FCS Football Top 25 Recaps: New Hampshire Backs into the Top Spot
North Dakota State lost their top-billing after a win over Indiana State that wasn't quite as impressive as our prediction. New Hampshire slid past the Bison as a result, even on their bye week. South Dakota State made a big jump into the BR Top 10 thanks to a win at UNI, while Eastern Kentucky fell far after allowing a crushing fourth-quarter comeback to Tennessee Tech for their first loss of the season. Your team not in the Top 25? View the Results of Every Game [divider]
New Hampshire
Last Week BR-2 Result: N/A After seven weeks of dancing around the BR Top 10, the Villanova Wildcats leap-frogged reigning FCS champion North Dakota State to the top of the charts in their bye week. Since their opening-day loss at FBS Toledo, the Wildcats are 5-0, winning each game by an average score of 41.2-17.8. View New Hampshire Team Page
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North Dakota State
Last Week BR-1 Result: 34-17 Win over Indiana State The Bison fall from the top spot after a win that was a little tighter than expected, but they stayed perfect thanks to a 101-yard, two-touchdown day running the ball by John Crockett, and a 20-for-29, 222-yard, two-touchdown day throwing it for Carson Wentz. The defense held Indiana State to just 31 yards on 21 carries. View North Dakota State Team Page [divider]
Villanova
Last Week BR-3 Result: 35-31 Win at William & Mary The Wildcats hold their rank after a final-minute touchdown pass from John Robertson to Kevin Gulyas gave them the lead, and the win over William & Mary. Villanova actually got outgained 518 yards to 444 in the game, but the defense made a game-saving stop late to force a Tribe punt. Fifty-nine seconds later, the Wildcats took the lead for good. View Villanova Team Page [divider]
Jacksonville State
Last Week BR-4 Result: N/A The Gamecocks were inactive this week. They resume play at home next weekend against Tennessee Tech. View Jacksonville State [divider]
Southeastern Louisiana
Last Week BR-7 Result: 41-24 Win over Central Arkansas Southeastern Louisiana took care of business in the fourth quarter after a back-and forth first three. They saw a 20-10 lead narrow to 27-24 in the game's final quarter, but scored the last two touchdowns of the day on explosive runs by Bryan Bennett and Xavier Roberson. Bennett led all rushers with 137 yards on 14 carries with three scores, and Roberson pitched in 47 yards and a pair of touchdowns of his own. View Southeastern Louisiana Team Page [divider]
South Dakota State
Last Week BR-12 Result: 31-28 Win at UNI In as exciting a game as you'll ever see, South Dakota State took a win on the road over Northern Iowa on a late, game-winning field goal. Both teams grabbed three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown, the offenses finished within 17 total yards of one another, and the Jackrabbits let a 14-point fourth-quarter lead evaporate to nothing with 3:29 remaining. Zach Zenner had his worst game of the season by far, rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries (2.8 ypc), but South Dakota State pulled out the win anyway. Run on home Jackrabbits, you've got Youngstown State next. View South Dakota State Team Page [divider]
Illinois State
Last Week BR-8 Result: 37-34 Win at Western Illinois The Redbirds stayed perfect, but only by the skin of their teeth. They were down 27-6 with 5:28 to go in the third quarter when Tre Roberson got going. The senior QB was 5-of-11 for 43 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 INTs at that point in the game, and 10-for-15 for 213 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs through the air thereafter. He also added 21 rushing yards and a score in the comeback rally, and then drove his team down to the 17 so Nick Assieker could kick his second game-winning field goal in as many weeks. Such an impressive turnaround from the transfer from Indiana to lead his new team to another win. View Eastern Illinois Team Page [divider]
Coastal Carolina
Last Week BR-11 Result: N/A The Chanticleers were inactive this week. They get an extra week to prep for homecoming against Charleston Southern. View Coastal Carolina Team Page
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Eastern Washington
Last Week BR-6 Result: 26-18 Win over Northern Colorado The Eagles dropped a few spots because their margin of victory was a bit tighter than predicted, but you've got to give Eastern Washington backup quarterback Jordan West credit for what he's done since starter Vernon Adams Jr. went down with a broken foot. West was 19-for-33 for 237 yards with a touchdown to Shaq Hill and no interceptions. The Eastern defense did a great job holding Northern Colorado to just three points until the offense had already put them up 20 and the game out of reach. View Eastern Washington Team Page [divider]
McNeese State
Last Week BR-13 Result: 31-20 Win over Abilene Christian The final score makes this game look a heck of a lot closer than it actually was, as McNeese State was up 31-6 in the fourth quarter before they allowed Abilene Christian to score a couple face-saving touchdowns. Junior quarterback Daniel Sams and junior running back Derrick Milton both had over 100 rushing yards, and Sams added another 184 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT to his tally in the win. View McNeese State Team Page [divider]
Chattanooga
ChattanoogaLast Week BR-17 Result: 34-14 Win at The Citadel Chattanooga made it clear from the very beginning they were there to win, with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Huesman to CJ Board on the first play of the game. They scored on their first five drives to take a 31-0 halftime-lead, and put it on cruise-control from there. Derrick Craine was the MVP for the Mocs' offense with 137 yards on 17 carries. View Chattanooga Team Page [divider]
Youngstown State
Last Week BR-20 Result: 26-14 Win over Southern Illinois After last week's loss to Western Illinois, and with road trips to BR-6 South Dakota State, BR-7 Illinois State, and BR-2 North Dakota State still to go, the Penguins needed a win over Southern Illinois on Saturday in a big way, and that's exactly what they got. Martin Ruiz carried the ball 28 times for 109 yards, and Jody Webb added 88 yards and two TDs on 11 carries to propel Youngstown State to a crucial win that keeps them one game back of conference-leaders North Dakota State and Illinois State. View Youngstown State Team Page [divider]
Southern Illinois
Last Week BR-9 Result: 26-14 Loss at Youngstown State The Salukis came out flat-footed and let Youngstown State open a 17-point halftime-lead before they scored a single point. Southern Illinois remembered they were playing a football game at halftime, and outscored the Penguins 14-9 in the second half, but it wasn't enough. The Youngstown State backfield combo of Martin Ruiz and Jody Webb proved to be too much for Southern Illinois as they racked up a combined 197 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to hand the Salukis their second loss in as many weeks. View Southern Illinois Team Page [divider]
Fordham
Last Week BR-15 Result: N/A The Rams were inactive this week. They resume Patriot League play at Lehigh next weekend. View Fordham Team Page [divider]
Northern Iowa
Last Week BR-14 Result: 31-28 Loss to South Dakota State The Panthers did a great job limiting the leading rusher in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, Zach Zenner, to a season-low 80 yards on 29 carries, but they weren't able to stop South Dakota State when it counted. UNI tied the game with their second fourth-quarter touchdown, but couldn't stop Zach Lujan from leading the Jackrabbits down the field to kick the game-winning field goal. It was their fourth loss of the season, their second to FCS opposition. View Northern Iowa Team Page [divider]
Richmond
Last Week BR-16 Result: 37-0 Win over Rhode Island Kicker Peter Yoder was the high-scorer with nine points on 3-of-4 kicking field goals in a game the Spiders really made an effort to spread the ball around. Seven Richmond players had at least two carries and nine Spider receivers had at least one catch. They'll travel to Elon next weekend before a huge game at home against Villanova November 1. View Richmond Team Page [divider]
Eastern Kentucky
Last Week BR-10 Result: 39-31 Loss at Tennessee Tech <span data-sheets-userformat="[null,null,10755,[null,0],[null,2,16777215],null,null,null,null,null,null,null,0,null,[null,2,3355443],null,10]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"The Colonels blew it. They let a 31-10 fourth-quarter lead evaporate until it turned into a 39-31 loss, their first of the season. At the start of the final quarter, Eastern Kentucky had outgained Tennessee Tech 359 yards to 207 and held a three-touchdown lead. In the fourth quarter, they fumbled twice, punted twice, and were intercepted twice for a grand total of 54 yards and zero points. On the other side, the defense allowed touchdown drives of 85, 33, 62, and 63 yards as Tennessee Tech more than doubled their total yards and
