FCS Football Recap: Week 6 Takeaways

Week 6 may have been less chaotic than a wild Week 5 full of upsets, but the weekend’s slate of games did not disappoint.

Below are some major takeaways from all the Week 6 FCS football action.

No. 11 Western Carolina Wins Thriller Against No. 24 Chattanooga

The Catamounts escaped with a 52-50 win over Chattanooga as Richard McCollum hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired. Chattanooga took a 50-49 lead on Chase Artopoeus’ fifth touchdown pass of the game with only 53 seconds remaining, but quarterback Cole Gonzales needed less than a minute to lead the Catamounts into field goal range.

Western Carolina had less than 19 minutes of possession time and only ran 48 total plays, but still finished the game with over 550 yards of total offense. Running back Desmond Reid only needed three quarters to rack up 211 rushing yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury. Branson Adams totaled 61 rushing yards and one touchdown after Reid’s injury. Quarterback Cole Gonzales showed his maturity in clutch moments as the sophomore completed 4-of-5 passes for 60 yards on the game-winning drive.

Chattanooga wide receiver Javin Whatley had a career game with 11 receptions for 231 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Western Carolina’s defense forced two turnovers, including a crucial pick-six late in the fourth quarter to give the Catamounts the 49-42 lead. Cornerback CJ Williams led the Catamounts with nine total tackles and defensive back Andreas Keaton contributed eight total tackles and two pass breakups.

No. 17 Montana Finds Rhythm In Win Over No. 20 UC Davis

Montana has been one of the most criticized teams throughout the 2023 season, but the Grizzlies picked up a huge ranked win over No. 20 UC Davis this weekend. This win gives Montana much-needed momentum as the Grizzlies travel to Moscow to face No. 3 Idaho.

Quarterback Clifton McDowell sparked the offense with 243 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and 49 rushing yards. Running back Eli Gillman finished the game with 86 rushing yards, one touchdown, and averaged 10.8 yards per carry. Aaron Fontes and Keelan White combined for 10 receptions for 192 receiving yards and three touchdowns. If the offense continues to improve, the Grizzlies could be gearing up for another FCS playoff run.

The Grizzlies defense held UC Davis to only 76 rushing yards and 3.0 yards per carry. The Aggies have struggled without running back Lan Larison and Montana was able to take advantage of his absence. Linebacker Braxton Hill continues to shine for Montana, finishing with 10 total tackles and one pass breakup.

No. 14 North Carolina Central Makes Statement In Road Win Over No. 25 Elon

North Carolina Central made one of the biggest statements of the weekend in a road win over No. 25 Elon. The Eagles scored 28 unanswered points after trailing 10-0 after the first quarter and left Rhodes Stadium with a 34-23 win. The win this weekend was the 500th all-time win in school history.

Quarterback Davius Richard continued his stellar season with 171 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 114 rushing yards, 10.4 yards per carry, and three rushing touchdowns. Running back Latrell Collier contributed 95 rushing yards and one touchdown as the Eagles rolled up over 200 rushing yards against the Eagles.

The defense was able to shut down a talented Elon rushing attack as Elon only totaled 82 rushing yards and averaged less than 2.0 yards per carry. Linebacker Jayden Flaker led the Eagles with 7 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. Defensive lineman Quantez Mansfield had a big day with four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Youngstown State Dominates No. 6 Southern Illinois

Youngstown State put together the most dominant performance of the weekend as the Penguins defeated No. 6 Southern Illinois 31-3. It was an important bounce-back win for Youngstown State after a disappointing loss to Northern Iowa in the conference opener.

This game was all about the suffocating defensive performance from Youngstown State. The Penguins held Southern Illinois to 100 total yards, including six rushing yards on 23 attempts (0.3 YPC). Seven different players finished the game with at least 0.5 sacks, including Dylan Wudke with two sacks and Anthony Johnson with 1.5 sacks.

Running back Tyshon King led the Penguins with 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Dra Rushton also finished the game with two rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Bryce Oliver had a solid day with five receptions for 76 receiving yards as quarterback Mitch Davidson completed 14-of-18 attempts for 156 passing yards.

No. 23 Central Arkansas Escapes With Historic Comeback Win vs. SEMO

Central Arkansas led for only 19 seconds of the game as the Bears shocked Southeast Missouri State in a comeback win on Saturday night. The Bears trailed 30-6 entering the fourth quarter, but scored 32 points in the final 15 minutes as running back Kylin James scored the game-winning touchdown with 19 seconds remaining.

Quarterback Will McElvain finished with a career-high 397 passing yards and four touchdowns. The vaunted Central Arkansas rushing attack was held in check, only totaling 100 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Myles Butler had a breakout performance with seven receptions for 117 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Despite the offensive explosion, Central Arkansas’ defense played excellent down the stretch to spark the comeback win. The Bears held the Redhawks to 71 total yards on five drives in the fourth quarter, allowing only one drive over 10 yards. Defensive back Tamaurian Wilson led the Bears with 9 total tackles, one interception, and two pass breakups. Defensive lineman David Walker had another big performance with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Other Notable Scores:

No. 1 South Dakota State 40, Illinois State 21 
No. 3 Idaho 42, Cal Poly 14 
No. 5 Furman 28, The Citadel 14
No. 7 North Dakota State 38, Missouri State 10
No. 8 Incarnate Word 33, Southeastern Louisiana 26
No. 9 Delaware 43, Duquesne 17
No. 12 Holy Cross 55, Bucknell 27
Northern Arizona 27, No. 13 Weber State 10
No. 15 South Dakota 38, Murray State 7
No. 16 North Dakota 49, Western Illinois 10
No. 18 UT Martin 28, Eastern Illinois 27
No. 19 Florida A&M 26, Southern 19
No. 21 Harvard 43, Cornell 21
Villanova 37, North Carolina A&T 14
Southern Utah 27, Tarleton State 26
Mercer 24, ETSU 6
Northern Iowa 27, Indiana State 20