Behind The Numbers: Week 10 FCS Football Review
The 2023 FCS football season has reached the height of conference play as Week 10 has come to a close. Each week we will go behind the numbers on some of the biggest games across the FCS landscape.
We take a look behind the numbers from this weekend’s biggest Week 10 FCS football action below.
No. 2 Furman 17, No. 14 Chattanooga 14
How Did Furman win?
Chattanooga needed to win Saturday’s game to secure a playoff bid, but the Paladins played like the more desperate team this weekend. Chattanooga averaged more yards per play (5.1-3.8), the Mocs had over 100 more yards of total offense, and the defense held Furman to 2.3 yards per carry. Furman's starting quarterback Tyler Huff left the game with an injury in the first half, while safety Hugh Ryan was ejected for targeting. Despite the adversity, the Paladins found a way to win the game. Furman scratched, clawed, and scraped their way to a share of the SoCon title. The Paladins showed their maturity and the guts it takes to overcome adversity and win big games. As the offense struggled with Carson Jones at quarterback, the Furman defensive line shined and allowed the Paladins to stay in the game. Chattanooga struggled to run the ball and Furman harassed Chase Artopoeus, finishing with five sacks. Artopoeus was inaccurate most of the day and the pressure from Furman’s front seven was the reason. Defensive end Jeremiah Jackson led the way with two sacks.
The two plays that changed the game were the punt block that resulted in a field goal and the interception by Travis Blackshear that took points away from Chattanooga and led to Furman’s first touchdown. Furman’s offense looked completely dead until the turnover, which resulted in the 27-yard touchdown pass to freshman Colton Hinton.
What’s next for Chattanooga?
Chattanooga missed out on a huge opportunity this past weekend. The Mocs will finish the season 7-4 (barring a miracle at Alabama in Week 12). This season now ends almost identical to a season ago, where the Mocs finished 7-4 and were left out of the playoffs. It is hard to imagine it will end any differently for Chattanooga this season. The Mocs have a bad loss to North Alabama and lack a true signature win, but do hold wins against Mercer and Samford.
What’s next for Furman?
Furman clinches the SoCon auto-bid and will be playing for a potential top-three seed in the FCS playoffs. Furman's strength of schedule ranks No. 50 and will need to win the last two games to have a shot at one of the top seeds. The entire playoff picture for the Paladins could change if this team can get the two seed and avoid potential road trips to Brookings, Missoula, or Bozeman. The other big question is the health of quarterback Tyler Huff. Furman will need Huff back to compete throughout the postseason.
No. 1 South Dakota State 33, No. 11 North Dakota State 16
How did South Dakota State win?
At first glance at the box score, one may think that North Dakota State played well enough to win outside of three crucial turnovers. A closer look at the game would show that the Bison had no hope of stopping the Jackrabbits offense. This South Dakota State offense has every answer and continues to be a well-oiled machine. A lot of credit always goes to this defense (and it should) but the offense is completely dominant. The Bison loaded the box to try and stop the South Dakota State rushing attack and did a decent job, only to have Mark Grownowski throw for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Jackrabbits created explosive plays, led by the Janke twins who combined for 168 receiving yards and two touchdowns. While the Bison kept South Dakota State’s running game from a huge day, Isaiah Davis still had over 100 rushing yards and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. This offense can attack every single area of the field with multiple different skill players. It really seems that if the Jackrabbits need a score, this offense can find a different way to get it done. That is the biggest reason why it seems like the Road to Frisco runs through Brookings.
What’s next for North Dakota State?
The Bison have not shown enough to beat the elite teams in FCS this season. This team is missing the dynamic running back to create explosive plays. Every position on the offense is good, there just are not any true difference-makers or elite playmakers. The defense has struggled against quality competition as the Bison now rank No. 8 in total defense (5.7 YPP Allowed) in the MVFC. This would be the worst effort since joining the FCS in 2004. The Bison now head into the last two games against Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa needing a win. Logically many would assume the Bison would win at least one of those games, but North Dakota State has not beaten a top-eight MVFC team yet and does not have a top win on their resume. The Bison’s fate becomes pretty simple now. Win one of the two final games and this team probably earns an at-large bid into the playoffs, but if this team loses both, the Bison will be at home during the FCS Playoffs.
What’s next for South Dakota State?
The Jackrabbits add another ranked win to their incredible resume. South Dakota State has averaged over seven yards per play against six ranked teams. The Jackrabbits are one of the most dominant teams we have had in the past few seasons at the FCS level and this team can clinch the No. 1 seed with just one more win. South Dakota State is ranked No. 2 in the FCS in total offense and No. 7 in total defense (Yards Per Play), the only FCS team that is top ten in both. It certainly seems that the only thing standing in the way of South Dakota State and another appearance in Frisco is themselves.
