Side note: I will now be using the AGS Poll for top-25 numbers instead of the STATS poll. I probably should’ve done this a while ago, but whatever…
Big Sky
EWU 21-31 UIW
PORTST 0-69 BYU CP 41-17 USD UCD 31-24 UTU
SAC 3-20 SDKST
IDA 10-13 WSU
IDST 24-46 SUU
WEB 10-45 JMU
NAU 19-38 ASU
MTST 13-59 UO
chad 3-17 NOCO
NConf Record: 3-8 Overall: 3-10
vs. FCS: 2-3 Overall: 2-4
Best Performance: Cal Poly 41, San Diego 17 - The Mustangs trample the Pioneer League favorites in part thanks to QB Ty Dieffenbach’s 332 yards of total offense and 3 total TDs.
Worst Performance: Idaho St. 24, Southern Utah 46 - After averaging 6.4 yards-per-carry against an FBS team in the kickoff week, the Bengals lose rushing 323-23 to a former & future conference foe.
Most Surprising Result: (#6) UC Davis 31, Utah Tech 24 - This suspect result combined with Mercer’s loss to Presbyterian suggests the Kickoff Classic may not have been featuring the best of FCS.
Southland
ETAMU 13-42 SMU
srsu 0-66 UTRGV
arkbap 0-69 HCU
SFA 0-27 UH
LAM 0-51 UNT
EWU 21-31 UIW
SELU 0-24 LATECH
ALCORN 10-20 NWST
lcu 9-54 MCNSE
NICH 20-38 TROY
NConf Record: 5-5 Overall: 5-5
vs. FCS: 2-0 Overall: 2-0
Best Performance: (#5) Incarnate Word 31, Eastern Washington 21 - The Cardinals still look disappointing thus far, but beating EWU was the best the Southland could do this week.
Worst Performance: Lamar 0, (FBS) North Texas 51 - The Cardinals put up just 119 yards and suffer the SLC’s biggest FBS humiliation of the week.
Most Surprising Result: Goose Eggs - Five of the ten Southland games ended up being shutouts. That’s kinda weird, right?
Missouri Valley
UND 35-38 KSU NDSU 38-0 CIT
SDK 7-55 IAST
SAC 3-20 SDKST
BUT 14-38 UNI
ILST 3-35 OU
tmore 3-49 SIU
mcken 24-41 INST
MHURST 15-24 YSU
MUR 17-45 ETSU
NConf Record: 6-4 Overall: 6-4
vs. FCS: 4-1 Overall: 4-1
Best Performance: North Dakota 35, (FBS) Kansas St. 38 - Fighting Hawk NB Jonnie Wiltshire puts up 7 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, and 2 pass breakups as his team nearly pulls off a huge upset.
Worst Performance: Murray St. 17, East Tennessee St. 45 - The Racers are outrushed 392-34 in getting the Missouri Valley’s only non-FBS loss of Week 1.
Most Surprising Result: North Dakota 35, (FBS) Kansas St. 38 - North Dakota was supposed to rebuilding this year with a new coach and whatever else, so it’s certainly surprising to see them get within one minute of knocking off a ranked FBS squad.
United
UCD 31-24 UTU
ISU 24-46 SUU
ACU 7-35 TULSA TARL 30-27 ARMY (2OT)
UCA 6-61 MIZ UWG 34-3 SAM
UNA 6-55 WKU
EKU 17-51 UL AP 34-14 MTSU
NConf Record: 4-5 Overall: 5-5
vs. FCS: 2-1 Overall: 3-1
Best Performance: (#9) Tarleton St. 30, (FBS) Army 27 (2OT) - The Texan defense registers 9 tackles-for-loss and forces 3 turnovers against one of the better mid-majors in FBS.
Worst Performance: (#14) Abilene Christian 7, (FBS) Tulsa 35 - The Wildcats aren’t at all competitive against a Golden Hurricane team that is supposed to be one of the worst in FBS.
Most Surprising Result: Austin Peay 34, (FBS) Middle Tennessee St. 14 - MTSU is a bad FBS squad to be sure, but still… the Governors were picked in the bottom half of the United, and they dominated this game by taking a 21-0 lead early and holding the Blue Raiders to just 153 yards.
Pioneer
CP 41-17 USD
LIND 13-35 STTHOM
uiu 7-41 DRAKE
vul 10-67 VALPO
BUT 14-38 UNI
DAY 14-24 EIU
NHAV 14-31 MARIST GTOWN 51-14 DVDSN PRESBY 15-10 MER webber 31-21 STET
allen 31-38 MHEAD
NConf Record: 6-5 Overall: 6-5
vs. FCS: 3-4 Overall: 3-4
Best Performance: Presbyterian 15, (#8) Mercer 10 - The Blue Hose score 9 unanswered points in the second half to stun the preseason SoCon favorites, as well as everyone else.
Worst Performance: Stetson 21, (NAIA) Webber International 31 - The Hatters won yardage 403-190 and still lost to an NAIA team.
Most Surprising Result: Presbyterian 15, (#8) Mercer 10 - This was the Pioneer’s first top-25 win since Butler beat #25 Youngstown in 2018.
RICH 14-21 LEH
LAF 7-26 BGSU
BUCK 13-49 AF MONM 42-39 COLG
FORD 10-66 BC
HC 17-19 NIU GTOWN 51-14 DVDSN
NConf Record: 1-5 Overall: 1-5
vs. FCS: 1-1 Overall: 1-1
Best Performance: (#15) Lehigh 21, (#18) Richmond 14 - The Mountain Hawks hold Richmond to 181 yards and win what was expected to be the de facto Patriot League championship game.
Worst Performance: Bucknell 13, (FBS) Air Force 49 - There wasn’t really a bad loss in the Patriot this week, but this was probably the worst of the league’s FBS losses.
Most Surprising Result: Colgate 39, (#21) Monmouth 42 - Treyvhon Saunders’s 13 catches for 223 yards and 2 TDs weren’t enough to pull the upset as the Raiders blew a 31-7 second-half lead.
Best Performance: Mercyhurst 15, Youngstown St. 24 - A 9-point loss to a middling Missouri Valley team was the best the winless NEC could manage this week.
Worst Performance: New Haven 14, Marist 31 - In their inaugural FCS contest, the Chargers won passing 377-75 but lost rushing 228-18 and lost turnovers 4-1.
Most Surprising Result: (none)
CAA
ALB 7-34 UI
SBU 0-42 SDSU UNH 27-10 NCCEN
MAINE 7-28 LIB
CAMP 20-31 URI
BRY 3-19 NMSU MONM 42-39 COLG TOW 27-7 NFOLK
HAMP 14-28 JSU
W&M 21-23 FUR
NCAT 21-24 TSU
ELON 17-45 DUKE
NConf Record: 3-8 Overall: 3-8
vs. FCS: 3-3 Overall: 3-3
Best Performance: New Hampshire 27, NC Central 10 - The Wildcats return the favor from 2022 by going down to Raleigh and smothering the Eagles.
Worst Performance: North Carolina A&T 21, Tennessee St. 24 - 3 lost fumbles hold back the Aggies as they fall to a Tennessee State team that lost a ton in the offseason.
Most Surprising Result: (#21) Monmouth 42, Colgate 39 - Hawk QB Derek Robertson dominated the game for both teams as he threw for 491 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.
Best Performance: Gardner-Webb 52, (#20) Western Carolina 45 - Nate Hampton put up 395 yards of total offense and 6 total touchdowns (4 rushing) to help the Bulldogs overcome from a 28-point deficit.
Worst Performance: Lindenwood 13, St. Thomas 35 - The Lions convincingly lose to a team they beat at home 64-0 last year.
Most Surprising Result: Gardner-Webb 52, (#20) Western Carolina 45 - Gardner-Webb amassed 627 total yards in pulling off the biggest comeback in program history.
SoCon
VMI 7-52 NAVY GWEBB 52-45 WCU
W&M 21-23 FUR
WOFF 15-16 SCSU NDSU 38-0 CIT PRESBY 15-10 MER UWG 34-3 SAM
MUR 17-45 ETSU
UTC 10-45 MEM
NConf Record: 2-7 Overall: 2-7
vs. FCS: 2-5 Overall: 2-5
Best Performance: Furman 23, William & Mary 21 - The Paladins get a nice win partially thanks to 6 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, 1 pass breakup, and 1 pick returned 43 yards for a TD by S Taylen Blaylock.
Worst Performance: (#8) Mercer 10, Presbyterian 15 - The Bears put up just 241 yards against a non-scholarship opponent they defeated 63-10 last year.
Most Surprising Result: (#8) Mercer 10, Presbyterian 15 - Mercer seems to be leading in the race for “Most Disappointing Team in FCS” out of the gate, but they do have some stiff competition with UC Davis, Western Carolina, and especially Incarnate Word just behind.
DSU 17-35 UD
MORG 21-38 USA HOW 10-9 FAMU (in Miami Gardens, FL) TOW 27-7 NFOLK UNH 27-10 NCCEN
WOFF 15-16 SCSU
NConf Record: 2-4 Overall: 3-4
vs. FCS: 2-2 Overall: 3-2
Best Performance: Howard 10, Florida A&M 9 - The Bison, who held FAMU to just 9 points in 4 redzone trips, get a 43-yard field goal from Matt Conord at the gun to win it.
Worst Performance: Norfolk St. 7, Towson 27 - Pittsburgh transfer David Ojiegbe had 2.5 sacks, but that wasn’t nearly enough to offset an anemic Spartan offense.
Most Surprising Result: NC Central 10, New Hampshire 27 - DB D.J. Estes had 2.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack, and a pass breakup, but that wasn’t nearly enough to offset an ineffective Eagle offense.
SWAC
PVAMU 22-21 TXSO
UAPB 7-67 TXTECH
lang 7-55 GRAM
ALCORN 10-20 NWST HOW 10-9 FAMU (in Miami Gardens, FL)
BCU 9-42 FIU
ALST 42-52 UAB
AAMU 7-52 ARK SU 34-29 MVSU
HAMP 14-28 JSU
NConf Record: 2-6 Overall: 2-7
vs. FCS: 1-2 Overall: 1-3
Best Performance: Alabama St. 42, (FBS) UAB 52 - Andrew Body had a monster game against an upper-level opponent: 312 passing yards on just 24 attempts, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, plus 119 yards and a TD on the ground. Too bad the Hornet defense couldn’t really do much of anything.
Worst Performance: Alcorn St. 10, Northwestern St. 20 - 4 turnovers and 15 penalties by the Brave offense allowed the Demons to end their 20-game losing streak.
Most Surprising Result: Florida A&M 9, Howard 10 - The Rattlers lose to a MEAC team for the first time since leaving the conference in 2021.
Independents
MERR 17-21 KENT
SHILL 7-12 SACHRT
Non-Ind. Record: 1-1 Overall: 1-1
vs. FCS: 1-0 Overall: 1-0
Best Performance: Sacred Heart 12, Stonehill 7 - The Pioneers get their 3rd. win since the beginning of last year when scoring less than 14 points.
Worst Performance: (none)
Most Surprising Result: Merrimack 17, (FBS) Kent St. 21 - The Warriors took the lead against an FBS—albeit a terrible FBS—late, but they allowed Da’Realyst Clark to return the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and couldn’t recover.
