Weekly Preview: 71-game FCS Slate Kicks Off Thursday, 2 FCS Teams Favored vs. FBS

September 12, 2021 by Staff

The FCS slate this week kicks off on Thursday with Alabama A&M at Bethune-Cookman in the first SWAC game for the Wildcats after moving over from the MEAC. Alabama A&M is ranked 5th for the second straight week in the Congrove Computer Rankings at CollegeFootballPoll.com.

Saturday presents a packed 70-game schedule that features a couple of computer-projected upsets by FCS teams over FBS schools. Murray State is a 4.54-point computer pick at Bowling Green, and South Carolina State gets a huge 11.89-point edge in its game at New Mexico State.

A good probability exists for some other FCS teams to beat their FBS foe. Specifically, we'd keep an eye on Florida A&M at USF, and Jackson State at UL-Monroe.

Some of the higher-ranked schools will see some tough competition this week, beginning with top-ranked James Madison which travels to Weber State as a 6.12-point favorite.

No. 8 Montana State is a 19.19-point favorite at San Diego. The Toreros were uncharacteristically manhandled by UC Davis in a 53-7 home loss on Saturday, but an 0-2 record shouldn't scare them. San Diego began the same way in 2019 with losses to the same two teams, then recovered to win 9 straight.

UC-Davis, now ranked 10th, is an 19.15-point favorite over Dixie State.

No. 2 Sam Houston State is idle, along with 4th-ranked Montana, and 7th-ranked South Dakota State.

No. 3 North Dakota State visits Towson as a surprisingly low 14.90-point computer pick, while 6th-ranked Delaware travels to Rutgers as a 22.31-point dog.

9th-ranked Monmouth visits No. 21 Charleston Southern as a 3.50-point favorite.

No. 17 Villanova hosts 13th-ranked Richmond as a 6.36-point computer pick.

Some other top games to watch this week include Dayton at Southern Illinois, and Kennesaw State at Wofford.

The Ivy League commences play this week with Brown hosting Rhode Island, Columbia hosting Marist, Cornell entertaining VMI, Dartmouth welcoming Valparaiso, Harvard visiting Georgetown, Penn trekking to Bucknell, Princeton traveling to Lehigh, and Yale hosting Holy Cross. Half of the teams are favorites to win their opener - Columbia, Dartmouth, Princeton and Yale.

FCS vs. FBS

2 teams will play 2 FCS teams this fall (UConn and UMass), and 115 teams will play 1 FCS school for a total of 117 such matchups.

There are 21 FBS-FCS matchups this week.

There were 37 FBS-FCS games over the weekend and FBS schools went 35-2. FBS schools are 67-8 in such games this season. Since we began tracking this in 2003, the FBS teams are now 1,536-136 (.919).

Of the two FBS losses this past weekend, Florida State's 20-17 setback to Jacksonville State was the least expected as the 'Noles nearly won their opener over Notre Dame while the Gamecocks were blanked 31-0 by UAB in their opener. None of that mattered as JSU scored the winning touchdown on a 59-yard walk-off TD pass.

Duquesne delivered the other blow, edging Ohio 28-26.

Last year, 30 FBS teams played a total of just 34 games against FCS schools and the FCS won just 1 game (1-33). That honor also went to Jacksonville State with its 19-10 victory over FIU.

Here are the FCS wins in 2021:
September 2: UC Davis 19, Tusa 17
September 2: Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33 (2 OT)
September 3: South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23
September 4: Holy Cross 38, UConn 28
September 4: Montana 13, Washington 7
September 4: ETSU 23, Vanderbilt 3
September 11: Duquesne 28, Ohio 26
September 11: Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17.

This was the only FCS win vs. the FBS in 2020:
October 23: Jacksonville State 19, FIU 10

In 2019, FBS teams were 111-3 (.974) in such games. These were the only FCS wins that season:
August 29: Central Arkansas 35, Western Kentucky 28
September 7: Southern Illinois 45, Massachusetts 20
September 14: The Citadel 27, Georgia Tech 24 (OT)

Streaks

SAM HOUSTON STATE - Won 13 straight games overall (FCS longest).
Last: Won 52-14 at home over SEMO on Saturday, Sept. 11.
Next: Visits Central Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 25.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN - Won 16 straight conference games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 63-14 at UCF (FBS) on Saturday, Sept. 11.
Next: Hosts Alabama A&M on Saturday, Sept. 18.

JAMES MADISON - Won 19 straight home games for FCS longest. (Eastern Washington has won 18 in-a-row at home).
Last: Won 55-7 at home over Maine on Saturday, Sept. 11.
Next: Visits Weber State on Saturday, Sept. 18.

PRINCETON - Won 8 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 28-7 at Penn on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019.
Next: Visits Lehigh on Saturday, Sept. 18.

TEXAS SOUTHERN - Lost 18 straight overall (FCS longest), and 13 straight conference games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 66-7 at Baylor (FBS) on Saturday, Sept. 11.
Next: Visits Rice on Saturday, Sept. 25.

MVSU - Lost 17 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 35-0 at Murray State on Thursday, Sept. 2.
NEXT: Visits Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Sept. 18.