FCS Football Recap: Week 3 Takeaways

Below are the biggest takeaways from all the Week 3 FCS football action.

Montana's Comeback Win Over North Dakota

There's no question that this week's FCS game of the week delivered in a big way. No. 5 Montana scored 10 unanswered points over the final five minutes, escaping with a 24-23 win over No. 16 North Dakota.

We watched quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat grow up in front of our eyes as he hit wide receiver Brooks Davis for the 28-yard game-winning touchdown. Ah Yat finished with 300 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Yes, he didn't play the best game of his career, but showed his ability to deliver in the crucial moments down the stretch. This was a critical moment for his development as the full-time starter for the Grizzlies.

As for Brooks Davis, he had a breakout performance with five receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Eli Gillman was solid with 82 yards on 16 carries, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. The Montana rushing attack was largely neutralized, making Ah Yat's performance even more important on Saturday.

On the other side, North Dakota is going to look back on this game as one it should have won. The Hawks had almost 100 yards more of total offense (460-368), more first downs (19-18), dominated the rushing game, and won the line of scrimmage battle. North Dakota's decision to pass up a field goal late in the second quarter aged poorly, keeping the door open for a Montana comeback.

The Hawks gave Montana's offensive line fits all game, racking up six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Lance Rucker had an outstanding game with six tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks. Despite playing like the better team for nearly three quarters, the Hawks allowed 17 points on three of Montana's last four drives.

Montana may have struggled at times throughout this game, but when it mattered, the Griz found a way to deliver. That was the difference in this ranked matchup, giving the Big Sky a huge non-conference win over the MVFC.

Tarleton State Makes Another Statement

It was just another day at the office for No. 3 Tarleton State. The Texans absolutely dominated Central Arkansas on the road, winning 56-10 in their conference opener. This game was never even competitive as Tarleton State stormed out to a 28-0 lead, which ballooned into a 42-7 halftime deficit.

Everything starts with defensive dominance for Tarleton State. The Texans held Central Arkansas to 294 total yards, 4-of-13 on third downs, 0-of-4 on fourth down, and only allowed one drive to reach the red zone. The Texans also recorded six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, led by Yasir Holmes with three tackles for loss and one sack. Once again, Tarleton State had 31 defensive players record 10 or more snaps played, showing the depth that head coach Todd Whitten has built this season.

The rushing attack was potent, rolling up 241 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman sensation Tre Page III led the Texans with 81 yards, while Caleb Lewis had a team-high three rushing touchdowns. Victor Gabalis wasn't asked to do much, but still delivered 177 yards and three touchdowns on only 10 completions.

Is it time to finally consider Tarleton State a real national title contender? The Texans have checked all the boxes through four games this year. If the Texans can make a push for 12-0, this will be a team the committee will have to consider for a top two seed in the FCS playoffs.

Rhode Island Escapes In Battle With Holy Cross

If you enjoy offense, this was not the game for you. Despite not scoring a single touchdown, No. 6 Rhode Island defeated Holy Cross 9-7 in a crucial non-conference victory for the Rams. The only points in the second half came on Garth White's 41-yard game-winning field goal with 2:23 left in the game.

Rhode Island moved the ball consistently most of the game, finishing with over 400 yards of total offense and averaging 6.3 yards per play. The Rams had a turnover on downs inside the red zone, then threw an interception in Holy Cross territory on the next drive. The lack of execution in the red zone also led to multiple field goals, which kept the Crusaders in the game. Devin Farrell completed 22-of-37 passes for 271 yards and one interception.

The Rams dominated the line of scrimmage all game, racking up five sacks and holding Holy Cross to only 2.3 yards per carry. Rohan Davy and Moses Meus combined for 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks. A.J. Pena also added one sack, but led the Rams with three quarterback hurries. The win moves Rhode Island to 3-0, with all three wins coming over FCS opponents.

West Georgia Continues To Turn Heads With Comeback Win

In one of the best storylines of the season, No. 25 West Georgia defeated ETSU to move to 3-0 in only its second season at the FCS level. The Wolves scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, erasing a 31-20 deficit, capped by Devion Newson's game-winning touchdown catch.

West Georgia's defense was put into some uncomfortable positions due to turnovers, but dominated the line of scrimmage. The Wolves held ETSU to only 2.6 yards per carry and 289 total yards of offense. They finished with five sacks and forced two key interceptions, including one to seal the win in the fourth quarter. David Hoage has been a star and had another stellar performance with a team-high 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack.

The West Georgia rushing attack thrived once again, rolling up 194 yards and one touchdown. Latrelle Murrell led the Wolves with 116 yards on 20 carries, while also leading the team with 92 receiving yards and two scores. Davin Wydner had three interceptions, but still made a big impact with 263 passing yards and three touchdowns. He added another 54 on the ground, making some key runs to extend drives.

Despite not being eligible for the playoffs, West Georgia is now 3-0 with all three wins coming against notable FCS competition. Two road wins over Samford and Nicholls were just the start, and adding an ETSU win gives the Wolves a strong case to make a jump into the Top 20.

Other Key Storylines Around The FCS:

No. 18 Northern Arizona escaped with a 52-49 win over Southern Utah after a series of emotional swings. The Thunderbirds scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, but Seth Cromwell scored the game-winning touchdown with 29 seconds remaining. Ty Pennington was special, throwing for 366 yards and four total touchdowns.

No. 1 North Dakota State continued to roll with another blowout win, dispatching SEMO 41-14 in the Fargodome. We saw the true potential of Cole Payton, who set a new career high with 348 passing yards and four touchdowns. He also added 53 yards rushing and one touchdown with his legs. Bryce Lance showed why he's considered the best wide receiver in FCS football, leading the Bison with 159 yards and one touchdown. SEMO's offense was limited to 217 total yards and 3.8 yards per play, further highlighting NDSU's dominance on Saturday.

No. 12 South Dakota escaped an upset bid against Northern Colorado with a 24-17 win in overtime. Quarterback Aidan Bouman struggled again, completing only 7 of 19 attempts for 99 yards. Luckily, L.J. Phillips Jr. made the most of his opportunity with 301 rushing yards on 35 attempts with two touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime. It was the second-most rushing yards in a single game in program history. Despite the win, the concern continues to build for South Dakota, which has really struggled over the first three games this year.

No. 17 Southern Illinois put together a dominant offensive performance in a 37-10 win against UT Martin. The Salukis rolled up 490 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per play, led by quarterback DJ Williams. The senior had 217 passing yards, 128 yards rushing, and four total touchdowns. The Skyhawks failed to convert on two fourth down attempts in the first quarter, while the defense allowed too many explosive plays.

It was a historic night for New Haven, which earned its first win at the Division I level over UAlbany. The Chargers were able to capitalize on two UAlbany turnovers, along with two key fourth-down stops to secure the win. AJ Duffy led the Chargers with 180 passing yards and three touchdowns, while the defense finished with six sacks and held the Great Danes to only 1.6 yards per carry. The win was also the first under new head coach Mark Powell.

North Carolina A&T defeated Hampton in an overtime thriller, giving the Aggies their first win over a Division I opponent since 2023. The Aggies were down to their seventh-string quarterback, but scored 10 points in the final 57 seconds to send the game to overtime. Wesley Graves led the Aggies with 87 yards, scoring the game-winning touchdown in the second overtime period. It was the first CAA win for the Aggies, who were 0-16 over the past two seasons.

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