Week 4 in the FCS

[s--k]

Friday, September 19

Matchup​	Time (ET)​	TV/Mobile​
Columbia at Lafayette	6:00pm	ESPN+

Saturday, September 20

Matchup​	Time (ET)​	TV/Mobile​
Holy Cross at Yale	12:00pm	ESPN+
Central State at Morgan State	12:00pm	ESPN+
Georgetown at Brown	12:00pm	ESPN+
Wofford at Virginia Tech	12:00pm	ACCNX/ESPN+
SC State at USF	12:00pm	ESPN+
San Diego at Princeton	12:00pm	ESPN+
Saginaw Valley St. at New Haven	1:00pm	NEC Front Row
Fordham at Colgate	1:00pm	ESPN+
Wagner at Central Michigan	1:00pm	ESPN+
Bluefield at Presbyterian	1:00pm	ESPN+
Harvard at Stetson	1:00pm	ESPN+
Penn at Stonehill	1:00pm	NEC Front Row
Delaware State at Saint Francis U.	1:00pm	NEC Front Row
North Alabama at Illinois State	1:00pm	ESPN+
New Hampshire at Dartmouth	1:00pm	NESN/ESPN+
Villanova at Monmouth	1:00pm	FloSports
VMI at Richmond	2:00pm	MNMT/ESPN+
Dayton at Robert Morris	2:00pm	SNP/NEC Front Row
Mercer at The Citadel	2:00pm	ESPN+
Drake at South Dakota	2:00pm	ESPN+
Samford at Western Carolina	2:30pm	ESPN+
Mercyhurst at Montana State	3:00pm	ESPN+
Edward Waters at Bethune-Cookman	3:00pm	HBCU GO
Indiana State at Montana	3:00pm	Scripps/ESPN+
Gardner-Webb at Ohio	3:30pm	ESPN+
Valparaiso at North Dakota	4:00pm	ESPN+
Sacred Heart at Norfolk State	4:00pm	ESPN+
Charleston So. at William & Mary	4:00pm	FloSports
Hampton vs Howard (in Washington, DC)	4:00pm	ESPN+
NC Central at North Carolina A&T	4:00pm	FloSports
UIW at Northern Arizona	5:00pm	ESPN+
Idaho at San Jose State	5:00pm	NBCS Bay/MWN
Elon at ETSU	5:30pm	ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at West Georgia	6:00pm	ESPN+
Kentucky Christian at Morehead State	6:00pm	ESPN+
CCSU at Merrimack	6:00pm	ESPN+
Bryant at Campbell	6:00pm	FloSports
Lincoln (CA) at Idaho State	6:00pm	ESPN+
Lehigh at Bucknell	6:00pm	ESPN+
LIU at Rhode Island	6:00pm	FloSports
Youngstown State at Towson	6:00pm	MNMT/FloSports
Duquesne at Akron	6:00pm	ESPN+
Northwestern State at Prairie View A&M	7:00pm	SWAC TV
Greensboro College at Davidson	7:00pm	ESPN+
Western Illinois at Eastern Washington	7:00pm	SWX/ESPN+
Murray State at Jacksonville State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Lane College at Alabama A&M	7:00pm	SWAC TV
Southern Illinois at Southeast Missouri	7:00pm	ESPN+
Stony Brook at Lindenwood	7:00pm	ESPN+
Chattanooga at Tarleton State	7:00pm	ESPN+
East Texas A&M at Grambling State	7:00pm	SWAC TV
Cornell at UAlbany	7:00pm	FloSports
Northern Colorado at HCU	7:00pm	ESPN+
UT Martin at Missouri State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Maine at Georgia Southern	7:00pm	ESPN+
Southeastern La. at 3 LSU	7:45pm	SECN
McNeese at Utah State	8:00pm	KMYU TV
Texas Wesleyan at UTRGV	8:00pm	ESPN+
Cal Poly at Stephen F. Austin	8:00pm	ESPN+
Austin Peay at Abilene Christian	8:00pm	ESPN+
Northern Iowa at Utah Tech	8:00pm	ESPN+
Nicholls at Texas State	8:00pm	ESPN+
Butler at Weber State	8:00pm	ESPN+
Central Arkansas at Sacramento State	9:00pm	KMAX31/ESPN+
Southern Utah at UC Davis	10:00pm	ESPN+

We've got Ivy League teams joining the party this week!

 

[sleepy]

No Tennessee Tech game this week

 

[B.A.R.]

Talk to me about Nichols State.

Yes, I tailed with you all in week #1.

I need to know more about them though since they face my Bobcats.

 

[sleepy]

Eastern Washington always had good offenses but has really dropped off this year.

Haven't surpassed 300 total yards in a game yet
Haven't passed for 200 yards in a game yet
#91 ranked offense
Had 3 pts heading into the 4th quarter against UNI but got two garbage scores to make it look close

 

[sleepy]

Central Arkansas with 10 straight no covers.

 

[sleepy]

Is there a worse offense than Eastern Kentucky right now?

150, 173, 102 total yards in their three games this season

 

[sleepy]

I'm thinking of ponying up the 100 for oddslogic. Not getting that +14.5 on Duquense really cost me. Would have paid for itself on that bet alone had I been alerted. Hard to get that first one even when you're constantly checking.

 

[s--k]

Talk to me about Nichols State.

Yes, I tailed with you all in week #1.

I need to know more about them though since they face my Bobcats.

Nicholls, the one consistent problem is lack of O. They were getting too much credit at QB and offense for week 0 vs UIW when it was their D that won them the game. The O hit one big play and the D scored as many TDs as the O did for them. Couldn't run the ball (2.3ypc). 0 TDs on 3 RZ trips. +4 TO ratio in the UIW game. D was outstanding, which I think everyone felt good about, but partially, UIW O was not as good as expected (QB and OL) so they weren't good and Nicholls D was good = Nicholls D completely owned them. 4 sacks vs a completely unaware UIW QB to the pressure with 11 TFLs overall.

O was actually a little better vs Troy. Still could not run the ball (2.6ypc). Hogan was better passing, just one bad throw for a pick. Nicholls had 3 good drives for their pts (TD, TD, FG). The D carried over the outstanding UIW game for hte first 2-3 quarters vs Troy. Troy only 61y first 4 possessions...then...the dam broke and Troy scored 6 straight (ended 416ttl yards 6.1ypp allowed). But that is an FBS O and ok, maybe write that off as whatever.

The 3rd game was a combination of the worst parts of the first two. No O like week 0 and the D was MIA like the 2H of the Troy game. Nicholls O couldn't run yet again (2.8ypc), only 9 FDs, 44% completions and 2-of-13 3rd down. Which, WGU is proving to be a pretty good team. Their D just held ETSU below 300y (4.7ypp allowed) and they held Samford (who's bad) below 300y (3.8ypp allowed). Nobody has run on WGU D. So WGU D shut down an already weak Nicholls O. And the surprising part was just how poorly the Nicholls D performed. WG ran for 342 (5.4), they ran for 5.3ypc on Samford and if you are a D you do not want to be compared to Samford. WG had their most ttl yards on the year behind that run game, their best 3rd down rate on the year, their most FDs on the year all vs the previous good Nicholls D.

Now, Nicholls D was down two key defenders in that game. Key DL Joe Mason was out. Outstanding S Ty Marsh left with injury. So that doens't help.

The OL came into the year as a weakness/question and that has proved true. Hogan is a journeyman QB who never really played much, call him serviceable I suppose. The WRs who flashed potential vs UIW did nothing the next 2 weeks and they have a good RB, but he's been easy for Ds to limit and he'a actually their leading receiver to get an idea who their passing game is operating.

I would be hopeful the D regains it's footing. They will want Mason and Marsh in the lineup, I don't know status of either.

 

[B.A.R.]

Thank you @s--k !!

 

[s--k]

Eastern Washington always had good offenses but has really dropped off this year.

Haven't surpassed 300 total yards in a game yet
Haven't passed for 200 yards in a game yet
#91 ranked offense
Had 3 pts heading into the 4th quarter against UNI but got two garbage scores to make it look close

I was watching the game as I had the UNI ML. EW actually had what would've likely been the game winning TD pass called back by an illegal formation or something! So they started that game with 8 straight punts barely getting past midfield and both of their TDs were short-to-fairly short fields. UNI mismanaged the end of the game on O to give EW that shot at the end. EW missed a FG on that drive that their TD was called back or else it could've went to OT. EW has a pretty good punter. I've started paying attention to punting stats because of the meaningful flip in field position and the inside the 20 aspect. EW downed FIVE of their punts inside the 20 with two 50+ yarders. That makes it harder on the opposing O and helps their otherwise bad D. They had 3 50+ yard punts vs UIW too. Kind of a sneaky way they try and keep games more competitive when they shouldn't be.

 

[KJ]

I was watching the game as I had the UNI ML. EW actually had what would've likely been the game winning TD pass called back by an illegal formation or something! So they started that game with 8 straight punts barely getting past midfield and both of their TDs were short-to-fairly short fields. UNI mismanaged the end of the game on O to give EW that shot at the end. EW missed a FG on that drive that their TD was called back or else it could've went to OT. EW has a pretty good punter. I've started paying attention to punting stats because of the meaningful flip in field position and the inside the 20 aspect. EW downed FIVE of their punts inside the 20 with two 50+ yarders. That makes it harder on the opposing O and helps their otherwise bad D. They had 3 50+ yard punts vs UIW too. Kind of a sneaky way they try and keep games more competitive when they shouldn't be.

You are beginning to sound like an Iowa fan!

 

[KJ]

Talk to me about Nichols State.

Yes, I tailed with you all in week #1.

I need to know more about them though since they face my Bobcats.

Probably first ASU game I've watched in full in a bunch of years. Texas St got so rattled by that defensive hitting they were dropping cupcakes starting around the 2nd quarter and it simply didn't get better. The question will ultimately be how the receivers can put that behind them and just step in like it didn't happen now that they're facing a much lighter defensive effort (most likely). And how long will it take? Would be more inclined to look at Tex St 2nd half and hope the 1h is a confidence builder.

 

[s--k]

You are beginning to sound like an Iowa fan!

Haha, yeah. Or a Jim Tressel disciple "the most important play in football is the punt"

 

[s--k]

Is there a worse offense than Eastern Kentucky right now?

150, 173, 102 total yards in their three games this season

Looks like Marshall was in a foul mood. The EKU game vs Houston Christian is pretty damning. I see that due to TOs they got a 75y fum ret TD and another TD drive was just 14y. HCU must really be kicking themselves for letting that get away. That kind of ineptness on O vs an HCU team shouldn't bode well for them. They actually were not that good on O last year either, still made the playoffs, 7th/8th in the UAC in O ypg/ypp and ppg (they were top O in the league 2023). So based off of last year they were the kind of team that found ways of winning games in alternative fashions (like HCU). I haven't been on or against any of their games this year so have never formed an official position yet and really never thought about their team so far. First glance, playing a red hot West Georgia team wouldn't figure to be a spot they figure out the O all of a sudden.

 

[s--k]

Looks like the new running QB that Eastern Illinois used week 1 and half of week 2 is injured. With a different QB, Wolf instead of LaCrue they doubled their pass attempts per game from the opener instead of running it 60+ times they passed it 44x. Worked pretty good for them, Ill State is weakest in the back end. Ill St could just never get over that 2-3 score lead hump, were up by 18 once, up by 19 late, but EIU kept coming back on them to cut deficit. Pretty drastic differences for EIU O depending on who is QB. I would think Wolf's passing ability is better than running LaCrue 20-30 times a game. Illinois State 0-2 ATS as favorite (1-1 on opening numbers). Weak last year too 4-6 ATS as fav. I see they are working King back into the lineup but must not be the same guy now. Shame.