FCS Football Recap: Week 5 Takeaways

It was another chaotic weekend across FCS football, but nothing was bigger than Idaho's last-second comeback win over No. 1 Montana State on Friday night. The Vandals were one of four unranked teams to pull off the upset over a Top 25 opponent in Week 5, which included Western Carolina knocking off Tennessee Tech in another Top 10 upset.

Below are the biggest takeaways from all the Week 5 FCS football action.

Idaho, Joshua Wood Stun Montana State In A Thriller

In one of the most exciting games of the weekend, Idaho stunned No. 1 Montana State in a 35-34 thriller, which ended with Joshua Wood's game-winning two-point conversion. Wood was absolutely spectacular in this game, finishing with 315 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, and 1 rushing TD. He made key plays in crucial moments throughout the game, extending multiple Idaho drives down the stretch to keep them alive when it looked like Montana State was going to pull away in the second half.

I can't say enough about head coach Thomas Ford Jr. after this game. He found a way to keep this team locked in despite a tough 0-4 start to the season. The Vandals easily could have checked out going into this game, or even after the Bobcats took a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter, but they continued to fight. That says a lot about the culture that Ford has built in Moscow.

On the other hand, we do have to acknowledge the injuries that Montana State has had to deal with this season. The one thing I don't want to do is blame those injuries for the loss. I actually thought the offense played an outstanding game, especially Patrick Duchien and Carter Dahlke. Like I said last week, Dahlke is an absolute star, and even when Taco Dowler returns, he needs to have a big role in this offense.

There were some notable injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but that doesn't excuse this performance from the Bobcats. We can acknowledge the injuries, while also pointing out that the Bobcats didn't play good football on Friday night. It's been shaky in two of the past three games, which is something that I think should be monitored moving forward.

I had a chance to go back and watch the film, and I do think some of the youth in the secondary really struggled against this Idaho passing attack. It's one thing to lean on youth in key spots when you have a veteran presence like Caden Dowler to lean on in the middle of this defense, but when he's not there, who is the leader of the back end that these young players can rely on? I also don't think the second level of this defense played well, especially in terms of containing Wood outside the pocket.

There have been a ton of conversations about what the long-term projection should be for the Bobcats. I don't think that really changes, but this should be a wake-up call for the Bobcats that if they don't play up to their potential that they can be beaten. I still expect Montana State to be firmly in the race for a national championship, especially once some of these key players return from injury. Luckily, the Bobcats have one of the most timely bye weeks in the country. We'll see how this team responds in two weeks against Eastern Washington.

Another Statement From South Dakota State

Even if Montana State would have escaped the Kibbie Dome, I'm not sure there is a debate about who is the best team in FCS football right now. The Jackrabbits made another major statement with a 31-14 win over No. 10 Illinois State on the road. It's their 2nd win over a Top 10 opponent and they continue to do this without starting quarterback Chase Mason.

We could spend all day talking about this rushing attack, which has been dominant this season. The Jacks rolled up another 239 yards on the ground, averaging 8.0 yards per carry. Josiah Johnson led the team with 131 yards, but James Basinger put together an outstanding performance, averaging an insane 12.9 yards per carry. The Redbirds tried their best to limit this attack, but the Jacks just wore down this defense in the second half, which is a recipe they are going to lean on every week.

Everybody loves the rushing attack, but what separates this team from most of the other contenders is the defense. The Jackrabbits have the best defense in FCS football, and I'm not sure there's another team on the same tier as this unit right now. They suffocated the Redbirds, holding them to 3.7 yards per play, plus forced three turnovers, including a 31-yard pick-six from Myles Green.

No other team in the FCS has shown that they have the combination of depth, talent, and physicality that the Jackrabbits have in the front seven. I was extremely impressed with what I saw on film from the Jackrabbits, and we are starting to see why this team entered the season as one of the favorites to make a run to Nashville.

Has Youngstown State Emerged As A Top 5 Team In The FCS?

I thought Youngstown State had one of the most impressive wins of the weekend, defeating Southern Illinois 28-16 on the road. It's the second consecutive Top 25 win for the Penguins, but this one felt different for a few reasons, and I think it changes my perspective on what the ceiling might be for this team.

The offense was fine for the Penguins, but this was one of the few games that Beau Brungard wasn't at his best. Historically, that would lead to disappointment for Youngstown State because the Penguins couldn't lean on their defense to win a key game like this, especially on the road. That wasn't the case this weekend.

After Brungard threw an INT on the first drive of the second half, the Penguins scored on three consecutive possessions, but it was the defense that sparked this change in momentum. The defense forced a turnover on downs after Brungard's INT, then forced back-to-back turnovers, giving the offense a chance to find its rhythm in a crucial moment. Jordan Pritchard-Sewell and Ebony Curry were spectacular on the defensive line, combining for 14 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 3 sacks.

If the Penguins can continue this defensive momentum throughout the season, this could be a very dangerous team in the postseason. I think wins over South Dakota and Southern Illinois, plus a competitive loss on the road against South Dakota State, have put Youngstown State's resume into the Top 5 conversation. We talked all preseason about how this defense is going to be the key if Youngstown State wants to make a postseason run. They took the first step this weekend, but I'm interested to see if we can get that same consistency every week throughout MVFC play.

Quick Hits From Across The FCS:

- This was the Northern Arizona team I expected to see in the preseason. The Lumberjacks have finally figured out their passing attack, which led to 252 passing yards and 2 TDs from Ty Pennington. Tight end Jeter Purdy had an amazing game, putting up 6 catches for 146 yards, but I'm still waiting on this receiving corps to finally step up and give Pennington some real production.

- As for Idaho State, this was one of the first games I've felt like they really missed Dason Brooks at running back. The Bengals were only able to roll up 95 rushing yards on 3.5 yards per carry. It was also the first game we've seen Jordan Cooke put the ball in danger, throwing two costly INTs, including one in NAU territory right before halftime. I expect Idaho State to be fine, but it was an example of how important it is for Cooke to be efficient if this team is going to be a real contender in the Big Sky.

- In one of the most remarkable finishes in college football this season, Harvard escapes with a 20-17 win over Colgate on a last-second Hail Mary. I called out the passing attack before this game, and Charlie Smith showed that this offense does have some life. He finished with a season-high 375 yards and 3 TDs. I've been extremely impressed with freshman wide receiver Nathan Bailey, who had an insane performance with 16 catches for 187 yards and the game-winning TD. The Crimson have an outstanding defense, but if this offense continues to improve, they are going to have an excellent shot to win another Ivy League title this season.

- We've highlighted some of the issues with Tennessee Tech throughout its 4-0 start, but all those flaws were exposed in a loss to Western Carolina. The Golden Eagles are going to have to find a way to establish the run at some point. They only averaged 3.5 yards per carry this weekend, which led to a 19-minute T.O.P. advantage for the Catamounts.

- The lack of a rushing attack, paired with a very explosive passing game, is a recipe for disaster when opponents can just wear your defense down. It also doesn't help that Tennessee Tech turned the ball over five times, but this upcoming game against Furman is going to be a real gut check for this team, which has championship expectations. It's a must-win situation for the Golden Eagles, especially with how competitive the SoCon race is shaping up to be.

- I'm not sure why I ever doubted Keith Patterson and Abilene Christian, especially going into UAC play. They navigated a brutal non-conference schedule, but they looked outstanding in a dominant 35-7 win over West Florida. Tucker Parks completed 16-of-17 passes for 155 yards and 3 TDs, plus added 97 yards on the ground. The defense forced a turnover on downs four times inside ACU territory, showing the fight we've expected to see from Patterson's program. Keep an eye on ACU in this UAC race as they look to win their 3rd consecutive conference title.

- Going into this season, our outlet was extremely high on Montana wide receiver Brooks Davis. We were the only media publication to name him a Preseason All-American, which has been supported by his on-field performance through Week 5. He has topped the 100-yard mark in five consecutive games, including a season-high 205 receiving yards and 3 TDs on 9 receptions this weekend against Northern Colorado. He's been the best receiver in FCS football this season, and I'm not sure we've seen him reach his ceiling as an overall player yet.

- Morgan State has quietly emerged as one of the best teams in HBCU football. The Bears are now 4-1, 3-0 against the FCS, following an impressive win over Villanova. All three of their FCS wins have come on the road, and this offense looks elite, which is something that the Bears haven't been able to say in a long time. Cameron Edge torched the Wildcats, throwing for 444 yards, 3 passing TDs, and 2 rushing TDs. If the Bears continue to look this good offensively, I expect them to be in Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl.

- Following Tennessee Tech's loss, there is a new leader in the SoCon race. ETSU is the only remaining undefeated team in conference play, sitting at 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the SoCon. The Bucs picked up an impressive 14-3 win over Chattanooga and already have a win over Western Carolina. I'm curious to see how they can capitalize on this momentum, especially as redshirt freshman Mason Mims continues to grow into his role at quarterback.

- I've spoken about it on every show I've done this week, but I wanted to highlight Yale quarterback Dante Reno. Less than 24 hours after his father, Tony, passed away, Dante led the Bulldogs to a win over Merrimack, throwing for 298 yards and 4 TDs. I can't imagine the emotions for Dante and this Yale team on Saturday, but they battled and brought home the win in honor of former head coach Tony Reno. It was an inspiring performance this weekend, and my thoughts and prayers still go out to Dante and his family, along with the entire Yale community.

- Does anyone know what to do with The Citadel? The Bulldogs pull off an upset win over No. 15 South Carolina State behind an impressive performance from Gavin Garcia, who led the team with 160 rushing yards and 2 TDs. What got overlooked in this game is that this was technically the first FCS win for the Bulldogs. They entered 0-3 against the FCS, but they do have one of the six FBS upsets this year, beating Charlotte back in Week 1. If this team can find some consistency, they could play spoiler in the SoCon race with games against ETSU, Tennessee Tech, Mercer, and Western Carolina still on the schedule.

- This result got overlooked due to the chaos across the FCS, but Bryant scored 24 points in the 4th quarter to escape with a 31-30 win over North Carolina A&T. The Bulldogs went 75 yards in less than two minutes to cut the lead to 2, then recovered an onside kick and converted a 25-yard FG to complete the comeback win. The Bulldogs are now 4-1 (2-0 CAA) and have emerged as a sneaky dark horse in the CAA race, which remains wide open going into Week 6.

- Speaking of stunning upsets, I don't think anybody predicted Mississippi Valley State to pull off the upset over the defending SWAC champions, Prairie View A&M. The Delta Devils trailed 24-0 early in the second quarter, but outscored the Panthers 14-3 in the fourth quarter to get the massive win. Josh Brown was electric, totaling 144 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 101 rushing yards, and 3 rushing TDs.

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