Week 3 FCS Football Preview & Predictions

As we do every week, we will preview the biggest games of the weekend and give our official predictions.

No. 16 North Dakota traveling to face No. 5 Montana is the FCS Game of the Week. Despite only one ranked matchup, the Week 3 schedule is loaded with games that could impact the FCS Playoff race and conference title races across the subdivision.

Let's take a look at the biggest games of the Week 3 slate.

2025 Prediction Record: 23-9
2022-24 Record: 382-122

ETSU at No. 25 West Georgia

Kickoff: 5 pm CT (ESPN+)

There may not be a hotter team in the FCS than West Georgia right now. The Wolves have two impressive wins over Samford and Nicholls, which moved them into the FCS Top 25 for the first time in program history. ETSU looked dominant against an overmatched Murray State team in Week 1 before falling to Tennessee in Week 2. This is an important non-conference for the SoCon, which has struggled in out-of-conference play over the first two weeks.

It's been all about the run for West Georgia, which has averaged 261 yards and 5.4 yards per carry this season. Latrelle Murrell leads the attack with 299 yards, while true freshman TJ Lester leads the team with three scores. In their lone FCS game, ETSU held Murray State to 34 yards on the ground, making this an extremely interesting matchup to watch.

There's also the question of the quarterback battle. West Georgia's Davin Wydner has been a threat with his legs, but has struggled with turnovers through the air. He's only completed 45.4% of his passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. On the other side, ETSU has continued to rotate between Cade McNamara and Jacolby Criswell. McNamara has looked like the more consistent option, while Criswell gives ETSU a dynamic option in certain offensive packages.

I've been extremely impressed with West Georgia, and I still think this team will make a push in the UAC race, but ETSU is going to be a different type of test for the Wolves. McNamara's experience and a dynamic rushing attack will be the key for the Bucs, while the defense makes a handful of key plays to escape Carrollton with a win.

Prediction: ETSU (34-24)

No. 17 Southern Illinois at UT Martin

Kickoff: 6 pm CT (ESPN+)

We still have a ton of unanswered questions about UT Martin after back-to-back FBS games to start the year. The same could be said for Southern Illinois, which dominated a non-Division I opponent and lost an FBS matchup against Purdue. This will be the first FCS test for both of these programs.

As with every Southern Illinois game, this team will go as far as quarterback DJ Williams can take them. He's played well over the first two weeks, throwing for 429 yards and four touchdowns. He also added two scores with his legs, highlighting his dual-threat ability, which we've seen throughout his career. It'll be important for the Skyhawks to collapse the pocket and make Williams uncomfortable. Keyshawn Johnson and Shamari Weir have combined for 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks this year.

Due to the schedule, I still have some questions about UT Martin's offense, which had to replace a ton of starters this offseason. Jase Bauer has played well, but this will be his chance to solidify himself as a top quarterback in the OVC-Big South. Wide receivers Phaizon Wilson and Bryce Bailey are dangerous weapons on the outside. Bailey has averaged 18.2 yards per reception, leading the team with 109 receiving yards.

I'm never going to overlook head coach Jason Simpson, who has won four consecutive conference titles, but I lean towards the Salukis on the road. There are too many questions for UT Martin's offense, while DJ Williams is going to be the x-factor on Saturday night.

Prediction: Southern Illinois (27-20)

No. 6 Rhode Island at Holy Cross

Kickoff: 1 pm CT (ESPN+)

It's only Week 3, but Rhode Island already has a strong lead on the CAA race after winning two key conference games. Holy Cross has come just short in its first two games, losing by a combined five points, including a three-point loss to New Hampshire last weekend.

It's going to be an interesting battle between Rhode Island's explosive offense and the Holy Cross defense. The Crusaders have held their first two opponents to less than 20 points, led by a stingy pass defense. The defense has forced three interceptions, while holding opposing teams to only 145 passing yards per game. If the Crusaders are going to pull off the upset, forcing Devin Farrell into mistakes and making the Rams one-dimensional will be the key.

The issue for Holy Cross may be Farrell's development since last year. He's looked like a different quarterback this season, throwing for 591 yards, four touchdowns, and zero turnovers. His connection with wide receiver Marquis Buchanan may be a problem for Holy Cross. Buchanan leads the team with 238 yards and two touchdowns, averaging over 21 yards per catch. There's also Greg Gaines, who has thrived as the No. 2 option in the passing game with 11 catches for 140 yards.

My biggest question is whether the Holy Cross offense can score enough to keep up with Rhode Island. The Crusaders have only averaged 234 total yards over their first two games, which concerns me against a solid Rhode Island defense. They will have to limit A.J. Pena's impact off the edge after giving up 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks the past two games.

I picked Holy Cross to upset New Hampshire last week, but I don't see the Crusaders having enough offense to pull this one off. It won't be a blowout, but the Rams are going to find a way to score, while the defense makes it hard for Holy Cross quarterback Cal Swanson to find his rhythm.

Prediction: Rhode Island (31-21)

No. 3 Tarleton State at Central Arkansas

Kickoff: 6 pm CT (ESPN+)

It's hard to find a more impressive team in the FCS than Tarleton State. The Texans have notched two blowout wins over FCS teams, along with an FBS upset over Army. Despite this, Central Arkansas is a dangerous opponent in the UAC opener after they bounced back from a Week 1 loss with a dominant victory over UAPB. The UAC has looked amazing in non-conference play. Does that lead to fireworks in this conference race? We'll find out on Saturday night as the Texans travel to Conway, Arkansas.

Tarleton State's defense has been the story of the season. The Texans enter this game with 24 tackles for loss and four sacks. They've been excellent at generating negative plays and putting their opponents in uncomfortable situations. The secondary has also been suffocating, holding opponents to 164.7 yards passing, zero passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Kasyus Kurns leads the defense with three interceptions, while defensive tackle Brandon Tolvert is a name to watch along the defensive line.

Luther Richesson has stepped into the starting quarterback role for Central Arkansas. He's played well, throwing for 356 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions, while adding another 114 yards and one score on the ground. This offense still leans on the rushing game, but Richesson is going to have to make a few key plays for the Bears to pull off the upset. Is he ready for the moment? That could determine if the Texans are on upset alert.

This game could be determined by which team is able to establish the run. Both teams are averaging over 215 rushing yards per game this season. Tre Page III (283 yards) and Caleb Lewis (165) lead the Texans' attack, while Landen Chambers has thrived for the Bears with 169 yards and one score. Tarleton State has been very good against the run, holding opponents to only 3.4 yards per carry.

I'm going to stick with Tarleton State, which has looked like a Top 3 team all season, but I wouldn't be surprised if this game is closer than some people expect. It's tough to win on the road in conference play, and Central Arkansas has the talent to push the Texans this weekend. Still, I think Tarleton State finds a way to escape with a close win on the road.

Prediction: Tarleton State (31-27)

No. 16 North Dakota at No. 5 Montana

Kickoff: 2 pm CT (ESPN+)

North Dakota has started to build some hype with a competitive game against Kansas State and a blowout win over Portland State. This will be the Hawks' first true FCS test, and it comes in one of the most hostile environments in college football. There's no shortage of questions for Montana, which has only played one game against a non-Division I opponent. The Grizzlies have won over 86% of their games inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium, a troubling statistic for North Dakota, which has had some struggles away from home.

Despite playing an overmatched team, the Grizzlies were impressive on the ground, rolling up over 300 yards and four touchdowns. Eli Gillman continues to be one of the best running backs in the subdivision, averaging over 13 yards per carry. I also liked what I saw from Stevie Rocker Jr. in limited action. They also have an extremely dangerous weapon in Michael Wortham, who led the team with six catches for 120 yards and one touchdown. He's going to be used all over the field and can flip the game's momentum with one explosive play.

The Hawks have been good against the run, limiting their first two opponents to only 3.8 yards per carry. The key for the Hawks will be open-field tackling, because Gillman and Wortham can turn one missed tackle into six points. It's a big game for linebacker Malachi McNeal, who anchors the middle of the Hawks' defense. Along with McNeal, it's going to be important for Lance Rucker and Kyjuan Vengrowsky to create pressure and make quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat uncomfortable in the pocket.

My biggest concern was Montana's rushing defense, which allowed 221 yards on 5.0 yards per carry against Central Washington. The Grizzlies missed 10 tackles last week, causing some concern against a North Dakota offense that has three proven options at running back. Sawyer Seidl leads the running back room with 69 yards and two touchdowns, but don't forget about Sacred Heart transfer Xavier Leigh or Gaven Ziebarth. North Dakota's rushing attack was the difference last year, and if the Grizzlies don't improve from last week, it could be the difference once again.

I'll be watching the quarterback battle closely as each team still has some unanswered questions at the position. Jerry Kaminski appears to be an upgrade for the Hawks, throwing for 395 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. He also brings a dual-threat ability that the Hawks did not have last year. Ah Yat showed some flashes last week, but still lacked consistency with some missed throws and two turnovers. This will be a huge test for Kaminski, but he's delivered all season for the Hawks.

This game could go in many different directions, which has led me to go back and forth on which team I want to pick. I'm going to stick with North Dakota on the road, despite some concerns about how hard it is to win in Missoula. I trust Kaminski a bit more than Ah Yat right now, and I think the Hawks find enough success on the ground to escape with the upset win this weekend.

Prediction: North Dakota (24-21)

Other Week 3 Predictions:

No. 1 North Dakota State 42, SEMO 7

No. 7 Illinois State 35, Eastern Illinois 17

No. 8 Idaho 38, Utah Tech 21

No. 10 Lehigh 28, Duquesne 14

No. 12 South Dakota 35, Northern Colorado 10

No. 18 Northern Arizona 24, Southern Utah 21

South Carolina State 23, Bethune-Cookman 10

Northern Iowa 34, Eastern Washington 23

Alabama A&M 31, Tennessee State 17

More FCS Football News

Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.