FCS Week 8 Recap: The Mighty Fall

It may not be clear yet, but Week 8 has almost certainly shaped the FCS playoff picture in a big way. Spare the epic nightcap between the two best teams in the country and the result there, and there were still some big surprises. In fact, three of the top 10 teams lost on Saturday, two of them against unranked opponents. Just when people thought they could gauge how things would turn out in late November, a few big wrenches were thrown into the equation.

Maine Shocks #5 Villanova 35-7

All season it seemed like Villanova (5-2, 2-1 CAA) was the team to beat in the CAA, but after Saturday that is no longer the case. The Black Bears (4-3, 2-2 CAA) dispatched the visiting Wildcats and upended the conference power chain with a stunning victory.

“Nova quarterback Connor Watkins struggled, throwing two interceptions and passing for just 117 yards through the air. However, Carter Peevy traveled to Maine, and that was the main difference. The former Mercer signal-caller, who transferred last offseason, threw more touchdowns (three) than he had incompletions (two). Peevy averaged nearly 10 yards per pass and the Black Bears' offense outgained Villanova by 341 total yards to 214.

Maine got its big spark from a blocked field goal at the end of the first quarter that Devin Vaught returned 70 yards for a touchdown. That play gave the Black Bears a 21-0 lead and nearly defeated the Wildcats. Losses of possession were a big problem for 'Nova as they gave the ball away four times. Additionally, they only managed 35 yards on the ground and the O-line allowed seven sacks. It was a recipe for disaster and disaster.

Samford stuns #7 Mercer with dominant win

Through Saturday, Mercer held its opponents to fewer than eight points per contest. However, that all changed when they faced Samford and the Bulldogs had 42 points at halftime in what turned out to be a narrow win. When the dust settled, Quincy Crittendon and Co. had dismantled the Bears 55-35, not only knocking them out of the ranks of the undefeated FCS, but also completely inflating the SoCon race.

Crittendon threw for four touchdowns and 378 yards, while Damonta Witherspoon ran for two more. A pick six from linebacker Noah Martin caused a runaway. Samford scored touchdowns on its first four drives and Mercer turned the ball over twice before they got on the board. Both DJ Smith and Whitt Newbauer threw interceptions and the Bears' leading rusher was Newbauer himself with 39 yards.

Mercer made some momentum in the second half, scoring 21 unanswered points in the third quarter, but two Bulldogs defensive touchdowns in the fourth tied the score. The Bears are sure to plummet in the rankings this week, and Samford may have just earned a spot in those rankings.

#16 Rhode Island takes control of CAA Fate with big win over #21 UNH

Rhode Island's path to the postseason and perhaps the CAA title became much clearer this past weekend. The Rams (6-1, 3-0 CAA) took care of business against an up-and-coming New Hampshire squad (4-3, 2-1 CAA) and got some help when Villanova lost at Maine. Through seven games, Rhody is off to its best start in a long, long time.

After trailing 3-2 at halftime, the Rams outscored the Wildcats 24-6 in the second half. DB Freddie Camp recovered a fumble on a punt return and got into the end zone to help URI rally in the third quarter. Malik Grant rushed for 127 yards on 25 carries and Devin Farrell threw for another 147 yards and another score.

On the other hand, UNH signal-caller Seth Morgan threw a costly interception and didn't have a touchdown. Isaac Seide was the Wildcats' leading rusher with just 39 yards, and Logan Tomlinson scored the team's only touchdown late in the fourth with the game already out of reach. Rhode Island is now one of only two CAA teams undefeated in league play.

#6 UC Davis gets its first ever win over Eastern Washington

On a weekend where several of the FCS' top 10 teams endured a nightmarish Saturday, UC Davis (7-1, 4-0 Big Sky) was one to face such a fate on the road at Eastern Washington (2-5, 1-2). escaped Big Sky). The Aggies once again got a great performance from Miles Hastings, outscoring the Eagles 48-38 in a high-scoring affair on the red turf in Cheney. It was the team's first win against EWU in program history and put it right in the thick of the Big Sky title race.

Hastings threw four touchdowns and passed for 329 yards through the air for the second straight season. He also avoided interceptions for the second time in as many games. Lan Larison had the game fans have become accustomed to: he rushed for 182 yards and had 29 touches. The Aggies' offense totaled 549 yards.

Eastern Washington also got its yards and points, but not enough. QB Kekoa Visperas completed 30 passes for 319 yards, 170 of which went to star receiver Efton Chism III. Even kick returner Michael Wortham managed 131 yards on his three runbacks, but never managed to break away for a touchdown. Despite another gutsy performance, the Eagles lose their fifth contest of the year, almost certainly eliminating them from the playoff conversation.

No. 2 North Dakota State leads No. 1 South Dakota State in exciting fashion

The streak unexpectedly came to an end on Saturday evening and for the first time in their college careers, the Bison players got their hands on the coveted Dakota marker. North Dakota State (7-1, 4-0 MVFC) defeated South Dakota State (5-2, 2-1 MVFC) for the first time in six tries in a slugfest 13-9 in front of a sold-out crowd in Fargo. The loss was SDSU's first against an FCS squad since Montana State defeated them in the 2021 semifinals. NDSU's win all but cements them as the top seed in the Missouri Valley and has likely given them a top-two spot in this year's playoffs, depending on how the rest of the season plays out.

It was clear from the start that whoever wanted to win the game had to earn it. A scoreless first quarter led to a second quarter in which Bison wideout RaJa Nelson scored his first of two touchdowns on the night. Signalman Cam Miller, who threw for 163 yards, hit Nelson for a 7-0 lead. However, Mark Gronowski and the Jackrabbits took a 9-7 lead into halftime after a 66-yard touchdown run by Chase Mason and a field goal by Hunter Dustman.

Defensive dominance was more pronounced in the second half as there were no goals in the third quarter. It wasn't until NDSU's penultimate drive in the fourth period that they finally scored the decisive touchdown. Nelson again found himself on the receiving end of a Miller pass that found him in the end zone with 1:49 left. The crowd roared to the loudest point of the night, only to outdo itself a few plays later when Gronowski threw his only interception of the night to Logan Kopp. Kopp slid down and the Fargodome almost lost its roof.

North Dakota State is certain to emerge as the FCS's new #1 team in next week's polls, marking the first time South Dakota State has not held the distinction since Week 6 of the 2022 season. The Bison are undefeated in FCS and Missouri Valley play this season.