College Football: FCS Football Week 3 National Roundup

Alan BlackMay 31, 2018

The non-conference slate of games is starting to wind down, and we find ourselves now with a mix of both paycheck games and meaningful games. Let's take a look at what happened around the country with FCS teams in Week 3.

Taking Down the Big Boys, Part 3

Going into Week 3, FCS teams had upset an FBS team a total of 11 times already this season. That total was added to Saturday.

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Bethune-Cookman knocked off fellow Florida team FIU, and it wasn't even close. The Wildcats thoroughly controlled the majority of the game en route to a 34-13 win over the Panthers.

Bethune-Cookman racked up over 300 yards rushing and registered four touchdowns on the ground. They were led by junior running back Anthony Jordan, who had 150 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

The Wildcat defense also came up big, limiting FIU to just 229 yards of total offense. They also got on the scoreboard themselves, courtesy of a 92-yard pick-six by DB Tim Burke.

The win was Bethune-Cookman's first-ever over an FBS opponent.

Patriot League team Fordham also added to the upset total, taking home a 30-29 victory over Temple. The Rams scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Michael Nebrich to Sam Ajala with just four seconds left, and the PAT gave them the narrow one-point victory.

Nebrich threw for 320 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in leading a Fordham offense that totaled 520 yards. RB Carlton Koonce also came through big on the ground, rushing 27 times for 168 yards and a touchdown.

Close, But No Cigar

In one of the craziest games of the week, Stony Brook went into five overtimes against Buffalo. Unfortunately for the Seawolves, their field goal in the fifth OT was topped by a six-yard touchdown run by the Bulls, sending them back to Long Island with a 26-23 loss.

Losing to the Little Guys, Again

Just like last week, several FCS teams experienced the agony of losing to Division II opponents.

Valparaiso fell to a Division II team for the second week in a row, this time, losing 36-34 to William Jewell College. The Crusaders put up plenty of offense (521 yards), but three turnovers doomed them to a close loss to the Cardinals.

Their Pioneer League brethren, Davidson, also fell to a Division II opponent, losing 34-18 to Lenoir-Rhyne. While the Wildcats held the Bears passing game in check by allowing only 89 yards through the air, they had absolutely no answer to a prolific running game. The Bears gashed Davidson for 419 yards on the ground, shocking their FCS hosts.

Grambling State also had trouble on defense, allowing 600 yards of total offense in a 47-34 loss to Lincoln College of Missouri. The Blue Tigers dominated the Tigers all day long, imposing their will both through the air and on the ground, forcing two Grambling State turnovers, while committing none themselves, and even getting a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Nail-Biters Aplenty in the SWAC

This traditionally proud conference saw three different conference games come down to close finishes, providing an excellent start to the beginning of conference play.

Mississippi Valley State was up, 21-7, on Alcorn State at halftime, but the Braves came out of the locker room swinging. They reeled off 28 unanswered points to go up, 35-21. The Delta Devils then answered with a touchdown of their own, but were unable to get the tying score, and were sent back home with a close 35-28 loss.

Alcorn State senior running back Arnold Walker led the Braves offense, putting up 118 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on just 18 carries. Braves QB John Gibbs Jr. turned in an effective performance, going 18-of-26 for 180 yards and two touchdowns, getting a successful two-point conversion passing and adding another touchdown rushing.

Reigning conference champions Arkansas-Pine Bluff found themselves locked in a fierce struggle with Alabama State that saw the Golden Lions lose to the Hornets, 40-39. Special teams woes plagued ARPB, who had a pair of missed PATs, a missed field goal and a bad snap on a punt.

For Alabama State, former University of Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell was a force on the ground. He rushed 29 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns in leading a Hornets' rushing attack that totaled 275 yards and three touchdowns.

Southern and Prairie View A&M engaged in one of the most exciting games of the weekend at any level, with Southern coming away with a 62-59 victory in double overtime. After Prairie View kicked a field goal, Jaguars QB Dray Joseph hit senior WR Lee Doss on a 24-yard touchdown pass to give Southern the hard-fought win.

Offense reigned supreme in this game. Prairie View put up 772 yards while Southern added 625, for a combined total of 1,397 yards.

For the Jaguars, the Joseph-to-Doss connection was nearly unstoppable. Joseph threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns, with 214 yards and three of those touchdowns going to Doss.

The Panthers were absolutely prolific on the ground, with running backs Courtney Brown and Johnta Hebert each averaging seven yards a carry while combining for 377 yards and six touchdowns rushing, while adding 133 yards receiving between them.

Meaningful Conference Games

Georgia Southern, who was picked to win the Southern Conference, traveled to South Carolina to take on fellow SoCon team Wofford. The Terriers proved to be poor hosts, sending the Eagles back to Georgia with a 30-20 loss.

While Georgia Southern actually outgained Wofford, 426 yards to 391, the Terriers came up big on defense, forcing two fumbles and getting an interception. This result is sure to shake up a conference race that was already experiencing uncertainty due to the shaky start to the season for traditional powerhouse Appalachian State.

Montana traveled to Grand Forks looking for revenge against a North Dakota squad that stunned the Griz last season. They got it, and then some, with a convincing 55-17 win that proves the Griz are back—and a team to be reckoned with this season (if there was still any doubt after their season-opening thrashing of Appalachian State).

Montana held North Dakota's prolific passing attack in check, limiting them to just 281 yards through the air and picking off UND QB Joe Mollberg twice.

Griz QB Jordan Johnson further proved that he had shaken off the rust from sitting out all of last season, throwing for 354 yards and five touchdowns on just 19 attempts.

Montana also got a strong performance from what is increasingly looking like one of the best running back tandems in the country, with Jordan Canada and Travon Van rushing for 176 yards and two touchdowns on just 24 combined carries.

Five Standout Individual Performances

Jordan Johnson, Montana QB (55-17 W vs. North Dakota): 15-of-19, 354 yards, 5 touchdowns; 4 carries, 21 yards

Courtney Brown, Prairie View A&M RB (59-62 2OT L vs. Southern): 32 carries, 224 yards, 3 touchdowns; 3 receptions, 83 yards

Dray Joseph, Southern QB (62-59 2OT W vs. Prairie View A&M): 30-of-48, 480 yards, 6 touchdowns

Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois QB (57-24 W vs. Illinois State): 26-of-41, 480 yards, 7 touchdowns

Chuckie Looney, Marist QB (43-23 W vs. Georgetown): 17-of-27, 275 yards, 4 touchdowns; 6 carries, 42 yards, 1 touchdown

Way-too-early Top 10

1. North Dakota State

2. Montana

3. Eastern Washington

4. Sam Houston State

5. Eastern Illinois