2023 FCS Playoffs: First Round Recap

The FCS Playoffs kicked off with eight first-round matchups. We recap all the action from the first round of the FCS Playoffs.

The 2023 FCS Playoffs kicked off this past weekend and only four conferences remain in contention for the FCS National Championship. History was made this weekend as Mercer won the first FCS Playoff game in school history and North Dakota State tied Georgia Southern for the most all-time FCS Playoff wins. 

We recap all the first-round action from the FCS Playoffs below.

North Dakota State 66, Drake 3

North Dakota State dominated the Bulldogs as the Bison scored 66 unanswered points after an early 3-0 Drake lead. Quarterback Cam Miller completed 10-of-11 passes for 206 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Quarterback Cole Payton led the Bison with 104 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

The Bison defense held Drake to 177 total yards and forced five turnovers. Safety Cole Wisniewski led the Bison with seven tackles, while safety Sam Rung contributed five tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception. North Dakota State held the Drake offense to negative two yards in the second half.

Up Next: North Dakota State travels to face No. 6 Montana State in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. The Bison have won the past four matchups against the Bobcats, including the 2022 FCS National Championship game. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

Sacramento State 42, North Dakota 35

Offensive fireworks defined this game as the Hornets escaped the Alerus Center with the second FCS Playoff win in school history. Quarterback Kaiden Bennett was spectacular for the Hornets, completing 17-of-22 passes for 207 passing yards, 126 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns. The Hornets were dominant on the ground, rolling up 244 rushing yards (6.0 YPC) and five rushing touchdowns.

Sacramento State's defense harassed quarterback Tommy Schuster throughout the game, finishing with four sacks. Linebacker Armon Bailey led the Hornets with eight total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. The Hornets held North Dakota to only 137 passing yards and forced a massive interception as the Fighting Hawks were driving to end the half. 

Up Next: Sacramento State travels to face No. 3 South Dakota in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. It will be the first matchup between the two programs. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

Youngstown State 40, Duquesne 7

Youngstown State dominated Duquesne as the Penguins held the ball for over 42 minutes of the game. Wide receiver Bryce Oliver was a matchup nightmare, leading the Penguins with eight receptions for 181 receiving yards and one touchdown. The Penguins established the rushing attack early as Tyshon King led the team with 101 rushing yards on 19 carries. 

The Penguins held Duquesne's offense to only 44 total plays and 148 total yards. The Dukes finished the game with only eight first downs, went 1-for-11 on third down attempts, and never entered the red zone. Running back Taj Butts was the bright spot for Duquesne, leading the Dukes with 44 rushing yards and 41 receiving yards. 

Up Next: Youngstown State travels to face No. 8 Villanova in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. The Penguins won the most recent matchup in 1999. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+. 

Southern Illinois 35, Nicholls State 0

Southern Illinois scored touchdowns on the first three drives of the game and never looked back in a dominant shutout victory. The Salukis dominated defensively, holding the potent Nicholls rushing attack to only 75 yards and less than 2.5 yards per carry. Defensive tackle Kam Bowdry was dominant with seven total tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks. The defense forced three turnovers and sacked quarterback Pat McQuaide four times on Saturday. 

Running back Ro Elliott exploded for 111 rushing yards (12.3 YPC) and two touchdowns for the Salukis. Quarterback Nic Baker completed 12-of-22 passes for 168 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. The Salukis were efficient on third down (8-for-13) and scored on five of six possessions in the red zone. 

Up Next: Southern Illinois travels to face No. 4 Idaho in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. It will be the first meeting between the two programs. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN+. 

Richmond 49, North Carolina Central 27

Richmond outscored North Carolina Central 42-7 after trailing 20-7 with six minutes remaining in the first half. The Spiders exploded for 506 yards of total offense and averaged 8.4 yards per play against the Eagles. Quarterback Kyle Wickersham completed 16-of-23 passes for 291 passing yards and three touchdowns. Running back Savon Smith led the Spiders with 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Richmond rushing attack rolled up 215 yards (6.0 YPC) on the ground.

North Carolina Central showed flashes early but struggled to establish any offensive consistency after quarterback Davius Richard was injured on a first-half touchdown run. The Spiders held the Eagles to only 68 yards rushing (2.2 YPC) and finished the game with five sacks. Defensive end Marlem Louis led Richmond with three tackles for loss and three sacks, while Wayne Galloway had a massive game with 11 total tackles. 

Up Next: Richmond travels to face No. 5 UAlbany in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. The Spiders lead the all-time series 7-0, with the most recent matchup coming in 2019.

Delaware 36, Lafayette 34

Delaware trailed Lafayette 28-7 early in the second quarter but scored 26 unanswered points to stun the Leopards in a comeback victory. The Blue Hens held Lafayette to 85 total yards and forced three turnovers in the second half. Defensive linemen Jack Hall and Chase McGowan combined for 10 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Lafayette running back Jamar Curtis had an impressive performance with 127 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. 

The Blue Hens turned the ball over on four of the first six possessions, which led to 21 points for Lafayette. Wide receiver Joshua Youngblood led the Blue Hens with six receptions for 79 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Quarterback Nick Minicucci struggled early with three interceptions in the first half, but had an outstanding second half and ended the game with three passing touchdowns. Delaware rolled up 203 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, led by Jo'Nathan Silver with 76 rushing yards. 

Up Next: Delaware travels to No. 2 Montana in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. It will be the second all-time matchup as Delaware won the first game in 1993 in the FCS Playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN+. 

Chattanooga 24, Austin Peay 21

Kicker Clayton Crile made a 35-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lift Chattanooga to the first-ever road win in the FCS Playoffs. Freshman Luke Schomburg completed 21-of-36 passes for 259 passing yards and one passing touchdown. Running back Reggie Davis stepped into a major role due to injuries and led the Mocs with 97 rushing yards, while Gino Appleberry contributed 64 yards and one touchdown.

Chattanooga suffocated an explosive Austin Peay passing attack, holding the Governors to the second-lowest total of the season (107 Passing Yards). The dynamic defensive line trio of Marlon Taylor, Jay Person, and Ben Brewton dominated the line of scrimmage (4 TFLs; 3 Sacks). Austin Peay running back Jevon Jackson was the bright spot for the Governors, leading the team with 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns. 

Up Next: Chattanooga travels to No. 7 Furman in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. The Paladins defeated Chattanooga, 17-14, on Nov. 4 earlier this season. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 12 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

Mercer 17, Gardner-Webb 7

This game was a defensive battle, but quarterback Carter Peevy's two rushing touchdowns in the first half were enough to lead Mercer to the first FCS Playoffs win in school history. Wide receiver Ty James led the Bears with seven receptions for 100 receiving yards. The Bears dominated the time of possession (34:01-25:59) and protected the football, which gave Mercer the advantage on Saturday.

Mercer was dominant defensively, holding Gardner-Webb to only 280 total yards, which is the lowest output against FCS competition this season for the Runnin' Bulldogs. The Bears forced four turnovers and suffocated the Gardner-Webb rushing attack (1.6 YPC) throughout the game. Cornerback Myles Weston led the Bears with two interceptions, while linebacker Ken Standley finished the game with nine tackles and two tackles for loss.

Up Next: Mercer travels to No. 1 South Dakota State in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. It will be the first meeting between the two programs. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+. 

2023 FCS Playoff Bracket