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Either way you slice it, it's a Top 3 battle when Montana State visits South Dakota State on Saturday. The Bobcats top the Congrove Computer Rankings at CollegeFootballPoll.com, while the Jackrabbits are No. 1 in the Stats Perform and FCS Coaches' Polls with Montana State 3rd in each of those.
These teams have recent history. South Dakota State eliminated Montana State in the FCS Playoffs last year with a 39-18 win in Brookings, and went on to defeat MVFC rival North Dakota State 45-21 in the championship game. In 2021, the Bobcats took down the Jackrabbits in the semifinals.
The computer likes South Dakota State by a mere 1.93 points to give new head coach Jimmy Rogers his first signature win.
In another Top 25 matchup, No. 12 Weber State and new head coach Mickey Mental travel to No. 21 Northern Iowa. Mental, who was hired as the OC for Jay Hill's staff, was named as Hill's replacement when he opted to go to BYU to serve as the AHC and DC for the Cougars. The computer gives the Panthers a scant 0.19-point edge over the Wildcats.
This season has 117 of the 133 FBS schools facing one FCS opponent, and Army playing two such games for a total of 118 FBS-FCS matchups.
Of the 16 FBS schools that do NOT play a FCS program, 7 are in the B1G (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin). 6 more are evenly split between the Big 12 (Houston, Oklahoma, Texas) and Pac-12 (Colorado, USC, Washington). The other three are Liberty (CUSA) , UTSA (American), and Virginia Tech (ACC).
A whopping 42 of the 87 games last weekend featured a FBS-FCS matchup. There are 38 more this week out of 85 games featuring a FBS school.
The 42-0 mark last weekend improved the collective FBS record against FCS schools to 1,728-148 (.921) since we began tracking this in 2003.
The FBS was 112-8 (.933) vs. the FCS last year when 116 of the 131 FBS schools played at least one such game while Appalachian State, Army, Marshall and New Mexico State each played two.
Here are the FCS wins in 2022:
September 2: William & Mary 41, Charlotte 24
September 3: Delaware14, Navy 7
September 10: Weber State 35, Utah State 7
September 10: Incarnate Word 55, Nevada 41
September 10: Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31
September 10: Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57 (7 OT's)
September 17: Southern Illinois 31, Northwestern 24
September 24: Sacramento State 41, Colorado State 10
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE - Won 15 straight over-all
Last: 45-7 home win vs. Western Oregon on Thursday, August 31.
Next: Hosts Montana State on Saturday, September 9.
MONTANA STATE - Won 21 straight home games.
Last: 63-20 home win vs. Utah Tech on Saturday, September 2.
Next: at South Dakota State on Saturday, September 9.
JACKSON STATE - Had won 19 straight conference games, including conference title games, but lost to FAMU on Sunday.
Last: 28-10 loss to Florida A&M at Miami Gardens on Sunday, September 3.
Next: at Southern on Saturday, September 9.
SACRAMENTO STATE - Won 18 straight conference games, and 11 straight road games.
Last: 38-24 road win vs. Nicholls State on Thursday, August 31.
Next: Hosts Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday, September 9.
WESTERN ILLINOIS - Lost 14 straight over-all.
Last: 58-21 road loss to FBS member New Mexico State on Saturday, September 2.
Next: Hosts Illinois State on Saturday, September 9.
WAGNER - Lost 21 straight road games.
Last: 46-16 loss at Fordham on Saturday, September 2.
Next: at Navy on Saturday, September 9.
PRESBYTERIAN - Lost 16 straight conference games.
Last: 41-10 loss at Murray State on Saturday, September 2.
Next: Hosts D2 member VUL (Virginia University of Lynchburg) on Saturday, September 9.
GEORGETOWN - Had lost 11 straight home games, but defeated Mercer on Saturday.
Last: 49-7 win vs. Marist on Saturday, September 2.
Next: Hosts Sacred Heart on Saturday, September 9.
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN - Had lost 10 straight home games, but defeated Arkansas Baptist on Saturday.
Last: 66-0 win vs. NAIA member Arkansas State on Saturday, September 2.
Next: at FBS member Western Kentucky on Saturday, September 9.
NORFOLK STATE - Lost 7 straight home games.
Last: 33-24 home loss to Virginia State on Saturday, September 2.
Next: at Hampton on Saturday, September 9.
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