Week 5 FCS Review

There were no FCS over FBS upsets in Week 5 of the college football season as the only FCS team that played an FBS power was Murray State. The Racers were easily dispatched by Lamar Jackson and Louisville in a 55-10 rout.

That doesn’t mean there still wasn’t plenty of action to follow on Saturday. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest games of yesterday.

James Madison 20, Delaware 10

The Blue Hens gave the Dukes the toughest test they have faced all season. James Madison’s Bryan Schor was unable to move the ball through the air, ending the day with less than 100 passing yards and an interception. With Schor limited, the Dukes had to rely on Trai Sharp to carry the load on the ground. Sharp ran well, but will be feeling it today after being asked to run the ball 36 times against this Delaware defense.

Although James Madison won on the stat sheet and held Delaware’s offense to just 229 total yards, the Blue Hens could have won if a call had gone their way. They were up 10-7 in the second quarter when it was ruled that Joe Walker’s pass to Kareem Williams was a lateral and James Madison picked it up and ran it in for six.

South Dakota 38, Western Illinois 33

This was nearly an all-time comeback. The Coyotes dominated the Leathernecks through the first 40 minutes of the game, with Clint Streveler continuing to impress in leading South Dakota to a 38-6 lead.

However, South Dakota took its foot off the gas pedal too soon and allowed Western Illinois to pass its way back into it. Wide receiver Jaelon Acklin had a game for the record books, catching 19 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon.

The comeback bid came up short after Sean McGuire was picked off in the final minute, but Western Illinois showed why it came into this game ranked.

Central Arkansas 41, Sam Houston State 30

What a big win this was for the Bears. Central Arkansas is now the frontrunner to win the Southland Conference thanks to some big plays from quarterback Hayden Hildebrand and running back Kierre Crossley. Crossley averaged 8.6 yards per carry, while Hildebrand averaged 11.8 yards per pass.

It was an off night for Jeremiah Briscoe. He had a 300-yard game, but only completed 44 percent of his passes in the loss.

Youngstown State 19, South Dakota State 7

Bo Pelini got exactly what he wanted from his Penguins in this one. This game wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate though as Youngstown State controlled the ball for over 45 minutes, ran 86 plays compared to 37 for South Dakota State, and doubled up the Jackrabbits in terms of yardage.

It was an extremely impressive game from Youngstown State, who has now given up just 16 points in its three games against FCS opponents. Next week, the Penguins will take on Clint Streveler and South Dakota in what is sure to be a game between Top 10 teams.