Our FCS football coverage is the home for the Top 25 media poll, FCS National Awards and much more. Here’s a review of the Week 1 games.
There wasn’t any easing into the FCS football season.
It was full speed ahead across an 87-game schedule.
With a pair of wins over FBS opponents, two matchups straight out of the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and big performances from coast to coast, Week 1 had plenty of big storylines.
Here’s our Week 1 review from across FCS football:
UAC Doubles Up the Fun
Tarleton State (2-0) is the early story of the season: Less than one week after posting a 42-0 shutout at Portland State, coach Todd Whitten’s United Athletic Conference squad became the first in the FCS to beat an FBS team, winning 30-27 at defending American Athletic Conference champ Army. Brad Larson kicked a 37-yard field goal to end the second overtime.
Caleb Lewis and Tre Page III combined for 196 rushing yards and each scored a touchdown, while Victor Gabalis passed for 152 yards and a score. Defensive back Kasyus Kurns had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
To get the two wins, the No. 10 Texans traveled nearly 4,000 miles roundtrip to Hillsboro, Oregon, then 1,700 miles to West Point, New York. They had one previous FBS win against New Mexico State in February 2021 (the pandemic-delayed 2020 season).
Austin Peay was just 4-8 last season after winning the 2023 UAC title, but it got off to a huge start in coach Jeff Faris’ second season by dominating Middle Tennessee 34-14. Mississippi State transfer QB Chris Parson passed for a pair of touchdowns to stake the Governors to a 21-0 lead.
It marked Austin Peay’s first FBS win since beating Kansas State to open the 1987 campaign.
Lehigh Welcomes in, Then Beats Richmond
To say the Stats Perform FCS Game of the Week had a playoff-like feel was an understatement. The early showdown was a rematch from last season’s first round, and once again, No. 14 Lehigh slipped No. 25 Richmond 21-14. It was the visiting Spiders’ first game as a Patriot League associate member.
Lehigh running back Jaden Green accounted for 101 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 4-yard run with 6:29 to play. The Mountain Hawks defense limited Richmond to 181 yards.
The Spiders’ Isaiah Dawson returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the loss.
Jackrabbits Serve Notice
South Dakota State clearly has its sights on leading the FCS in scoring defense for a third straight season. The No. 3 Jackrabbits only allowed only a field goal and 131 yards to whoop No. 15 Sacramento State and its Go-Go offense 20-3.
The win came in coach Dan Jackson’s debut and was the 30th in a row by the Jackrabbits at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, dating to 2021. Linebacker Cullen McShane led with seven solo tackles, including one for loss.
Former NFL Players in HBCU Coaching Debuts
Three former NFL players made head coaching debuts with HBCU FCS programs, but each suffered a loss:
Norfolk State, under Michael Vick, allowed three touchdown passes to Towson’s Andrew Indorf while falling 27-7. David Ojiegbe had five tackles and 2.5 sacks in the loss. DeSean Jackson and Delaware State fell 35-17 in Delaware’s first game as an FBS member. Sacramento State transfer quarterback Kaiden Bennett had both a TD run and pass for the Hornets. Mississippi Valley State, just 4-30 in the last three season, was competitive in Terrell Buckley’s first game, falling 34-29 to defending SWAC West Division champion Southern. Josh Brown passed for two touchdowns and rushed for 87 yards.Around FCS Nation
Top-ranked North Dakota State opened defense of its 2024 FCS title by cruising past The Citadel 38-0. Quarterback Cole Payton accounted for 293 yards of total offense in his first collegiate start and the Bison outgained the Bulldogs 520-122. Barika Kpeenu rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns. … No. 2 Montana State suffered its largest loss since 2008, 59-13 to Oregon. The Bobcats’ vaunted rushing attack was held to 46 rushing yards – just the sixth time they’ve been below 50 since 2006. … No. 4 South Dakota’s 55-7 loss at Iowa State was its largest since 2019. … Fifth-ranked UIW put a Week 0 loss to Nicholls behind by topping Eastern Washington 31-21. Richard Torres was 27 of 38 for 332 yards and a touchdown. … Six FCS teams have beaten ranked FBS opponents all time. North Dakota’s bid to upset No. 17 Kansas State came unglued on a last-minute touchdown 38-35. Still, new starting quarterback Jerry Kaminski was impressive, going 23-for-38 for 231 yards and a TD while also twice scoring from 1 yard out.
No. 22 Monmouth posted the largest comeback win in program history, rallying from 31-7 down midway through the third quarter to beat Colgate 42-39. Derek Robertson passed for 491 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions. The Hawks had three 100-yard receivers in a game for the first time with Gavin Nelson (176 yards, three TDs), Josh Derry (103) and TJ Speight (100); Rodney Nelson (Gavin’s brother) rushed for 169 yards and two TDs. … Monmouth didn’t have the weekend’s biggest comeback win. That belonged to Gardner-Webb, which overcame a 35-7 second-quarter deficit to win 52-45 at No. 18 Western Carolina. Quarterback Nate Hampton accounted for 395 yards of total offense and six touchdowns.
Delaware State, Charleston Southern and North Carolina A&T share the FCS’ longest active losing streak at 11 games after Northwestern State ended a 20-game streak against Alcorn State 20-10 … Alabama State QB Andrew Body accounted for 431 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in a 52-42 loss at UAB. … Howard beat Florida A&M 10-9 in a rematch of the 2023 Celebration Bowl (FAMU won that game 30-26). Matt Conord kicked a game-winning, 43-yard field goal as time expired. … 2024 Celebration Bowl champion Jackson State topped Hampton 28-14 for its FCS-leading 11th straight win. Ahmad Miller rushed for 172 yards on just 10 carries, scoring two TDs in the fourth quarter. … Furman scored the final nine points on Ian Williams field goals (50, 42 and 32 yards) to slip past William & Mary 23-21. … FCS independent Merrimack fell just short of an FBS win, 21-17 at Kent State. Warriors QB Ayden Pereira had 279 yards of total offense and a TD pass in the loss. … Holy Cross pulled within 19-17 of Northern Illinois on Alijah Cason’s 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 4:03 left. The Crusaders got the back ball at their 39 at the 2:17 mark, but failed to gain a first down. … Georgetown running back Savion Hart scored on 69- and 27-yard runs and a 73-yard catch in the first quarter of a 51-14 win at Davidson. He had 10 offensive touches for 201 yards.
From Durham, New Hampshire, to Durham, North Carolina: Matt Vezza passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in his first career start, leading New Hampshire past North Carolina Central 27-10. … St. Thomas’ 35-13 victory over Lindenwood reversed a 64-0 loss to the Lions last season and was the Tommies’ first over a non-Pioneer Football League FCS team since joining Division I in 2021. Andy Peters passed for two touchdowns in the win. … Cole LaCrue set Eastern Illinois’ single-game quarterback record with 193 rushing yards and scored three TDs on 26 carries in a 24-14 win over Dayton. The Panthers had a 20-minute, 34-second advantage in time of possession. … West Georgia won 34-3 at Samford to begin a second consecutive season with a victory over the Tigers. DeAndre Buchannon scored on a 92-yard kickoff return and Jamie Speight on a 50-yard fumble return. … UTRGV won its inaugural game, 66-0 over Sul Ross State. Eddie Lee Marburger was 18 of 19 for 365 yards and five touchdowns. The new Southland Conference program completed all but one of 27 pass attempts against its overmatched opponent.
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FCS Football Week 1 Review: SDSU, Lehigh Get Defensive, While UAC Duo Get FBS Wins Opta Analyst.
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