FCS Weekly Preview Of 84-game Slate

September 5, 2022 by CollegeFootballPoll.com

There are 84 games this week involving a FCS program with 35 schools facing a FBS team, 12 playing a D2 school, and 3 taking on a NAIA program. That leaves us with 34 head-to-head FCS matchups.

North Dakota State, the top-ranked team in the FCS version of the Congrove Computer Rankings, will host North Carolina A&T in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Bison are coming off a 56-14 whooping of Drake while the Aggies lost 28-13 in a neutral site (Charlotte) game to North Carolina Central.

Meanwhile, No.2 Montana State will host a Morehead State squad that was crushed 63-13 at Mercer in week zero and took Labor Day weekend off. The Bobcats thumped McNeese State 40-17.

No. 3 Montana, which shutout Northwestern State (La.) 47-0, will entertain a South Dakota team that lost 34-0 at FBS member Kansas State.

South Dakota State unfairly fell two spots to No. 4 on the heels of a 7-3 loss at Iowa in a game that saw the Roadrunners allow only a field goal on their defense, but gave up two safeties. They'll look to bounce back this week against UC Davis, a 34-13 loser at FBS member Cal.

Kennesaw State will likely fall to 0-2 this week as the Owls head to FBS member Cincinnati. Kennesaw fell from 5th to 14th after bowing 27-17 at Samford.

The new No. 5 school, Eastern Washington, slipped a notch from 4th due to a much closer than expected 36-29 win at home Tennessee State. EWU visits FBS member Oregon this week.

Tennessee State now turns its attention to Jackson State which took a four spot leap from 10th to 6th with its 59-3 annihilation of Florida A&M on Sunday.

No. 7 Villanova visits No. 124 LIU, while 8th-ranked Missouri State opens the week's slate with a Thursday night game at home versus No. 24 UT-Martin.

9th-ranked Incarnate Word, which jumped 14 spots from No. 23 a week ago with its 64-29 blistering of Southern Illinois, will visit FBS member Nevada.

No. 10 Holy Cross goes to FBS member Buffalo after opening with a 31-17 victory at Merrimack.

Also See: Complete Schedule/Picks

FCS vs. FBS

There will be 118 FBS vs. FCS matchups this season with App State, Army and Marshall each playing two such games, and 115 other FBS schools playing one apiece.

Jacksonville State has victories at Florida State (2021) and FIU (2020) over the last two seasons and visits Tulsa this season. The Gamecocks will move up to the FBS next season and join Conference USA, along with Stephen F. Austin. Jacksonville State hired former West Virginia/Michigan/Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez steer the move.

Another traditional FCS heavyweight, James Madison, has made that switch for this season as a new member of the Sun Belt.

There were 4 FBS-FCS games in Week Zero with the FBS going 4-0. Labor Day weekend saw 37 such games and the FCS broke through with two victories.

That made the FBS 39-2 for the season and 1,613-142 (.919) since we began tracking this in 2003.

There are 37 FCS-FBS games this week.

Here are the FCS wins in 2022:
September 2: William & Mary 41, Charlotte 24
September 3: Delaware14, Navy 7

Streaks

SAN DIEGO - Won 8 straight over-all (FCS longest)
Last: Won 58-0 vs. D3 La Verne on Saturday, September 3.
Next: at Cal Poly on Saturday, September 10 as next 3 games are on the road..

MONTANA STATE - Bobcats replace Alcorn State with current longest home winning streak at 13 games.
Last: Won 40-17 at home vs. McNeese State
Next: Hosts Morehead State on Saturday, September 10.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE - Won 12 straight conference games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 56-10 at FBS member UCF.
Next: Visits Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, September 10 as first four games are on the road..

DARTMOUTH - Won 11 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 52-31 at Brown on Saturday, Nov.. 20.
Next: Hosts Valparaiso on Saturday, September 17.

TEXAS SOUTHERN - Lost 19 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 40-23 at Prairie View A&M on Saturday, September 3.
Next: Visits FBS member North Texas on Saturday, September 10.

WAGNER -  Lost 21 straight overall, 14 straight conference games, and 11 straight at home (all are FCS longest).
LAST: Lost 48-31 at home to Fordham on Thursday, September 1.
Next: Visits FBS member Rutgers on Saturday, September 10.