FCS Football Recap: Week 8 Takeaways

Below are the biggest takeaways from all the Week 8 FCS football action.

North Dakota Rolls To 38-19 Win Over Southern Illinois

No. 9 North Dakota picked up its second Top 25 win of the season, dismantling No. 12 Southern Illinois in dominant fashion. The Hawks built a 28-0 halftime lead, which the Salukis were never able to overcome despite scoring 19 points in the second half.

Running back Sawyer Seidl had a career game, rushing for 108 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. He also had an 11-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter. The Hawks finished with 311 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and averaged over six yards per carry as a team.

The defensive stats aren't gaudy, but the Hawks completely neutralized quarterback DJ Williams. He only had seven carries for three yards and one rushing touchdown. Williams completed 29-of-46 passes for 258 yards, one touchdown, and a costly interception. The Hawks made Southern Illinois pay for every mistake, scoring 14 points off of turnovers, and another 10 points off of two failed fourth-down attempts.

It was another impressive performance for North Dakota, which may be a dark-horse title contender. The Hawks are now 5-2 (5-1 vs FCS), hold two ranked wins, and their only loss is a one-point loss to Montana on the road. Can the Hawks pull off an upset against NDSU or SDSU? Both programs will have to come to the Alerus Center later this year, which has been known for being a tough place to win.

Youngstown State Stuns No. 10 Illinois State

After back-to-back losses, this was a must-win for Youngstown State to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Penguins delivered in a comeback win, scoring 21 fourth-quarter points to stun No. 10 Illinois State in a 40-35 upset win.

It was the Beau Brungard show on Saturday afternoon. He completed 23-of-34 passes for 328 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also led the team with 200 rushing yards and three scores on 30 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Brungard was absolutely spectacular and may have inserted himself into the Walter Payton race with this performance.

Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard (12) | Youngstown State Athletics

Turnovers changed the game for the Redbirds, most notably, two costly interceptions by quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse. The Penguins scored 10 points off turnovers, including a touchdown drive in the 4th quarter to take the lead. Youngstown State delivered when it mattered, scoring on four of its five second-half drives, excluding the final possession, to secure the win.

Illinois State made too many mistakes in the second half, including two drives into Youngstown State territory that ended with no points. Rittenhouse passed for 206 yards and five touchdowns, but the Redbirds still could not seal this game despite holding a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Southern Utah Upsets No. 13 Abilene Christian In UAC Battle

Despite a 1-5 start, Southern Utah finally found a way to win, pulling off a 31-24 upset over No. 13 Abilene Christian. The Wildcats have three Top 25 wins this season, but now have suffered bad losses to Incarnate Word and Southern Utah. At 4-4, the Wildcats have to go 3-1 over the final four games to have a chance at the FCS Playoffs.

Stone Earle struggled with turnovers, throwing three costly interceptions, including a 32-yard pick-six to Mikey Allen in the second quarter. The Thunderbirds sacked Earle five times, while also recording six tackles for loss. Lando Brown was excellent, leading the team with two tackles for loss and two sacks. Mason Stromstad had a team-high 11 tackles, one for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception.

The Thunderbirds only finished with 289 yards of total offense, but were able to capitalize off of Abilene Christian's mistakes. They scored 21 points off of turnovers, including the pick-six, which was the difference in the game. Joshua Dye was the bright spot, leading the team with 179 rushing yards and two touchdowns, on 6.9 yards per carry.

No. 17 Lamar Survives Upset Bid Against UTRGV

No. 17 Lamar continues to find ways to win, surviving a late comeback against UTRGV, improving to 6-1 overall and 6-0 against the FCS. The Cardinals built an early 17-0 lead, but needed a 57-yard field goal with 1:03 remaining from Ben Woodard to escape with the 23-21 win.

Lamar's defense was elite, holding UTRGV to only 189 total yards and 3.4 yards per play. Kei'trone Simpson led the team with eight tackles, one for loss, and one sack. The defense made key plays when they were needed, none bigger than Mar Mar Evans' game-sealing interception with less than 20 seconds remaining.

The Cardinals sacked Eddie Lee Marburger four times, making him uncomfortable all game. He only completed 9-of-21 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns. They also only allowed 83 rushing yards, holding the Vaqueros to 2.5 yards per carry. Kicker Ben Woodard still deserves MVP honors, going 3-for-3 on field goals, including two kicks over 50 yards.

Quarterback Aiden McCown had his best game as the starter, completing 17-of-23 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Cardinals with 88 rushing yards on 5.9 yards per carry. Blake Davis and tight end Devyn Gibbs combined for eight receptions for 132 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Other Key Storylines Around The FCS:

No. 2 South Dakota State improved to 7-0 with a win over Murray State, but the much bigger storyline is the health of quarterback Chase Mason. He left the game with an injury after the opening drive, where he scored on a 6-yard touchdown run. Luke Marble played well, completing 13-of-21 passes for 189 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The biggest question after this game is Mason's availability for the Dakota Marker against NDSU next weekend.

No. 11 Monmouth remained undefeated in the CAA with a 49-21 win over Stony Brook. It was another game where a Top 15 team lost its starting quarterback, as Derek Robertson left the game in the 3rd quarter with a shoulder injury. Before his departure, Robertson passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Backup Frankie Weaver completed 4-of-6 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Rodney Nelson helped carry the offense with 141 yards and two touchdowns on 7.1 yards per carry.

After a 1-4 start, Eastern Washington has now won back-to-back games, including an upset win over No. 24 Idaho. The Vandals continue to struggle without starting quarterback Joshua Wood, falling to 2-5 overall. Idaho failed to capitalize in key moments, finishing 5-of-17 on third down and 1-of-5 on fourth down. Eastern Washington quarterback Nate Bell had an outstanding performance, passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team with 134 rushing yards on 5.8 yards per carry. Miles Williams led the Eagles with four receptions for 40 yards and two scores.

No. 3 Tarleton State battled injuries over the past few weeks, but the Texans are starting to get healthy and it's showing on the field. The Texans demolished West Georgia in a 45-10 blowout win, moving to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Victor Gabalis finished with 268 yards and three touchdowns in his return. The rushing attack continued to roll with over 250 yards, led by James Paige with 106 yards and one touchdown. The Texans recorded six sacks, including 2.5 from defensive end Angelo Anderson.

Southeastern Louisiana continued to roll, improving to 5-2 (3-0 SLC) with a 49-0 win over Northwestern State. The Lions have outscored their past two opponents 87-0 and remain undefeated against FCS competition. This weekend, the defense held the Demons to only 120 total yards, 2.4 yards per play, and six first downs. Kyle Lowe was spectacular, completing 9-of-10 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown. The Lions finished with over 400 yards of total offense, averaging nearly seven yards per play.

No. 4 Montana improved to 7-0 overall, defeating Sacred Heart 43-21, in a game where the final score may be misleading. The Grizzlies led 29-7 at halftime, but the Pioneers scored 14 unanswered before Montana responded with two scoring drives to end the game. Keali'i Ah Yat was elite, completing 27-of-33 passes for 349 yards and five passing touchdowns. He added another score on the ground. Michael Wortham continues to be an x-factor, leading the Grizzlies with seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

Prairie View A&M took full control of the SWAC West race with a 24-3 win over Southern. The Panthers dominated the game defensively, holding the Jaguars to 247 total yards on 3.9 yards per play. Quarterback Cameron Peters played one of his better games this season, completing 61.3% of his passes for 224 yards and one touchdown. The Panthers are now 4-0 in the SWAC under first-year head coach Tremaine Jackson.

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