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Post by nycrusader2010 on Aug 10, 2023 18:32:52 GMT -5
Interesting thoughts.. What's your prediction? I went 7-8 wins....not an indictment on this team, just that I think we have 2 losses (BC and Army) almost already baked in....a loss to either Harvard or Yale and maybe one other trip up. As I said though, i think a healthy HC 11 come Decembah will be a very strong team in the FCS playoffs. I tend to think along the same lines as you...though I have us at 9-2. Somehow, I have a feeling we beat either BC or Army. I also think we lose an FCS game and I think it could be either in the PL or OOC. I have us making the playoffs either way. I'm not enjoying the "best team in MA" title right pre-season because I think it gives the Eagles some bulletin board material. I DO like the fact that BC hasn't lost to a I-AA team since 1978. Maybe now is the time, we'll see.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Aug 10, 2023 18:37:12 GMT -5
This team is better than last year. Beating a P5 school is always tough. Unless HC is completely beat up they'll beat Army. 10 wins. Top 4 seed. Long playoff run. Army might be better than BC. They're likely a contender to go to a bowl game. They were 6-6 last year with 2 FCS wins, hence no bowl, and capped the year by beating Navy. Not that it matters but the awful 2002 Army squad that we scored a semi-fluky win against at West Point would probably lose to our current team by 17-20 points IMO.
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Post by cruskater31 on Aug 10, 2023 19:38:27 GMT -5
This team is better than last year. Beating a P5 school is always tough. Unless HC is completely beat up they'll beat Army. 10 wins. Top 4 seed. Long playoff run. Army might be better than BC. They're likely a contender to go to a bowl game. They were 6-6 last year with 2 FCS wins, hence no bowl, and capped the year by beating Navy. Not that it matters but the awful 2002 Army squad that we scored a semi-fluky win against at West Point would probably lose to our current team by 17-20 points IMO. i tend to agree! A lot of guys on here are correctly pointing to the new Army offense and question marks about personnel making it happen (O linemen, receivers in particular). I think Army has some incredible athletes and what the line may lack in size they make up in speed and agility. (They have a couple big ol boys but we are bigger). After 9 games, I expect an FBS team to have their s**t figured out. They could be a 5 or 6 win team going in. The AF game out at Mile High could be an emotionally taxing game.
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Post by Crosser on Aug 10, 2023 21:38:50 GMT -5
Breaking down my not-at-all-expert analysis: several Crossporters believe we’ll be better than last year, we were undefeated in the regular season last year, ergo, we’ll be undefeated in the regular season this year.
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Post by bfoley82 on Aug 10, 2023 21:44:57 GMT -5
I mentioned "New England FCS Murderers Row" for our three FCS OOC opponents. We'll see how their seasons turn out, several other NE FCS teams could be good also. But we are up against three established coaches in a relatively transitory profession. Murphy 30 years at Harvard, Reno 12 years at Yale, Curran 9 years at Merrimack. Combine that with HC possibly being their one chance to test themselves against a ranked opponent and none of us can exhale until the final whistle and pointing to midfield. (Refs no longer shoot a starters pistol to signal the end of each quarter.) Pretty sure Harvard and Yale both have a strong Princeton squad on their roster. Holy Cross has one likely FCS ranked team on their schedule in Yale.
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Post by bfoley82 on Aug 10, 2023 21:49:20 GMT -5
Agree That is why I call 8-3 a successful season Balls bounce funny and calls by a crew can go south That said 9-2/10-1 makes sense And the ball bounces a different way last year, they easily could have been 9-2 with the loss to Fordham if the 2 point conversation failed and the Hail Mary win at Buffalo
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Post by efg72 on Aug 10, 2023 22:24:47 GMT -5
You make a fair point
However, you forget that team made its own breaks and won. A made FG at SDSU and you might have witnessed a national championship. At HC you have a winning program, top rated coaching and players committed to excellence and the team concept. Appreciate what you are watching and experiencing
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Post by hcpride on Aug 11, 2023 4:01:48 GMT -5
This team is better than last year. Beating a P5 school is always tough. Unless HC is completely beat up they'll beat Army. 10 wins. Top 4 seed. Long playoff run. Army might be better than BC. They're likely a contender to go to a bowl game. They were 6-6 last year with 2 FCS wins, hence no bowl, and capped the year by beating Navy. Not that it matters but the awful 2002 Army squad that we scored a semi-fluky win against at West Point would probably lose to our current team by 17-20 points IMO. 6-6 with a win over Navy sounds like a pretty nice West Point season but in the context of eyeballing our chances… Army’s 4 FBS wins last year were versus a bad University of Louisiana Monroe, a 2OT win over a poor (lost to Delaware) Navy team, a win over horrendous (1-11) UMass, and UConn. I think their odd (and overall VERY soft) schedule obscured some serious talent issues.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Aug 11, 2023 7:18:11 GMT -5
Army has a pretty brutal schedule regardless. IMO, they will only be favored in 3 games coming into HC (ULM, Delaware St and UMASS). Several P5 opponents (BC, Cuse, LSU) and couple of the best G5 teams in the country (USTA, Troy, AF). A good year for them might be 5 wins. I don’t see them getting to 6-6 and even if they did 2 of those wins would be against FCS opponents so they would need an exception to make a bowl.
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necfbfan
Climbing Mt. St. James
Posts: 78
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Post by necfbfan on Aug 11, 2023 8:13:22 GMT -5
Army has a pretty brutal schedule regardless. IMO, they will only be favored in 3 games coming into HC (ULM, Delaware St and UMASS). Several P5 opponents (BC, Cuse, LSU) and couple of the best G5 teams in the country (USTA, Troy, AF). A good year for them might be 5 wins. I don’t see them getting to 6-6 and even if they did 2 of those wins would be against FCS opponents so they would need an exception to make a bowl. Spot on. Take a look at that schedule and find 6 wins. You can't. Heck, throw Coastal Carolina in their as a tough opponent as well. They lost their coach but they still have McCall at QB, and he's been one of the best G5 qbs in the country for a couple of years now. Then you have a new offensive scheme and facilities that have been substantially damaged by flooding, and I think West Point is in for a REAL tough year. I'm very high on Holy Cross to win that game.Can't see the Army offense hanging with a Sluka-led offense.
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Post by sader1970 on Aug 11, 2023 8:19:09 GMT -5
You make a fair point However, you forget that team made its own breaks and won. A made FG at SDSU and you might have witnessed a national championship. At HC you have a winning program, top rated coaching and players committed to excellence and the team concept. Appreciate what you are watching and experiencing I'll go a step further . . . . I believe in my bones that if my "buddy" Jake Dobbs was not injured after 4 games and was able to play, not only would our wins have been by larger scores but that we would have beaten SDSU and a possible/probable national championship. Having had a VERY brief conversation on the bus at the airport on the way to SDSU game, when I asked him how his arm was, he flexed it multiple times and indicated it was good and I have to assume he did not play in order to save an extra year of eligibility - big picture, not immediate satisfaction. He's better and stronger than last season and smarter having sat on the sidelines with the coaches most of last season. This is the year for Crusader football, the prior seasons/championships were all a preview.
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Post by newfieguy74 on Aug 11, 2023 8:29:54 GMT -5
I see Foley has voted.
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Post by timholycross on Aug 11, 2023 8:48:18 GMT -5
No reason to argue over different generations of performance. It has been thirty years for football and nearly two decades in hoops that we found consistent success. But today is where we are, and what can we do to be even better at whatever level? I am sure this is not a surprise to anybody reading my posts, but in one or two more years of this football success, I am betting we will consider D1 options and not think 1AA is our only future. The world loves winners and great coaches, as do alums and their dollars- HC is not exempt from this mindset, and I know this might disappoint many. I am not sure the PL will survive in the desired form that keeps football whole. Especially if Fordham bolts. According to an influential Fordham grad, Rhodes Scholar, and former Board Member, they constantly explore possibilities to present Fordham as a leader. The world is upside down right now, which creates opportunities for us and similar schools, and we will manage our future in the best way for Holy Cross. Concerning hoops, we are maybe two years away from something much bigger. That program is in great hands! And yes, I have been wrong before, especially about our second effort to join the Big East-- both Big East decisions will go down as the most significantly clumsy decisions in the history of college sports during the second half of the 20th Century. The barn was just open (CAA opportunity) and the horse didn't leave. Nowhere else for them to go that I can see. Coffey is not Fitton, not even McGuirk.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Aug 11, 2023 8:49:05 GMT -5
Good observation. He is just so clever!
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Post by cruskater31 on Aug 11, 2023 9:46:48 GMT -5
I do not remember seeing this posted yet. Stan Becton of NCAA.com wrote his pre-season bracket predictions. Seeds 1.Montana State 2.South Dakota State 3.William & Mary 4.North Dakota State 5.Holy Cross 6.Northern Iowa 7.Samford 8.Idaho Holy Cross finished the 2022 regular season undefeated without All-American linebacker Jacob Dobbs, who missed most of the season due to injury. Dobbs is back, as is one of the best quarterbacks in the FCS, Matthew Sluka. The Crusaders should run away with the Patriot League title as Fordham looks to replace a Walter Payton Award finalist at quarterback. Holy Cross and the winner of the SoCon (Samford in this bracket) also will get a seed this year. I think Holy Cross will be in the conversation for a top-four seed this year with another successful season when the committee considers last year's playoff success. While Samford will grab a seed as the SoCon champ for the second straight year. www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2023-08-02/way-too-early-2023-fcs-playoff-bracket-preseason-predictions
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Post by sader1970 on Aug 11, 2023 10:35:38 GMT -5
If, maybe a big "if," we go undefeated in the regular season, meaning beating 2 FBS teams and beating likely an IL champ again, we had better get a top 4 seed.
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Post by efg72 on Aug 11, 2023 11:43:41 GMT -5
STAN BECTON | NCAA.COM | AUGUST 10, 2023 25 potential FCS-over-FBS upsets in 2023
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE BEATS NORTH DAKOTA STATE FOR 2022 FCS CHAMPIONSHIP SHARE
With over 100 FCS-vs-FBS matchups this fall, there are bound to be upsets. 2022 saw eight FCS-over-FBS upsets, but what teams could be next to pull off an upset in 2023? Here's a look at 25 games that should be on high upset alert.
Week 1 Rhode Island at Georgia State Rhode Island battles Georgia State in one of Week 1's first games on a Thursday night. A motivated Rhode Island team that still feels the pain of an FCS playoff snub will battle a Georgia State team that finished 4-8 in 2022. The Rams have returning starters across the board and could kick off the 2023 season with an upset.
FCS VS FBS: A complete history of every FCS win vs. FBS teams | Every FCS vs. FBS game in 2023
Northern Iowa at Iowa State Northern Iowa vs. an in-state FBS program always has a chance at an upset. In 2023, the Panthers head to Iowa State to battle a Cyclone team that finished 4-8 a year ago. This matchup could bring déjà vu from 2016 when UNI beat Iowa State 25-20.
Idaho at Nevada Idaho has become one of the preseason FCS darlings around the country, led by the reigning Jerry Rice Award winner Gevani McCoy and his top target Hayden Hatten. The Vandals begin Week 1 on the road at a Nevada team that finished 2-10 last year, with one of the losses coming to an FCS opponent. Idaho has the talent to make it two consecutive years of FCS losses for Nevada.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Gevani McCoy's top plays from his freshman season
Bryant at UNLV UNLV finished 5-7 last year and opens the season with Bryant. Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus and the Bulldogs only lost by one point to its season-opening FBS opponent Florida International in 2022, showing Bryant can keep up with FBS competition.
Monmouth at Florida Atlantic Monmouth running back Jaden Shirden finished third in Walter Payton voting last fall after averaging 8.4 yards per carry. FAU ranked in the bottom third of the FBS in run defense in 2022. A big day from Shirden could lead to an upset.
ETSU at Jacksonville State A few years ago, ETSU vs. Jacksonville State would've been a premier FCS matchup. In 2023, Jacksonville State will be in its first year as a full FBS member, giving ETSU a chance at an FBS upset. Could the Buccaneers knock off one of the FBS's newest rookies?
🔮: 2023 FCS playoff bracket preseason predictions
Week 2 Albany at Hawaii Reese Poffenbarger dazzled as a freshman for Albany last year. When he and the Great Danes head to Hawaii in Week 2, they'll have a chance at an upset against an FBS team that went 3-10 last year. If Poffenbarger takes the next step at quarterback, he could stun Hawaii.
Southern Illinois at Northern Illinois Southern Illinois is coming off of a down year, but the Salukis get to play an in-state FBS opponent in Week 2 that finished 3-9, Northern Illinois. Some of the closest FCS-FBS games are between in-state foes. Watch out for a Southern Illinois team that's flown under the radar this offseason.
Morgan State at Akron Damon Wilson enters year two at Morgan State and he has plenty of talent, especially defensively. Having a strong defense is pivotal to pulling off an FBS upset and Morgan State could have a shot against Akron, who went 2-10 last year with the 25th-worst scoring offense in the FBS.
2023 HBCU FOOTBALL: Schedule, scores, rankings and updates
Holy Cross at Boston College Holy Cross stunned Buffalo to land an FBS upset with a Hail Mary in 2022. The Bulls finished 4-8 the year before that Week 2 defeat. Boston College finished 3-9 last year — worse than Buffalo — and also plays Holy Cross in Week 2 of 2023. This matchup has the makings of a second FBS upset in as many years for Holy Cross.
New Hampshire at Central Michigan New Hampshire won a share of the CAA last year while Central Michigan finished 4-8. This is a classic matchup between a good FCS team and a middling FBS team that could be primed for an upset.
Florida A&M at South Florida South Florida finished 1-11 last year and will play SWAC East favorite Florida A&M in its second game in 2023. When the Bulls and Rattlers played in 2021, the teams tied 14-14 in second-half scoring. While South Florida won that game 38-17, 2023 could be a different story against an improved Florida A&M team.
TOP PLAYERS: 46 players to know for the 46th season of FCS football
Week 3 Idaho at Cal Idaho's second shot at an FBS upset will come in Week 3. The Vandals will play a Cal team that finished 4-8 last year and has dealt with the turmoil of conference realignment during the offseason. Idaho could have a shot at pulling off two FBS upsets in one year.
Sacramento State at Stanford This Week 3 FCS-FBS matchup is interesting because Stanford's new head coach, Troy Taylor, coached at Sacramento State last year. Could Sacramento State beat its former head coach early in his FBS career?
Samford at Auburn Samford has the best quarterback in the FCS in Michael Hiers and a loaded team that was the No. 6 seed in the FCS playoffs in 2022. Meanwhile, in-state foe Auburn is coming off a 5-7 season and bringing in a new head coach and quarterback this fall. This matchup between a good FCS team and a bad SEC team has all the makings of an upset.
QB1: The top 10 returning FCS quarterbacks in 2023
Week 5 Utah Tech at Colorado State Colorado State has lost to FCS opponents in each of the last two seasons. In 2022, the Rams finished 3-9. Utah Tech didn't finish any better last year at 4-7, but given Colorado State's recent history, there's a chance of an upset here.
ROOKIE COACHES: 6 FCS coaches primed for success in year one
Week 6 William & Mary at Virginia William & Mary is projected to be one of the best teams in the FCS in 2023 after winning the CAA and advancing to the FCS quarterfinals last year. When they play a 3-7 Virginia team in Week 6, the Tribe should have shaken off any early season rust with a chance at an in-state FBS win.
Howard at Northwestern Northwestern has had a lot of turmoil this offseason after finishing 1-11 a year ago. They'll play a rising Howard team that finished as MEAC co-champs last year. The Bison will have the benefit of this Week 6 matchup being their second FBS game giving them experience against an opponent from a higher level. Before the Bison play Northwestern, they'll play a Robert Morris team that won ZERO games in 2022. That's a combined one win between Howard's Week 5 and 6 opponents. That could have the Bison primed for an FBS upset for the first time since 2017.
HBCU: 2023 preseason HBCU football power rankings
Week 10 Merrimack at UMass UMass didn't lose to an FCS opponent in last year's 1-11 season, but it lost two FCS games in 2021. Merrimack finished one game away from a conference title in 2022 and should be functioning at a high level late in the season entering this Week 10 FBS game.
MORE: 'Prime Time' is over as coach T.C. Taylor leads Jackson State into a new era
Week 11 Holy Cross at Army Holy Cross will have a second shot at an FBS win in Week 11 against Army. Army finished 6-6 in 2022 and will face the Crusaders after what figures to be a highly emotional game against Air Force. This could be a trap game where Holy Cross pulls off the upset.
TRANSFER PORTAL: Here's what you might have missed from the FCS transfer portal
Potential ranked upsets There have been six FCS upsets over ranked FBS teams all-time. Here's a look at some potential ranked upsets in 2023. Of course, the AP poll hasn't been released yet, so the rankings listed are using the FBS Coaches' Poll, or projecting a potential ranked team.
Mercer at No. 22 Ole Miss | Week 1 Southeast Missouri State at No. 17 Kansas State | Week 1 Austin Peay at No. 10 Tennessee | Week 2 UC Davis at No. 18 Oregon State | Week 2 Furman at South Carolina | Week 2 MAKING AN UPSET: The 7-step FCS blueprint to beating a ranked FBS team
All five FCS teams listed as potential ranked FBS upset threats have one thing in common: they'll be in the FCS playoff hunt late into the season. That means these teams will be very good FCS teams, possibly being ranked themselves entering these FBS matchups.
🏈 LATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS 🏈
SDSU gatorade bath celebration 📊 POLLS: FCS Coaches | Stats Perform Top 25 💥MORE: Standings | Scoreboard | FCS-FBS upsets 🔥 HBCU: Live updates from the 2023 season 🥇 AWARDS: Walter Payton Award | Buck Buchanan Award | Jerry Rice Award 😤 RIVALRY: Dakota Marker | Brawl of the Wild | Bayou Classic | Florida Classic | The Game | The Rivalry 👀 HISTORY: Most national titles | Winningest teams | Most unbreakable FCS records | Biggest stadiums | Longest OT games
Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as an FCS, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men's Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the 2022 College Football Playoff's Peach Bowl and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
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Post by efg72 on Aug 11, 2023 12:10:42 GMT -5
Not sure where to post this, but given it is game #2 I am placing it here
Kevin Stone
Share2M AGO FOOTBALL 10 Things We'll Be Keeping An Eye On During Sunday's Scrimmage
Kevin Stone • EagleAction Staff Writer @kstone06 Sunday's a big day for BC with the first live scrimmage scheduled and it sounds like we (the media) may actually get to see it. There will undoubtedly be restrictions on what we can and can't report, but here's 10 things I'll have a close eye on...
1. QB Thomas Castellanos
Coach Hafley spoke very highly of him the other day and in a live game setting it'll be interesting to see how he handles a non-scripted situation. This is going to be the closest thing to a "preseason" game there is in college and the Eagles will probably have one more before Week1. How well does he get the team in and out of the huddle? Does he panic when pressured? Arm strength relative to Morehead? Looking forward to seeing what he can do.
2. The entire offensive line
Obviously. Whole lot of talk about getting the run game going throughout the spring, getting nastier and the overall experience being a plus. Well, again, the defense will be throwing things at them in a live setting they probably haven't seen yet, how's the communication? Is Morehead having to roll out constantly? They go as that unit goes.
3. Running game
Sort of the same thing, but man do I want to see those guys up front just try and maul the D-line. It won't be easy considering some of the big bodies this team has up front, but if they're going to be the team they think they are, I expect to see Garwo and Broome in the end zone at least once each and getting steady touches.
4. Secondary
Haf's speciality. He said on Wednesday (Tuesday? It all blends together already) that guys like John Pupel and Alex Washington have been impressive so far along with freshmen and of course, Elijah Jones. That's probably the unit with the most competition, so I really just want to see who's in when or if it's a legitimate constant rotation.
5. Kicking competition
1B if the secondary competition is 1A in terms as true question marks right now. Liam Connor may have the inside track to beating out Connor Lytton right now, but it's still up in the air. Sam Stone is in the mix too, curious if one guy gets more kickoff looks than any other or if it's a fair distribution of opportunities among all of them.
6. The Ryan O'Keefe Show
Honestly, he can just run in a straight line without even getting a look and I'll be happy. I just want to see what all the noise is about. Youtube vids are one thing, in-person is another. Kick and punt return will be fascinating too. A lot of guys have fielded punts in the early portion of practices, so there's definitely multiple options aside from O'Keefe.
7. Defensive line and linebackers
Probably the LB's more so than the D-line, just because I think we know Ezeiruaku, Sillah, Okpala, Banks and Horley are more than capable of holding up their end of the bargain when healthy. DePalma, Arnold and Steele could make a formidable unit, again assuming full health. I have a feeling McGowan makes the leap this season and is sort of in that "top tier" but there's a lot of bodies in that room we just don't know a ton about.
8. Sideline operation
Who's talking to who and when? Who's Morehead talking to most on the sideline after a drive? Any issues with delay of games and false start or offside penalties? Clean operations mean organization and strong communication. It's only a scrimmage but with so many moving parts with the staff on both sides, ideally it's smooth sailing, but there's bound to be some hiccups in the first live action.
9. Young guys
How many freshmen can actually make an impact this year? Hafley continues to tell us that extra time at the end of practice is being carved out for freshman to showcase what they can do in 7-on-7 and other live situations, well, who stands out? I still think Griffin and Skeete are the most likely young guys to make an impact right away and Haf just said that both have already been rotating in with the ones. But, who else?
10. Tight ends
This pretty much could have just been "George Takacs" but having stood and watched them work the sled the other day at practice, I'm now more interested in seeing how they look as run blockers. There are some large humans in that group that could have a significant say in just how good this run game can be again. As far as Takacs I still think he could be a massive red zone weapon for this team, health is just the biggest question right now.
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Post by efg72 on Aug 12, 2023 18:59:11 GMT -5
Fear The FCS Home FCS Conferences and Teams FCS Over FBS Wins News Previews & Recaps Shop About Fear The FCS
10 FCS Versus FBS Games We Are Looking Forward to Watching for the 2023 Season August 12, 2023 by Fear The FCS The 2023 college football season will feature 118 FCS versus FBS games, which means many potentially exciting matchups. As done in 2021 and 2022, we will provide our list of ten (or so) FCS-FBS games we look forward to watching this season.
As a friendly reminder, this list is not solely comprised of the best FCS-FBS matchups or the most likely FCS over FBS wins this year. These are only the games we want to see, and they will naturally have some crossover with potential FCS over FBS wins. This year’s list will rank the games in reverse order from 10 to 1, which maintains the same format from last year’s edition of this article. We’ve also provided a table below summarizing the games and links for each one.
Show entriesSearch: Rank FCS Team FBS Opponent(s) Date 10 Kennesaw State Sam Houston State November 4 9 Western Illinois Eastern Illinois Southern Illinois New Mexico State Bowling Green Northern Illinois September 2 September 9 September 9 8 Northwestern State Louisiana Louisiana Tech September 2 September 9 7 Rhode Island Georgia State August 31 6 Incarnate Word UTEP September 2 5 Tennessee State Notre Dame September 2 4 Texas A&M-Commerce Merrimack Sacred Heart Old Dominion Massachusetts Connecticut September 23 November 4 November 18 3 Idaho Nevada September 9 2 New Hampshire Central Michigan September 9 1 Holy Cross Boston College Army September 9 November 11 Showing 1 to 10 of 10 entriesPreviousNext 10. Kennesaw State at Sam Houston State – November 4
The list starts with a sentimental send-off for two well-known FCS schools. Kennesaw State will play its final FCS-FBS game when it travels to the newly FBS-minted Sam Houston State. The Owls will play as an FCS independent for 2023 and are headed to Conference USA in 2024 to join former FCS teams Sam Houston State and Jacksonville State. This game is a rematch of the 2017 FCS Quarterfinal won by the Bearkats 34-27 and the Owls can exact a measure of revenge in its final game as the FCS side in the FCS-FBS matchup.
9. Directional Illinois Schools at FBS Opponents – Multiple Dates
Our first “bonus” entry is three games for the price of one. We’ll start with the earliest one – Western Illinois at New Mexico State on September 2. Normally, this game wouldn’t be included with WIU coming off an 0-11 season in 2022 but this is the final year the Leathernecks will play in the MVFC. They will join the OVC for football in 2024 and this is a chance to make some noise before doing so. On top of that, NMSU has had some close calls with FCS teams over the last five years including two one-possession wins (Utah Tech in 2020-21 and South Carolina State in 2022) and a 43-17 loss to Tarleton State (2020-21 season).
The other two games to watch are Eastern Illinois at Bowling Green and Southern Illinois at Northern Illinois on September 9. No FBS conference has more losses to FCS teams than the MAC (FBS independents are not included). Despite going 2-9 last year, EIU came within a touchdown of beating Northern Illinois (34-27) and will face a Bowling Green team that lost to Eastern Kentucky 59-57 last season. EIU’s game at Bowling Green is winnable because the Falcons struggled on both sides of the ball in 2022 and the Panther should improve under second-year head coach Chris Wilkerson.
Southern Illinois probably has the best chance of the three schools to pull off the win. The aforementioned EIU-NIU game was separated by only 7 points and SIU is a better squad than the Panthers were last year. NIU ended up going 3-9 last season while SIU went 5-6 but the expectations are higher with Nic Baker returning at QB. Oh, and Southern Illinois defeated Northwestern 31-24 in 2022 making this a prime spot for more Saluki magic.
8. Northwestern State at Louisiana – September 2; at Louisiana Tech September 9
No team has played more FBS opponents according to our data than Northwestern State. The Demons will add to their total of 72 – two more than Indiana State at 70, which is also playing two FBS opponents this year. NSU will open the season with two in-state opponents: Louisiana and Louisiana Tech. While the Demons aren’t expected to win either game, 2023 feels like a big season for the program and head coach Brad Laird. Laird is entering his 6th season at the helm and has yet to produce a winning record but there are some reasons for optimism this season. NSU is coming off its best conference finish under Laird (4-2 in the Southland and 3rd in the standings) and both coordinators are entering their second seasons meaning players should be more familiar with the systems. Will that translate into wins? We’ll see but the first two games against FBS competition might show a glimpse if they’ll be contending for the Southland or facing another losing campaign.
7. Rhode Island at Georgia State – August 31
Rhode Island hasn’t reached the FCS Playoffs since 1985 and is coming off back-to-back 7-4 seasons in 2021 and 2022. Is this the year they finally break a nearly four decades long drought? Quite possibly with Kasim Hill back again for his 7th year of eligibility. Hill has led the Rams the last two seasons with 4,762 yards, 37 passing touchdowns, and 13 rushing touchdowns. Hill will be throwing against a Georgia State defense that was in the bottom half of passing defense in 2022 and has a new defensive coordinator in Chad Staggs. A win over Georgia State to start the 2023 season would go a long way for the Rams although as we’ve seen in the past, it’s far from a guarantee it will be the deciding factor if they’re on the playoff bubble.
6. Incarnate Word at UTEP – September 2
This game lands on the list solely because we don’t know what to expect from Incarnate Word. 2022 was a phenomenal season with the Cardinals reaching the FCS Semifinals but coming up just short in a 35-32 loss to North Dakota State at the Fargodome. Last year’s offense put up 51 points and 581 yards of offense per game but this year’s version will look completely different after head coach G.J. Kinne left to coach Texas State and tons of talent graduated. The offense will need to replace Lindsey Scott (4,686 yards and 60 TDs passing; 712 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing), Marcus Cooper (1,436 yards and 12 TDs rushing), and the top two receivers Darion Chafin and Taylor Grimes (combined 153 catches for 2,465 yards and 33 TDs). Did we say the offense lost some significant pieces?
The game against UTEP is the first of the season for Incarnate Word but the second for the Miners. That extra game for UTEP combined with the reshuffling of UIW’s offense makes this a tougher task than last year. Nevertheless, the Cardinals are still highly regarded this year with the Southland Conference preseason poll pegging them 2nd right behind Southeastern Louisiana.
5. Tennessee State at Notre Dame – September 2
Last year, we were looking forward to Southern’s trip to LSU on September 10 because it represented an HBCU program playing a Power 5 team. While Southern was thoroughly dispatched 65-17, it was great to see a program with great tradition play in Baton Rouge. This year, it’s a different HBCU playing in a historic place: Tennessee State will play at Notre Dame Stadium. The contest will mark the first FCS opponent for Notre Dame in program history. The Tigers have played four Power 5 teams in the past (Mississippi State once and Vanderbilt three times) but none of those come close to the atmosphere they will see in South Bend. Maybe Eddie George can give some pointers from his Ohio State playing days about playing in front of large crowds. We hope to see more of these types of games going forward.
4. First FCS-FBS Games – Multiple Dates
Three FCS teams will play their first FBS opponent in 2023. Texas A&M-Commerce will play at Old Dominion on September 23, Merrimack will play at Massachusetts on November 4, and Sacred Heart play at Connecticut on November 18. All three could be tough outs too as Old Dominion is coming off a 3-9 season while Texas A&M-Commerce was 5-6 in its first FCS season. Merrimack has the best chance of the three because UMass has faced an eternal struggle since it left the FCS in 2012. Merrimack is coming off an 8-3 campaign and has key starters returning at most skill positions only gives them an even better chance against the Minutemen. Sacred Heart had a down year in 2022 with a 5-6 record and they’re facing an improved UConn program under Jim Mora. Two advantages for Sacred Heart are the Huskies are the last opponent of the regular season and SHU has a bye week before the game giving them extra time to prepare. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a win or two from this group of teams.
3. Idaho at Nevada – September 9
The final three games all feature a common theme: high expectations for the 2023 season, including the games versus FBS teams. For Idaho, they went from 4-7 in 2021 to 7-5 and an FCS Playoff berth in 2022 and that was with first-year head coach Jason Eck. Combine the improvement expected in year two with all the offensive firepower returning in the form of QB Gevani McCoy (2,719 yards and 27 TDs passing), RB Anthony Woods (872 yards and 3 TDs rushing), and wideouts Hayden Hatten (1,209 yards and 16 TDs receiving) and Jermaine Jackson (1,409 yards and 5 TDs). It’s no surprise they’re near the top of the FCS preseason polls. That powerful offense will go up against a 2-10 Nevada team that was shredded by Incarnate Word last season. We’re looking forward to a good game between these two and a serious chance for Idaho to claim its first FCS over FBS since 1994.
2. New Hampshire at Central Michigan – September 9
In 2022, New Hampshire returned to the playoffs for the first time in 5 years as an at-large team. They started with a 52-42 first-round win at home against Fordham but couldn’t get past the #7 national seed Holy Cross in the second round (35-19 loss). This season they return QB Max Brosmer (3,154 yards and 27 TDs passing), RB Dylan Laube (1,205 yards and 15 TDs rushing), the top three receivers from 2022, and the defensive line duo of Dylan Ruiz (12 sacks) and Josiah Silver (8.5 sacks). As a whole, 19 starters are back and 2023 will be the second season with Rick Santos as head coach with the schemes should be fully entrenched.
What makes this game more interesting is that Central Michigan is coming off a 4-8 season and the CMU offense has a lot of work to do with only four starters back from a team that averaged 24.8 points and 367 yards per game. On top of that, CAA teams have played Central Michigan four times since 2013 and have an average margin of defeat in the single digits (9 points). One of those games? New Hampshire’s 3-point 24-21 loss in 2013. This year’s New Hampshire squad looks poised to upset the Chippewas and make a run in the FCS Playoffs.
1. Holy Cross at Boston College – September 9; at Army on November 11
It’s a recurring theme in this article but it’s been true every time: expectations are high for Holy Cross. The 2022 season was one of the best in school history as the Crusaders went 12-1 and made it to the FCS Quarterfinals for the second time in school history (the other being 1983 when only 12 teams were selected to the bracket). They lost to the eventual FCS National Champions South Dakota State 49-21 but the electric Matthew Sluka is back. Sluka threw for 2,489 yards with 26 touchdowns against only 4 interceptions but his legs were just as crucial with 1,234 yards and 11 TDs on the ground. The game against Boston College is in a tough spot between Merrimack at home (NEC runner-p in 2022) and Yale on the road (Ivy League Champs in 2022). The game at BC is a matchup of two historic rivals but the first since 2018 when BC won 62-14. It will be intriguing to see how Sluka fares against a defense that allowed 30 points per game last year.
The other Holy Cross vs. FBS game is at Army. The two schools haven’t met since 2002 when Holy Cross won 30-21. This year will feature a decent shot a pulling an upset as Army provided a few angles: Sluka being as good or better than last year, Army’s offense struggling in a new scheme that moves it away from the option, and when the game is played. The last one is crucial because Army will play in Denver against Air Force the week before Holy Cross comes to town. We expect Holy Cross to give Army a big fight and a win over an FBS school for the third straight season is well within reach for the Crusaders.
Photo courtesy of Idaho Athletics
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Post by efg72 on Aug 13, 2023 11:31:42 GMT -5
Kevin Stone • EagleAction Staff Writer @kstone06 CHESTNUT HILL - BC had its first scrimmage on Sunday inside Fish Field House. Originally planned for Alumni Stadium, but after rain came in on Saturday night the new turf was quite slick. So, instead of taking any chances with injuries on the field, the decision was made to move it indoors.
Families and members of the Gridiron Club were lined up on the far sideline to get a peak at how the 2023 Eagles look. Media was allowed to watch the opening stretching and indy periods, and then were invited back in for about the last 30-35 minutes of action.
Here's what I saw...
-Pat Garwo was running hard, putting his shoulder down and churning out some extra yardage seemingly every time he touched the ball.
-You can see why Coach Hafley spoke so highly of John Pupel the other day. Pupel moves very fluently back there and looks like he can be a playmaker. Same thing with Victor Nelson.
-Saw Khris Banks get a sack during some 11-on-11, flying in and getting to Thomas Castellanos nearly untouched. It's a commentary on his development as a player more than it is about the O-line, don't worry.
-Sophomore running back Cam Barfield is an intriguing player. In the few touches I saw him get, he was extremely shifty and can make guys miss. Overall, the running game as a whole did look much better, especially one's v. one's.
-The first scrimmage is about getting operational things down like getting play calls in quick enough and not committing penalties. With the one's in (from what we saw) it was smooth, but there were a couple false starts with Castellanos under center. Coach Shimko and Coach Aazaar both spoke after it and both thought the operation amongst the staff was pretty good for the first time without a script.
-Very much a competition up front for two spots aside from Kendall, Trapillo and Mahogany. Rotation and each guy looks like he can make an impact.
-In red zone work Alex Broome had two nice back cuts to earn some extra yardage. The running back room can really be a difference maker this year if everyone's healthy and contributing. There's some real talent there.
-With .freshman Jacobe Robinson in at one point, Lewis Bond had a great grab on a quick out. At this same time, Emmett Morehead and and the top O-line unit were off to the side talking details and protection.
-Coach Hafley has stressed the competition factor with the kickers and it was a pretty ugly period for those guys. Connor Lytton was held out of practice for the day, so it was Liam Connor and Sam Stone. Each guy got two attempts from 34 yards out on the left and right hashes and all four kicks were missed and none were really that close. There's a very good chance this team doesn't know who the kicker is for NIU until days before.
-Two minute situational work to end practice. Hafley put the ball on the plus-34 with 33 seconds left, no timeouts and the team was down seven. Morehead's drive went incompletion to Joe Griffin (drop), crosser to Bond, Incomplete on a fade to the back left corner to Jaden Williams (overthrow), snap over Morehead's head. BC loses. Castellanos went crosser to Bond and then threw a TD to a wide open Jaedn Skeete in the back left corner from about 20 yards out.
-The "three's" ran a little bit of 7-on-7 to wrap things up while the D-line was on the other end of the field with Coach Vince getting more work in. The biggest play of the day (that we saw) came when Robinson lofted a ball down the right sideline to classmate Reed Harris, who Moss'd the defender (couldn't see who it was) to haul it in, earning a huge roar from the offensive sideline
BC will scrimmage again next Sunday (hopefully) inside Alumni. With just three weeks left until the season opener, it definitely looks better from a pass pro and overall operational standpoint, but the ones were a little sloppy on Sunday. Still plenty of time to clean that up though and Hafley said they'll start zoning in on NIU after the week of practice next week.
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Post by drjack on Aug 13, 2023 14:12:09 GMT -5
Fwiw, I have a friend who works in the athletic department at BC and he's been saying for a few weeks now "don't believe what the reporters are saying, our team looks bad"
Hopefully he's more correct than Stone
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Post by HC92 on Aug 13, 2023 15:15:36 GMT -5
Agree That is why I call 8-3 a successful season Balls bounce funny and calls by a crew can go south That said 9-2/10-1 makes sense And the ball bounces a different way last year, they easily could have been 9-2 with the loss to Fordham if the 2 point conversation failed and the Hail Mary win at Buffalo True. That’s why I prefer the total domination approach we saw in the UNH game.
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Post by HC92 on Aug 13, 2023 15:17:05 GMT -5
Fwiw, I have a friend who works in the athletic department at BC and he's been saying for a few weeks now "don't believe what the reporters are saying, our team looks bad" Hopefully he's more correct than Stone It’s easy to look good playing against yourselves. We’ll have a much better sense of what the Beagles are after Week 1.
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 13, 2023 16:34:40 GMT -5
An HC win would be more impressive if BC is 1-0 but more likely if they are 0-1. BC's motivation to not go 0-2, to avoid losing to an FCS team and to avoid losing to Holy Cross forcing them to hear about it from their bosses throughout their future careers, can't overcome 365 days a year of superior coaching and positive attitude in the HC FB Program.
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Post by cruskater31 on Aug 15, 2023 13:07:03 GMT -5
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