It’s Friday, so that means FCS games are right around the corner.
As they’ll do every week, Brian McLaughlin and Sam Herder predict some scores. The two are turning this into a competition with the winner earning a to-be-determined prize in Frisco.
[divider]MORE FCS FOOTBALL:
[divider]
Overall W/L Records:
Brian: 39-17
Sam: 44-12
[divider]
San Diego @ Davidson
Brian: Davidson 27-21
Davidson loves to run the football (No. 3 in the nation) and the season-opening win over Georgetown looks better and better each week. It’s cool to see what the Wildcats are doing, and I think there may be some new blood emerging in the Pioneer League.
Sam: San Diego 42-38
Last year’s matchup between these two was absolutely wild. It’s a clash of two styles as Davidson’s offensive rushing attack has every touchdown returning off of last year’s squad. And USD’s explosiveness through the air hasn’t changed with first-year starting quarterback Reid Sinnett. The Toreros haven’t lost a conference game since Oct. 10, 2015. While USD’s defense needs to tighten up, I think this team is still the favorite in the Pioneer Football League.
[divider]
No. 5 Villanova @ No. 2 James Madison
Brian: JMU 21-14
The CAA Clash of the Titans … and I don’t think this one gets resolved until late in the game. Both teams play great defense, both teams run the ball well and both have been perfect against the FCS this year. This one won’t be an offensive explosion, it’ll be tight.
Sam: JMU 31-20
The status of Nova running back Justin Covington is up in the air and whether he plays or not is a big factor in this game. While JMU’s defense has bottled up the opposition’s rushing attack this season, Covington is one of the top backs in the country. Even if he is unable to go, QB Daniel Smith and his weapons are still throwing the ball for 207.2 yards per game, which isn’t a huge number, but a solid one for their balanced offense. And JMU showed some vulnerability in the secondary last week. Now, I expect the Dukes to come out sharp and a little ticked off after their performance against Stony Brook. The Wildcats aren’t coming off their strongest game either (35-28 W vs. W&M) and have their own struggles in the secondary, allowing 270.2 passing yards per game. I don’t see either team rushing for a ton of yards. The difference for me is I believe JMU has the stronger passing game with Ben DiNucci looking sharp this season along with his play-making targets on the outside.
RELATED: JMU’s Line Of Scrimmage Play Has Been Key
RELATED: Nova HC Mark Ferrante On The FCS Coaches Corner
[divider]
Yale @ Dartmouth
Brian: Dartmouth 17-14
Both are undefeated (3-0), both have Top 10 defenses statistically, both have been in Ivy League contention for years. This game is one of three monster matchups in the conference this year, and I just can’t help but think home-field advantage will be the key here.
Sam: Yale 20-17
Yale was my preseason pick to win the Ivy League and I’m going to stick with that. Although Dartmouth is stronger than I expected after having to replace half of its starting lineup this offseason. The Big Green haven’t lost a home game since Oct. 21, 2017. I like Yale’s experience, though, to be able to get a huge road win.
[divider]
No. 10 Northern Iowa @ No. 1 North Dakota State
Brian: NDSU 28-14
UNI proved it should be in serious discussion for a playoff spot with its impressive win this past weekend against Youngstown State. A few years ago, UNI gave NDSU consistent fits, but the past two years haven’t followed in that pattern (read, blowouts). I think this year’s game will be somewhere in the middle.
Sam: NDSU 31-14
I’m at the same spot this week with UNI as I was last week at this time with Illinois State. I don’t trust the offense to put up a ton of points, but I think the defense can hold its own. Well, the Bison scored 37 points on the road in Normal and are now back in the confines of the Fargodome to take on UNI. This NDSU offense is rolling right now and doesn’t get enough credit for how good it is. And the defense hasn’t missed a beat with several new starters. The Panthers don’t seem to have that juice on offense this year — some of it due to injuries — and have a redshirt freshman QB (Will McElvain) making his first start in the Fargodome. It’s lining up for another decisive NDSU win.
RELATED: NDSU Can Reach The FCS’ 2nd-Longest Winning Streak
[divider]
No. 20 Southeast Missouri State @ Austin Peay
Brian: Austin Peay 21-20
I think this one is set up perfectly for Austin Peay to take its “statement” season of 2017 up a notch and take control of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Govs already have a Jacksonville State blowout win to their credit, and this one at home takes it up another notch. Expect a barn-burner, and APSU will pinch SEMO’s strong run game and force the Redhawks to throw a lot.
Sam: Austin Peay 34-31
Austin Peay can take a firm hold on the OVC title race with two opening wins against teams that made the playoffs last year. The 52-33 win against JSU was a statement. And now the Govs control their own destiny. We saw SEMO, after the Redhawks beat up on JSU last year, drop a couple of conference games as the Gamecocks wound up with the auto-bid. We’ve been waiting for APSU to crack the playoffs for a couple of years now. 2019 could be the year.
[divider]
Sacramento State @ No. 6 Montana State
Brian: Montana State 24-21
This should be a fascinating game because Sacramento State is averaging 49 points a game against its FCS competition and is also shutting down the opponent’s run game (96.8 yards per game) — and that includes P5 and G5 opponents. On the flip side, Montana State has the No. 7 rushing attack in the country and gets it done when in the red zone. Which team will give? Once again, advantage to the home team — by a hair. And ultimately? Both of these teams make the playoffs this year.
Sam: Montana State 28-24
The Bobcats have had some close calls against inferior opponents. But I still believe the Bobcats are a strong team that has the potential to nab a playoff seed. Sacramento State has had two decisive wins against Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington, two struggling teams this year. I believe the Hornets can make the playoffs. This is a great opportunity to prove it, while MSU can shut up some doubters as well with a win. This is a huge game for both. One of the more surprising stats in this matchup is Sac State ranking 18th in the FCS with 96.8 rushing yards allowed per game. That number was 266.3 last year. Running the ball is what MSU is all about … again. The Bobcats have found a way to win close games. I think they’ll do it again with the home crowd and elements to their favor.
[divider]
McNeese @ No. 16 Central Arkansas
Brian: UCA 30-17
McNeese is coming off a nice win and continues to progress under first-year coach Sterlin Gilbert. Central Arkansas received really its first true FCS punch in the face this past weekend at Nicholls and seems primed for a bounceback at home.
Sam: UCA 21-14
This is just the second home game of the season for UCA. Couple that with a disappointing loss and I think the Bears will be sharp Saturday. McNeese won’t make it easy, though, coming off of a ranked win against Southeastern Louisiana. The Cowboys were 2-4 on the road last year and are 0-2 to start this season, although I think we can forgive the Oklahoma State loss. Give me UCA here in a key Southland game that could impact the playoff picture.
[divider]
No. 3 South Dakota State @ No. 19 Youngstown State
Brian: SDSU 21-17
Oh, these MVFC matchups … my goodness who knows what’s going to happen here? In the last three years, the home team has won this one. The clearest prediction to make here is this will be a slobber-knocker. To pick the winner is tougher.
Sam: SDSU 24, YSU 7
YSU QB Nathan Mays hurt his leg late in the game against UNI and his status is unknown for Saturday. He was on crutches after the game, so it’s questionable if he’ll suit up. That’s a big blow for the Penguins on offense against an already-solid SDSU defense. The Jacks are especially strong in the front seven, so I just don’t see YSU scoring a lot of points if it can’t pass the ball. Meanwhile, this is a great test for an up-and-down SDSU offensive line against an elite YSU front. It’ll also be a big test for redshirt freshman quarterback J’Bore Gibbs. This is by far the best FCS opponent the Jackrabbits have faced up until this point and also the first road trip since the Aug. 29 game at Minnesota. This will give us a better idea of how strong the 2019 Jacks are.
RELATED: SoCon Week 7 Picks
RELATED: HBCU Week 7 Picks
[divider]
NEXT: Top 15 Favorites To Win The National Title After Week 6
Listen to this week’s episode of B-Mac and Herd’s FCS Podcast, which is also available on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, Stitcher and Spreaker.
SUBSCRIBE: B-Mac and Herd’s FCS Podcast
