ursus arctos horribilis
November 17th, 2022, 05:17 PM
Thu, Nov 17, 2022 at 2:55 PM
School SIDs – please forward to your football media. Thank you!
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 Rankings -- Click Here (http://thefcswedge.com/ags-poll/ags-poll-week-11-top-25-results-4/) | 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 FINAL REGULAR-SEASON EPISODE THURSDAY, NOV. 17 (Every Episode is Archived) -- Click To Learn More (https://fcsinsider.com/news/2022/8/25/football-fcs-all-in-debuts-friday-on-espn.aspx)
ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY AT BOZEMAN (Montana at Montana State) -- Read More (https://msubobcats.com/sports/2022/11/16/champs-kids-club.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/2022/11/fcs-football-preview-and-predictions-week-12-games-of-the-week/)
FedEx Ground FCS National Players of the Week -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/11/gilliam-reid-samford-headline-fcs-weekly-awards/)
Stats Perform Expands Jerry Rice Award Watch List (Oct. 20) -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/25-fcs-freshmen-selected-to-jerry-rice-award-watch-list/)
Stats Perform Expands Walter Payton Award Watch List (Oct. 20) -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/twenty-fcs-standouts-join-2022-walter-payton-award-watch-list/)
Stats Perform Expands Buck Buchanan Award Watch List (Oct. 20) -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/21-fcs-standouts-join-2022-buck-buchanan-award-watch-list/)
Who Has Made The Field | AQs and What To Expect This Week: Punching the Ticket (Craig Haley) (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/11/punch-the-ticket-fcs-conference-champions-and-postseason-qualifiers/)
Celebration Bowl: The MEAC and SWAC champions will meet in the 7th Celebration Bowl (Dec. 17) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
MEAC: North Carolina Central (8-2, 4-1)
SWAC: Conference championship game is Dec. 3
FCS AQs (So Far, thru Nov. 12)
Selection Show: Sunday, Nov. 20 (11:30 am CT, ESPNU)
MVFC – South Dakota State
NEC – Saint Francis
Patriot – Holy Cross
Southern: Samford
FCS Week 12 Viewing Guide (courtesy Sam Herder of HERO Sports): Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-week-12-schedule-bzbz/)
HERO Sports 2022 Playoffs – Resumes for Ranked Teams (Sam Herder): Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-week-12-resumes-bzbz/)
FCS Podcast / Playoff Outlooks: Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-podcast-conference-by-conference-playoff-outlooks-bzbz/)
Top 25 FCS vs. Top 25 FCS This Week (AFCA Coaches Poll unless noted)
ROAD
HOME
GAME TIME
TV INFO
#12 Montana
#3 Montana State
12 p.m. MT
MTN / ESPN+
#23 North Dakota
#4 North Dakota State
2:30 p.m. CT
ABC ND / Midco / ESPN+
#8 William & Mary
#11 Richmond
12 p.m. ET
FloFootball
#16 Mercer
#9 Samford
1:00 p.m. ET
ESPN3
FBS WINS OVER FBS PROGRAMS – THE FCS HAD 12 SUCH VICTORIES IN 2021 (8 so far this year) -- #FearTheFCS
DATE
FCS TEAM
SCORE
FBS TEAM
Sept. 2
William & Mary
41-24
Charlotte
Sept. 3
Delaware
14-7
Navy
Sept. 10
Eastern Kentucky
59-57 (7 OT)
Bowling Green
Sept. 10
Holy Cross
37-31
Buffalo
Sept. 10
UIW
55-41
Nevada
Sept. 10
Weber State
35-7
Utah State
Sept. 17
Southern Illinois
31-24
Northwestern
Sept. 24
Sacramento State
41-10
Colorado State
FCS INSIDER – AROUND THE FCS
ASUN
The final Saturday of ASUN Conference Football looks to be full of excitement as three teams are still in the hunt for the inaugural season championship. Central Arkansas is 3-1 and hosts Jacksonville State on "The Stripes" in the regular-season finale with the Bears assured of at least a share of the crown. In the other head-to-head league clash, Eastern Kentucky welcomes Kennesaw State to Richmond looking for a victory and a chance to share the title if UCA falls to JSU. Austin Peay, who wraps up the regular season on the road in a non-conference contest against FBS powerhouse #8 Alabama, has finished ASUN play with a 3-2 mark and would also earn a piece of the championship with a loss by the Bears. North Alabama concludes its 2022 slate with a visit to FBS foe Memphis.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIOS: UCA already has a share of the championship and would have sole possession with a victory. A UCA loss would make APSU a Co-Champion with the Bears owning the tiebreaker for the ASUN-WAC potential AQ comparison due to their head-to-head win over the Govs. If EKU wins and three teams are tied at 3-2 in ASUN Play the tiebreaker would go to the team with the highest ranking in the final ASUN-WAC Power Poll because the three teams had a 1-1 record against each other during the season. The FCS Playoff field will be announced Sunday (Nov. 20) at 12:30 PM ET on ESPNU.
BIG SKY
College GameDay Comes to The Brawl of the Wild • ESPN’s College GameDay is heading to Bozeman, Montana this week for the 121st Brawl of the Wild between Montana State and Montana, marking the popular pregame show’s first-ever trip to a Big Sky campus. Championship Crowns
On the Line Saturday • Sacramento State and Montana State enter their games this Saturday with 7-0 records in conference play, with each seeking a share of the Big Sky crown (or outright with help on Saturday).
Sac State Seeks Another 8-0 Big Sky Season • Sacramento State will have reached 8-0 for the second-straight season with a win on Saturday, as the Hornets will have achieved a feat only Montana (2006-2007) has accomplished. The Hornets are 22-1 in their last three seasons of league play (19, 21, 22).
Bobcats Break Big Sky Single-Game Rushing Record • Montana State ran wild on Cal Poly last Saturday, rushing for 554 yards on the ground in its 72-28 victory to break the Big Sky single-game record for the category. The 554 yards on the ground were also the most for an FCS squad since 2018.
Aggies Stay Hot With Win at Idaho • UC Davis upset No. 15 Idaho last Saturday on the road, as the Aggies won their fifth-straight game overall. The Aggies have scored 40 or more points in each of those contests, with UC Davis seeking to match 2018’s six-straight mark.
BIG SOUTH
This Saturday’s season-finale between 4-0 North Carolina A&T and 4-0 Gardner-Webb will decide the Big South’s automatic qualifier to the FCS Playoffs. It will be the league’s second-straight and fourth-ever “Winner Take All” Championship game regular-season finale, as the others were 2011 (Stony Brook-Liberty), 2017 (Kennesaw State-Monmouth) and 2021 (Kennesaw State-Monmouth). The winner of Saturday’s contest will emerge with the 13th outright Big South championship title, as well as be the 13th champion with a perfect conference record.
Gardner-Webb is looking for its third Big South football championship and first since 2003, when the Runnin’ Bulldogs repeated as Big South champions after winning the inaugural league season of 2002. North Carolina A&T will play for its first Big South title in its second and final year of conference affiliation. The Aggies’ last championship was in 2019 as members of the MEAC.
North Carolina A&T’s Bhayshul Tuten has tied the Big South single-season record with nine consecutive 100-yard rushing efforts (1,235 yards, 137.2 per game average in that span) -- which is also tied for second-longest overall such streak in league history with Liberty’s Eugene Goodman, while the record is 10 by Liberty’s Rashad Jennings across the 2007-2008 seasons.
Gardner-Webb QB Bailey Fisher has tied a Big South record with three consecutive games with 350+ yards of total offense. Fisher has amassed 452, 384 and 414 total offensive yards during his current streak, and his four career games with 400+ total yards of offense rank is tied for the most in Big South history
While North Carolina A&T’s Jermaine McDaneil has recorded just 16 total tackles this season, 10.5 have been for loss, with seven being sacks.
CAA
No. 8 William & Mary will look to earn at least a share of the CAA title when it travels to No. 11 Richmond for The Capital Cup Game presented by C&F Bank on Saturday at noon. Having won its last six games, W&M will look to earn its best regular season record in school history, as a win would give the Tribe its first 10-win regular season slate.
New Hampshire will assure itself a share of the 2022 CAA crown with a win at Maine. UNH has won a total of 14 conference titles, the most recent of which was outright in 2014. The others were in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1968, 1975, 1976, 1991, 1994, 2005 and 2012.
For the seventh-consecutive season, the annual Battle of the Blue between Delaware and Villanova will serve as the regular season finale for the two teams. It will be the 56th all-time meeting between the two longtime rivals and the game will once again have postseason implications as the Blue Hens are fighting for an at-large bid into the FCS playoffs. UD is looking to win its second-consecutive game at Villanova Stadium after defeating the Wildcats 27-20 during the 2020-21 Spring season.
IVY
Four teams enter the final weekend of Ivy League football in contention for an Ivy League title. The 138th playing of The Game between Harvard and Yale, which will be nationally televised on ESPNU at noon ET the and Penn-Princeton matchup at 1 p.m. both have Ivy title implications for all four teams.
At 5-1 in Ivy play, both Princeton and Yale need just a win to secure at least a share of the Ivy League crown. In order to earn an outright title, the Tigers or the Bulldogs would need a win and for the other team to lose. Penn and Harvard, each 4-2 in league play, both need to win order for to earn an Ivy title.
The Ivy League has six teams ranked in the top 24 in the FCS of the rushing defense category. Harvard (2nd, 82.9 ypg), Penn (4th, 92.8), Columbia (5th, 93.8) and Princeton (6th, 94.8) each rank in the top six. Yale and Cornell rank 16th and 24th respectively in the category.
MEAC
The MEAC enters the final week of the 2022 football season. North Carolina Central secured at least a share of the conference title and punched its ticket to the 2022 Celebration Bowl with a pivotal victory over Norfolk State last weekend. However, Howard still has a shot at sharing this year’s season title if the Bison emerge victorious on Saturday. This action-packed weekend has two conference games and two non-conference matchups on tap.
Howard can share the number one spot in the MEAC if the Bison can overcome a Morgan State team that has won its last two conference games. The Bison are coming off a 28-14 win over South Carolina State, marking the third straight conference loss for the Bulldogs. The Bears play at home for their final game of the season after a dominating 37-7 victory against Delaware State. The Bears’ defense has proven to be a problem after being the only team in the conference to hold three schools to one touchdown drive. Additionally, the Bears recorded two defensive touchdowns and two scores on special teams this past weekend. Morgan State and Howard have been facing each other since 1899. Last year, the Bison managed to shut out the Bears in a 27-0 victory in Greene Stadium.
North Carolina Central will head out of conference to Cookeville, Tenn., to take on Tennessee Tech in Tucker Stadium. Davius Richard accounted for five touchdowns as the Eagles claimed at least a share of the 2022 MEAC trophy after a convincing 48-14 win against Norfolk State last week, earning the conference’s berth in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. Tennessee Tech is on a three-game winning streak, recently defeating North Alabama 35-27. Last year, Tennessee tech proved to be the better “Eagles” after leaving Durham, N.C., with a 27-16 win.
MVFC
In the Metrics -- Nine MVFC teams rank in the Top 31 of the Sagarin football ratings, which includes five of the Top 14, and two of the Top 4. The same nine MVFC schools rank in the Top 34 of the Massey FCS computer rankings. Notably, all 11 MVFC programs rank in the Top 23 of Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings, which includes South Dakota, which has the FCS’ hardest SOS. The MVFC is the top-rated FCS league in the Sagarin, followed by the Big Sky, ASUN, Southern, and CAA.
Tough Schedules -- Notably, all 11 MVFC programs rank in the Top 23 of Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings. Among the Top 25 in that Index, 15 schools (including seven MVFC schools) have recorded .500 or better records against those difficult schedules, including Southern Illinois (5-5, 3rd), Idaho (6-4, 5th), SDSU (10-1, 7th), Sacramento State (10-0, 8th), North Dakota (7-3, 9th), Weber State (8-2, 10th), UNI (5-5, 11th), Illinois State (5-5, 13th), UC Davis (6-4, 14th), Montana State (9-1, 17th), Samford (9-1, 18th), Montana (7-3, 19th), NDSU (8-2, 21st), Youngstown State (6-4, 23rd), and Furman (8-2, 25th).
SDSU Claims Title, AQ -- With a win against visiting Illinois State, the Jackrabbits set a school record with their 10th consecutive victory, improved to 10-1 overall and finished the Conference slate with a perfect 8-0 mark. In addition to earning an outright title (its first outright crown and third overall title), SDSU has earned the MVFC’s automatic berth into the FCS playoffs, marking the program’s 11th consecutive postseason appearance.
In the Field of 24 -- Since 2014 (8 seasons), the Missouri Valley Football Conference has averaged 4.625 bids, earning a league-record and FCS-tying record six bids last season. The league had nine title-game appearances in those eight years and six titles (Illinois State and NDSU both reached the finals in 2014.) In those eight seasons, the MVFC has combined for 62 victories; next best is the CAA with 36.
NEC
Two teams remained perfect in Northeast Conference play in the penultimate week of the regular season to set the scene for a thrilling finale Saturday in North Andover, MA. Saint Francis U (8-2, 6-0 NEC), which rolled past Duquesne (3-7, 2-4 NEC) and improved to 6-0 in the league with a 51-14 win, will meet unbeaten Merrimack (8-2, 6-0 NEC), which scored a 20-14 win at CCSU (1-9, 1-5 NEC), in a nationally televised contest on ESPN3 at 1 pm. The winner will capture the league's regular season crown.
In other NEC action, LIU (3-7, 3-3 NEC) extended its winning streak to three games after outlasting Stonehill (4-3, 2-3 NEC), 34-28, while Sacred Heart (5-5, 3-3 NEC) came away with a 38-28 road win at Wagner (1-9, 1-5 NEC).
This year’s NEC Regular Season Champion will be the ninth team in conference history to go undefeated during the league slate. The last team to go unbeaten in league play was CCSU, which went 7-0 in 2019. Merrimack seeks the program’s first-ever NEC Regular Season title, while Saint Francis U looks to win the crown for the first time since 2016, and the second time in program history. The Red Flash have never gone undefeated in NEC play.
Saint Francis U, which is receiving votes in the Stats Perform Top-25 Poll for the third time in as many weeks, has been solid on both ends of the gridiron. Averaging a league-best 36.2 points per game, the Red Flash rank 12th in the FCS in scoring offense, while their defense, which is also first in the NEC at 17.9 points per game, is eighth in the nation. Saint Francis U’s offense boasts two of the top rookie wide receivers in the nation. Makai Jackson leads all freshmen in receiving yards (804) and receiving yards per game (80.4), while his 7.4 receptions per game are good for sixth in the nation. Elijah Sarratt, who averages 58.7 receiving yards and per contest, is fourth in the nation with 11 touchdown catches.
In addition to Saturday’s NEC regular-season title game on ESPN3 (Saint Francis U at Merrimack), the final weekend of the 2022 slate features three more conference games. Wagner is set to visit Duquesne, CCSU will head to Stonehill, while LIU will take on Sacred Heart in Fairfield, CT..
OVC
Southeast Missouri and UT Martin are tied for first at 4-0. Due to an unbalanced schedule the two teams do not play each other this year. If the teams finish in a tie (either 5-0 or 4-1) all tiebreaker steps would be equal. The teams would be declared co-champions and a coin flip would determine the AQ bid to the FCS Playoffs.
Southeast Missouri has won five road games this season, which ranks it in a tie for second nationally (behind six wins by Sacramento State). The team’s five-game road winning streak is the longest in program history.
UT Martin’s Ty Woods intercepted a pass that he returned 39 yards for a touchdown in the team’s win over Tennessee State; it marked his third interception of the season. As a team, UTM has 15 interceptions, which is second nationally (behind Mercer’s 17).
PATRIOT
HOLY CROSS AND FORDHAM IN THE AFCA AND STATS PERFORM FCS TOP-25 POLLS -- Holy Cross remained No. 6 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and checked in at the same spot in the Stats Perform FCS Poll after a 36-29 victory over NEC opponent Bryant. The Crusaders are the highest-ranked League team since Colgate was sixth in the coaches poll on Nov. 11, 2018. Fordham defeated Lafayette, 45-10, to move to No. 14 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the Stats Perform Poll.
CRUSADERS LOOKING FOR RECORD FOURTH STRAIGHT OUTRIGHT LEAGUE TITLE -- Holy Cross clinched at least a share of the Patriot League title for the fourth-consecutive season in addition to the League’s automatic bid to the NCAA DI FCS Championship with a win vs. Lehigh on Nov. 5. The streak of four straight championships tied Lehigh’s League record of four, set between 1998 and 2001. If Holy Cross defeats Georgetown in the regular-season finale, it will give them a League record four-consecutive outright titles. They would also be the first League team to post an undefeated regular season since Colgate in 2003.
DEMORAT ETCHING HIS NAME ATOP CAREER LEADER LISTS -- Two-time defending Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Tim DeMorat is in striking distance of the top spot in several career and single-season categories in the Patriot League record book. DeMorat is already the League’s single-season record-holder in touchdown passes (47), while his 114 career touchdown passes are four away from passing Holy Cross’s Dominic Randolph (117) for the League record. His 131 touchdowns responsible for is also three away from passing Randolph (133) for the League record. DeMorat is 274 yards away from passing Fordham’s Michael Nebrich for the Patriot League single-season passing yards record. DeMorat leads the FCS with 410.7 passing yards per game this season.
PFL
ST. THOMAS CLINCHES SHARE OF PFL TITLE, INELIGIBLE FOR FCS PLAYOFFS -- St. Thomas, in its second season as a Division I program, clinched at least a share of the 2022 PFL Championship with its shutout victory against Stetson, Nov. 12. They become the ninth different program to win a PFL title in the league’s 30 seasons. However, as a reclassifying institution – moving from Division III to Division I – the Tommies remain ineligible for the FCS Playoffs due to NCAA rules.
DAYTON-DAVIDSON WINNER CLAIMS PFL AUTOMATIC BID -- With St. Thomas ineligible for the league’s automatic qualifying spot, the bid is up for grabs. The league’s automatic bid will be awarded to the winner of the Dayton-Davidson game this weekend. Dayton would win the automatic bid outright with a victory and would have a chance to claim a share of the PFL title. Davidson would claim the automatic bid with victory by virtue of the league’s tiebreaker – either in a head-to-head tie with Dayton or in a three-way tie that includes Dayton and Butler.
VALPARAISO’S DAWSON RUSHES PAST 1,000 YARDS -- Valparaiso’s Aaron Dawson became the first PFL runner to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in the Beacons’ victory at Marist, Nov. 12. His 1,154 rushing yards is ninth most in the FCS and included five 100-yard rushing outings and one 200-yard effort this season. Dawson is the fourth player in Valparaiso history to run for 1,000 yards and is second all-time.
FLYER’S CHISHOLM SEEKING RARIFIED AIR -- Dayton running back Jake Chisholm is within sight of the 1,000-yard mark as well, entering the final weekend with 974 rushing yards – 20th in the FCS. He is seeking to become the first Flyers running back to record 1,000 rushing yards in three consecutive seasons. Chisholm has 3,196 career rushing yards, ranking ninth among active FCS running backs.
SOCON
Samford will try to wrap up an undefeated SoCon slate when it hosts Mercer on Saturday in a battle of ranked foes, while Chattanooga visits Western Carolina for the Ingles Southern Conference Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates. Elsewhere, rivals Furman and Wofford clash with the Paladins still seeking a share of the SoCon title and VMI hosts The Citadel for the Military Classic of the South. ETSU visits Mississippi State to close its season.
Four SoCon squads are nationally ranked this week. Samford is ranked No. 9 in both the AFCA FCS Coaches’ top 25 and Stats Perform FCS Top 25, while Furman is 13th in the coaches’ poll and 12th in the Stats Perform poll. Chattanooga is ranked No. 17 and No. 15 in the respective polls, while Mercer is No. 16 and 19.
Samford has already clinched at least a share of the SoCon title and the league’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Bulldogs’ current eight-game winning streak is the longest in school history and their seven conference wins are the most in program history. Samford is seeking just its second 10-win season ever and first since 1991.
If Samford loses and Furman wins, the Paladins would clinch a share of the SoCon title, their first since 2018 and their league-record 15th.
SOUTHLAND
SOUTHLAND TITLE SCENARIOS • The two games that have implications on the conference championship and the NCAA Playoff automatic qualifier are Thursday night’s River Bell Classic between Southeastern and Nicholls, and the Saturday matinee between UIW and Northwestern State.
If Southeastern beats Nicholls, there will be a two-way tie for the Southland championship for the first time since 2019, when Nicholls and Central Arkansas tied for the title. In this scenario, Southeastern receives the AQ to the playoffs, having wins over both UIW and Northwestern State. The winner of the UIW/Northwestern State game will be a Southland champion. If SLU wins, they will be co-champions. If SLU loses, the winner of this game is outright champion and the AQ to the playoffs.
SOUTHEASTERN at NICHOLLS • 6 p.m. Thursday • ESPN+ • The River Bell Classic will help decide the title race this season. If SLU wins, the Lions are conference champions. If Nicholls wins, there’s a three-way tie for second. • This series will play its 33rd game, with the record tied at 16 wins apiece. Nicholls won last year’s meeting, 45-42. • SLU has won the last two meetings in Thibodaux, where the series is tied 7-7. • This game will have the eyes of the FCS nation, as it’s the only game on the Thursday calendar in the entire nation.
SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Florida A&M's Xavier Smith and Kendall Bohler along with Jackson State’s Aubrey Miller Jr., and Alcorn State’s Andrew Smith its SWAC Football Players of the Week for their impressive performances during games played this past weekend.
Jackson State is currently ranked at No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Tigers currently sit at No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. Jackson State currently leads the league in points per game (38.9 ppg).
Florida A&M is currently ranked No. 24 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Top 25 Poll.
The 2022 Cricket SWAC Football Championship will be carried live on ESPN2 on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3 pm CST.
WAC
Abilene Christian jumped to third in the latest ASUN-WAC Power Ranking that was released on Nov. 14, posting a 0.6791 rating with a 6-2 record in countable games while leading the WAC at 3-0 in conference games. If the season ended today Abilene Christian would earn the NCAA automatic bid over ASUN leader Central Arkansas (0.5530 power ranking, 5-4 record in countable games), but Eastern Kentucky (first in current power ranking) and Austin Peay (second in current power ranking) remain in the mix for the ASUN title entering the season’s final week and could leap the WAC champion based on the current ranking.
The ASUN-WAC Power Ranking is calculated by bracketologist Warren Nolan utilizing a measure similar to the NCAA RPI to determine the recipient of the automatic bid from the WAC and ASUN for the FCS Playoffs. Countable Games include any scheduled contests against FCS teams eligible for the FCS Championship, any team that is reclassifying to FCS and is in the reclassification process, or any FBS or FBS reclassifying teams. Tarleton, Utah Tech, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State are ineligible for the 2022 FCS Playoffs due to reclassification.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS -- The final week of the 2022 regular season will see four games on tap involving WAC programs, including Southern Utah at Sam Houston (noon CT), Utah Tech at Brigham Young (1:30 p.m. MT) and Houston Christian at Tarleton (2 p.m. CT) on Nov. 19. The key game of the day is the only official WAC matchup of the closing weekend, Stephen F. Austin traveling to Abilene Christian for a 2:30 p.m. CT kick on ESPN+. ACU remains in the driver’s seat for the conference title with a 3-0 league record and would clinch the 2022 WAC championship with a win. SFA, entering the game at 2-1 in WAC games, can capture the conference crown with a victory in Abilene via head-to-head tiebreaker if both teams tie at 3-1. In a matchup between the teams on Oct. 8 that was not tabulated in the conference standings, ACU rallied from a 21-0 deficit before SFA won 41-38 on a 51-yard Chris Campos field goal as time expired.
FCS STANDINGS – through Saturday, Nov. 12
ASUN
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Jacksonville St.
4
0
8
2
Won 2
Central Ark.
3
1
5
5
Won 1
Austin Peay
3
2
7
3
Won 2
Eastern Ky.
2
2
6
4
Lost 1
Kennesaw St.
1
3
5
5
Lost 1
North Ala.
0
5
1
9
Lost 8
BIG SKY
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Sacramento St.
7
0
10
0
W10
Montana St.
7
0
9
1
Won 7
Weber St.
5
2
8
2
Won 1
UC Davis
5
2
6
4
Won 5
Idaho
5
2
6
4
Lost 1
Montana
4
3
7
3
Won 2
Portland St.
3
4
4
6
Lost 1
Northern Ariz.
2
5
3
7
Lost 2
Northern Colo.
2
5
3
7
Won 1
Eastern Wash.
1
6
2
8
Lost 3
Idaho St.
1
6
1
9
Lost 3
Cal Poly
0
7
1
9
Lost 8
BIG SOUTH
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
N.C. A&T
4
0
7
3
Won 7
Gardner-Webb
4
0
5
5
Won 3
Campbell
2
3
4
6
Lost 4
Charleston So.
2
3
2
8
Lost 1
Bryant
1
3
3
7
Lost 1
Robert Morris
0
4
0
10
L10
CAA
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
William & Mary
6
1
9
1
Won 6
Richmond
6
1
8
2
Won 5
New Hampshire
6
1
7
3
Won 1
Elon
6
2
8
3
Won 3
Delaware
4
3
7
3
Lost 1
Rhode Island
4
3
6
4
Lost 1
Villanova
3
4
5
5
Lost 2
Towson
3
4
5
5
Won 3
Monmouth
2
5
4
6
Lost 4
UAlbany
2
5
3
7
Won 1
Maine
2
5
2
8
Lost 4
Hampton
1
6
4
6
Lost 4
Stony Brook
1
6
2
8
Lost 1
IVY
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Princeton
5
1
8
1
Lost 1
Yale
5
1
7
2
Won 3
Penn
4
2
7
2
Lost 1
Harvard
4
2
6
3
Won 1
Columbia
2
4
5
4
Won 2
Cornell
2
4
5
4
Won 1
Brown
1
5
3
6
Lost 2
Dartmouth
1
5
2
7
Lost 3
MEAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
N.C. Central
4
1
8
2
Won 3
Howard
3
1
4
6
Won 1
Morgan St.
2
2
4
6
Won 1
Delaware St.
2
3
5
5
Lost 1
South Carolina St.
1
3
3
7
Lost 3
Norfolk St.
1
3
1
9
Lost 4
MVFC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
South Dakota St.
8
0
10
1
W10
North Dakota St.
6
1
8
2
Won 3
North Dakota
5
2
7
3
Won 3
Youngstown St.
4
3
6
4
Lost 1
UNI
4
3
5
5
Lost 1
Southern Ill.
4
3
5
5
Lost 3
Illinois St.
3
4
5
5
Lost 3
Missouri St.
2
5
4
6
Won 1
South Dakota
2
5
3
7
Lost 1
Indiana St.
1
6
2
8
Won 1
Western Ill.
0
7
0
10
L10
NEC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Saint Francis (PA)
6
0
8
2
Won 8
Merrimack
6
0
8
2
Won 7
Sacred Heart
3
3
5
5
Won 1
LIU
3
3
3
7
Won 3
Stonehill
2
4
4
4
Lost 1
Duquesne
2
4
3
7
Lost 1
Central Conn. St.
1
5
1
9
Lost 2
Wagner
1
5
1
9
Lost 3
OVC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Southeast Mo. St.
4
0
8
2
Won 2
UT Martin
4
0
6
4
Won 1
Tennessee Tech
2
3
4
6
Won 3
Tennessee St.
2
3
3
7
Lost 3
Lindenwood
1
3
7
3
Won 1
Eastern Ill.
1
3
2
8
Lost 5
Murray St.
1
3
2
8
Won 2
PATRIOT
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Colgate
0
1
1
4
Lost 3
Holy Cross
5
0
10
0
W10
Fordham
4
1
8
2
Won 2
Lafayette
2
3
3
7
Lost 1
Lehigh
2
3
2
8
Won 1
Bucknell
2
4
2
8
Won 1
Georgetown
1
4
2
8
Lost 2
PFL
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
St. Thomas (MN)
7
0
9
1
Won 9
Dayton
6
1
8
2
Won 5
Davidson
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Butler
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Valparaiso
4
3
5
5
Won 1
San Diego
3
3
4
5
Won 1
Marist
4
4
4
6
Lost 1
Drake
2
5
2
8
Won 2
Stetson
1
5
3
6
Lost 5
Morehead St.
1
6
2
8
Lost 5
Presbyterian
0
7
1
9
Lost 8
SOCON
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Samford
7
0
9
1
Won 8
Furman
6
1
8
2
Won 5
Mercer
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Chattanooga
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Western Caro.
3
4
5
5
Won 2
Wofford
3
4
3
7
Won 1
The Citadel
2
5
3
7
Won 1
ETSU
1
7
3
7
Lost 4
VMI
0
7
1
9
Lost 8
SOUTHLAND
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
UIW
4
1
9
1
Won 6
Southeastern La.
4
1
7
3
Won 4
Northwestern St.
4
1
4
6
Lost 1
Nicholls
3
2
3
7
Won 1
Tex. A&M-Commerce
3
3
5
5
Lost 3
McNeese
1
4
3
7
Won 2
Lamar University
1
4
1
9
Lost 2
Houston Christian
1
5
2
8
Lost 6
SWAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
EAST
Jackson St.
7
0
10
0
W10
Florida A&M
6
1
8
2
Won 8
Alabama St.
4
3
6
4
Lost 1
Alabama A&M
3
4
3
7
Lost 3
Bethune-Cookman
2
5
2
8
Lost 3
Mississippi Val.
1
6
1
9
Lost 1
WEST
Prairie View
5
2
6
4
Won 1
Southern U.
4
3
6
4
Won 1
Texas Southern
4
3
5
5
Won 1
Alcorn
4
3
5
5
Won 2
Grambling
3
5
4
7
Lost 1
Ark.-Pine Bluff
0
8
2
9
Lost 9
WAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Abilene Christian
3
0
7
3
Won 2
SFA
2
1
5
5
Lost 2
Utah Tech
2
2
4
6
Won 3
Tarleton St.
1
3
5
5
Lost 3
Southern Utah
1
3
4
6
Won 1
Sam Houston
0
0
5
3
Lost 1
Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner
School SIDs – please forward to your football media. Thank you!
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 Rankings -- Click Here (http://thefcswedge.com/ags-poll/ags-poll-week-11-top-25-results-4/) | 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 FINAL REGULAR-SEASON EPISODE THURSDAY, NOV. 17 (Every Episode is Archived) -- Click To Learn More (https://fcsinsider.com/news/2022/8/25/football-fcs-all-in-debuts-friday-on-espn.aspx)
ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY AT BOZEMAN (Montana at Montana State) -- Read More (https://msubobcats.com/sports/2022/11/16/champs-kids-club.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/2022/11/fcs-football-preview-and-predictions-week-12-games-of-the-week/)
FedEx Ground FCS National Players of the Week -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/11/gilliam-reid-samford-headline-fcs-weekly-awards/)
Stats Perform Expands Jerry Rice Award Watch List (Oct. 20) -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/25-fcs-freshmen-selected-to-jerry-rice-award-watch-list/)
Stats Perform Expands Walter Payton Award Watch List (Oct. 20) -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/twenty-fcs-standouts-join-2022-walter-payton-award-watch-list/)
Stats Perform Expands Buck Buchanan Award Watch List (Oct. 20) -- Click Here (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/10/21-fcs-standouts-join-2022-buck-buchanan-award-watch-list/)
Who Has Made The Field | AQs and What To Expect This Week: Punching the Ticket (Craig Haley) (https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/11/punch-the-ticket-fcs-conference-champions-and-postseason-qualifiers/)
Celebration Bowl: The MEAC and SWAC champions will meet in the 7th Celebration Bowl (Dec. 17) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
MEAC: North Carolina Central (8-2, 4-1)
SWAC: Conference championship game is Dec. 3
FCS AQs (So Far, thru Nov. 12)
Selection Show: Sunday, Nov. 20 (11:30 am CT, ESPNU)
MVFC – South Dakota State
NEC – Saint Francis
Patriot – Holy Cross
Southern: Samford
FCS Week 12 Viewing Guide (courtesy Sam Herder of HERO Sports): Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-week-12-schedule-bzbz/)
HERO Sports 2022 Playoffs – Resumes for Ranked Teams (Sam Herder): Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2022-week-12-resumes-bzbz/)
FCS Podcast / Playoff Outlooks: Click Here (https://herosports.com/fcs-podcast-conference-by-conference-playoff-outlooks-bzbz/)
Top 25 FCS vs. Top 25 FCS This Week (AFCA Coaches Poll unless noted)
ROAD
HOME
GAME TIME
TV INFO
#12 Montana
#3 Montana State
12 p.m. MT
MTN / ESPN+
#23 North Dakota
#4 North Dakota State
2:30 p.m. CT
ABC ND / Midco / ESPN+
#8 William & Mary
#11 Richmond
12 p.m. ET
FloFootball
#16 Mercer
#9 Samford
1:00 p.m. ET
ESPN3
FBS WINS OVER FBS PROGRAMS – THE FCS HAD 12 SUCH VICTORIES IN 2021 (8 so far this year) -- #FearTheFCS
DATE
FCS TEAM
SCORE
FBS TEAM
Sept. 2
William & Mary
41-24
Charlotte
Sept. 3
Delaware
14-7
Navy
Sept. 10
Eastern Kentucky
59-57 (7 OT)
Bowling Green
Sept. 10
Holy Cross
37-31
Buffalo
Sept. 10
UIW
55-41
Nevada
Sept. 10
Weber State
35-7
Utah State
Sept. 17
Southern Illinois
31-24
Northwestern
Sept. 24
Sacramento State
41-10
Colorado State
FCS INSIDER – AROUND THE FCS
ASUN
The final Saturday of ASUN Conference Football looks to be full of excitement as three teams are still in the hunt for the inaugural season championship. Central Arkansas is 3-1 and hosts Jacksonville State on "The Stripes" in the regular-season finale with the Bears assured of at least a share of the crown. In the other head-to-head league clash, Eastern Kentucky welcomes Kennesaw State to Richmond looking for a victory and a chance to share the title if UCA falls to JSU. Austin Peay, who wraps up the regular season on the road in a non-conference contest against FBS powerhouse #8 Alabama, has finished ASUN play with a 3-2 mark and would also earn a piece of the championship with a loss by the Bears. North Alabama concludes its 2022 slate with a visit to FBS foe Memphis.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIOS: UCA already has a share of the championship and would have sole possession with a victory. A UCA loss would make APSU a Co-Champion with the Bears owning the tiebreaker for the ASUN-WAC potential AQ comparison due to their head-to-head win over the Govs. If EKU wins and three teams are tied at 3-2 in ASUN Play the tiebreaker would go to the team with the highest ranking in the final ASUN-WAC Power Poll because the three teams had a 1-1 record against each other during the season. The FCS Playoff field will be announced Sunday (Nov. 20) at 12:30 PM ET on ESPNU.
BIG SKY
College GameDay Comes to The Brawl of the Wild • ESPN’s College GameDay is heading to Bozeman, Montana this week for the 121st Brawl of the Wild between Montana State and Montana, marking the popular pregame show’s first-ever trip to a Big Sky campus. Championship Crowns
On the Line Saturday • Sacramento State and Montana State enter their games this Saturday with 7-0 records in conference play, with each seeking a share of the Big Sky crown (or outright with help on Saturday).
Sac State Seeks Another 8-0 Big Sky Season • Sacramento State will have reached 8-0 for the second-straight season with a win on Saturday, as the Hornets will have achieved a feat only Montana (2006-2007) has accomplished. The Hornets are 22-1 in their last three seasons of league play (19, 21, 22).
Bobcats Break Big Sky Single-Game Rushing Record • Montana State ran wild on Cal Poly last Saturday, rushing for 554 yards on the ground in its 72-28 victory to break the Big Sky single-game record for the category. The 554 yards on the ground were also the most for an FCS squad since 2018.
Aggies Stay Hot With Win at Idaho • UC Davis upset No. 15 Idaho last Saturday on the road, as the Aggies won their fifth-straight game overall. The Aggies have scored 40 or more points in each of those contests, with UC Davis seeking to match 2018’s six-straight mark.
BIG SOUTH
This Saturday’s season-finale between 4-0 North Carolina A&T and 4-0 Gardner-Webb will decide the Big South’s automatic qualifier to the FCS Playoffs. It will be the league’s second-straight and fourth-ever “Winner Take All” Championship game regular-season finale, as the others were 2011 (Stony Brook-Liberty), 2017 (Kennesaw State-Monmouth) and 2021 (Kennesaw State-Monmouth). The winner of Saturday’s contest will emerge with the 13th outright Big South championship title, as well as be the 13th champion with a perfect conference record.
Gardner-Webb is looking for its third Big South football championship and first since 2003, when the Runnin’ Bulldogs repeated as Big South champions after winning the inaugural league season of 2002. North Carolina A&T will play for its first Big South title in its second and final year of conference affiliation. The Aggies’ last championship was in 2019 as members of the MEAC.
North Carolina A&T’s Bhayshul Tuten has tied the Big South single-season record with nine consecutive 100-yard rushing efforts (1,235 yards, 137.2 per game average in that span) -- which is also tied for second-longest overall such streak in league history with Liberty’s Eugene Goodman, while the record is 10 by Liberty’s Rashad Jennings across the 2007-2008 seasons.
Gardner-Webb QB Bailey Fisher has tied a Big South record with three consecutive games with 350+ yards of total offense. Fisher has amassed 452, 384 and 414 total offensive yards during his current streak, and his four career games with 400+ total yards of offense rank is tied for the most in Big South history
While North Carolina A&T’s Jermaine McDaneil has recorded just 16 total tackles this season, 10.5 have been for loss, with seven being sacks.
CAA
No. 8 William & Mary will look to earn at least a share of the CAA title when it travels to No. 11 Richmond for The Capital Cup Game presented by C&F Bank on Saturday at noon. Having won its last six games, W&M will look to earn its best regular season record in school history, as a win would give the Tribe its first 10-win regular season slate.
New Hampshire will assure itself a share of the 2022 CAA crown with a win at Maine. UNH has won a total of 14 conference titles, the most recent of which was outright in 2014. The others were in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1968, 1975, 1976, 1991, 1994, 2005 and 2012.
For the seventh-consecutive season, the annual Battle of the Blue between Delaware and Villanova will serve as the regular season finale for the two teams. It will be the 56th all-time meeting between the two longtime rivals and the game will once again have postseason implications as the Blue Hens are fighting for an at-large bid into the FCS playoffs. UD is looking to win its second-consecutive game at Villanova Stadium after defeating the Wildcats 27-20 during the 2020-21 Spring season.
IVY
Four teams enter the final weekend of Ivy League football in contention for an Ivy League title. The 138th playing of The Game between Harvard and Yale, which will be nationally televised on ESPNU at noon ET the and Penn-Princeton matchup at 1 p.m. both have Ivy title implications for all four teams.
At 5-1 in Ivy play, both Princeton and Yale need just a win to secure at least a share of the Ivy League crown. In order to earn an outright title, the Tigers or the Bulldogs would need a win and for the other team to lose. Penn and Harvard, each 4-2 in league play, both need to win order for to earn an Ivy title.
The Ivy League has six teams ranked in the top 24 in the FCS of the rushing defense category. Harvard (2nd, 82.9 ypg), Penn (4th, 92.8), Columbia (5th, 93.8) and Princeton (6th, 94.8) each rank in the top six. Yale and Cornell rank 16th and 24th respectively in the category.
MEAC
The MEAC enters the final week of the 2022 football season. North Carolina Central secured at least a share of the conference title and punched its ticket to the 2022 Celebration Bowl with a pivotal victory over Norfolk State last weekend. However, Howard still has a shot at sharing this year’s season title if the Bison emerge victorious on Saturday. This action-packed weekend has two conference games and two non-conference matchups on tap.
Howard can share the number one spot in the MEAC if the Bison can overcome a Morgan State team that has won its last two conference games. The Bison are coming off a 28-14 win over South Carolina State, marking the third straight conference loss for the Bulldogs. The Bears play at home for their final game of the season after a dominating 37-7 victory against Delaware State. The Bears’ defense has proven to be a problem after being the only team in the conference to hold three schools to one touchdown drive. Additionally, the Bears recorded two defensive touchdowns and two scores on special teams this past weekend. Morgan State and Howard have been facing each other since 1899. Last year, the Bison managed to shut out the Bears in a 27-0 victory in Greene Stadium.
North Carolina Central will head out of conference to Cookeville, Tenn., to take on Tennessee Tech in Tucker Stadium. Davius Richard accounted for five touchdowns as the Eagles claimed at least a share of the 2022 MEAC trophy after a convincing 48-14 win against Norfolk State last week, earning the conference’s berth in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. Tennessee Tech is on a three-game winning streak, recently defeating North Alabama 35-27. Last year, Tennessee tech proved to be the better “Eagles” after leaving Durham, N.C., with a 27-16 win.
MVFC
In the Metrics -- Nine MVFC teams rank in the Top 31 of the Sagarin football ratings, which includes five of the Top 14, and two of the Top 4. The same nine MVFC schools rank in the Top 34 of the Massey FCS computer rankings. Notably, all 11 MVFC programs rank in the Top 23 of Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings, which includes South Dakota, which has the FCS’ hardest SOS. The MVFC is the top-rated FCS league in the Sagarin, followed by the Big Sky, ASUN, Southern, and CAA.
Tough Schedules -- Notably, all 11 MVFC programs rank in the Top 23 of Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings. Among the Top 25 in that Index, 15 schools (including seven MVFC schools) have recorded .500 or better records against those difficult schedules, including Southern Illinois (5-5, 3rd), Idaho (6-4, 5th), SDSU (10-1, 7th), Sacramento State (10-0, 8th), North Dakota (7-3, 9th), Weber State (8-2, 10th), UNI (5-5, 11th), Illinois State (5-5, 13th), UC Davis (6-4, 14th), Montana State (9-1, 17th), Samford (9-1, 18th), Montana (7-3, 19th), NDSU (8-2, 21st), Youngstown State (6-4, 23rd), and Furman (8-2, 25th).
SDSU Claims Title, AQ -- With a win against visiting Illinois State, the Jackrabbits set a school record with their 10th consecutive victory, improved to 10-1 overall and finished the Conference slate with a perfect 8-0 mark. In addition to earning an outright title (its first outright crown and third overall title), SDSU has earned the MVFC’s automatic berth into the FCS playoffs, marking the program’s 11th consecutive postseason appearance.
In the Field of 24 -- Since 2014 (8 seasons), the Missouri Valley Football Conference has averaged 4.625 bids, earning a league-record and FCS-tying record six bids last season. The league had nine title-game appearances in those eight years and six titles (Illinois State and NDSU both reached the finals in 2014.) In those eight seasons, the MVFC has combined for 62 victories; next best is the CAA with 36.
NEC
Two teams remained perfect in Northeast Conference play in the penultimate week of the regular season to set the scene for a thrilling finale Saturday in North Andover, MA. Saint Francis U (8-2, 6-0 NEC), which rolled past Duquesne (3-7, 2-4 NEC) and improved to 6-0 in the league with a 51-14 win, will meet unbeaten Merrimack (8-2, 6-0 NEC), which scored a 20-14 win at CCSU (1-9, 1-5 NEC), in a nationally televised contest on ESPN3 at 1 pm. The winner will capture the league's regular season crown.
In other NEC action, LIU (3-7, 3-3 NEC) extended its winning streak to three games after outlasting Stonehill (4-3, 2-3 NEC), 34-28, while Sacred Heart (5-5, 3-3 NEC) came away with a 38-28 road win at Wagner (1-9, 1-5 NEC).
This year’s NEC Regular Season Champion will be the ninth team in conference history to go undefeated during the league slate. The last team to go unbeaten in league play was CCSU, which went 7-0 in 2019. Merrimack seeks the program’s first-ever NEC Regular Season title, while Saint Francis U looks to win the crown for the first time since 2016, and the second time in program history. The Red Flash have never gone undefeated in NEC play.
Saint Francis U, which is receiving votes in the Stats Perform Top-25 Poll for the third time in as many weeks, has been solid on both ends of the gridiron. Averaging a league-best 36.2 points per game, the Red Flash rank 12th in the FCS in scoring offense, while their defense, which is also first in the NEC at 17.9 points per game, is eighth in the nation. Saint Francis U’s offense boasts two of the top rookie wide receivers in the nation. Makai Jackson leads all freshmen in receiving yards (804) and receiving yards per game (80.4), while his 7.4 receptions per game are good for sixth in the nation. Elijah Sarratt, who averages 58.7 receiving yards and per contest, is fourth in the nation with 11 touchdown catches.
In addition to Saturday’s NEC regular-season title game on ESPN3 (Saint Francis U at Merrimack), the final weekend of the 2022 slate features three more conference games. Wagner is set to visit Duquesne, CCSU will head to Stonehill, while LIU will take on Sacred Heart in Fairfield, CT..
OVC
Southeast Missouri and UT Martin are tied for first at 4-0. Due to an unbalanced schedule the two teams do not play each other this year. If the teams finish in a tie (either 5-0 or 4-1) all tiebreaker steps would be equal. The teams would be declared co-champions and a coin flip would determine the AQ bid to the FCS Playoffs.
Southeast Missouri has won five road games this season, which ranks it in a tie for second nationally (behind six wins by Sacramento State). The team’s five-game road winning streak is the longest in program history.
UT Martin’s Ty Woods intercepted a pass that he returned 39 yards for a touchdown in the team’s win over Tennessee State; it marked his third interception of the season. As a team, UTM has 15 interceptions, which is second nationally (behind Mercer’s 17).
PATRIOT
HOLY CROSS AND FORDHAM IN THE AFCA AND STATS PERFORM FCS TOP-25 POLLS -- Holy Cross remained No. 6 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and checked in at the same spot in the Stats Perform FCS Poll after a 36-29 victory over NEC opponent Bryant. The Crusaders are the highest-ranked League team since Colgate was sixth in the coaches poll on Nov. 11, 2018. Fordham defeated Lafayette, 45-10, to move to No. 14 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the Stats Perform Poll.
CRUSADERS LOOKING FOR RECORD FOURTH STRAIGHT OUTRIGHT LEAGUE TITLE -- Holy Cross clinched at least a share of the Patriot League title for the fourth-consecutive season in addition to the League’s automatic bid to the NCAA DI FCS Championship with a win vs. Lehigh on Nov. 5. The streak of four straight championships tied Lehigh’s League record of four, set between 1998 and 2001. If Holy Cross defeats Georgetown in the regular-season finale, it will give them a League record four-consecutive outright titles. They would also be the first League team to post an undefeated regular season since Colgate in 2003.
DEMORAT ETCHING HIS NAME ATOP CAREER LEADER LISTS -- Two-time defending Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Tim DeMorat is in striking distance of the top spot in several career and single-season categories in the Patriot League record book. DeMorat is already the League’s single-season record-holder in touchdown passes (47), while his 114 career touchdown passes are four away from passing Holy Cross’s Dominic Randolph (117) for the League record. His 131 touchdowns responsible for is also three away from passing Randolph (133) for the League record. DeMorat is 274 yards away from passing Fordham’s Michael Nebrich for the Patriot League single-season passing yards record. DeMorat leads the FCS with 410.7 passing yards per game this season.
PFL
ST. THOMAS CLINCHES SHARE OF PFL TITLE, INELIGIBLE FOR FCS PLAYOFFS -- St. Thomas, in its second season as a Division I program, clinched at least a share of the 2022 PFL Championship with its shutout victory against Stetson, Nov. 12. They become the ninth different program to win a PFL title in the league’s 30 seasons. However, as a reclassifying institution – moving from Division III to Division I – the Tommies remain ineligible for the FCS Playoffs due to NCAA rules.
DAYTON-DAVIDSON WINNER CLAIMS PFL AUTOMATIC BID -- With St. Thomas ineligible for the league’s automatic qualifying spot, the bid is up for grabs. The league’s automatic bid will be awarded to the winner of the Dayton-Davidson game this weekend. Dayton would win the automatic bid outright with a victory and would have a chance to claim a share of the PFL title. Davidson would claim the automatic bid with victory by virtue of the league’s tiebreaker – either in a head-to-head tie with Dayton or in a three-way tie that includes Dayton and Butler.
VALPARAISO’S DAWSON RUSHES PAST 1,000 YARDS -- Valparaiso’s Aaron Dawson became the first PFL runner to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in the Beacons’ victory at Marist, Nov. 12. His 1,154 rushing yards is ninth most in the FCS and included five 100-yard rushing outings and one 200-yard effort this season. Dawson is the fourth player in Valparaiso history to run for 1,000 yards and is second all-time.
FLYER’S CHISHOLM SEEKING RARIFIED AIR -- Dayton running back Jake Chisholm is within sight of the 1,000-yard mark as well, entering the final weekend with 974 rushing yards – 20th in the FCS. He is seeking to become the first Flyers running back to record 1,000 rushing yards in three consecutive seasons. Chisholm has 3,196 career rushing yards, ranking ninth among active FCS running backs.
SOCON
Samford will try to wrap up an undefeated SoCon slate when it hosts Mercer on Saturday in a battle of ranked foes, while Chattanooga visits Western Carolina for the Ingles Southern Conference Game of the Week on select Nexstar affiliates. Elsewhere, rivals Furman and Wofford clash with the Paladins still seeking a share of the SoCon title and VMI hosts The Citadel for the Military Classic of the South. ETSU visits Mississippi State to close its season.
Four SoCon squads are nationally ranked this week. Samford is ranked No. 9 in both the AFCA FCS Coaches’ top 25 and Stats Perform FCS Top 25, while Furman is 13th in the coaches’ poll and 12th in the Stats Perform poll. Chattanooga is ranked No. 17 and No. 15 in the respective polls, while Mercer is No. 16 and 19.
Samford has already clinched at least a share of the SoCon title and the league’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Bulldogs’ current eight-game winning streak is the longest in school history and their seven conference wins are the most in program history. Samford is seeking just its second 10-win season ever and first since 1991.
If Samford loses and Furman wins, the Paladins would clinch a share of the SoCon title, their first since 2018 and their league-record 15th.
SOUTHLAND
SOUTHLAND TITLE SCENARIOS • The two games that have implications on the conference championship and the NCAA Playoff automatic qualifier are Thursday night’s River Bell Classic between Southeastern and Nicholls, and the Saturday matinee between UIW and Northwestern State.
If Southeastern beats Nicholls, there will be a two-way tie for the Southland championship for the first time since 2019, when Nicholls and Central Arkansas tied for the title. In this scenario, Southeastern receives the AQ to the playoffs, having wins over both UIW and Northwestern State. The winner of the UIW/Northwestern State game will be a Southland champion. If SLU wins, they will be co-champions. If SLU loses, the winner of this game is outright champion and the AQ to the playoffs.
SOUTHEASTERN at NICHOLLS • 6 p.m. Thursday • ESPN+ • The River Bell Classic will help decide the title race this season. If SLU wins, the Lions are conference champions. If Nicholls wins, there’s a three-way tie for second. • This series will play its 33rd game, with the record tied at 16 wins apiece. Nicholls won last year’s meeting, 45-42. • SLU has won the last two meetings in Thibodaux, where the series is tied 7-7. • This game will have the eyes of the FCS nation, as it’s the only game on the Thursday calendar in the entire nation.
SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Florida A&M's Xavier Smith and Kendall Bohler along with Jackson State’s Aubrey Miller Jr., and Alcorn State’s Andrew Smith its SWAC Football Players of the Week for their impressive performances during games played this past weekend.
Jackson State is currently ranked at No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Tigers currently sit at No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. Jackson State currently leads the league in points per game (38.9 ppg).
Florida A&M is currently ranked No. 24 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Top 25 Poll.
The 2022 Cricket SWAC Football Championship will be carried live on ESPN2 on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3 pm CST.
WAC
Abilene Christian jumped to third in the latest ASUN-WAC Power Ranking that was released on Nov. 14, posting a 0.6791 rating with a 6-2 record in countable games while leading the WAC at 3-0 in conference games. If the season ended today Abilene Christian would earn the NCAA automatic bid over ASUN leader Central Arkansas (0.5530 power ranking, 5-4 record in countable games), but Eastern Kentucky (first in current power ranking) and Austin Peay (second in current power ranking) remain in the mix for the ASUN title entering the season’s final week and could leap the WAC champion based on the current ranking.
The ASUN-WAC Power Ranking is calculated by bracketologist Warren Nolan utilizing a measure similar to the NCAA RPI to determine the recipient of the automatic bid from the WAC and ASUN for the FCS Playoffs. Countable Games include any scheduled contests against FCS teams eligible for the FCS Championship, any team that is reclassifying to FCS and is in the reclassification process, or any FBS or FBS reclassifying teams. Tarleton, Utah Tech, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State are ineligible for the 2022 FCS Playoffs due to reclassification.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS -- The final week of the 2022 regular season will see four games on tap involving WAC programs, including Southern Utah at Sam Houston (noon CT), Utah Tech at Brigham Young (1:30 p.m. MT) and Houston Christian at Tarleton (2 p.m. CT) on Nov. 19. The key game of the day is the only official WAC matchup of the closing weekend, Stephen F. Austin traveling to Abilene Christian for a 2:30 p.m. CT kick on ESPN+. ACU remains in the driver’s seat for the conference title with a 3-0 league record and would clinch the 2022 WAC championship with a win. SFA, entering the game at 2-1 in WAC games, can capture the conference crown with a victory in Abilene via head-to-head tiebreaker if both teams tie at 3-1. In a matchup between the teams on Oct. 8 that was not tabulated in the conference standings, ACU rallied from a 21-0 deficit before SFA won 41-38 on a 51-yard Chris Campos field goal as time expired.
FCS STANDINGS – through Saturday, Nov. 12
ASUN
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Jacksonville St.
4
0
8
2
Won 2
Central Ark.
3
1
5
5
Won 1
Austin Peay
3
2
7
3
Won 2
Eastern Ky.
2
2
6
4
Lost 1
Kennesaw St.
1
3
5
5
Lost 1
North Ala.
0
5
1
9
Lost 8
BIG SKY
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Sacramento St.
7
0
10
0
W10
Montana St.
7
0
9
1
Won 7
Weber St.
5
2
8
2
Won 1
UC Davis
5
2
6
4
Won 5
Idaho
5
2
6
4
Lost 1
Montana
4
3
7
3
Won 2
Portland St.
3
4
4
6
Lost 1
Northern Ariz.
2
5
3
7
Lost 2
Northern Colo.
2
5
3
7
Won 1
Eastern Wash.
1
6
2
8
Lost 3
Idaho St.
1
6
1
9
Lost 3
Cal Poly
0
7
1
9
Lost 8
BIG SOUTH
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
N.C. A&T
4
0
7
3
Won 7
Gardner-Webb
4
0
5
5
Won 3
Campbell
2
3
4
6
Lost 4
Charleston So.
2
3
2
8
Lost 1
Bryant
1
3
3
7
Lost 1
Robert Morris
0
4
0
10
L10
CAA
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
William & Mary
6
1
9
1
Won 6
Richmond
6
1
8
2
Won 5
New Hampshire
6
1
7
3
Won 1
Elon
6
2
8
3
Won 3
Delaware
4
3
7
3
Lost 1
Rhode Island
4
3
6
4
Lost 1
Villanova
3
4
5
5
Lost 2
Towson
3
4
5
5
Won 3
Monmouth
2
5
4
6
Lost 4
UAlbany
2
5
3
7
Won 1
Maine
2
5
2
8
Lost 4
Hampton
1
6
4
6
Lost 4
Stony Brook
1
6
2
8
Lost 1
IVY
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Princeton
5
1
8
1
Lost 1
Yale
5
1
7
2
Won 3
Penn
4
2
7
2
Lost 1
Harvard
4
2
6
3
Won 1
Columbia
2
4
5
4
Won 2
Cornell
2
4
5
4
Won 1
Brown
1
5
3
6
Lost 2
Dartmouth
1
5
2
7
Lost 3
MEAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
N.C. Central
4
1
8
2
Won 3
Howard
3
1
4
6
Won 1
Morgan St.
2
2
4
6
Won 1
Delaware St.
2
3
5
5
Lost 1
South Carolina St.
1
3
3
7
Lost 3
Norfolk St.
1
3
1
9
Lost 4
MVFC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
South Dakota St.
8
0
10
1
W10
North Dakota St.
6
1
8
2
Won 3
North Dakota
5
2
7
3
Won 3
Youngstown St.
4
3
6
4
Lost 1
UNI
4
3
5
5
Lost 1
Southern Ill.
4
3
5
5
Lost 3
Illinois St.
3
4
5
5
Lost 3
Missouri St.
2
5
4
6
Won 1
South Dakota
2
5
3
7
Lost 1
Indiana St.
1
6
2
8
Won 1
Western Ill.
0
7
0
10
L10
NEC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Saint Francis (PA)
6
0
8
2
Won 8
Merrimack
6
0
8
2
Won 7
Sacred Heart
3
3
5
5
Won 1
LIU
3
3
3
7
Won 3
Stonehill
2
4
4
4
Lost 1
Duquesne
2
4
3
7
Lost 1
Central Conn. St.
1
5
1
9
Lost 2
Wagner
1
5
1
9
Lost 3
OVC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Southeast Mo. St.
4
0
8
2
Won 2
UT Martin
4
0
6
4
Won 1
Tennessee Tech
2
3
4
6
Won 3
Tennessee St.
2
3
3
7
Lost 3
Lindenwood
1
3
7
3
Won 1
Eastern Ill.
1
3
2
8
Lost 5
Murray St.
1
3
2
8
Won 2
PATRIOT
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Colgate
0
1
1
4
Lost 3
Holy Cross
5
0
10
0
W10
Fordham
4
1
8
2
Won 2
Lafayette
2
3
3
7
Lost 1
Lehigh
2
3
2
8
Won 1
Bucknell
2
4
2
8
Won 1
Georgetown
1
4
2
8
Lost 2
PFL
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
St. Thomas (MN)
7
0
9
1
Won 9
Dayton
6
1
8
2
Won 5
Davidson
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Butler
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Valparaiso
4
3
5
5
Won 1
San Diego
3
3
4
5
Won 1
Marist
4
4
4
6
Lost 1
Drake
2
5
2
8
Won 2
Stetson
1
5
3
6
Lost 5
Morehead St.
1
6
2
8
Lost 5
Presbyterian
0
7
1
9
Lost 8
SOCON
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Samford
7
0
9
1
Won 8
Furman
6
1
8
2
Won 5
Mercer
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Chattanooga
5
2
7
3
Lost 1
Western Caro.
3
4
5
5
Won 2
Wofford
3
4
3
7
Won 1
The Citadel
2
5
3
7
Won 1
ETSU
1
7
3
7
Lost 4
VMI
0
7
1
9
Lost 8
SOUTHLAND
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
UIW
4
1
9
1
Won 6
Southeastern La.
4
1
7
3
Won 4
Northwestern St.
4
1
4
6
Lost 1
Nicholls
3
2
3
7
Won 1
Tex. A&M-Commerce
3
3
5
5
Lost 3
McNeese
1
4
3
7
Won 2
Lamar University
1
4
1
9
Lost 2
Houston Christian
1
5
2
8
Lost 6
SWAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
EAST
Jackson St.
7
0
10
0
W10
Florida A&M
6
1
8
2
Won 8
Alabama St.
4
3
6
4
Lost 1
Alabama A&M
3
4
3
7
Lost 3
Bethune-Cookman
2
5
2
8
Lost 3
Mississippi Val.
1
6
1
9
Lost 1
WEST
Prairie View
5
2
6
4
Won 1
Southern U.
4
3
6
4
Won 1
Texas Southern
4
3
5
5
Won 1
Alcorn
4
3
5
5
Won 2
Grambling
3
5
4
7
Lost 1
Ark.-Pine Bluff
0
8
2
9
Lost 9
WAC
CONFERENCE
OVERALL
Abilene Christian
3
0
7
3
Won 2
SFA
2
1
5
5
Lost 2
Utah Tech
2
2
4
6
Won 3
Tarleton St.
1
3
5
5
Lost 3
Southern Utah
1
3
4
6
Won 1
Sam Houston
0
0
5
3
Lost 1
Mike Kern
Associate Commissioner