A packed Week 1 of the 2022 FCS season is here.
All year, I will share my thoughts and score predictions on the week’s biggest games. Week 1 features a ton of games that stretch from Thursday to Sunday. It’ll give us a good first glimpse of teams in some intriguing matchups.
Let’s predict some scores.
Predictions Record:
2019-2021 record: 244-115
2022: 6-1
Week 1
RELATED: Notable Games And How To Watch
Monmouth at New Hampshire (Thursday)
Monmouth kicks off its first season in the CAA right away against a conference blueblood. However, UNH has seen some struggles recently after being a playoff constant, going 3-8 last season. On the other sideline, Monmouth has seen great program growth recently, a big reason why it is now in the CAA.
The Hawks already have some of the best players at their positions in the conference. Tony Muskett was named the preseason All-CAA First Team QB. RB Juwon Farri was one of three players named on the Walter Payton Award watch list. Interestingly, all three CAA players on the preseason watch list did not play in the CAA last season. Farri is joined by Richmond’s Reece Udinski (QB) and Jakob Herres (WR), both transfers. Monmouth has other standout players as well like OL Justin Szuba and DB Tyrese Wright. It’s going to be tough for Monmouth to get back to the playoffs this season in a conference with more depth, but it should begin 1-0.
Prediction: Monmouth 24-14
No. 5 Missouri State at Central Arkansas (Thursday)
Mo State faces high expectations nationally. The Bears can’t be overlooking UCA, a team that received some votes in the media poll and who has made the playoffs in 2016, 2017, and 2019. The Bears … as in the UCA Bears … want to get back on the national map. It’ll be a challenge with a new starting QB and their two standout WRs gone. However, Will McElvain transferred in from Northern Iowa, where he set a school freshman passing record in 2019.
Missouri State will be too talented and too explosive in this one. With double-digit FBS transfers joining a team that has 17 returner starters, including All-Americans QB Jason Shelley, DB Montrae Braswell, WR Tyrone Scott, and DB Kyriq McDonald, it would be a big disappointment if Missouri State got knocked off after a preseason of hype.
Prediction: Missouri State 38-27
William & Mary at Charlotte (Friday)
Former Austin Peay head coach Will Healy and Charlotte are no longer college football darlings. The 49ers finished 5-7 last season and got crushed 43-13 last week against FAU. The defense has been awful, and certainly an area where a solid W&M team can take advantage of and pull off an “upset.”
W&M looks to be in the CAA playoff hunt after a 6-1 start against FCS opponents last year before losing its last three games. With some big names back like All-American DL Nate Lynn, All-American OL Colby Sorsdal, top RB Bronson Yoder, leading tackler LB Trey Watkins, and standout CB Ryan Poole, the Tribe looks strong. This has a great shot for an FCS over FBS win.
Prediction: William & Mary 27-20
No. 2 South Dakota State at Iowa (Saturday)
This SDSU team is loaded with talent. They have eight HERO Sports preseason All-Americans and several NFL potential guys like WR Jaxon Janke, TE Tucker Kraft, and TE Zach Heins. Not to mention some dudes who will get looks in a couple of years like RB Isaiah Davis and LB Adam Bock. Anything less than a run to the national championship would be a disappointment.
Whether this team is that good enough to beat Iowa is more questionable. While there are a couple of All-American OL and some great players across the starting DL, the Jacks are breaking in some new starters on the OL and the depth behind the starting DL is unproven. Can they hold up for all four quarters against a physical Iowa team? And how will Mark Gronowski look after missing all of last season with a knee injury following a brilliant freshman season in the spring? I expect a close, physical game. But Iowa will be too deep for SDSU to take the lead in the fourth.
Prediction: Iowa 28-24
North Dakota at Nebraska (Saturday)
Nebraska is a clusterF right now after a disappointing loss to Northwestern. The program has become a punching bag for not only college football fans, but it even got dogged by the Big Sky Conference. Factoring in the long trip home from Ireland, it all adds up to a great opportunity for UND.
Will Nebraska come out motivated and play lights out in front of its home crowd? Maybe. There’s also a chance that morale is low in the locker room and on the coaching staff and the team lays a dud. UND is a solid FCS team that battled several top programs tough last season. The Fighting Hawks want to be back in the playoffs. A win would obviously be massive. But even a close game shows they will contend for a playoff spot. Ultimately, it’s tough to see UND going toe-to-toe in the trenches for all four quarters. But this should be an interesting game heading into the fourth.
Prediction: Nebraska 34-20
Tennessee State at Eastern Washington (Saturday)
Tennessee State looks to be building something under Eddie George. The Tigers have brought in great talent this offseason with nine FBS transfers and four FCS transfers, including QB Draylen Ellis and DL Terrell Allen from Austin Peay, who were 2021 HERO Sports Sophomore All-Americans. Can they go to EWU and give the Eagles a game?
A lot of focus on EWU this preseason is its brutal schedule and losing an all-time great FCS quarterback in Eric Barriere. But the defense has good experience, the OL will always play well under Aaron Best, and new starting QB Gunner Talkington has two phenomenal WRs Freddie Roberson and Efton Chism III. EWU should get a home win before consecutive games against Oregon, Montana State, Florida, Weber State, and Sac State
Prediction: EWU 38-21
No. 10 Stephen F. Austin at Alcorn State (Saturday)
SFA’s run defense did not look good in Week 0 in its 42-17 loss to Jacksonville State, allowing 285 yards on the ground. Niko Duffey is a terrific running back for Alcorn State, so SFA will have its hands full.
While the preseason buzz may have slowed with the performance against JSU, my ceiling for the Lumberjacks hasn’t necessarily changed. I still think they are good enough (and will figure things out from Week 0) to reach the quarterfinals. I don’t know if anyone ever said this team is a legit national title contender, but more-so looked at SFA as a program that can take one more step forward in the playoffs. This should be a clean win for SFA against a quality Alcorn team.
Prediction: SFA 34-14
No. 9 Southern Illinois at No. 14 UIW (Saturday)
Expect some fireworks in this one with SIU’s QB Nic Baker and RB Javon Williams Jr., plus UIW’s QB Lindsey Scott Jr. and WR Taylor Grimes. SIU’s standout WR Avante Cox is expected to miss this game with a hand injury.
Baker and Scott, a transfer from Nicholls, are two of the more explosive QBs in the FCS. And Grimes is a First Team All-American. Both teams are on the rise in recent years. But both teams face doubts too, despite the high preseason rankings. UIW lost its head coach and star QB from last year. And SIU was up and down last season after high expectations. Expect a lot of big plays offensively. SIU has the stronger defense, though, which will be the difference.
Prediction: SIU 42-28
Florida A&M vs. No. 15 Jackson State (Sunday)
A lot of off-the-field situations are taking headlines leading up to this game — Jackson’s water issues and FAMU going through ineligibility issues with compliance/the certification process. One of those players who missed last week and is questionable to play Sunday is last year’s Buck Buchanan Award winner Isaiah Land.
As far as on the field, this should be a fantastic matchup for an ESPN2 audience. Last year’s game saw a 7-6 Jackson State win. In my opinion, these are the two most talented HBCU teams. But both are in the SWAC East, meaning the loser of this game is all of a sudden in the playoff at-large picture. Think of that … a FAMU win means we could see Jackson State in the postseason bracket, something many of us would be very intrigued by. Of course, there’s still a full season ahead and the loser of this game could still grab first place in their division.
New FAMU starting QB Jeremy Moussa (a Vanderbilt grad transfer) looked sharp last week as FAMU battled North Carolina tough. His play perhaps makes up for FAMU possibly missing key players again this week. But it’s still hard to pick against Jackson State in this one. With the combination of returning standouts (LB Aubrey Miller, QB Shedeur Sanders, WR Malachi Wideman), double-digit FBS transfers, and a great recruiting class featuring No. 1 overall recruit CB Travis Hunter, JSU looks loaded for an undefeated season.
Prediction: Jackson State 28-20
