Best Performance: (#7) Idaho 14, (FBS) Oregon 24 - The Vandals were outgained badly and lost turnovers, but they somehow found a way to put a top-5 FBS team on the ropes in the fourth quarter.
Worst Performance: Cal Poly 21, San Diego 27 - The Mustangs manage 8 rushing yards against a non-scholarship team they were previously 8-0 against in the regular season.
Most Surprising Result: (#7) Idaho 14, (FBS) Oregon 24 - This was the Ducks' closest I-AA/FCS contest since they held on for a 5-point win against Montana in 1993.
Southland
TAMUC 14-45 SDSU
HCU 7-59 SMU
namer 0-77 SFA
LAM 27-34 TXST
NOCO 7-28 UIW
SELU 0-52 TULANE
NWST 28-62 TULSA
SU 7-21 MCNSE
NICH 17-25 LATECH
NConf Record: 3-6 Overall: 3-7
vs. FCS: 2-0 Overall: 2-1
Best Performance: Lamar 27, (FBS) Texas St. 34 - The Cardinals almost rally from an 18-0 halftime deficit against the Sun Belt-West favorites.
Worst Performance: Texas A&M-Commerce 14, (FBS) San Diego St. 45 - It wasn't just a bad performance by the Lions, it was a bad game overall with 31 combined penalties for 273 combined penalty yards.
Most Surprising Result: Lamar 27, (FBS) Texas St. 34 - This one was also a flag-ridden mess with 28 combined penalties for 262 combined penalty yards.
Missouri Valley
UND 3-21 IAST
NDSU 26-31 CU
nrthst 3-45 SDK
SDKST 20-44 OKST
VALPO 7-35 UNI
MIZST 24-29 UMT
ILST 0-40 UI
SIU 13-41 BYU
INST 0-49 PUR
YSU 17-24 NOVA
MUR 0-51 MIZ
NConf Record: 2-9 Overall: 2-9
vs. FCS: 1-2 Overall: 1-2
Best Performance: (#2) North Dakota St. 26, (FBS) Colorado 31 - Bison QB Cam Miller amassed 358 yards of total offense and 3 total touchdowns, but he was outdone by 2021 Jerry Rice award-winner Shedeur Sanders and his 445 passing yards and 4 TDs.
Worst Performance: Indiana St. 0, (FBS) Purdue 49 - The Sycamores allow Hudson Card to go 24/25 passing for 273 yards and 4 TDs as they get overwhelmed by the preseason Big Ten basement.
Most Surprising Result: Missouri St. 24, (#3) Montana 29 - 13 penalties undermined a golden opportunity for the Bears to pull a big upset in WaGriz.
UAC
MTST 31-7 UTU
SUU 0-49 UTAH
ACU 51-52 TXTECH(OT)
TARL 3-45 BAY
UCA 31-34 ARKST
SAM 29-38 UWG
UNA 0-40 MEM
EKU 7-56 MSST
AP 0-62 UL
NConf Record: 1-8 Overall: 2-9
vs. FCS: 1-1 Overall: 2-2
Best Performance: Abilene Christian 51, (FBS) Texas Tech 52 (OT) - Wildcat QB Maverick McIvor didn't look too good on that final 2PC attempt, but he looked great the rest of the game by going 36/51 passing for 506 yards and 3 TDs (0 INTs).
Worst Performance: Utah Tech 7, (#4) Montana St. 31 - The Blazers didn't do too bad against a super dangerous Bobcat offense, but their own O could only muster 178 yards and 6 first downs.
Most Surprising Result: West Georgia 38, Samford 29 - In their first game as an FCS transitional, the Wolves upset a 3-touchdown favorite.
Pioneer
CP 21-27 USD sfalls 34-13 STTHOM
VALPO 7-35 UNI
uiu 7-40 BUT
SFPA 10-18 DAY
DVDSN 24-46 GTOWN
PRESBY 10-63 MER
avemar 3-41 STET
centst 10-17 MHEAD
NConf Record: 5-4 Overall: 5-4
vs. FCS: 2-3 Overall: 2-3
Best Performance: Dayton 18, St. Francis (PA) 10 - LB Gideon Lampron puts up 11 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery as the Flyer defense dominates the team picked second in the NEC.
Worst Performance: St. Thomas 13, (DII) Sioux Falls 34 - The Tommies' 31-game home winning streak ends in a thud against a DII team that went 3-8 last year.
Most Surprising Result: Dayton/San Diego - The Pioneer League had more DI non-conference wins this week than they had in each of the previous 3 seasons.
Best Performance: (#7) Idaho 14, (FBS) Oregon 24 - The Vandals were outgained badly and lost turnovers, but they somehow found a way to put a top-5 FBS team on the ropes in the fourth quarter.
Worst Performance: Cal Poly 21, San Diego 27 - The Mustangs manage 8 rushing yards against a non-scholarship team they were previously 8-0 against in the regular season.
Most Surprising Result: (#7) Idaho 14, (FBS) Oregon 24 - This was the Ducks' closest I-AA/FCS contest since they held on for a 5-point win against Montana in 1993.
Southland
TAMUC 14-45 SDSU
HCU 7-59 SMU
namer 0-77 SFA
LAM 27-34 TXST
NOCO 7-28 UIW
SELU 0-52 TULANE
NWST 28-62 TULSA
SU 7-21 MCNSE
NICH 17-25 LATECH
NConf Record: 3-6 Overall: 3-7
vs. FCS: 2-0 Overall: 2-1
Best Performance: Lamar 27, (FBS) Texas St. 34 - The Cardinals almost rally from an 18-0 halftime deficit against the Sun Belt-West favorites.
Worst Performance: Texas A&M-Commerce 14, (FBS) San Diego St. 45 - It wasn't just a bad performance by the Lions, it was a bad game overall with 31 combined penalties for 273 combined penalty yards.
Most Surprising Result: Lamar 27, (FBS) Texas St. 34 - This one was also a flag-ridden mess with 28 combined penalties for 262 combined penalty yards.
Missouri Valley
UND 3-21 IAST
NDSU 26-31 CU
nrthst 3-45 SDK
SDKST 20-44 OKST
VALPO 7-35 UNI
MIZST 24-29 UMT
ILST 0-40 UI
SIU 13-41 BYU
INST 0-49 PUR
YSU 17-24 NOVA
MUR 0-51 MIZ
NConf Record: 2-9 Overall: 2-9
vs. FCS: 1-2 Overall: 1-2
Best Performance: (#2) North Dakota St. 26, (FBS) Colorado 31 - Bison QB Cam Miller amassed 358 yards of total offense and 3 total touchdowns, but he was outdone by 2021 Jerry Rice award-winner Shedeur Sanders and his 445 passing yards and 4 TDs.
Worst Performance: Indiana St. 0, (FBS) Purdue 49 - The Sycamores allow Hudson Card to go 24/25 passing for 273 yards and 4 TDs as they get overwhelmed by the preseason Big Ten basement.
Most Surprising Result: Missouri St. 24, (#3) Montana 29 - 13 penalties undermined a golden opportunity for the Bears to pull a big upset in WaGriz.
UAC
MTST 31-7 UTU
SUU 0-49 UTAH
ACU 51-52 TXTECH(OT)
TARL 3-45 BAY
UCA 31-34 ARKST
SAM 29-38 UWG
UNA 0-40 MEM
EKU 7-56 MSST
AP 0-62 UL
NConf Record: 1-8 Overall: 2-9
vs. FCS: 1-1 Overall: 2-2
Best Performance: Abilene Christian 51, (FBS) Texas Tech 52 (OT) - Wildcat QB Maverick McIvor didn't look too good on that final 2PC attempt, but he looked great the rest of the game by going 36/51 passing for 506 yards and 3 TDs (0 INTs).
Worst Performance: Utah Tech 7, (#4) Montana St. 31 - The Blazers didn't do too bad against a super dangerous Bobcat offense, but their own O could only muster 178 yards and 6 first downs.
Most Surprising Result: West Georgia 38, Samford 29 - In their first game as an FCS transitional, the Wolves upset a 3-touchdown favorite.
Pioneer
CP 21-27 USD sfalls 34-13 STTHOM
VALPO 7-35 UNI
uiu 7-40 BUT
SFPA 10-18 DAY
DVDSN 24-46 GTOWN
PRESBY 10-63 MER
avemar 3-41 STET
centst 10-17 MHEAD
NConf Record: 5-4 Overall: 5-4
vs. FCS: 2-3 Overall: 2-3
Best Performance: Dayton 18, St. Francis (PA) 10 - LB Gideon Lampron puts up 11 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery as the Flyer defense dominates the team picked second in the NEC.
Worst Performance: St. Thomas 13, (DII) Sioux Falls 34 - The Tommies' 31-game home winning streak ends in a thud against a DII team that went 3-8 last year.
Most Surprising Result: Dayton/San Diego - The Pioneer League had more DI non-conference wins this week than they had in each of the previous 3 seasons.
Tomorrow: the rest of the playoff conferences.
Good point on Oregon’s dominance of FCS. I was thinking the same.
LEH 7-42 ARMY
LAF 13-30 BUFF
BUCK 21-49 NAVY
COLG 14-17 MAINE
FORD 17-41 BGSU
HC 17-20 URI
DVDSN 24-46 GTOWN
NConf Record: 1-6 Overall: 1-6
vs. FCS: 1-2 Overall: 1-2
Best Performance: Georgetown 46, Davidson 24 - The Hoyas outrush the option-based Wildcats 263-224 and average a gaudy 9.7 yards-per-carry in a surprisingly dominant win.
Worst Performance: Colgate 14, Maine 17 - The Raiders won 6 of their last 7 in 2023, but that momentum now seems squandered after falling to a projected CAA bottom-feeder.
Most Surprising Result: (#19) Lafayette 13, (FBS) Buffalo 30 - The Leopards' offensive MVP, Jamar Curtis, was held to just 12 yards on 14 carries against a weak MAC team.
NEC
SFPA 10-18 DAY
DUQ 10-49 TOL
RMU 14-36 USU MHURST 28-25 wheel
LIU 21-27 ALB
vul 7-46 WAG
CCSU 10-66 CMU
NConf Record: 2-5 Overall: 2-5
vs. FCS: 0-2 Overall: 0-2
Best Performance: Long Island 21, (#16) Albany 27 - Shark RB Ludovick Choquette puts up 150 total yards (128 rushing) and a receiving TD in a surprisingly close loss.
Worst Performance: St. Francis (PA) 10, Dayton 18 - 9 tackles-for-loss, 5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles weren't enough for the Red Flash to beat a team picked in the middle of the Pioneer League.
Most Surprising Result: Robert Morris 14, (FBS) Utah St. 36 - I don't what's more surprising: that the Colonials led an FBS team at the half, or that RMU actually got the #1 play on Sportscenter that night (posted below).
CAA
YSU 17-24 NOVA
LIU 21-27 ALB
SBU 3-45 MARSH
UNH 3-57 UCF
COLG 14-17 MAINE
HC 17-20 URI
BRY 17-48 UD
MONM 27-42 EWU
TOW 20-38 UC
RICH 13-34 UVA MORG 30-28 HAMP
VMI 7-41 W&M
NCAT 13-45 WF
ELON 3-26 DUKE
CAMP 24-41 LIB
NConf Record: 5-10 Overall: 5-10
vs. FCS: 5-2 Overall: 5-2
Best Performance: (#5) Villanova 24, (#25) Youngstown St. 17 - The Wildcats win the turnover battle 3-0 in a win that figures to be important come November.
Worst Performance: Hampton 28, Morgan St. 30 - Despite now being in the mighty CAA, the Pirates have now lost 2 of their last 3 games against the MEAC. They're also just 1-3 against MEAC teams other than Howard since leaving the conference in 2018.
Most Surprising Result: Campbell 24, (FBS) Liberty 41 - The Camels were never quite in the game, but they still did way better than the 40-point spread implied they would.
Best Performance: Tennessee Tech 25, (FBS) Middle Tennessee St. 32 - In former ODU coach Bobby Wilder's debut, the Golden Eagles come back from a 21-0 deficit to take a late lead against a heavily favored FBS opponent.
Worst Performance: Charleston Southern 21, The Citadel 22 - Despite posting a 14-0 lead and a 190.6 passing-efficiency rating, the Bucs find a way to lose to the SoCon doormat.
Most Surprising Result: Tennessee Tech 25, (FBS) Middle Tennessee St. 32 - Their defense couldn't get it done at the end, but it's still surprising to see a competitive FBS-game performance from a Tennessee Tech squad that hasn't even had a winning record at the FCS level in 13 years.
SoCon
VMI 7-41 W&M
WCU 21-38 NCSU
FUR 0-76 MISS WOFF 21-20 GWEBB CIT 22-21 CHSO
PRESBY 10-63 MER
SAM 29-38 UWG
ETSU 10-38 APP
UTC 3-69 UT
NConf Record: 3-6 Overall: 3-6
vs. FCS: 3-2 Overall: 3-2
Best Performance: (#17) Western Carolina 21, (FBS) NC State 38 - The Catamounts couldn't close things out, but they still led a ranked FBS after 3 quarters.
Worst Performance: Samford 29, West Georgia 38 - Quincy Crittendon had a good performance at QB—397 yards of total offense and 4 total TDs—but the Bulldog defense was another story (456 yards, 0 turnovers).
Most Surprising Result: Samford 29, West Georgia 38 - Losing as a 3-touchdown road favorite is not an ideal way to rebound from a disappointing season
Best Performance: NC Central 31, Alabama St. 24 - The Eagle defense registers 11 tackles-for-loss, 5 sacks, 2 interceptions (1 for a TD) in the first-ever Orange Blossom Classic to not feature Florida A&M.
Worst Performance: South Carolina St. 18, Florida A&M 22 - Not really that bad of a performance, but it's still gotta sting the Bulldogs that they couldn't end FAMU's long win streak after having a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
Most Surprising Result: Delaware St. 17, Sacred Heart 15 - The Hornets end a 12-game losing streak against Division I opponents in a hard-fought road win.
Best Performance: Texas Southern 27, Prairie View A&M 9 - The preseason SWAC-West basement holds the Panthers to 0 offensive touchdowns and just 21 rushing yards.
Worst Performance: Southern 7, McNeese St. 21 - The Jags put up a mere 198 yards of offense against a team that basically went winless last year.
Most Surprising Result: Texas Southern 27, Prairie View A&M 9 - The Tigers end a 9-game losing streak to their Labor Day Classic rivals and get their first win in Prairie View since 1982 (the game was almost always played in Houston prior to 2016).
Independents
MERR 6-21 AF DSU 17-15 SACHRT
Non-Ind. Record: 0-2 Overall: 0-2
vs. FCS: 0-1 Overall: 0-1
Best Performance: Merrimack 6, (FBS) Air Force 21 - The Warrior offense didn't score until the final play, but their defense stood tall by holding the heavily favored Falcons to just 237 total yards and 3.0 yards-per-carry.
Worst Performance: Sacred Heart 15, Delaware St. 17 - The Pioneers lose their 5th. straight non-conference game after failing to enter the endzone until the final two minutes and failing to execute the subsequent two-point conversion that would've tied the game.
Most Surprising Result: Merrimack 6, (FBS) Air Force 21 - 21 points was the 3rd. fewest put up by Air Force against a I-AA/FCS team all-time, only higher than the amount scored in two of their games against The Citadel in the '90s (credit to the History of Air Force Football Facebook page for that info.)
Best Performance: NC Central 31, Alabama St. 24 - The Eagle defense registers 11 tackles-for-loss, 5 sacks, 2 interceptions (1 for a TD) in the first-ever Orange Blossom Classic to not feature Florida A&M.
Worst Performance: South Carolina St. 18, Florida A&M 22 - Not really that bad of a performance, but it's still gotta sting the Bulldogs that they couldn't end FAMU's long win streak after having a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
Most Surprising Result: Delaware St. 17, Sacred Heart 15 - The Hornets end a 12-game losing streak against Division I opponents in a hard-fought road win.
Best Performance: Texas Southern 27, Prairie View A&M 9 - The preseason SWAC-West basement holds the Panthers to 0 offensive touchdowns and just 21 rushing yards.
Worst Performance: Southern 7, McNeese St. 21 - The Jags put up a mere 198 yards of offense against a team that basically went winless last year.
Most Surprising Result: Texas Southern 27, Prairie View A&M 9 - The Tigers end a 9-game losing streak to their Labor Day Classic rivals and get their first win in Prairie View since 1982 (the game was almost always played in Houston prior to 2016).
Independents
MERR 6-21 AF DSU 17-15 SACHRT
Non-Ind. Record: 0-2 Overall: 0-2
vs. FCS: 0-1 Overall: 0-1
Best Performance: Merrimack 6, (FBS) Air Force 21 - The Warrior offense didn't score until the final play, but their defense stood tall by holding the heavily favored Falcons to just 237 total yards and 3.0 yards-per-carry.
Worst Performance: Sacred Heart 15, Delaware St. 17 - The Pioneers lose their 5th. straight non-conference game after failing to enter the endzone until the final two minutes and failing to execute the subsequent two-point conversion that would've tied the game.
Most Surprising Result: Merrimack 6, (FBS) Air Force 21 - 21 points was the 3rd. fewest put up by Air Force against a I-AA/FCS team all-time, only higher than the amount scored in two of their games against The Citadel in the '90s (credit to the History of Air Force Football Facebook page for that info.)
Was expecting to see SC State to come out smoking considering all the pre-season hype they were getting because of the new head coach.I was telling everyone about Nick Sowell and his NFL size&potential.I think he can be the NYCK HARBOR of FCS FOOTBALL and gain ALL-AMERICAN Status.
