Best Performance: (#7) Eastern Washington 24, (FBS #12) Texas Tech 49 - Eagle QB Matt Nichols throws for an impressive 335 yards in this paycheck contest. Too bad his counterpart threw for 536.
Worst Performance: Idaho St. 7, (FBS) Boise St. 49 - Not an unexpected result, but ISU wasn't as competitive as the other two Big Sky teams who played up this week.
Most Surprising Result: (#7) Eastern Washington 24, (FBS #12) Texas Tech 49 - If Nichols hadn't thrown 3 picks, this could have been much more interesting.
Southland
ANGELO 14-21 TXST
LANG 19-56 SFA
ECENT 14-58 SHSU
HENDST 14-38 UCA SELA 34-28 ALCORN
TAMCOM 14-30 NWST
MCNSE 27-35 UNC
NConf Record: 6-1 Overall: 6-1
vs. FCS: 1-0 Overall: 1-0
Best Performance: (#10) McNeese St. 27, (FBS) North Carolina 35 - Ironically, the only SLC team to lose was the best looking team. Either the 'Heels aren't really improved or the Cowboys are really good.
Worst Performance: Northwestern St. 30, (DII) Texas A&M-Commerce 14 - The Demons couldn't even score an offensive touchdown on a DII until the 4th. quarter.
Most Surprising Result: Texas St. 21, (DII) Angelo St. 14 - The Bobcats are trying to move up to FBS? Seriously? Lucky for them Angelo State's kicker missed 3 field goals.
Missouri Valley
AP 6-41 NDSU
SDSU 17-44 ISU
UNI 17-41 BYU
ILST 10-35 MARSH
WIU 24-28 ARK
INST 0-52 EMU
YSU 0-43 OSU
NConf Record: 1-6 Overall: 1-6
vs. FCS: 1-0 Overall: 1-0
Best Performance: (#2) North Dakota St. 41, Austin Peay 6 - Bison thoroughly dismantle a decent OVC team, outgaining them 453-91.
Worst Performance: Indiana St. 0, (FBS) Eastern Michigan 52 - Granted, it's a play-up game, but EMU is hardly a good FBS team. Even worse, the Sycamores were outgained 637-132.
Most Surprising Result: (#25) Western Illinois 24, (FBS) Arkansas 28 - The Razorbacks must really miss Darren McFadden, as the Leathernecks more than doubled their rushing total.
Best Performance: Tennessee St. 34, Alabama A&M 13 - TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner throws for 292 yards while the Tiger D & special teams each add a score.
Worst Performance: Southeast Missouri St. 35, (DII) SW Baptist 28 (OT) - The Redhawks needed a 16-point 4th. quarter comeback to beat a DII team that went 0-11 last season.
Most Surprising Result: Tennessee Tech 28, Gardner-Webb 12 - The Golden Eagle defense kept the Bulldogs out of the endzone until the game was effectively decided in this mild upset.
Worst Performance: Colgate 26, Stony Brook 42 - No Jordan Scott means trouble for the Raiders.
Most Surprising Result: (none)
CAA
HOF 3-35 UCONN
MAINE 3-46 UI
ALB 12-28 UMASS
NE 14-48 BALL
MONM 24-27 URI
NOVA 21-48 WVU
UD 7-14 MD
TOW 13-48 NAVY RICH 28-10 ELON
JMU 7-31 DUKE
NConf Record: 3-7 Overall: 3-7
vs. FCS: 3-0 Overall: 3-0
Best Performance: (#4) Richmond 28, (#15) Elon 10 - The Spiders outrush Elon 216-22 in an impressive road win.
Worst Performance: Towson 13, (FBS) Navy 41 - The Tigers allow Middie RB Shun White to run for a massive 348 yards… on only 19 carries.
Most Surprising Result: (#6) James Madison 7, (FBS) Duke 31 - For the second straight year, the Dukes put forth a lackluster effort against a beatable FBS.
Best Performance: Hampton 17, Jackson St. 13 - The Pirates hold off JSU in the fourth annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge.
Worst Performance: South Carolina St. 0, (FBS) Central Florida 17 - A meager 126 yards and the fact that they were the only MEAC team to lose get the Bulldogs the "worst" spot this week. Their defense did a good job, though.
Most Surprising Result: North Carolina A&T 44, (DII) Johnson C. Smith 12 - Blowing out anyone is surprising after 27 straight losses.
SoCon
SHORT 0-35 WCU
APPST 13-41 LSU RICH 28-10 ELON
MHILL 14-62 FUR
PRESBY 21-38 WOFF
WEBBER 7-54 CIT
GSU 21-45 UGA
WGU 19-21 SAM
UTC 2-54 OU
NConf Record: 5-4 Overall: 5-4
vs. FCS: 1-1 Overall: 1-1
Best Performance: (#13) Wofford 38, Presbyterian 21 - Ben Widmyer & Dane Romero both break 100 yards rushing for the Terriers.
Worst Performance: Samford 21, (DII) West Georgia 19 - Bulldogs give up an 87 yard TD pass with 4:53 remaining but stop the 2-point try to escape a weak DII team.
Most Surprising Result: (#15) Elon 10, (#4) Richmond 28 - The Phoenix obviously haven't solved their rushing woes yet.
UCD 10-13 SJSU CPOLY 29-27 SDSU
SUU 7-41 AF
TAMKVL 14-40 UND
STAMB 0-52 SDK
NConf Record: 3-2 Overall: 3-2
vs. FCS: 0-0 Overall: 0-0
Best Performance: (#14) Cal Poly 29, (FBS) San Diego St. 27 - Though the final result was close, the Mustangs outgained the Aztecs by 100 yards and won the turnover battle 5-1 to get FCS's only opening week win over FBS.
Worst Performance: Southern Utah 7, (FBS) Air Force 41 - Thunderbirds outrushed 433-7.
Most Surprising Result: UC Davis 10, (FBS) San Jose St. 13 - An upset was plausible here, but I didn't think the Aggies would lead 10-0 for nearly 30 minutes and then blow it.
Best Performance: San Diego 40, Marist 22 - Though the Toreros won convincingly, new QB Sebastian Trujillo threw more interceptions in this game (2) than Josh Johnson did all of last season (1).
Worst Performance: Campbell 6, (DIII) Birmingham Southern 12 - This is the Fighting Camels' first football season in 58 years, so a loss—even to a DIII—is quite understandable. That sentiment is tempered, however, when realizing that this is only Birmingham Southern's second football season.
Most Surprising Result: Drake 17, (DII) Upper Iowa 13 - For a mid-major the caliber of Drake, scoring just one offensive touchdown against a DII that went 3-8 last year isn't really acceptable.
Best Performance: Albany 16, (#5) Massachusetts 28 - The Great Danes actually outgained the Minutemen and led 9-0 at the end of one, but 2 turnovers ultimately did them in.
Worst Performance: Monmouth 24, Rhode Island 27 - Just like Albany, 2 turnovers killed the Hawks as well.
Most Surprising Result: Monmouth 24, Rhode Island 27 - Yes, Rhode Island is a CAA team… but they're still Rhode Island.