Welcome to the FCS Football Talk podcast.
On this episode, Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell discuss:
-Week 5 Three Game Balls and A Flag
-Which team had the most impressive win in Week 5?
-Week 6 previews
No. 7 North Dakota at No. 2 NDSU
No. 18 Illinois State at No. 19 SIU
No. 5 Central Arkansas at No. 16 ACU
No. 25 NAU at No. 10 Idaho
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3 Game Balls and a Flag
Each week of the 2024 FCS football season, the FCS Football Talk podcast will award three game balls and a flag from the previous weekend’s action.
The game balls are awarded to three standout teams or individual players, while the flag is thrown after a disappointing performance or questionable coaching decision.
Below are the three game balls and a flag from Week 5.
Zach’s 3 Game Balls And A Flag
- Game Ball: Northern Arizona
- The Lumberjacks stunned No. 10 Sacramento State in a 34-16 upset victory
- Northern Arizona’s highest-ranked win since 2018
- It is the first time NAU has won its first two home games of the season since 2019
- Northern Arizona’s defense was the key in this victory, holding the Hornets to only 231 total yards
- The Lumberjacks forced three key turnovers, including an 8-yard fumble return by Ammon Allen
- The other two turnovers led to 14 points on two one-play scoring drives
- Sacramento State struggled to run the ball, finishing the game with 51 rushing yards on only 2.4 yards per carry
- Alex McLaughlin: 9 total tackles, two TFLs, two sacks, one forced fumble
- The Lumberjacks were efficient offensively, recording 360 total yards and over 6.0 yards per play
- Ty Pennington: 22-of-27 for 275 passing yards and two passing touchdowns
- Wide receivers Bryzai White and Tay Lanier combined for 13 receptions for 157 receiving yards and two touchdowns
- Game Ball: Mercer’s Defense
- Mercer defeated No. 23 Wofford for their second win over a ranked opponent this season
- It is the best start in program history (51 Seasons; 5-0)
- Everything starts with Mercer’s defense, which has established itself as the best defense in the nation
- The Bears held Wofford to 146 total yards, 2.6 yards per play, 2-of-14 on third downs, and only eight first downs
- Forced four interceptions, including a 40-yard touchdown from safety Juwan Johnson
- Over the first five games of the season:
- 7.8 PPG
- 29.2 Rushing YPG Allowed
- 224.0 YPG Allowed
- 41 TFLs, 15 Sacks, & 9 INTs
- Game Ball: McNeese State
- McNeese continues to exceed preseason expectations as the Cowboys upset No. 25 Weber State
- The Cowboys did not win a game last season, only win was a forfeit against Northwestern State
- This program has not won more than four games since 2019 but is 4-1 against FCS competition this season
- Only loss against Tarleton State in Week 0
- Quarterback Clifton McDowell is the catalyst for the offensive turnaround for the Cowboys
- McDowell completed 14-of-27 attempts for 203 passing yards, 109 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown
- Over the first six games of the season… McDowell has emerged as a Walter Payton Award contender
- 61% comp for 1,018 passing yards, 6 passing TDs, 2 INTs, 352 rushing yards, and 6 rushing TDs
- Running back Joshon Barbie had a breakout performance with 13 carries for 70 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns
- The defense is finding ways to make plays without All-American linebacker Micah Davey
- The Cowboys allowed over 400 total yards but held the Wildcats scoreless on four drives into McNeese territory
- Flag: Eastern Illinois
- The Panthers entered the season with plenty of momentum after an impressive 8-3 season in 2023
- Received 139 votes in the Preseason Stats Perform FCS Top 25 (No. 28)
- Projected to finish second in the Big South-OVC
- Received two first-place votes
- Eastern Illinois dropped to 1-4 after a disappointing loss to Lindenwood this weekend
- The Panthers allowed over 7.7 yards per play and over 450 total yards of offense
- Lindenwood’s Jeff Caldwell recorded four receptions for 115 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns
- Kicker Drew Schiller missed a 30-yard game-tying field goal with 10 seconds remaining
- Over the first five games of the season, the Panthers have struggled on both sides of the ball
- The offense is only averaging 13.2 PPG and 281.4 YPG, while defensively, they are allowing 31 PPG and 448.2 YPG
- Eastern Illinois faces a must-win game against No. 13 SEMO in Week 6
- Only win this season was against Indiana State in Week 2
Sam’s 3 Game Balls And A Flag
- Game Ball: ETSU
- Beats The Citadel 34-17 after a long and scary night of travel
- Roads were shut down due to flooding, no cell service, stuck in the parking lot of a homeless shelter and spent the night on the bus
- ETSU is now 3-2 overall and 2-1 vs. the FCS (close loss to NDSU)
- Game Ball: UC Davis
- No. 14 UC Davis beats No. 4 Idaho 28-26
- Miles Hastings: 25/32 for 248 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
- Idaho was down to its 3rd-string QB in the second half and had a chance to tie it at the end with a 2-point conversion
- Idaho left a lot of points on the board
- UC Davis is now 4-1 overall and 4-0 vs. the FCS
- Idaho is 3-2 overall and 2-1 vs. the FCS with two ranked wins and an FBS win
- Game Ball: UT Martin
- 6th FCS over FBS win this year, beating Kennesaw State 24-13
- UT Martin is now 2-3
- Patrick Smith had 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns
- Oshae Baker had six tackles and a 63-yard pick-6 to give UT Martin a 17-10 lead
- Flag: Montana/EWU defense
- Montana beats EWU 52-49
- EWU scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter while Montana had two
- Montana had 701 total yards, EWU with 551
- Montana’s Logan Fife goes 30/42 for 364 yards, 5 TDs, and 0 INT. Nick Ostmo and Eli Gillman both rush for over 100 yards
- EWU’s Kekoa Visperas goes 22/38 for 265 yards, 4 TDs, and 0 INT. Efton Chism III totaled 8 catches for 107 yards and 3 TDs
