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FCS Week 0 Recap: Chaos Reigns
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- FCS Week 0 Recap: Chaos Reigns
The first weekend of FCS action has come to a close and what a weekend it was. Week 0 was one the most drama-filled single slates of football that fans in the subdivision saw in quite sometime… maybe ever for an opening weekend. From crazy comebacks to surprising upsets, the first three days had it all. Here's what went down around the country to get 2026 off and running:
West Florida Stuns Southern Illinois in DI Debut
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West Florida was one of two programs to begin thier FCS journeys over the weekend and to say they sarted with a bang would be an understatement. Despite being a three-score underdog to #16 Southern Illinois going in on Thursday evening, the Argonauts found a way to pull off one of the biggest wins in school history. The Argos defense took the ball away four times and the offense survived three turnovers of their own to come out on the right side of a 34-31 thriller. Ty'Ray Davis accounted for 197 yards and tossed a pair of touchdowns. The Salukis suffered a big blow when their star QB D.J. Williams had to exit early with an injury. He would not return and it was backup Jake Curry who stepped in in his place. Curry threw three interceptions including the game-sealing one to David Law-Mortimer. The win is a historic one for a UWF program that just made the jump from Division II as they prep for their UAC opener with Central Arkansas next weekend. SIU is waiting to hear how long Williams will be out as they gear up for a date with Samford.
Delaware State Gets Statement win over Stony Brook
DeSean Jackson's success in his first season leading Delaware State last year was clearly not a fluke. The Hornets followed up their 8-4 run with an eye-opening victory over Stony Brook on Thursday. DSU got a big night from receiver Jaylen Trerzado who hauled in six passes for 149 yards and a score. The Seawolves have been a dark horse playoff pick out of the CAA by some and hung around all night. A late touchdown run from running back Sean Weston Jr, however, propelled Jackson's team to a huge non-conference win. Now 1-0 with a notable victory under their collective belt, Delaware State will aim for another as they take on William & Mary next Saturday.
Pioneer League Repeatedly Stubs Toe Against Lower-Level Opponents
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For that went well for the FCS over the weekend, the one blotch on the whole thing was the Pioneer League. The conference's futility showed through badly as three of its members lost to non-Division I opponents. It all started on Thursday night when Morehead State fell to DII Ohio Dominican in triple overtime. Despite the fact that two different Ealges receivers went for over 100 yards and that quarterback David Parsons threw for 463 yards and four touchdowns, MSU could not seal the deal.
Davidson also suffered a similar fate against Concord. In a game that was nip and tuck throughout, the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs with 45 seconds left to end up on the wrong side of a 41-35 defeat. Casey Bullock led the team in passing (241 yards) and rushing (81 yards) but also had a costly interception. Brodey Berg fumbled once and the defense gave up nearly 500 total yards to the Mountain Lions.
Perhaps the most daming of the PFL's losses, though, was the one that three-time defending league champion Drake had. The Bulldogs played host to South Dakota Mines and it did not go well. The offense was entirely one-dimensional in the 38-35 loss. Drake got a whopping 535 passing yards from Riley Warzynksi but only managed a measly 24 on the ground as a team. The Hardrockers matched the Bulldogs blow for blow until a late TD run from Dawson Dunbar put them on top. Warzynski then proceeded to pick a bad time to throw his only interception of the game, sealing his team's fate.
Even some of the Pioneer wins weren't impressive. St. Thomas needed everything it had to survive Winona State 15-9 and Presbyterian, who was last season's darling from the conference, gave up 37 points to Virginia-Wise. Butler also trailed Georgetown (KY) at halftime and had to hold on for dear life for a four-point win. All around it was an ugly showing from the PFL pretty much top to bottom.
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Houston Christian Picks up Massive Southland Upset over Southeastern Louisiana
HCU got what might end up being a program-defining win on Thursday when it toppled #19 Southeastern Louisina on the road in Hammond. The Lions, who were a playoff team in 2025, fell flat after jumping out to a 7-0 lead. The Huskies piled on 17 points in the second quarter and 14 more in the third, enough to stave off a comeback attempt and win 34-28. HCU won just two games last season and only one in conference play. Now already 1-0 in the Southland, though, there's suddenly some real reason for optimism around the program which has never really been able to find its footing. Southeastern Louisiana, meanwhile, has plenty to work on. The Lions fumbled the ball six times, losing it twice, and allowed eight third down conversions on the night. SLU shockingly falls to 0-1 and has two FBS games against the likes of South Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe over the month of September.
Cal Poly, Weber State and William & Mary Win in Final Seconds
Three of the best games of the entire weekend all went down on Friday night. It started with William & Mary's avalanche comeback against #8 Villanova. Despite trailing by ten with only 53 seconds left, the Tribe scored 13 unanswered points to topple the Wildcats in their innaugural Patriot League contest. It took a recovered onside kick and an interception from 'Nova signal-caller Pat McQuaide (who didn't even know he'd be playing until hours before amid his eligibility uncertanties) among a whole bunch of other things for Mike London's team to secure the upset. Freshman defensive back Cade Ellis nabbed two picks, the second of which came with just five seconds left. Kicker Max Lipinski nailed the 45-yard field goal and that was that. William & Mary is now 1-0 in league play and could soon be headed for the Top 25. Villanova, meanwhile, is 0-1 and left with one of the biggest collapses the FCS has seen in a while.
The Big Sky took over shortly after the Tribe's big win and they delivered two heartstoppers as well. Weber State, playing its first game under new head coach Eric Kjar, pulled out a road win over Northern Coloraod. The Wildcats led for much of the game but could never completely pull away. The Bears rallied with 16 points in the fourth quarter and, on their final drive, marched 80 yards in 15 plays to apparently tie the game when quarterback Kenny Lueth hit receiver Trey Olsen for the apparent game-tying touchdown with just three seconds left. The extra point attempt, however, came off Benson Ashley's foot low and was blocked at the line, preserving the win for Weber State. The Wildcats move to 1-0 in and UNC falls to 0-1.
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The Big Sky drama also found its way to San Luis Obispo in the late window. On the same night that Cal Poly honored the late John Madden and showed off thier new state-of-the-art facilities and got the ESPN treatment, the Mustangs delivered a victory for the ages over Idaho. Signal caller Anthony Grigsby Jr. proved why he won the starting job and threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns. His last score, though, was the one that will be etched in the minds of Mustang fans for a good long time. Down three with only seconds remaining, Grigsby uncorked a fourth and eight deep ball to receiver Tayvion McCoy in the end zone. McCoy came down with it and sealed the improbable win over the Vandals, Cal Poly's first in its history.
UC Davis, Montana Survive Upset-Minded Conference Foes
It took a furious second-half comeback but #6 UC Davis avoided what would have been a monster upset in the Rose City on Saturday afternoon. The Aggies were sluggish from the start, falling behind 21-0 heading into the locker room. PSU's defense was frustrating quarterback Treynor Cleeland who was making his first career start under center. Tim Plough and company made the necessary adjustments, though, and a whole different UC Davis team came out in the second half. Cleeland looked a lot more comfortable, completing big pass after big pass. Receiver Samuel Gbatu Jr. was on the receiving end of eight of those throws and went for 107 yards and a score. Cleeland finished his day with 22 completions and 287 yards through the air. The Aggies, after trailing all day, tied the game with just over two minutes to go and then sealed the 31-24 win with 45 seconds left on the clock. Despite the loss, it was an impressive first showing for new Vikings head coach Chris Fisk.
Another Big Sky coach making his debut was Montana's Bobby Kennedy on Saturday night and it was one that he had to fight tooth and nail through to get his first win. Southern Utah never went away and frustrated the Grizzlies for most of the evening. The Thunderbirds picked off UM quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat on the very first play of the game and, save for a few big explosive plays, held Montana's offense in check relatively well. SUU also ran for 259 yards against the Griz defense. When all was said and done, though, Ah Yat and Eli Gillman willed their team to a slim 28-21 victory. Gillman toted the ball 13 times and scored on his first touch while Ah Yat completed 15 passes for 254 through the air and a pair of touchdowns. It did not come easy but the Kennedy era is off to a 1-0 start in Missoula.
