FCS Playoffs 2016: 1st-Round Results, Round 2 Schedule and Bracket Update

The first round of the 2016 FCS playoffs got underway Saturday, with the 24-team bracket paring down to 16 ahead of next week's second-round action.

Each of the nation's top eight seeds were sitting at home awaiting their next opponent, which will travel to their home field next Saturday. The likes of top-seeded North Dakota State got a preview of Cal Poly and San Diego, while second-seeded Eastern Washington saw Central Arkansas and Illinois State battle for a second-round berth.

Here is a look at how each of the first-round matchups played out.

Matchup	Time (ET)
(1) North Dakota State vs. San Diego	3:30 p.m.
(8) South Dakota State vs. Villanova	3 p.m.
(4) James Madison vs. New Hampshire	2 p.m.
(5) Sam Houston State vs. Chattanooga	3 p.m.
(2) Eastern Washington vs. Central Arkansas	4 p.m.
(7) North Dakota vs. Richmond	6 p.m.
(3) Jacksonville State vs. Youngstown St.	2 p.m.
(6) The Citadel vs. Wofford	6 p.m.

Villanova 31, Saint Francis (PA) 21

Zach Bednarczyk threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns, two going to Ryan Bell, as Villanova advanced with a 31-21 win over Saint Francis.

Each of Bednarczyk's scores came in the first half, as Villanova took a 31-7 lead into halftime before grinding out the win after the break. The Wildcats rushed for 241 yards as a team, with four players accumulating at least 42 yards.

"I think in order to win in the playoffs, you have to run the football and mix in a little bit of the passing game," coach Andy Talley told reporters. "Most importantly, you need to play defense. I think we are well-suited right now with a great defense and a pretty good offense."

Villanova will move on to play eighth-seeded South Dakota State.

New Hampshire 64, Lehigh 21

Dalton Crossan rushed for 184 yards and scored three touchdowns, as New Hampshire used a dominant ground game to earn a 64-21 blowout win over Lehigh.

The Wildcats rushed for 364 yards and six touchdowns, with both Crossan and Trevon Bryant going over the 100-yard mark. Bryant managed 113 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries.

Quarterback Adam Riese threw for three touchdowns and added another on the ground, atoning for a day where he threw three picks. Riese went 18 of 30 passing overall.

New Hampshire will travel to play James Madison next week.

Chattanooga 45, Weber State 14

Derrick Craine rushed for 160 yards and a touchdown as Weber State turned the ball over five times to help Chattanooga cruise to a 45-14 win.

"It's a really good win for us and our program here," Mocs coach Russ Huesman told reporters. "There's so many unknowns when you're playing teams you're not familiar with...I'm really proud of our guys and our football team."

Chattanooga didn't have to do all that much to curtail a sloppy Weber State effort. The Mocs led 24-0 at the half and held a consistent multiscore lead throughout despite most counting stats being similar. Craine and the rushing attack spearheaded the charge, accounting for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Alejandro Bennifield added three total touchdowns of his own, including two passes to Alphonso Stewart.

Central Arkansas 31, Illinois State 24

Antwon Wells scored a four-yard touchdown with 1:28 remaining to cap off a 24-point fourth quarter and give Central Arkansas a come-from-behind 31-24 win over Illinois State.

The Bears trailed 17-7 going into the fourth quarter before going on a 17-point run to take a touchdown lead. Illinois State responded with a Jake Kolbe touchdown pass to Anthony Warrum, but Central Arkansas completed its comeback with a two-play, 43-yard drive running its two-minute offense.

Bears quarterback Hayden Hildebrand threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns against an interception, atoning for a running game that didn't work most of the day. Desmond Smith hauled in both of Hildebrand's touchdowns.

The Bears travel to Eastern Washington next week.

Richmond 39, North Carolina A&T 10

Kevin Johnson threw for 315 yards and a touchdown, and Griffin Trau knocked down all four of his field-goal attempts, leading the way in Richmond's 39-10 win over North Carolina A&T.

Johnson consistently picked up plays in big chunks, averaging 13.7 yards per attempt as A&T struggled to keep contain down the field. 

Richmond showed his touchdown:

Garrett Hudson had a team-high 92 yards on three receptions, and Brian Brown had 75 yards and a score on his three grabs.

Running back Deontez Thompson had 98 yards on 24 carries. 

Richmond travels to North Dakota next week. 

Wofford 15, Charleston 14

Lorenzo Long scored a 32-yard touchdown with 2:32 remaining, and Wofford's defense held on late to give the Terriers a 15-14 win over Charleston on Saturday.

Long finished with 96 yards and two scores on the ground. Wofford won despite gaining only 185 yards of total offense.

Charleston's two interceptions played a pivotal role and allowed the Terriers to stay in the game just long enough to get back in the game.

Wofford travels to the Citadel next week.

Youngstown St. 38, Samford 24

Youngstown State's strong second half in which it scored 28 of its 38 points was enough to outlast Samford and move on to the second round. 

Jody Webb paced the Youngstown offense, rushing for 174 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

In fact, all of Youngstown's touchdowns came on the ground as four-different rushers recorded touchdowns on the game. 

Now it will face No. 3 Jacksonville State, who made the national championship last year. 

San Diego 35, Cal Poly 21

Muddy conditions put a stress on the run game as San Diego visited Cal Poly and it was the visitors who took full advantage. 

San Diego running back Jonah Hodges carried the ball 35 times, racking up 171 yards and three touchdowns. 

His second of the day broke a 14-14 tie in the third quarter while his third made it a two possession game with 2:26 left in the fourth, icing the victory. 

The No. 24 seed's reward for the win is facing the dynastic North Dakota State program that is five-time defending national champions.