FCS Weekly Preview for 10/22-10/23: 25 of the Top 26 Teams In Action

October 20, 2021 by Staff

Just 13 of the 128 FCS teams are idle this week so the schedule is loaded with 56 contests of head-to-head FCS action, 1 FCS vs. FBS game, and a pair of teams hosting D2 schools.

The lone FCS-FBS affair has Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-4, 0-3 SWAC) and Arkansas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) meeting for the very first time. That game will take place in Little Rock. 

Tarleton State is entertaining Midwestern State (TX), a former conference rival of the Texans in D2. The teams met earlier this year on March 20 with Tarleton prevailing 33-21.

Tennessee Tech is hosting D2 member Virginia-Lynchburg. The VUL Dragons have already faced FCS members Duquesne, Delaware State and Norfolk State, land will play Howard at the end of the season - all away from home. They lost the first 3 games mentioned vs. FCS teams by a cumulative 127 points.

Every member of the Top 26 in the Congrove Computer Rankings, except No. 10 Southern Illinois, is seeing action this week. A visit to casinositesreview.io might be a good idea while on break.

No. 1 North Dakota State (6-0, 3-0 MWFC) hosts Missouri State (4-2, 3-1 MVFC) as a 17.07-point computer pick.

No. 2 Sam Houston State (5-0, 3-0 AQ7) is a 15.22-point home favorite over Jacksonville State (3-3, 1-0 AQ7). The Gamecocks have had an extra week to prepare after snapping a two-game losing streak with a 28-24 win over Stephen F. Austin on October 9.

No. 3 Eastern Washington (7-0, 4-0 Big Sky) is a 5.92-point computer choice when the Eagles welcome Weber State to Cheney on Saturday. The Wildcats (2-4, 1-2 Big Sky) have faced a brutal schedule that began with FBS member Utah and has included home losses to three teams ranked in the computer's top 5 at the time those games took place. James Madison was No. 1, UC Davis was 5th, and Montana State was also ranked 5th when the Bobcats paid a visit last Friday.

No. 4 James Madison (5-1, 3-1 CAA) hits the road as a 12.34-point pick at Delaware (3-3, 2-2 CAA) which has lost 2 of its last 3 and is coming off a 34-17 loss at Stony Brook (2-5, 1-3).

No. 5 Montana State (6-1, 4-0 Big Sky), a 13-7 winner in that game at Weber last Friday, hosts Idaho State (1-5, 1-3 Big Sky) as a 25.73-point computer favorite.

No. 6 South Dakota State (51-, 2-1 MVFC) entertains Northern Iowa (3-3, 1-2 MVFC) as a 10.32-point play.

The FCS football week kicks off on Friday night with No. 7 Dartmouth (5-0, 2-0) hosting a Columbia (4-1, 1-1) squad hat was picked to win just 2 games this season. The Big Green are projected winners over the Lions by 20.41.

SEE: Weekly Picks.

FCS vs. FBS

2 teams will play 2 FCS teams this fall (UConn and UMass), and 115 teams will play 1 FCS school for a total of 117 such matchups.

There is just one such game this week as Arkansas faces Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Little Rock.

The FBS is 96-10 vs. the FCS this season. Since we began tracking this in 2003, the FBS teams are now 1,565-138 (.919).

Last year, 30 FBS teams played a total of just 34 games against FCS schools and the FCS won just 1 game (1-33). That honor also went to Jacksonville State with its 19-10 victory over FIU.

Here are the FCS wins in 2021:
September 2: UC Davis 19, Tulsa 17
September 2: Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33 (2 OT)
September 3: South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23
September 4: Holy Cross 38, UConn 28
September 4: Montana 13, Washington 7
September 4: ETSU 23, Vanderbilt 3
September 11: Duquesne 28, Ohio 26
September 11: Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17.
September 18: Incarnate Word 42, Texas State 34.
September 18: Northern Arizona 21, Arizona 19

This was the only FCS win vs. the FBS in 2020:
October 23: Jacksonville State 19, FIU 10

In 2019, FBS teams were 111-3 (.974) in such games. These were the only FCS wins that season:
August 29: Central Arkansas 35, Western Kentucky 28
September 7: Southern Illinois 45, Massachusetts 20
September 14: The Citadel 27, Georgia Tech 24 (OT)

Streaks

SAM HOUSTON STATE - Won 15 straight games overall (FCS longest).
Last: Won 41-7 at home vs. Lamar on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Next: Hosts Jacksonville State on Saturday, Oct. 23.

EASTERN WASHINGTON - Owns 19-game home winning streak (FCS longest).
Last: Won 71-21 at home over Idaho on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Next: Hosts Weber State on Saturday, Oct. 23.

MONMOUTH - Owns a 13-game conference streak (FCS longest).
Last: Won 34-17 at Campbell on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Next: Visits North Carolina A&T on Saturday, Oct. 30.

PRINCETON - Won 10 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 56-42 at Brown on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Next: Hosts Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 23.

TEXAS SOUTHERN - Owns a 16-game road losing streak (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 34-20 at Grambling State on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Next: Hosts Alcorn State on Saturday, Oct. 23.

BUTLER - Has 11-game conference losing streak (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 31-8 at Morehead State on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Next: Hosts Davidson on Saturday, Oct. 23.

WAGNER - Has lost 15 straight overall (FCS longest).
LAST: Lost 56-7 at Fordham on Saturday, Oct. 9.
NEXT: Hosts Bryant on Saturday, Oct. 23.