FCS Week 2 Recap: Attrition Wins Out
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Another week of FCS ball is wrapped up and so many important results came down across the nation. While it’s still hard to completely peg down who most of these teams will be this fall, some real statements were made accross the board. From some close ones against the G6 to a historic day in Montana to an all out bonanza over in Youngstown and everything in between, here’s what went down in Week 2:
Gardner-Webb, Colgate and Northern Colorado All Nearly Upset FBS Foes
Gardner-Webb had Liberty on the ropes for a good long time but could not quite finish the deal in a slim 24-23 loss to the Flames. In a contest in which the Runnin’ Bulldogs were nearly 30-point underdogs and led by their interim head coach Pete Bennett, they almost pulled off the upset. With a six-point lead late, the defense broke on a coverage that resulted in the game-winning touchdown from Liberty QB Jaylen Henderson to Darius Copeland. The Bulldogs, now 0-3, still got a largely productive day from their defense. Tre Yanez was the only player in the game to author double digit tackles (10) and Sabin McLaughlin returned a fumble for a touchdown. Gardner-Webb will be looking to snap its early-season skid next week as it hosts NC Central.
Shortly after all that happened in Lynchburg, something similar happened up in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Colgate took Central Michican down to the brink but a late interception from signal caller Jake Stearney sealed the Raiders’ fate in a 13-10 loss. Linebacker Trooper Price had a big day for the Colgate defense, logging 13 tackles and getting in on a sack. Five different defenders knocked down passes for the Raiders as well. CMU, though, was able to withstand a flurry of their own mistakes to come out on top and avoid the upset. Colgate turned the ball over four times lost 70 yards due to penalties. They fall to 2-1 and now look ahead to a home game against Cornell.
Also coming tantilizingly close to slaying their FBS counterpart was Northern Colorado out of the Big Sky. The Bears pushed Wyoming to the end but didn’t have enough in the tank to take down the Cowboys. A lightning delay stopped the game in the fourth quarter and, shortly after that ended, the UNC defense allowed Wyoming to march on a 82-yard touchdown drive that ate up over seven minutes of game time. Kenny Leuth tossed an interception immediately after and the Pokes were able to salt it away for the 21-13 victory. Leuth still passed for 202 yards and had a touchdown while Marcus Mozer averaged 24 yards per reception and had that lone receiving TD. Northern Colorado, despite its best efforts, falls to 0-3 and will play Division II’s Northeastern State next week.
Chicago State Gets First-Ever Win
Chicago State made history on Saturday afternoon with its 78-7 smothering of NAIA Kentucky Christian. It was the first ever win for program which began playing football this year. Quarterback Ashton Pannell threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns while running back Chris Edmonds scampered for three TDs as well and had one receiving. In total the Cougars offense put up 580 yards and their defense forced four takeaways with safety Jayden Earley coming down with two interceptions, one of which he took back for a score. It is also the first DI victory for head coach Bobby Rome II who formerly served as the head man at Florida Memorial, Central State and Virginia-Lynchburg. Rome’s Cougars are now 1-2 on the season and will prepare to face Butler on the road next Saturday.
Lehigh Dominates William & Mary for Early Stranglehold on Patriot League
#9 Lehigh left no doubt about its place atop the Patriot League on Saturday afternoon with a 44-20 beatdown over new-conference foe #16 William & Mary. The Tribe came in with similar 2-0 record but quickly learned why the Mountain Hawks are the defending league champs. Luke Yoder was once again the star of the show, running for 169 yards on 23 carries. His three touchdowns vaults him to nine on the season. Yoder is leading all FCS ball carriers with that number right now. In total the Mountain Hawks ran for 366 yards. William & Mary could not find much traction against the Lehigh defense either. The Tribe were thwarted nine times on third down and turned the ball over twice. The win improves the Mountain Hawks to 3-0 in conference play already despite it being only mid-September. Lehigh has not lost a regular season game since November of 2024 and they’ll look to keep that streak going as they host Dartmouth next weekend.
Gillman Sets Records in Montana’s Win
Eli Gillman ran himself into the record books during Montana’s 35-14 win over new Big Sky enemy Utah Tech in Washington-Grizzly Stadium over the weekend. The senior superstar ran for three more touchdowns pushing his career total up to 62. Gillman’s first of the day, a one-yard shove in the first quarter, set him alone at the top of the Montana record books for total touchdowns. His next two tied him with Sacramento State’s Charles Roberts for the most of any Big Sky player ever. Gillman needs just one more to take the mark for himself. He ran for 147 yards total on 17 carries and was the Grizzlies main catalyst on offense. UM improves to 3-0 as it prepares for its first road trip of the year to Oregon State next Saturday.
Brungard, YSU Drop 70 on Duquesne
Beau Brungard put on an offensive clinic against Duquesne. In #10 Youngstown State’s 70-13 win over the Dukes, the defending Walter Payton Award winner was otherworldly, accounting for a staggering eight touchdowns. Brungard tossed six and ran in two without even playing the full game. He was also responsible for over 400 yards of offense. YSU as a team put up over 600. They played clean ball, too, and did not commit any turnovers. Overall it was about as perfect of an offensive showing as anyone could ask for as the Penguins improve to 2-1 on the season. Punter Evan Anderson only had to boot it away once all afternoon. The defense also looked stout, holding Duquesne to just 89 passing yards. The backups got plenty of run for Youngstown State who further proves their place among the Top 10. The Penguins will have a huge test next week as the hit the road to begin Missouri Valley play against #2 South Dakota State.
NAU, Lamar Pick Up Key Non-Conference Wins
Northern Arizona looked like a bonafide playoff contender in its big 38-28 win over Incarnate Word at home on Saturday. Lumberjacks quarterback Ty Pennington outdueled Emmitt Brown and the high-flying UIW offense. Brown threw for 426 yards on 33 completions but also had three picks while Pennington had none and tossed a touchdown. It was the NAU ground game, though, that was the real driving force in the win. Running backs Quran Gossett and Kenveon Stone combined for 153 rush yards and three scores. The also had itself a day. Three different Northern Arizona players had at least ten stops and as a team they combined for six PBUs. The Lumberjacks improve to 2-1 as they look ahead to Utah Tech while the Cardinals are now 1-1. They face Houston Christian next.
Lamar rebounded in a big way from last week’s lopsided loss at Louisiana. The Cardinals rolled into the Kibbie Dome and took down Idaho to improve to 2-1 on the year. Jojo Uga ran for over 100 yards and Aiden McCown completed 13 passes for 159 yards and a score in the 23-17 win. Ball control was an issue, though, as the Cardinals coughed it up four times and lost it twice. The Vandals, meanwhile, looked inept for much of the game. Joshua Wood did all he could but was running for his life for a lot of the game. The Lamar pass rush racked up five sacks and seven tackles for loss. Alexandre Dedieu and Koda Canady were on the end of three of those sacks. Idaho failed to convert on four of its five fourth down tries and slip to 0-3 now on the season. The Vandals will play Abilene Christian, another playoff team from last year, next while the Cardinals will begin Southland action with Nicholls State.
‘25 FCS Championship Teams Take Down Mountain West Opponents
In the waning seconds of Saturday night’s showdown in DeKalb Illinois State defensive back Doreon Dubos picked off Taron Dickens in the red zone and sealed the FCS’s fourth victory over an FBS team this year. The Redbirds prevailed over Northern Illinois 28-24 to stay unbeaten and make a statement to the rest of the subdivision. ISU looked good throughout, holding the Huskies to 112 rushing yards. Gage Roy continued to show why he should be the full time starter as he threw for two touchdowns and completed 20 out of 23 passes. Dylan Lord caught eight passes and was on the receiving end of one of those two Roy touchdowns. Illinois State jumped out to a commanding 21-0 advantage but had to fight back into it after Northern Illinois rallied to make it 24-21 late. Roy connected with tight end Alex Herrera for a 16-yard go-ahead score. Dubos put the game on ice on the next drive to preserve the win. Brock Spack’s ISU squad was ranked #5 in the nation going into this game and will likely climb a little after this signature win.
Shortly after Illinois State wrapped it up, thier dance partner from last year’s FCS title game did something similar. #1 Montana State handle business against Nevada and looked convincing while doing it. Justin Lamson and the Bobcats offense was humming in Reno to the tune of 330 yards. The MSU defense, too, was top tier as it forced four Wolfpack turnovers. Brent Vigen’s team held a 17-0 lead at halftime… the largest an FCS team has had over an FBS one at the break in five years… and went on to win comfortably 20-7. All the usual suspects got in on the action from Taco Dowler to Adam Jones. Save for penalties, of which 13 were assessed to the ‘Cats, MSU looks every bit the part of a team that can repeat. Now 3-0, they return home for one last non-conference game against back-to-back NEC champ Central Connecticut State.
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