FCS Football Recap: Week 11 Takeaways

Week 11 of the FCS football season was headlined by two teams securing spots in the FCS Playoffs and chaos in the MEAC championship race after a massive upset win in Washington, DC.

Below are some major takeaways from all the Week 11 FCS football action.

South Dakota State, Nicholls State Clinch Spot In FCS Playoffs

South Dakota State clinched the auto-bid for the MVFC with a dominant 34-0 win over Youngstown State. The Jackrabbits could have possibly clinched the No. 1 overall seed regardless of the result of next week's matchup against Missouri State. 

Quarterback Mark Gronowski had a big day with 295 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, including two touchdowns to wide receiver Jadon Janke. Running back Isaiah Davis led the Jacks with 130 rushing yards and one touchdown. The defense held the Youngstown State rushing attack to 47 yards and less than two yards per carry.

Nicholls State secured the auto-bid for the Southland with a 37-24 win over Lamar. It is the third conference championship in the past six seasons for the Colonels. The Colonels can win the outright title with a win on Thursday over Southeastern Louisiana. 

Running back Jaylon Spears led the Colonels with 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Nicholls State rolled up over 340 rushing yards and averaged over seven yards per carry against the Cardinals. Despite only completing nine passes, quarterback Pat McQuaide threw three passing touchdowns on Saturday night. The Colonels scored 21 points off of three Lamar turnovers. 

Howard Stuns North Carolina Central, Takes Control Of MEAC

Howard controls its own destiny after a dominant 50-20 win over North Carolina Central. It was a statement win for the Bison after Trei Oliver's comments at MEAC Media Day about Howard's co-championship. 

It was pure domination on both sides of the ball as the Bison rolled up over 520 total yards and held the Eagles to only 198 total yards. Quarterback Quinton Williams had an outstanding game, completing 22-of-33 attempts for 277 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Running backs Jarett Hunter and Eden James both averaged over eight yards per carry, combining for 197 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Howard's defense held a potent North Carolina Central offense to only 198 total yards, including 77 passing yards on 25 attempts. Defensive lineman Darrian Brokenburr led the Bison with seven total tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. Howard dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, including sacking Davius Richard four times on Saturday.

Howard can clinch a spot in the Celebration Bowl with a win over Morgan State next weekend. It would be the first appearance in school history and the first outright conference championship since 1993.

UT Martin Wins Third Consecutive Conference Championship

UT Martin made history this weekend as the Skyhawks have won three consecutive conference championships for the first time in school history. A win over Samford in the season finale should secure a playoff bid for the Skyhawks. It would be the third postseason appearance for UT Martin at the FCS level. 

UT Martin's defense suffocated the SEMO offense, allowing only 162 total yards and 3.6 yards per play. The Skyhawks held the dynamic rushing attack of SEMO to only five rushing yards and 0.3 yards per carry, including negative two yards for All-American running back Geno Hess. Defensive lineman Daylan Dotson had an outstanding game with 2.5 tackles for loss and four total tackles. 

Running back Narkel Leflore finished with a career-high 147 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, while Sam Franklin contributed 123 rushing yards on 21 carries. Wide receiver DeVonte Tanksley led the Skyhawks with eight receptions for 92 receiving yards and one touchdown. 

Harvard Clinches Ivy League With Overtime Win vs. Penn

Harvard clinched the 10th Ivy League championship under head coach Tim Murphy and the first conference title since 2015. Wide receiver Cooper Barkate hit Jaden Craig on the "Philly Special" to win the game in the third overtime period.

The Crimson struggled to run the football, but quarterback Jaden Craig completed 23-of-36 passes for 253 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Wide receiver Cooper Barkate led the Crimson with eight receptions for 125 receiving yards and one touchdown. Harvard's rushing attack was held to the second-lowest total of the season.

Harvard's defense allowed over 340 yards of total offense but made big plays in crucial moments to win the game. Defensive back Gavin Shipman deflected a pass in the endzone in the final overtime period, while Damien Henderson had a crucial interception to stop Penn in scoring territory. Defensive lineman Thor Griffith led the defense with 10 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Weber State Upsets No. 5 Idaho, Eliminates Vandals From Big Sky Race

Weber State pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season as the Wildcats shocked Idaho in a 31-29 victory. The Vandals are now eliminated from Big Sky title contention and may have lost a chance at a top-four seed in the FCS Playoffs. 

Weber State only gained 291 total yards but averaged 5.7 yards per play. The Wildcats overcame a 10-0 deficit in the first quarter with back-to-back touchdown drives, capped by rushing touchdowns by Kris Jackson. Haze Hadley had a massive punt return deep into Idaho territory in the third quarter, which allowed the Wildcats to take the lead for the final time. 

Linebacker Winston Reid had a huge game with 17 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. Jack Kelly led the Wildcats with two sacks and two tackles for loss. Weber State forced Idaho to be one-dimensional as the Vandals only rushed for 72 yards and less than three yards per carry. 

Other Notable Scores:

No. 2 Furman 37, VMI 3
No. 3 Montana 34, Portland State 10
No. 5 Montana State 57, Eastern Washington 14
No. 6 South Dakota 14, No. 10 North Dakota 10
No. 8 Delaware 45, Campbell 7
No. 9 Sacramento State 41, Cal Poly 30
No. 12 North Dakota State 34, No. 11 Southern Illinois 10
No. 13 Florida A&M 28, Lincoln (CA) 0
No. 13 Villanova 33, Towson 10
Missouri State 35, No. 15 Northern Iowa 16
No. 17 Western Carolina 58, ETSU 7
No. 18 UAlbany 38, Stony Brook 20
No. 20 Austin Peay 30, Utah Tech 17
No. 23 Mercer 28, Samford 21
No. 25 Lafayette 24, Fordham 16
Central Arkansas 27, Eastern Kentucky 24
Tarleton State 31, Abilene Christian 30
Richmond 38, Elon 24
William & Mary 31, Hampton 10
Eastern Illinois 30, Tennessee State 17
Prairie View A&M 27, Southern 21
Gardner-Webb 35, Tennessee Tech 0
Bethune-Cookman 31, Alabama A&M 14
Illinois State 44, Murray State 7
Morgan State 20, South Carolina State 17