Which FCS teams saw their stock rise and fall after Week 8 of action?
We break down three teams for each and where they go from here.
Stock Up
Richmond
Richmond dipped out of Top 25 ballots after being preseason ranked when the Spiders began the year 0-2, losing to Wofford and FBS Virginia. They have won five straight since, including a quality win Saturday by beating Delaware 28-9.
Richmond was ranked No. 18 at the time of the game. Delaware would have been ranked at 6-0, but the Blue Hens are not eligible for the polls due to their FBS transition. In the matchup, Delaware totaled just 36 rushing yards on 22 attempts as Richmond racked up four sacks.
Rhode Island
No. 16 Rhode Island visited No. 24 New Hampshire last weekend in a big CAA game. Rhody entered the game undefeated vs. FCS teams, but the strength of opponents and margin of victory made voters hesitant about how good the team was. On Saturday, the Rams made a statement for their first ranked win, beating UNH 26-9.
They are now 6-1 overall and 6-0 vs. the FCS.
New Hampshire finished the game with 20 rushing yards and averaged less than one yard per carry while Rhody racked up 12 tackles for loss and four sacks.
North Dakota State
NDSU and SDSU remain in the same tier with Montana State regarding the FCS title race, but the Bison put themselves on a better path to reach Frisco after they beat the Jackrabbits 13-9 on Saturday in a Top 2 matchup.
NDSU moves to No. 1 in the polls while SDSU drops to No. 3.
The Bison have a stacked resume at 7-1 overall and 7-0 vs. the FCS with five wins against currently-ranked teams. NDSU plays unranked Murray State and Northern Iowa in the next two games before facing off against two more ranked opponents to end the regular season — vs. Missouri State and at South Dakota. The regular-season finale could be a dandy, and if NDSU wins out, the Bison will secure coveted home-field playoff advantage.
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Stock Down
Villanova
One of the more eye-opening results on Saturday was No. 5 Villanova losing to Maine 35-7. Maine, who was 3-3 entering the game, jumped out to a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter and didn’t look back. Nova rushed for just 35 yards on 28 attempts while Connor Watkins went 14/31 for 117 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 INT.
The Wildcats fall to No. 13 in this week’s media poll. Nova is now 5-2 overall and 5-1 vs. the FCS with no wins over currently-ranked teams. Youngstown State was ranked when Villanova beat the Penguins. With no upcoming games vs. ranked teams, Villanova’s playoff resume may be lacking any marquee wins, although Delaware would be considered a quality victory if Nova gets a W over its rival in November.
Mercer
Another jarring result was No. 7 Mercer losing at Samford 55-35. Mercer came into the game 6-0 and owned a top defense in the FCS. Diving more into the 55 points, though, five Mercer turnovers led to 28 points for the Bulldogs, and Samford scored two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Mercer fell back to No. 14 in the media poll. Samford improves to 3-3.
Mercer’s overall body of work still stacks up decently compared to many FCS teams. The Bears are 6-1 vs. the FCS with two then-ranked wins, including a win over now-No. 19 Chattanooga, whose only FCS loss is to Mercer. They have opportunities for two more ranked wins as they host Western Carolina and ETSU in the next two weeks. We’ll see if the Samford loss was an outlier or a sign of things to come.
Stephen F. Austin
Just as SFA was getting onto the Top 25 radar, the Lumberjacks lost 24-23 at Southeastern Louisiana. SFA’s three-game winning streak, which included beating No. 22 Lamar, was snapped. It now sits at 4-3 overall and 3-2 vs. the FCS.
On the flip side, SLU has gotten things rolling. The Lions have won three straight, are 4-4 overall, 4-2 vs. the FCS, and are 3-0 in the Southland standings. In the non-conference, they beat an Eastern Washington team that is now giving top Big Sky squads trouble. And SLU only lost to Tarleton State 36-33, a team that is now ranked in the Top 10.
