FCS Football Recap: Week 4 Takeaways

Below are the biggest takeaways from all the Week 4 FCS football action.

Monmouth Defeats Villanova In Top 25 CAA Clash

It only took Monmouth 46 seconds to take a 7-0 lead, and the Hawks never looked back. No. 21 Monmouth backed up all the preseason hype with a 51-33 win over No. 11 Villanova to open CAA play.

The Hawks rolled up over 630 yards of total offense, averaging 8.5 yards per play. It all started with quarterback Derek Robertson, who may have already closed the book on the Walter Payton Award race in only four games. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 397 yards and four touchdowns. Josh Derry was his No. 1 target, leading the team with eight catches for 177 yards and two scores.

Villanova's defense had no answers for Monmouth's offense, which also showed how balanced the offensive attack can be with 240 yards on the ground. Rodney Nelson led the way with 186 yards on 33 carries and two scores, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Robertson's ability to spread the ball around is what makes this offense so hard to stop. 10 different players recorded at least one catch, while three players scored a receiving touchdown.

The concerns about Monmouth's defense are valid, but the Hawks find ways to get stops in key moments. The Hawks forced a fumble in the red zone, while forcing a turnover on downs inside their own 25-yard line. Defensive end Josiah Graham continues to be a force as a pass rusher, leading the team with 1.5 sacks.

NAU Wins Key Non-Conference Game vs UIW

No. 17 Northern Arizona improved to 3-1 overall with a 31-23 win over No. 19 Incarnate Word. On the other hand, UIW falls to 1-3 overall and now faces back-to-back must-win situations against Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin. It's a disappointing start for a team that started the season with national championship expectations.

NAU quarterback Ty Pennington was spectacular once again, throwing for 286 yards and three touchdowns. It was the ninth consecutive win in the Walkup Skydome, setting a new program record. The game's momentum really swung after Pennington connected with Myseth Currie on a Hail Mary touchdown right before halftime. It gave the Lumberjacks an 11-point lead, which they never surrendered. Kolbe Katsis led the team with four receptions for 95 yards.

Incarnate Word looked much more efficient offensively with new starting quarterback EJ Colson. In his first start, he completed 28-of-36 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing with 59 yards on 13 rushes. The rushing attack is still an issue for the Cardinals. Despite averaging over 6.5 yards per carry, Harlan Dixon and Jaylon Spears only had 10 combined carries. Jameson Garcia was the star for UIW, leading the team with nine catches for 116 yards and two scores.

Abilene Christian Tops Austin Peay 45-31 In UAC Opener

No. 14 Abilene Christian started its UAC title defense with an impressive win over No. 18 Austin Peay. The Wildcats jumped out to a 31-3 lead and never looked back, earning their second Top 25 win of the season. Despite being 2-2 overall, the Wildcats are 2-0 against the FCS, both over ranked teams.

I know the offense is going to steal the headlines, but it was Abilene Christian's defense that set the stage for this blowout win. The Wildcats forced three first-half turnovers, leading to 14 points on the way to a 24-3 halftime lead. Linebacker Rashon Myles Jr. recovered all three fumbles. Defensive lineman Kaghen Roach led the team with two tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble.

Quarterback Stone Earle had his best game of the season, throwing for 339 yards and four touchdowns. He also led the team with 46 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Raydrian Baltrip had a team-high 112 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six receptions. Earle also connected with Dallas Dudley 12 times for 92 yards and another score.

Austin Peay failed to capitalize on some key opportunities early in this game, which, along with the turnovers, led to this game getting out of hand early. Chris Parson played well, completing 24-of-38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He was the entire offense through, which made this team very one-dimensional. Outside of his 38 yards and two rushing scores, Austin Peay only rushed for 66 yards. Abilene Christian's defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage all game, putting a ton of pressure on Parson and the offense.

The Ivy League Race Officially Begins

It's time to officially welcome the Ivy League to the 2025 season. This year will be one of the most highly anticipated seasons in conference history as the conference will participate in the FCS Playoffs for the first time. A few teams wasted no time turning heads, including a ranked win in non-conference play.

Dartmouth upset No. 25 New Hampshire with an impressive second-half performance, overcoming an early 10-0 deficit to win 27-20 against the Wildcats. Quarterback Grayson Saunier scored the game-winning touchdown with 2:53 remaining. DJ Crowther led the offense with 143 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The Dartmouth defense also forced two key interceptions, while also holding the Wildcats to only 3.0 yards per carry.

Yale opened the season with a 28-10 victory over Holy Cross, which has been a tough matchup for multiple teams to start the year. Dante Reno was excellent in his starting debut, throwing for 166 yards and one score, completing 72% of his passes. It was still Joshua Pitsenberger's time to shine, as the senior rushed for a game-high 127 yards and three scores. The Yale defense was dominant, recording seven tackles for loss and four sacks.

Harvard entered the year as one of the preseason favorites, but had the easiest matchup of the weekend against Stetson. The Crimson handled business with a 59-7 win, which featured a 45-0 halftime lead before the starters were benched. Jaden Craig was nearly perfect, completing 10-of-13 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. We'll learn more about this team in the coming weeks, including next week's conference opener against Brown.

Other Key Storylines Around The FCS:

There was a question about who would emerge as RB1 at UC Davis after Lan Larison's departure. The Aggies answered emphatically with 357 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 50-34 win over Southern Utah. Jordan Fisher led the Aggies with 170 yards on 12 carries, averaging 14.2 yards per touch. If that wasn't enough, Carter Vargas averaged 22.7 yards per carry, scoring two touchdowns on only six carries. It helped the Aggies notch a key non-conference win before Big Sky play.

Southern Illinois won the War for the Wheel in a 59-31 blowout over SEMO. It was the DJ Williams show for the Salukis. The senior completed 18-of-25 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns. He added another 151 yards and two scores on the ground. The Salukis rolled up over 600 yards of total offense, averaging over 10.5 yards per play.

Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens finally made his debut and didn't disappoint. He completed 35-of-46 passes for 582 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Catamounts to a 50-35 win over Samford. The Catamounts move to 1-3, but more importantly, start SoCon play 1-0, giving them a chance to make a run for the conference's auto bid.

The Aggie-Eagle Classic has not been competitive in recent years, but North Carolina Central took it to the next level with a 62-20 win over North Carolina A&T. The Eagles set a new single-game program record with 745 yards of total offense, averaging 10.1 yards per play. Chris Mosley led the team with 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also added four receptions for 90 yards and another two scores.

Sacramento State defeated Central Arkansas 45-16, marking the second straight game the Hornets have topped the 40-point mark. The Hornets are starting to find their rhythm offensively after Cardell Williams has taken over the QB1 spot. He completed 15-of-20 passes for 252 yards and three total touchdowns. It was also a huge day on the ground, rushing for 262 yards and four scores. The defensive line continues to be a problem, recording eight sacks against the Bears, moving its season total to 18 in just four games.

Youngstown State scored 14 unanswered points in the final 6:21 to secure the comeback win over Towson. Quarterback Beau Brungard had another excellent performance, throwing for 277 yards and leading the team with 100 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. The Penguins controlled the fourth quarter, dominating the time of possession, while also scoring on all five of their second-half drives.

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