Welcome to the FCS Football Talk podcast.
On this episode, Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell discuss:
-Week 7 Three Game Balls and A Flag
-Montana State gets a statement win, while North Alabama, Northern Colorado, and SFA pull off upset wins
-Week 8 previews:
- An in-depth preview of No. 1 SDSU at No. 2 NDSU
- No. 16 Rhode Island at No. 24 New Hampshire implications
- Is Weber State at Sac State already a playoff elimination game?
- Is Mercer at Samford a trap game?
- Importance of McNeese at UIW in the Southland playoff race
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3 Game Balls and a Flag
Each week of the 2024 FCS football season, the FCS Football Talk podcast will award three game balls and a flag from the previous weekend’s action.
The game balls are awarded to three standout teams or individual players, while the flag is thrown after a disappointing performance or questionable coaching decision.
Below are the three game balls and a flag from Week 7.
Zach’s 3 Game Balls And A Flag
- Game Ball: North Alabama
- North Alabama stunned No. 10 Abilene Christian in a 47-34 upset victory
- It was the Lions’ first win over a ranked opponent at the FCS level
- The Lions have now won three consecutive conference matchups, moving to 3-1 in UAC play
- The Lions generated over 500 yards of total offense and averaged 8.2 yards per play
- QB TJ Smith: 17-of-24, 220 passing yards, 94 rushing yards, six total TDs
- Wide receiver Kobe Warden: 9 receptions for 112 receiving yards & 2 TDs
- Freshman running back Jalen Fletcher led the Lions with 123 rushing yards (12.3 YPC) and one TD
- The defense held Abilene Christian to only 101 total yards on their final five drives, including a game-sealing interception from Gregory Reddick
- Reddick led the Lions with 12 total tackles
- Jackson Bratton: 5 total tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery, & 2 QBHs
- Game Ball: Incarnate Word
- Incarnate Word dominated Nicholls in a 55-10 victory, avenging last season’s loss to the Colonels
- First time since 2022 that the Cardinals have scored 50 or more points in back-to-back games
- The Cardinals suffocated the Nicholls’ offense, holding the Colonels to only 3.6 yards per play
- UIW allowed only 260 total yards and forced four turnovers
- Ten players recorded at least 0.5 tackles for loss or more
- Mister Williams: 11 total tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 forced fumble
- Linebacker Dune Smith had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown
- Quarterback Zach Calzada led the Cardinals with 270 passing yards and five touchdowns
- Wide receiver Jalen Walthall: 4 receptions for 80 receiving yards and 2 TDs
- Game Ball: Northern Colorado
- Northern Colorado shocked No. 20 Weber State with a 21-17 upset victory
- The first win over a ranked opponent since 2016
- It was also the first win for the Bears since Nov. 12, 2022, and the first win under head coach Ed Lamb
- The Bears finished the game with over 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns
- David Afari led the Bears with 74 rushing yards, while Caden Meis recorded 60 rushing yards and one touchdown
- Quarterback Kai’I Keone: 14-of-28, 118 passing yards
- Keone led a 17-play, 98-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter, winning the game for the Bears
- Northern Colorado’s defense forced four turnovers, including a game-sealing interception from Cam Chapa
- Flag: Weber State
- No. 20 Weber State collapsed against Northern Colorado in a shocking upset loss
- The Wildcats fall to 3-4 (2-1 Big Sky) and may need to win all their remaining games to make the FCS Playoffs
- It was a disappointing performance following last weekend’s upset victory over Montana
- The Wildcats generated over 400 yards of total offense, but four turnovers were the difference in this game
- Weber State fumbled twice inside the 2-yard line in the first quarter, allowing Northern Colorado to avoid a 21-0 deficit early in this game
- Damon Bankston: 108 rushing yards (6.8 YPC)
- Weber State faces a must-win game against Sacramento State next weekend before traveling to Northern Arizona in another potential elimination game for the FCS Playoffs
Sam’s 3 Game Balls And A Flag
- Game Ball: Montana State
- No. 3 Montana State beats No. 7 Idaho 38-7
- MSU rushed for 360 yards while Tommy Mellott has put himself in the conversation for the Walter Payton Award.
- Idaho is battling another QB injury when Saturday’s starter Nick Josifek went down with a broken collarbone, the same injury to Week 1 starter Jack Layne
- MSU is now 7-0 with an FBS win and a ranked win
- Idaho is 4-3 overall with 2 FCS losses, 3 ranked wins, and an FBS win
- Game Ball: SFA
- SFA beats No. 22 Lamar 27-20
- SFA has won three straight, improving to 4-2 overall
- Sam Vidlak throws for 329 yards in the win. This fall, he is completing 66.47% of his passes for 1,565 yards, 17 touchdowns, and two interceptions
- SFA could be that No. 2 team in the Southland in the hunt for a playoff bid
- Other teams, besides SFA, to watch behind UIW are McNeese, Lamar, and Southeastern
- Game Ball: New Hampshire DE Josiah Silver
- The three-time All-CAA selection and multi-time All-American is at it again
- He had 5 TFLs and 4 sacks in a win at Elon.
- This fall, he has 33 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, and 7.5 sacks
- In 2021, Silver recorded 80 tackles, 20.5 TFLs, and 12.5 sacks. In 2022, he had 55 tackles, 17.5 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks. Last year, he totaled 45 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and 5 sacks.
- Flag: Sac State
- After being preseason ranked No. 8, Sac State is now 2-4 overall and 2-2 vs. the FCS, dropping back-to-back games to unranked FCS teams
- On Saturday, No. 18 Sac State lost 35-28 at home to Eastern Washington, who was 1-4 entering the game
- EWU rushed for 289 yards and four touchdowns
- Sac State likely has to win out to make the playoffs at 8-4
- It hosts Weber State this weekend, who is in the same position with four losses. The Hornets still need to travel to Montana State and host UC Davis
