Together, they represent just over 13 percent of game clock. But in FCS college football, the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half have added importance. Just ask the last two national champions.
The two-minute drill starts early and runs late with some of the best teams in FCS football.
Tim Polasek, head coach of reigning national champion North Dakota State, puts emphasis on his team winning what he calls the “middle eights” – the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half.
A team that thrives in the middle eights may turn a game in its favor and emotionally deflate the opponent.
A year ago, NDSU did it better than any other team in the Division I subdivision, often because the ball was in the hands of veteran quarterback Cam Miller, and the Bison could then double up the opportunity in games when they received the second-half kickoff.
Polasek said he recalls his coaching staff telling Miller, “’Hey, you just go. We’re looking for three (points) and the possession with the kick (after halftime). We want six (points).’”
Last season, there were 22 FCS football teams with at least a plus-30 point differential during the middle eights, and 18 finished with a winning record, two were .500 and only two finished below .500. They went a combined 199-86 (.698).
2024 FCS Football: Highest Point Differential in ‘Middle Eight’ Minutes
1. North Dakota State: +88 (118 points for, 30 points against) 2. South Dakota State: +81 (111, 30) 3. Butler: +77 (101, 24) T4. Jackson State: +67 (87, 20) T4. Montana State: +67 (116, 49) 6. Mercer: +66 (98, 32) 7. Penn: +60 (86, 26) 8. UC Davis: +58 (84, 26) 9. South Carolina State: +57 (84, 27) 10. UIW: +56 (116, 60) 11. Tarleton State: +45 (74, 29) 12. Stephen F. Austin: +41 (72, 31) 13. Central Arkansas: +40 (85, 45) T14. Duquesne: +39 (80, 41) T14. Morgan State: +39 (70, 31) 16. Yale: +36 (63, 27) T17. Eastern Kentucky: +31 (69, 38) T17. Montana: +31 (64, 33) T19. Alabama State: +30 (54, 24) T19. Lehigh: +30 (75, 45) T19. Richmond: +30 (71, 41) T19. Weber State: +30 (83, 53)Across 16 games, NDSU had the FCS’ third-best point differential at +312. The +88 in the middle eights was even more impressive when comparing it to the Bison’s +224 in the other 52 minutes of game clock.
That NDSU’s rival South Dakota State (+81) was second among FCS teams in the middle eights was not surprising. Just a year earlier, the Jackrabbits were +93 in those crucial minutes on the way to winning a second consecutive national title – which means the last two FCS football champions are among the five-best in the middle eights since 1996.
Chase Weight of Stats Perform’s U.S. Data Insights contributed research to this story. Top photo, from left, from NDSU, Butler and Jackson State Athletics.
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