FCS Football Recap: Week 8 Takeaways

Zachary McKinnell | 11 Hours Ago

Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

North Dakota State Wins First Dakota Marker Since 2019

No. 2 North Dakota State ended a five-game losing streak against No. 1 South Dakota State, defeating the Jacks 13-9 on Saturday night. North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller had his Walter Payton moment, conducting a game-winning touchdown drive that spanned 92 yards in 10 plays.

Miller led the Bison offense, completing 20-of-27 attempts for 163 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Wide receiver RaJa Nelson had a spectacular performance, posting four receptions for 48 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Bison lacked explosiveness on the ground but ended the game with over 110 rushing yards, led by Barika Kpeenu and CharMar Brown with 68 yards.

The Bison defense held South Dakota State scoreless in the second half, holding the Jacks to only 79 total yards over the past two quarters. Linebacker Logan Kopp had the game-sealing interception with less than two minutes remaining. Backup quarterback Chase Mason generated an explosive 66-yard touchdown, but the Bison limited the explosive plays on the ground for most of the game.

South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski struggled, only completing 58% of his passes for 118 yards and one interception. The Bison did not record a sack but pressured Gronowski on over 40% of his dropbacks. South Dakota State's inability to push the ball downfield limited the offense in the second half, which allowed the Bison to pull off the huge victory.

Jackson State Takes Control Of SWAC East With Win Over Florida A&M

Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jackson State defeated No. 25 Florida A&M in one of the most-anticipated HBCU matchups of the season. The Tigers scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, sparked by a 32-yard defensive touchdown from defensive end Phillip Webb.

Everything for Jackson State started with the rushing attack, which rolled up over 245 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Irv Mulligan led the Tigers with 139 rushing yards, averaging over 7.5 yards per carry. The Tigers had to overcome four turnovers, including three by quarterback Jacobian Morgan, but Florida A&M only scored seven points off of Jackson State's mistakes.

Defensively, the Tigers allowed 21 points in the first half but held the Rattlers to under 100 total yards in the final two quarters. Florida A&M struggled to run the football, recording only 63 rushing yards and 2.4 yards per carry. Jackson State's defensive line dominated the second half, led by Jeremiah Williams and Joshua Nobles. Williams, Nobles, and Tru Thompson combined for 19 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Florida A&M wide receiver A'ceon Cobb led the Rattlers with three receptions for 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

No. 5 Villanova, No. 7 Mercer Suffer Shocking Upset Losses

No. 5 Villanova suffered a 35-7 blowout loss to Maine, while No. 7 Mercer was stunned in a 55-35 upset loss to Samford. Both teams struggled with turnovers, allowing their opponents to build massive first-half leads, which were too much to overcome.

The Bears only allowed 46 points over the first six games but allowed 28 points in the first seven minutes of the game this weekend. Quarterback Quincy Crittendon completed 23-of-37 attempts for 378 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. Running back Damonta Witherspoon led the Bulldogs with 47 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Mercer's offense struggled throughout the first half, recording only 83 total yards and three drives that ended with negative yardage. The Bears tried to make a comeback, scoring 21 unanswered points, but allowed two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 26-yard interception return from Noah Martin.

The Wildcats struggled offensively, finishing the game with only 214 yards of total offense. Maine's defense posted seven sacks, led by defensive lineman Izaiah Henderson, who had two tackles for loss and two sacks. Villanova was limited to 35 rushing yards and 1.3 yards per carry. Quarterback Connor Watkins struggled, completing 14-of-31 attempts for 117 passing yards and two interceptions.

Maine led 28-0 at halftime, including a 70-yard blocked field goal return by defensive back Devin Vaught. Quarterback Carter Peevy completed 16-of-18 attempts for 173 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.

Rhode Island Makes Statement With Win Over New Hampshire

No. 16 Rhode Island remained undefeated against the FCS with a dominant win over No. 24 New Hampshire. It was the first win over a ranked opponent and moved the Rams into the top spot of the CAA standings with Richmond.

The Rams held the Wildcats to only 235 total yards and did not allow a touchdown until 29 seconds remaining in the game. Rhode Island's defense recorded 12 tackles for loss and four sacks, led by A.J. Pena with two tackles for loss and two sacks. New Hampshire failed to generate anything on the ground, posting only 20 rushing yards and averaging only 0.8 yards per carry.

After only scoring two points in the first half, the Rams exploded for 24 points in the second half. Running back Malik Grant led the Rams with 127 rushing yards on 25 carries. Wide receiver Marquis Buchanan continued to shine, leading the team with four receptions for 62 receiving yards and one touchdown. Rhode Island's defense scored nine points, including a defensive touchdown from defensive back Freddie Camp.

Gonzales Makes History In Western Carolina's Win Over Furman

Western Carolina quarterback Cole Gonzales / Mark Haskett (WCU Athletics)

It was a historic weekend for Western Carolina. The Catamounts defeated Furman 52-20, improving to 3-0 in conference play. The Catamounts averaged 9.7 yards per play, breaking multiple program and conference records this weekend.

Everything started with Cole Gonzales, who set the new single-game SoCon record with 620 passing yards. He completed 35-of-55 attempts and finished the game with five passing touchdowns. Three different wide receivers topped the 100-yard mark, led by Isaiah Johnson with six receptions for 117 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Backup quarterback Taron Johnson only attempted one pass, which went 32 yards for the game's final touchdown.

Western Carolina set the single-game conference record for passing yards (652) while also breaking the single-game record for total offense with 801 total yards. The Catamounts surpassed Chattanooga's 46-year-old record, in which the Mocs recorded 795 total yards in 1978. The win extended Western Carolina's win streak to three games after a 1-3 start.

Other Key Storylines Around The FCS:

• Southeastern Louisiana moved to 3-0 in conference play with a massive win over Stephen F. Austin. Quarterback Eli Sawyer found wide receiver Darius Lewis for the game-winning touchdown with two seconds remaining. Sawyer led the Lions with 234 passing yards and two total touchdowns. Lewis had another massive game, catching 11 passes for 96 yards and one touchdown. The Lions held Stephen F. Austin to three field goals inside the red zone while scoring touchdowns on three of their four red zone attempts.

• Southern took control of the SWAC West race, defeating Alcorn State by scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars held the Braves to only 76 passing yards, sacking quarterback Xzavier Vaughn four times on Saturday night. Linebacker Vincent Page Jr. led the Jaguars with 12 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Running back Kendric Rhymes exploded for 133 rushing yards, leading a Jaguars' rushing attack that totaled almost 300 yards on the ground.

• Despite allowing 17 points in the fourth quarter, Sacramento State escaped with an overtime win over Weber State. The Hornets were unstoppable offensively in the first half, posting 34 points, but stumbled in the second half with only one touchdown. Carson Conklin had a career performance with 357 passing yards and three touchdowns, while wide receiver led the Hornets with 136 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Will Leota posted 10 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, leading a Hornets' defense that posted nine tackles for loss.

• No. 18 Richmond defeated undefeated Delaware 28-9, extending its win streak to five games since an 0-2 start. The Spiders scored four touchdowns on their first five drives, including three touchdowns from quarterback Camden Coleman. Coleman completed 16-of-23 passes for 194 passing yards, 79 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns. Neither team scored in the second half as the Spiders held Delaware scoreless on two drives inside Richmond territory.

• Tennessee State continues to roll under head coach Eddie George, defeating Howard for its fourth consecutive win. The Tigers held the Bison to only 209 total yards and 3.7 yards per play, including 33 passing yards. Howard quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins completed 6-of-21 passes for 33 yards and two interceptions. Tennessee State was led by Draylen Ellis, who posted 289 passing yards and one rushing touchdown. Wide receiver Karate Brenson had a stellar performance with five receptions for 153 receiving yards.

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