Behind The Numbers: Week 7 FCS Football Review
The 2023 FCS football season has reached the height of conference play as Week 7 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 7 FCS football action below.
No. 16 Montana 23, No. 3 Idaho 21
How Did Montana win?
The Montana Grizzlies won this huge rivalry game with a tenacious defense that held on despite the Vandals' explosive second half. The Montana front seven harassed Idaho’s offensive line all night and the Vandals looked out of sync due to the constant pressure. Saturday night was a clinic on how the 3-3-5 defense can make an offense uncomfortable and force mistakes (Idaho had five penalties on the offensive line and committed three turnovers). The defense brought blitzes and line stunts from everywhere and Idaho looked lost throughout the game. Montana had 19 different players record a tackle on defense and nine different players record a tackle for loss. The Griz added six sacks and each one seemed to come at a crucial moment. Each time Idaho found some rhythm, another Montana player made a play.
Montana held an Idaho rushing attack that was averaging well over five yards per carry to just 1.8 yards per carry on Saturday. The Griz defense did not allow Idaho to generate any explosive touchdowns and made the Vandals work for everything throughout the game.
While the defense will get most of the credit for the win, Montana’s offense kept pace with Idaho. Montana averaged 5.8 yards per play while Idaho averaged 5.7 per play. The offense still has work to do, but quarterback Clifton McDowell has settled the offense, and the offensive line is playing with more confidence. This team has eliminated the mistakes it was making earlier in the year. Montana has two difference-makers in running back Eli Gillman and receiver/return specialist Junior Bergen. Each week you know both players will produce multiple game-changing plays. Bergen broke the game open with a 76-yard touchdown reception and Gillman created Montana’s only other touchdown drive of the game with a 53-yard run early in the second quarter.
What’s next for Idaho?
Idaho will be very disappointed after a homecoming loss to a rival after such a great start to the season, but a key will be moving on from a tough loss and not letting one loss turn into multiple losses. Idaho is still a really good football team and still has a chance to earn a playoff seed with a share of the Big Sky title. The Vandals trailed early, and the pressure of the moment seemed to impact this team. Idaho had two drives end in Montana territory with no points and had several pre-snap penalties while turning the ball over three times. Despite allowing six sacks, Idaho still had an offensive down-to-down success rate of almost 50%. Idaho still has elite offensive talent and the defense has been much improved from a season ago. Idaho has a bye week ahead of a monumental matchup with Montana State.
The one glaring weakness on this team appears to be the offensive line. This unit ranks No. 114 in pass blocking and 28th in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. The Vandals were overwhelmed Saturday night and the unit needs to continue to improve. If Idaho is going to compete with the teams at the top of the FCS, it will only happen if the offensive line can make some big strides.
What’s next for Montana?
Montana continues to soar after a few rough weeks in September had everyone questioning the Grizzlies. The Griz have put themselves in a great position in the Big Sky race and for a seed in the FCS playoffs. If Montana can get a win over Sacramento State or Montana State it will be in a great position to get a seed. Both teams come to Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The defense is shaping up to be one of the very best in the nation and the aggressive 3-3-5 scheme could give playoff teams with short preparation problems. Montana takes a week off and will face Northern Colorado in two weeks.
No. 15 North Dakota 49, No. 6 North Dakota State 24
How did North Dakota win?
North Dakota controlled this game along the line of scrimmage. The Fighting Hawks built an early lead with some big special teams plays from Luke Skokna (100-yard touchdown) and Malachi McNeal (punt block that led to a touchdown). The offense rolled up 210 yards rushing on 5.4 yards per carry. The Fighting Hawks got 12 first downs and 4 touchdowns on the ground, led by sophomore running back Gaven Ziebarth. Ziebarth ran with ferocity gaining 156 yards and three touchdowns on 8.7 yards per carry. The UND offensive line routinely washed the Bison defensive line and got to the second level. The offense never had to get out of second gear and quarterback Tommy Schuster only had to throw 12 total passes.
While the Bison are having a down year, this team still has one of the top rushing offenses in the nation. North Dakota's front seven controlled the Bison rushing attack and never let the Bison find any rhythm. The Fighting Hawks' defense did not make a lot of plays in the backfield but did an excellent job containing the run game and limiting explosive plays. C.J. Siegel's interception opened up the game in the third quarter and the Bison were never able to recover.
What’s next for North Dakota State?
With Saturday’s loss, North Dakota State has fallen to 1-2 in conference play. The loss to North Dakota followed a similar blueprint to what South Dakota was able to do a few weeks ago. Both UND and USD contained the rushing attack and kept the Bison from creating any explosive plays. Each team played “bend-but-don’t-break” defense very effectively and waited for the Bison to make a mistake. Quarterback Cam Miller has been effective passing this season, but he still has room for improvement. Miller and the receivers have still struggled to stretch the field vertically on the outside and this will continue to limit the offense.
The defense is another major concern as the Bison are giving up 5.8 yards per play which is on track to be the worst Bison defense since the move to the FCS division. The interior of the front seven has struggled against the top competition and, outside of Eli Mostaert, this team does not have any difference-makers on the defensive line. The Bison have not put much pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
North Dakota State is still a very good football team and one of the only teams in the nation that could compete at the highest level. The Bison face Western Illinois and Murray State over the next two weeks to prepare for the Nov. 4 showdown with South Dakota State. The Bison need to address some of these issues if this team wants to pull off the upset.
What’s next for North Dakota?
North Dakota has another big game this weekend at Northern Iowa. While UNI has been disappointing this season, the UNI-Dome is still a very difficult place to play. North Dakota has a potential program-changing win this weekend but will need to keep building on the momentum. The Fighting Hawks still need to show consistency if this team wants to prove that they belong next to the elite teams. UND has three more games against playoff-caliber competition and it will be important to see if this team can run the ball with the same consistency as they head towards the playoffs.
