The FCS football season often resembles a roller coaster ride with its wild, up-and-down results, but the big schedule against FBS competition was too big of a hill to climb in Week 1.
Many FCS football teams are not seeking to use their season-opening game against an FBS opponent as a barometer for what’s to come this season.
Montana State’s rally past New Mexico State in Week 0 remained the season’s only win over Big Brother after FCS teams went winless in 59 FBS games over the Labor Day weekend schedule. That included 10 shutout losses.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however, as there were a few close calls as well as interesting storylines. (Here’s the Top 25 scoreboard)
FCS Football Week 1 Review
South Dakota State’s Win Streak Over
Top-ranked South Dakota State winning against a veteran Oklahoma State squad appeared unlikely, but the two-time defending FCS champion’s 29-game winning streak (the third-longest in FCS history) ended with a thud, 44-20 in Stillwater.
The Jackrabbits’ deficit was in double digits over the final 38 minutes, 35 seconds. They allowed more points in the third quarter (21) than they did in the same quarter across all of last season’s 15 games (14).
Starting field position was pivotal. Each team had 13 possessions, and all of SDSU’s began inside its 30, while OSU started eight times outside its 30, including three drives that opened in Jackrabbits territory.
Bison Put Scare in Buffaloes
The excitement of No. 2 North Dakota State’s 31-26 loss at Colorado reflected in ESPN enjoying its highest-rated Thursday night season-opening game since 2017 (4.8 million viewers on average with a peak of 5.6 million).
NDSU quarterback Cam Miller accounted for 358 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, and helped the Bison control game clock, but the defense struggled to slow Colorado’s dynamic duo of QB Shedeur Sanders and two-way player Travis Hunter. Miller’s final-play heave to wide receiver Tyler Terhark went for 49 yards, but was four yards shy of the Buffaloes’ end zone.
The game was Tim Polasek’s debut as NDSU head coach.
Grizzlies Side-Step an Upset
Third-ranked Montana struggled past Missouri State 29-24, but the comforting news for the Grizzlies is it took a month last season before they got on a roll, and they went on to claim the Big Sky title and finish as national runners-up.
Eli Gillman, the 2023 Jerry Rice Award recipient, opened his sophomore campaign with 89 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and Fresno State transfer quarterback Logan Fife came off the bench to relieve starter Keali’I Ah Yat, throwing for the go-ahead TD late in the third quarter.
It was the Grizzlies’ 10th straight season-opening win – the active high in the FCS – and their 21st straight in home openers.
Near-Misses are Heartbreakers
Some of Saturday night’s FCS losses to FBS opponents were excruciating.
Central Arkansas went ahead in the final minute at Arkansas State only to have the Red Wolves score with three seconds left and escape with a 34-31 victory. Bears running back ShunDerrick Powell was sensational with 226 yards from scrimmage (176 rushing and two TDs; 50 more on three receptions) and a 29-yard pass.
At Texas Tech, Abilene Christian forced overtime with a late field goal, but fell 52-51 in the extra session when it went for the win and was denied on a two-point attempt. Maverick McIvor was a top gun behind center, completing 36 of 51 passes for 506 yards and three TDs.
Tennessee Tech rallied from a 21-0 deficit to take a late lead at Middle Tennessee, but the Blue Raiders converted a fourth down on their ensuing seven-play drive to score a go-ahead touchdown with 16 seconds left and claim a 32-25 victory. Jordyn Potts had three TD passes in coach Bobby Wilder’s debut as TTU’s coach.
Stock Up, Stock Down
Stock Up: Mercer was the fourth team outside the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll, and could have been a bit overlooked following last year’s first playoff bid. As the Bears routed Presbyterian 63-10 to open the Mike Jacobs coaching era, junior college transfer DJ Smith was 20 of 24 for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for another TD, while Brayden Smith racked up 238 all-purpose yards.
Stock Down: St. Thomas was stunned by Division II Sioux Falls 34-13, ending the Tommies’ 31-game home winning streak since 2017. Sioux Falls, which was a mere 3-7 last season, scored twice on two-point conversions – once offensively and once defensively by returning a St. Thomas attempt. Since joining the FCS in 2021, the Tommies are 21-3 in Pioneer Football League games, but only 4-5 out of league, and they next host Northern Iowa, which won 44-3 in their previous matchup three years ago.
Around FCS Nation
- New FCS programs West Georgia and Mercyhurst both won their first games on the Division I level. UWG, a United Athletic Conference member, surprised Samford 38-29 as quarterback Davin Wydner accounted for 329 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. Mercyhurst from the Northeast Conference downed Division II Wheeling 28-25 as Adam Urena passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
- Monmouth earned good frequent flyer mileage in traveling from New Jersey to Eastern Washington, but Eagles quarterback Kekoa Visperas went to the air for five TD passes, including three to Efton Chism III to direct a 42-27 triumph. Visperas was 25 of 28 (89.3%, second-best in program history) for 275 yards, and Chism caught 12 passes for 173 yards. Still, the Eagles had an offensive split of 54 carries (265 yards) to 29 pass attempts (282 yards).
- Villanova QB Connor Watkins has ranked No. 2 in the FCS in passing yards per completion for two straight seasons, but he averaged 10.7 yards per carry, finishing with more rushing yards (107) than passing yards (90), in the No. 6 Wildcats’ 24-17 win over No. 25 Youngstown State. The 2023 playoff rematch – also won by Villanova in the second round – was the season’s first game to match two ranked teams.
- Seventh-ranked Idaho made a bid to surpass Appalachian State’s 2007 win at No. 5 Michigan for the highest FCS upset of an FBS ranked team. The Vandals, despite being 45.5-point underdogs, trailed No. 3 Oregon by a field goal midway through the fourth quarter before falling 24-14. Quarterback Jack Layne had a TD pass and run, while linebacker Jaxton Eck (son of Idaho coach Jason Eck) racked up 14 tackles.
- It was quite an opening week for comeback wins by struggling Southern Conference squads. The Citadel, which was winless last season, scored the final 19 points for a 22-21 victory at Charleston Southern – the first for second-year coach Maurice Drayton. Garrison Johnson scored from one yard out with 1:55 left before Ben Barnes kicked the decisive PAT. Also, Wofford scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win 21-20 at defending Big South-OVC co-champ Gardner-Webb. Bridger Jones’ 45-yard field goal with 5:50 to go provided the game-winning points.
- In their first meeting since 2012, William & Mary beat VMI 41-7 to extend its winning streak in the series to 26 games. Darius Wilson passed for two touchdowns, and all-purpose standout Hollis Mathis had both a TD pass and TD run.
- Florida A&M quarterback Daniel Richardson is surely the early season transfer of the year. The former FAU signal caller had 20 completions for 286 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-23 win over Norfolk State in Week 0, then had nearly identical numbers in a 22-18 victory against South Carolina – 23, 282 and three, respectively. Two of his scoring passes came in the fourth quarter as first-year coach James Colzie III’s squad overcame a double-digit deficit for the second straight week.
- First-year coaches joining Colzie (Florida A&M), Jacobs (Mercer) and Joel Taylor (West Georgia) with wins in their first games were Morehead State’s Jason Woodman (17-10 over Central State), Northern Arizona’s Brian Wright (66-6 over Lincoln of California) and Texas Southern’s Cris Dishman (27-9 at Prairie View A&M).
- Score one for the San Diego secondary – or two. The unit scored on a pair of pick-sixes – Trey Ortega on a 38-yard return and Matt Ballentine from 40 yards out – to fuel a 27-21 win over Cal Poly. Eric Haney, also a defensive back, added a third interception in the win.
- The spotlight on North Carolina Central and Alabama State in the Orange Blossom Classic goes beyond being the only FCS game and just one of two in Division I on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN). It’s a terrific matchup: NCCU is 19-5 overall and with a postseason bid each of the last two seasons, while Alabama State was picked first in the competitive SWAC East Division even though it doesn’t have a SWAC championship since 2004.
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