Week 1: Conference by Conference Breakdown
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 9:23 pm
Side note: I will now be using the AGS Poll for top-25 numbers instead of the STATS poll. I probably should’ve done this a while ago, but whatever…
Big Sky
EWU 21-31 UIW
PORTST 0-69 BYU
CP 41-17 USD
UCD 31-24 UTU
SAC 3-20 SDKST
IDA 10-13 WSU
IDST 24-46 SUU
WEB 10-45 JMU
NAU 19-38 ASU
MTST 13-59 UO
chad 3-17 NOCO
Southland
ETAMU 13-42 SMU
srsu 0-66 UTRGV
arkbap 0-69 HCU
SFA 0-27 UH
LAM 0-51 UNT
EWU 21-31 UIW
SELU 0-24 LATECH
ALCORN 10-20 NWST
lcu 9-54 MCNSE
NICH 20-38 TROY
Missouri Valley
UND 35-38 KSU
NDSU 38-0 CIT
SDK 7-55 IAST
SAC 3-20 SDKST
BUT 14-38 UNI
ILST 3-35 OU
tmore 3-49 SIU
mcken 24-41 INST
MHURST 15-24 YSU
MUR 17-45 ETSU
United
UCD 31-24 UTU
ISU 24-46 SUU
ACU 7-35 TULSA
TARL 30-27 ARMY (2OT)
UCA 6-61 MIZ
UWG 34-3 SAM
UNA 6-55 WKU
EKU 17-51 UL
AP 34-14 MTSU
Pioneer
CP 41-17 USD
LIND 13-35 STTHOM
uiu 7-41 DRAKE
vul 10-67 VALPO
BUT 14-38 UNI
DAY 14-24 EIU
NHAV 14-31 MARIST
GTOWN 51-14 DVDSN
PRESBY 15-10 MER
webber 31-21 STET
allen 31-38 MHEAD
Big Sky
EWU 21-31 UIW
PORTST 0-69 BYU
CP 41-17 USD
UCD 31-24 UTU
SAC 3-20 SDKST
IDA 10-13 WSU
IDST 24-46 SUU
WEB 10-45 JMU
NAU 19-38 ASU
MTST 13-59 UO
chad 3-17 NOCO
- NConf Record: 3-8
Overall: 3-10
vs. FCS: 2-3
Overall: 2-4
Best Performance: Cal Poly 41, San Diego 17 - The Mustangs trample the Pioneer League favorites in part thanks to QB Ty Dieffenbach’s 332 yards of total offense and 3 total TDs.
Worst Performance: Idaho St. 24, Southern Utah 46 - After averaging 6.4 yards-per-carry against an FBS team in the kickoff week, the Bengals lose rushing 323-23 to a former & future conference foe.
Most Surprising Result: (#6) UC Davis 31, Utah Tech 24 - This suspect result combined with Mercer’s loss to Presbyterian suggests the Kickoff Classic may not have been featuring the best of FCS.
Southland
ETAMU 13-42 SMU
srsu 0-66 UTRGV
arkbap 0-69 HCU
SFA 0-27 UH
LAM 0-51 UNT
EWU 21-31 UIW
SELU 0-24 LATECH
ALCORN 10-20 NWST
lcu 9-54 MCNSE
NICH 20-38 TROY
- NConf Record: 5-5
Overall: 5-5
vs. FCS: 2-0
Overall: 2-0
Best Performance: (#5) Incarnate Word 31, Eastern Washington 21 - The Cardinals still look disappointing thus far, but beating EWU was the best the Southland could do this week.
Worst Performance: Lamar 0, (FBS) North Texas 51 - The Cardinals put up just 119 yards and suffer the SLC’s biggest FBS humiliation of the week.
Most Surprising Result: Goose Eggs - Five of the ten Southland games ended up being shutouts. That’s kinda weird, right?
Missouri Valley
UND 35-38 KSU
NDSU 38-0 CIT
SDK 7-55 IAST
SAC 3-20 SDKST
BUT 14-38 UNI
ILST 3-35 OU
tmore 3-49 SIU
mcken 24-41 INST
MHURST 15-24 YSU
MUR 17-45 ETSU
- NConf Record: 6-4
Overall: 6-4
vs. FCS: 4-1
Overall: 4-1
Best Performance: North Dakota 35, (FBS) Kansas St. 38 - Fighting Hawk NB Jonnie Wiltshire puts up 7 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, and 2 pass breakups as his team nearly pulls off a huge upset.
Worst Performance: Murray St. 17, East Tennessee St. 45 - The Racers are outrushed 392-34 in getting the Missouri Valley’s only non-FBS loss of Week 1.
Most Surprising Result: North Dakota 35, (FBS) Kansas St. 38 - North Dakota was supposed to rebuilding this year with a new coach and whatever else, so it’s certainly surprising to see them get within one minute of knocking off a ranked FBS squad.
United
UCD 31-24 UTU
ISU 24-46 SUU
ACU 7-35 TULSA
TARL 30-27 ARMY (2OT)
UCA 6-61 MIZ
UWG 34-3 SAM
UNA 6-55 WKU
EKU 17-51 UL
AP 34-14 MTSU
- NConf Record: 4-5
Overall: 5-5
vs. FCS: 2-1
Overall: 3-1
Best Performance: (#9) Tarleton St. 30, (FBS) Army 27 (2OT) - The Texan defense registers 9 tackles-for-loss and forces 3 turnovers against one of the better mid-majors in FBS.
Worst Performance: (#14) Abilene Christian 7, (FBS) Tulsa 35 - The Wildcats aren’t at all competitive against a Golden Hurricane team that is supposed to be one of the worst in FBS.
Most Surprising Result: Austin Peay 34, (FBS) Middle Tennessee St. 14 - MTSU is a bad FBS squad to be sure, but still… the Governors were picked in the bottom half of the United, and they dominated this game by taking a 21-0 lead early and holding the Blue Raiders to just 153 yards.
Pioneer
CP 41-17 USD
LIND 13-35 STTHOM
uiu 7-41 DRAKE
vul 10-67 VALPO
BUT 14-38 UNI
DAY 14-24 EIU
NHAV 14-31 MARIST
GTOWN 51-14 DVDSN
PRESBY 15-10 MER
webber 31-21 STET
allen 31-38 MHEAD
- NConf Record: 6-5
Overall: 6-5
vs. FCS: 3-4
Overall: 3-4
Best Performance: Presbyterian 15, (#8) Mercer 10 - The Blue Hose score 9 unanswered points in the second half to stun the preseason SoCon favorites, as well as everyone else.
Worst Performance: Stetson 21, (NAIA) Webber International 31 - The Hatters won yardage 403-190 and still lost to an NAIA team.
Most Surprising Result: Presbyterian 15, (#8) Mercer 10 - This was the Pioneer’s first top-25 win since Butler beat #25 Youngstown in 2018.
Tomorrow: the rest of the playoff conferences.