Weekend Preview - Top Game Has South Dakota State at Missouri State

September 19, 2022 by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

There are 61 games this week involving a FCS program with 6 schools facing a FBS team, 4 playing a D2 school, and 2 taking on a NAIA program. That leaves us with 51 head-to-head FCS matchups. A whopping 20 teams have a bye week, none of which rank among the top 34.

Sacramento State opened as a 1-point favorite at Colorado State and the Hornets are a 3.26-point pick by the Congrove Computer Rankings at CollegeFootballPoll.com. The FCS has 7 wins against FBS schools this season, but Southern Illinois became the first to knock off a Power 5 FBS school when the Salukis won 31-24 at Northwestern this past Saturday.

There's a new No. 1 in the computer rankings this week with Montana taking the honors away from North Dakota State after the Bison lost a hard-fought 31-28 battle at FBS member Arizona. That loss also ended the nation's longest FCS winning streak at 8 games.

North Carolina Central now has the longest winning streak at 6 games, and a No. 25 ranking, after a 45-27 win at New Hampshire.

No. 2 Montana State also lost to a FBS school, but the Bobcats were routed 68-28 by Oregon State in Portland's soccer stadium.

Montana will defend that new No. 1 ranking this week at home as a 22.71-point computer pick against Portland State.

Jackson State has moved into 2nd and should be an easy winner at home against MVSU as a 26.56-point computer play.

North Dakota State, now ranked 3rd, will be on the road again as the Bison travel to South Dakota as a 10.12-point projected favorite.

There are three games between teams ranked among the computer's top 20, led by 4th-ranked South Dakota State's challenging journey to a Missouri State squad that's ranked 14th after a 38-27 loss at FBS member Arkansas.

6th-ranked Montana State goes to Eastern Washington to take on the 15th-ranked Eagles with a slim 2.73-point advantage, while 11th-ranked Austin Peay is an 8.41-point computer home favorite against 20th-ranked Eastern Kentucky.

No. 5 Weber State and No. 7 Incarnate Word are both very slight underdogs this week in tough road games. The Wildcats are a slim 0.46-point underdog to No. 27 UC-Davis, while the Cardinals head to Hammond to take on No. 33 SE Louisiana as a 0.25-point dog.

No. 18 Chattanooga kicks off the week's FCS slate with a trip to FBS member Illinois on Thursday night.

SEE: Complete Schedule/Picks of every game involving a FCS program.

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.

There are just six FBS-FCS games this week, after which only 14 will remain for the rest of the season.

There were 22 FBS-FCS games on Saturday with the FBS going 21-1 to improve to 91-7 (.929) vs the FCS this season and 1,665-147 (.920) since we began tracking this in 2003.

The lone FCS win was Southern Illinois 31-24 triumph at Northwestern, leaving the Wildcats with a 1-2 record against FCS teams since 2016.

North Dakota State lost a sea-saw battle at Arizona, 31-28.  And for a long time, it looked like Missouri State was going to give head coach Bobby Petrino a win at his old stomping ground, Arkansas, but the Hogs scored the last 21 points to erase a 27-17 deficit.

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

Streaks

NORTH DAKOTA STATE - Winning streak ended at 8.
Last: Lost 31-28 at Arizona on Saturday, September 17.

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL - Won 6 straight over-all (FCS longest)
Last: Won 45-27 at New Hampshire on Saturday, September 17.
Next: Hosts D2 Virginia-Lynchburg on Saturday, September 24.

MONTANA STATE - Won 14 straight home games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 68-28 to FBS Oregon State in Portland on Saturday, September 17.
Next: Visits Eastern Washington on Saturday, September 24.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE - Won 12 straight conference games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 33-9 at Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, September 10.
Next: Visits North Carolina A&T on Saturday, September 24 as first four games are on the road (first home game Oct. 8 vs Florida A&M).

DARTMOUTH - Won 11 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 35-13 at home over Valparaiso on Saturday, September 17.
Next: Visits Sacred Heart on Saturday, September 24.

TEXAS SOUTHERN - Lost 20 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 24-0 over Southern in a neutral site game Arlington, Texas on Saturday, September 17.
Next: Visits FBS member UTSA on Saturday, September 24.

WAGNER -  Lost 23 straight overall, 15 straight conference games, and 12 straight at home (all are FCS longest).
Last: Lost 27-7 at home to St. Francis (PA) on Saturday, September 17.
Next: Visits FBS member Syracuse on Saturday, September 24.