top-25 FCS programs (1 pm ET, FloFootball)
Four FCS Wins Over FBS Programs Last Week -- #FearTheFCS
Four of the Top 6 in the FCS Stats Perform Poll face an FBS program this Saturday
Top-ranked NDSU plays at Arizona and the Bison have won six-straight games against FBS schools (11 pm ET, FS1)
FBS WINS OVER FBS PROGRAMS – THE FCS HAD 12 SUCH VICTORIES IN 2021 (six so far this year)
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
FCS INSIDER – AROUND THE FCS
ASUN
Five ASUN Conference Football teams hit the field Saturday but only No. 19/24 Eastern Kentucky will be playing at home in week three. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State and North Alabama will each be on the road in search of gridiron victories this weekend.
The Colonels, coming off their thrilling seven-overtime win at FBS opponent Bowling Green last Saturday, will be making their home debut on CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium against Charleston Southern. After earning their first win as an ASUN member, the Lions visit No. 9/10 Chattanooga in search of a road victory versus a nationally-ranked opponent while the Bears visit Idaho State for their second of three consecutive road clashes on their schedule. The undefeated Gamecocks (3-0) travel to Oklahoma for a matchup with FBS opponent Tulsa and the Govs look to build on back-to-back shutout victories when they face Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Ala.
No. 22/23 Kennesaw State has a bye and will return to action next Saturday (Sept. 24) in its home opener against Wofford.
BIG SKY
Weber State Breaks FBS Win Drought at Utah State -- Weber State dominated Utah State on the road 35-7, as the Wildcats earned their first win over an FBS foe since 1993 and the first against the Aggies since 1978. Utah State was 14-1 all-time against Weber State before Saturday’s defeat.
NAU Earns 10-3 Win at Sam Houston -- Northern Arizona earned a 10-3 victory at Sam Houston last week, allowing the fewest points on the road by a Lumberjack defense since 2006. NAU has now won its last four games in Texas dating back to 2014 (UTEP, SFA and Abilene Christian).
Griz Keep Rolling With 2-0 Start -- Montana sits at 2-0 on the season having outscored its first two opponents by a combined 71-7, the team’s highest combined two-game total to open the year since 2002.
Sacramento State Ventures to the State of Iowa for the First Time -- Saturday’s game will mark Sacramento State’s first trip to the state of Iowa, as the Hornets face Northern Iowa. Counting this week, Sacramento State football will have played games in 13 different states since the inception of the program in 1954.
BIG SOUTH
Bryant LB Joe Andreessen is the first player in the program’s Division I history with 10+ tackles in back-to-back games to start the season. He posted 10 (3-7) in the opener at FIU in Week 1, and tallied a team-high 11 (9-2) this past Saturday against nationally-ranked Rhode Island.
Campbell TE Julian Hill ranks fifth all-time in Big South history for most catches by a tight end with 56, and needs four to move past Gardner-Webb’s Josh Miller (59) for fourth-place. Hill’s 699 career receiving yards are fifth in the conference record book among tight ends, and 19 shy of surpassing North Alabama’s Corson Swan’s total of 717 for fourth.
Campbell QB Hajj-Malik Williams has rushed for 1,117 yards in his career, which ranks 11th all-time in Big South history among quarterbacks. He needs 66 rushing yards to enter the conference’s Top 10, and 383 yards to become the sixth with 1,500 in a career. Williams has 15 career rushing touchdowns (T-14th), and needs five to become just the sixth QB with 20.
CAA
TOP 25 SHOWDOWN HIGHLIGHTS WEEK 3 SCHEDULE: The lone conference game on the Week 3 schedule features 9th-ranked Delaware visiting 17th-ranked Rhode Island. It's the only FCS matchup nationally between a pair of Top 25 squads. Both teams are 2-0 and they have split their past four meetings, including a 44-36 triple OT win by UD in 2019 and a 22-15 win by URI last season after returning a blocked punt for a TD with 3:46 to play.
ELEVEN GAMES ON NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: In addition to the UD/URI matchup, there are 11 non-conference games in Week 3. Four of the contests are against FBS opponents, where the CAA will be looking to build on its two wins in Week 1. There are seven contests against FCS foes as the CAA hopes to improve on an impressive 10-2 mark (.833) thus far.
DEFENSES CREATING OFFENSE: While offenses around the CAA are putting plenty of points on the board, several teams have gotten help from their defense. Through two weeks, four teams have scored on a pick six. In Week 1, Rhode Island's Jordan Jones (42 yards) and New Hampshire's Randall Harris (25 yards) returned interceptions for TD's. W&M's Jalen Jones (33 yards) and Richmond's Aaron Banks (35 yards) scored on pickoffs in Wk 2.
IVY
OFF TO A GOOD START -- Ivy League teams have racked up a 76-52 record on opening weekend over the past 16 seasons. The Ancient Eight has posted a .500-or-better opening weekend record in 13 of those seasons – and have done so in the last six.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS -- The league has enjoyed non-conference success over the past several years. Since 2010, Ivies collectively own a mark of 158-106 (.598) 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.
PRESEASON POLL -- Just three points separated the top three teams in the Ivy League Preseason poll. Harvard and Dartmouth were voted the preseason favorites with each earning 108 points in the poll. Princeton was just shy with 105. Over the past six seasons, 5-of-8 teams have captured an Ivy League title – Dartmouth (2015, 2019, 2021), Harvard (2015), Penn (2015, 2016), Princeton (2016, 2018, 2021) and Yale (2017, 2019).
MEAC
Former conference foes will square off at Dick Price Stadium this Saturday to highlight a five-game slate of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football action. Off its 33-9 win over Bethune-Cookman this past Saturday, South Carolina State (1-1) is idle this week.
Morgan State will have its home opener this weekend, storming Hughes Stadium after narrowly falling 29-21 to crosstown rival Towson this past Saturday. The Bears are looking for their first win of the Damon Wilson era, and they’ll be facing Sacred Heart for the second straight season and third time overall; the two squads met in 2021 in Fairfield, Conn., with the Pioneers coming away with the 21-7 win. Morgan State posted a 30-27 win in the initial meeting between the teams on Sept. 1, 2012.
While the Norfolk State Spartans and Hampton Pirates are no longer conference foes, the Battle of the Bay is still very much a thing, and this year, Norfolk State will welcome Hampton to Dick Price Stadium in search of its first win of 2022. Norfolk State’s home opener will mark the 57th all-time meeting between the two teams, with the Spartans holding a 27-26-1 edge in the series.
MVFC
3 Teams in the Top 5 -- NDSU (1), SDSU (2), and Missouri State (5) represent the Conference in the Top 5 of the Stats Perform Top 25 poll. Before this year the league last had 3 teams in the Top 5 was on March 8, 2021, when UND (3), UNI (4) and NDSU (5) represented the league. Prior to that, the Conference accomplished the feat on Sept. 25, 2017 with NDSU (2), SDSU (4), and Youngstown State (5). (Rankings noted are the highest rank in either the Stats Perform or AFCA Coaches polls.)
Against the FBS -- Missouri Valley Football Conference schools have combined for 47 wins against FBS teams since 1985. A league member has picked up at least one FBS win for 11 of the last 12 seasons (only missing the 2020-21 COVID season in which only one FBS team was played. Four league teams play FBS schools this weekend. MVFC schools are a combined 0-18 vs. the SEC; 4-66 against the Big Ten; and 0-2 vs. the Pac-12.
Against the FCS -- The MVFC started the season with a 9-4 record against FCS schools. Three of the four losses have been against ranked teams. Remarkably, a league member has only lost one game to an unranked FCS opponent since September of 2019, going 31-1 against FCS unranked teams during that span, including a perfect 24-0 last year.
NEC
Sacred Heart topped in-state foe Central Connecticut, 14-10, in both teams’ Northeast Conference opener on Saturday. With the victory, the preseason favorite and two-time defending conference champion Pioneers extended their conference winning streak to seven games, dating back to a 20-10 win against Merrimack on Oct. 9, 2021.
Stonehill defeated Post, 76-0, after putting up a school-record in scoring to move to 2-0. Merrimack (1-1) defeated Assumption, 45-17, while Duquesne (1-2) also got in the win column with a 34-14 win against Thomas More. Saint Francis U has taken two quality opponents down to the wire to start the season. The Red Flash opened the season with an overtime loss to FBS member Akron before coming up short to Richmond in what was a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter.
Sacred Heart’s defense has been impenetrable in the early part of the season under head coach Mark Nofri. Holding opponents to 8.0 points per game this season, the Pioneers to rank No. 6 in the FCS in scoring defense and No. 3 in the nation in third down conversion percentage defense.
Seven NEC teams will be in action this week, with two taking on FBS opponents. LIU will head to Kent State for a Saturday matchup on ESPN3, while Duquesne will trek to Hawaii. NEC action continues with Wagner hosting Saint Francis U on Saturday.
OVC
OVC teams won three games in the final minute last Saturday. That included SEMO throwing a touchdown pass with 11 seconds left to beat No. 17 Southern Illinois, Lindenwood blocking a punt and recovering it for a touchdown with 28 seconds left to top Houston Baptist and Tennessee Tech overcoming a 12-point deficit with 7:41 to play as it scored with two seconds left to beat Texas A&M-Commerce.
Southeast Missouri State WR Johnny King had 14 receptions in a win at No. 17 Southern Illinois on September 10; it is the second-most catches by a FCS player this season (15 is the top mark) .
Lindenwood's Andrew Martin was named the National Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Lions' 21-20 win over Houston Baptist. Martin recovered a blocked punt in the HBU end zone with 28 seconds remaining to give Lindenwood a road victory in its first game as an FCS program. The Lions trailed 20-15 when Jalen Bethany blocked the punt. Martin entered the game without a career TD, but he had two, first scoring on a four-yard run in the third quarter to pull LU to within 20-12.
PATRIOT
HOLY CROSS AND FORDHAM MOVE UP IN THE STATS PERFORM AND AFCA COACHES POLLS -- Three-time defending champion Holy Cross moved up four spots to 12th in the FCS Coaches Poll and two places to 13th in the Stats Perform FCS Poll after a dramatic 37-31 upset victory over FBS opponent Buffalo. Chesney and the Crusaders were picked 18th in the preseason FCS Coaches Poll, and 16th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Fordham defeated Monmouth 52-49 and will make its first appearance in the FCS Coaches Poll, ranking No. 21 this week. The Rams are receiving votes in the FCS Coaches Poll for the third-straight week. This is the first time that two Patriot League teams have been in the regular-season polls since Sept. 4, 2017 when Lehigh was ranked No. 19 and Colgate checked in at No. 25.
DEMORAT AND SLUKA CLAIM NATIONAL FCS WEEKLY HONORS -- Fordham graduate student QB Tim DeMorat captured Patriot League Offensive Player and NCAA FCS National Player of the Week honors. He passed for a career-high 452 yards and tied a career-high with six touchdown passes to lead the Rams to a 52-49 victory over Monmouth. Holy Cross junior QB Matthew Sluka earned Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 238 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 146 yards in a 37-31 upset victory over FBS opponent Buffalo. The two quarterbacks have their squads undefeated through two weeks of the season.
DEMORAT CLIMBING PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER LEADER LISTS -- Two-time defending Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Tim DeMorat threw for a career-high 452 yards and six touchdowns in the Rams’ 52-49 win against Monmouth. The FCS active leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns (78) is sixth in the League record book in career passing yards after beginning the season in eighth place. The Walter Payton Award Watch List selection posted six games with 300 or more yards during his career-best 2021 season. With his top-three pass catchers from last season still in uniform, DeMorat is in striking distance of becoming the third quarterback in Patriot League history to eclipse 10,000 career passing yards.
PFL
PFL-IVY STARTUP -- Three PFL teams will help Ivy League teams get their season’s underway in Week 3. Stetson will host Princeton, Valparaiso will travel to Dartmouth, and Columbia will visit Marist to highlight the week’s action. The PFL and Ivy League are the FCS’ only two non-scholarship leagues.
MARIST’S PARADY SEEKS 150TH FCS VICTORY -- Entering the 2022 season, Marist head coach James Parady needs seven wins to record 150 career FCS victories. Since the FCS was created in 1978, only 14 head coaches have won 150 or more FCS games, including five active head coaches (see list, page 7). FCS wins are only counted for head coaches when their program is listed as a Division I FCS program by the NCAA.
EIGHT IS GREAT FOR TOREROS -- With their season-opening victory against La Verne, San Diego stretched its win streak to eight games – the longest active win streak among FCS programs. North Dakota State owns a seven game win streak while Dayton is among a group of five teams with four-game win streaks after the season’s opening week.
SOCON
Fresh off its upset of defending Southern Conference champion ETSU, The Citadel visits Mercer on Saturday for the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates. The Bucs look to get back on track when they host Furman for the only other league game of the weekend, while the other five league teams take on nonconference foes.
Two-thirds of the SoCon’s nine squads are either ranked or receiving votes in the latest national polls. Chattanooga is ranked No. 9 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 and No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. ETSU is No. 19 in the AFCA poll and No. 20 in the Stats Perform poll, while Mercer is No. 20 in both. Samford is No. 25 in the AFCA poll and No. 24 in the Stats Perform poll. Furman is receiving votes in both polls and The Citadel is receiving votes in the Stats Perform rankings.
The Citadel pulled off a big upset of ETSU on Sept. 10, getting a 39-yard field goal from Colby Kintner as time expired to hand the then-No. 8/9 Bucs a 20-17 setback. Logan Billings had runs of 31 and 32 yards on consecutive plays on the Bulldogs’ final drive, which started on their own 3-yard line.
SOUTHLAND
UIW earned a 55-41 win over Nevada for the Southland’s first win over an FBS opponent this season. Not counting the 2020-21 CoVID season (where not all conferences and divisions played at the same time), the Southland has had a win over an FBS team in the last four seasons. This is UIW’s second consecutive season with a win over an FBS team after defeating Texas State 42-34 in 2021. • The victory is the Southland’s 56th win over an FBS/I-A team since the divisions split in 1978, according to NCAA.com’s tracker.
A total of seven Southland-related players were on active NFL rosters for opening week contests. This includes players from current Southland institutions, as well as players who played primarily in the Southland, but finished their careers elsewhere, or players whose institutions left the conference.
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 and ESPN+.
There were no conference games scheduled this past week of competition. Week Two will feature two league contests as Grambling State travels to face Jackson State while Texas Southern will face Southern in Arlington, Texas.
SWAC Offensive Player of the Week Quaterius Hawkins put on a showcase in the second quarter of Grambling State’s game versus Northwestern State on Saturday. He contributed touchdown passes of 83 yards, 20 yards and 71 yards as he threw for 292 yards in the first half. SWAC Defensive Player of the Week Nyles Gaddy tallied a career-high 3.5 sacks while also contributing a career-high 4.0 tackles for loss in Jackson State’s 16-3 win over Tennessee State this past Saturday.
WAC
With a second consecutive win to open the 2022 season, Abilene Christian sits alone as the remaining undefeated team in the WAC after week two of the season. The Wildcats outlasted Prairie View 21-13 on Sept. 10. Utah Tech joined a three-team contingent at 1-1 (also Southern Utah, Tarleton) with its first win of the new year, racing past Chadron State 56-10. Abilene Christian heads to Missouri on Sept. 17 for an 11 a.m. local kickoff against the SEC foe.
Tarleton placekicker Adrian Guzman established a career-high with a 47-yard made field goal for the Texans at TCU, adding a pair of extra points in the battle in Fort Worth. Guzman owns the longest two made field goals in the WAC this season after previously connecting on a 46-yard try against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 1, and ranks fifth among all conference players with 16 points (4 FG, 4 PAT) as of Sept. 11.
Wide receiver Joey Hobert from Utah Tech has enjoyed a stellar two-game stretch to open 2022, leading the WAC with 17 receptions, 344 yards and three touchdowns thus far this season. Hobert went for 183 yards on 11 grabs with a touchdown against No. 7 Sacramento State on Sept. 3 and added six catches for 161 yards and two scores in week two against Chadron State. Hobert’s 359 all-purpose yards also pace the conference as of Sept. 11.
Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner