2020 College Sports Journal FCS Preseason Top 25 Announced
Of our preseason poll last year, only 6 of the top 10 teams made the playoffs. 13 of the full 25 played past Thanksgiving. Its 2020, the year of complete chaos.
Hedberg’s Arrival Deepens Bison Lore
One aspect to the Bison’s recent domination has been the arrival of Randy Hedberg as the quarterback coach prior to the start of the 2014 season.
FCS: A Letter to the NFL
Dear NFL, Why? Why was there such a distrust of the FCS in this year’s NFL Draft? What was it that made the FCS so undesirable?– Bad grades from scouts?– Coaches worried about the strength of the schedule?– GM/Owners worried about the “lower division” talent? The previous low was 13 picks last year. A new.
Tennessee State’s Simmons Selected by Chicago Bears in NFL Draft, Leading OVC’s NFL Class
It was a nerve-wracking three days, but in the end the result was worth the wait.
OPINION: Opening College Sports Requires Knowing Too Much That We Don’t Know
In my opinion, there is a lot of recklessness out there, with plenty of blame to go around.
OPINION: Hey NFL, Draft HBCU Players (so they can get paid)
Once upon a time, HBCUs were the place to draft NFL talent. But that hasn’t been the case lately.
Big Sky Sees 11 Sign UDFA NFL Contracts
This year’s NFL draft did not go as well as expected for FCS players, but the Big Sky Conference still had 11 players earn undrafted free agent contracts (UDFA). It may have been an impact of the current pandemic situations that hampered the dreams of small school recruits. At the same time, there was a.
The Best Active FCS Player on Each NFL Team
While our lives are put on hold by COVID let’s get a discussion piece going. FCS players are often discounted as a lower division athlete. I thought it might paint a clearer picture of the FCS player contributions by making this list. Hopefully, NFL teams will continue to see the value of FCS players in.
Lehigh Football: Technology Allows Team Navigate Unique Stay-At-Home Spring Season
Lehigh head coach Tom Gilmore will be the first person to tell you that he’d prefer to have a regular spring assessment season for his football team.
College Sports Journal FCS 2020 NFL College Draft Top 40 Player Rankings
With the COVID-19 shutting down the college and professional athletics world this spring of 2020, there is one sporting event upcoming that involves college football players moving on to the professional ranks that sports fans can look forward to. That one event is the NFL draft taking place April 23-25. The FCS ranks has put.
How Could A 2020 College Football Season Happen?
Though it might not be the time to make definitive plans to tailgate at Michigan/Ohio State this November, the latest news on mitigation strategies for COVID-19 inform potential strategies on trying to form answers some of the big questions still out there.
The All-Colorado “Way Too Early” College Football Preview
Colorado Sees Three New College Coaches, Who Comes Out on Top? Northern Colorado and Colorado State planned on having new coaches this year, but the University of Colorado did not. Instead, three of the four Division I football programs will have new faces at the helm. After Mel Tucker’s surprise departure for Michigan State’s boat-load.
How To Have A Late College Football Season In A COVID-19 World
In the past, college football has survived through outbreaks of disease and mass disruptions, and how the sport handled those circumstances provide a possible roadmap to a late post-COVID-19 football season. Looking to the past, how could we adapt that to today?
Lehigh Football: Tom Gilmore: “These decisions are unprecedented in response to unprecedented circumstances.”
It was an historic week that nobody could have foreseen.
BOXTOROW: FAMU is No. 1 in BOXTOROW HBCU Recruiting Rankings
This is the 14th year of BOXTOROW’s Top 10 HBCU FCS Recruiting Class Rankings. Recruiting at HBCUs has really stepped up, to the point that HBCUs are regularly landing recruits that would go to small to mid-sized FBS programs.
OPINION: Watch Out, North Dakota State: The Big 10 Is Coming For Your Trey Lance With Their Proposed One Time Transfer Rule
If the Big 10 and the Power 5 have their way, however, the Trey Lance’s of the world won’t be sticking around at FCS schools like North Dakota State for very long.
CSJ’s Ranking of the Patriot League’s 2020 Football Recruiting Classes: The Patsy Ratings
I’m proud to unveil this year’s edition of the Patsy Ratings.
Northern Colorado Signs 20 in Hopes of New Era
GREELEY, CO – The University of Northern Colorado Bears football team signed 20 players for the new season. In a town that once saw back-to-back National Championships (Division II) in football success has been asleep at best. Since the premature jump to Division I (FCS) to save the university of financial disaster, the football team.
NDSU Out-Executed JMU to Win National Championship
As a JMU fan and alum, it was tough to sit inside a cold Toyota Stadium this past Saturday and watch my team lose. What was even tougher was knowing that JMU lost because North Dakota State simply executed better.
College Sports Journal Sagarin FCS Top 25–FINAL 2019
Below are the Final 2019 Top 25 FCS rankings based on the Sagarin rankings after all postseason games have been completed in Division I play. These rankings include all FBS Bowl games and the entire FCS playoffs, including both the FCS and CFP National Championship games. North Dakota State remains in the top spot following.
GREAT EIGHT!! North Dakota State wins its eighth Division I FCS National Title in a thrilling contest over James Madison, 28-20
FRISCO, Tex.— Top-seeded North Dakota State defeated the second-seeded James Madison 28-20 at Toyota Stadium to win the 2019 Division I FCS National Championship in front of 17,866 fans. With the win, NDSU completed its second consecutive undefeated campaign and continued its dominance by winning its eighth national title in the past nine seasons and third.
2019 STATS Perform Awards Banquet, Payton Award goes to NDSU QB Trey Lance & Buchanan Award goes to Montana LB Dante Olson
FRISCO, Tex.—North Dakota State redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance was recognized with the Walter Payton Award tonight presented by STATS Perform FCS Awards banquet tonight as the best offensive player of the year. “This is just a phenomenal, surreal moment, unexpected totally,” said Carlton Lance, who is Trey’s father, and accepted the award for his.
CSJ Photos and Press Conferences from Frisco, FCS Championship Eve 2020
Here are some photos taken as James Madison and North Dakota State had their press conferences ahead of tomorrow’s 2020 national title game. The weather was rainy the past two days and is expected to be dangerous tonight with heavy thunderstorms rolling through Frisco. The front will bring colder weather with highs tomorrow dipping into.
FCS National Championship Game – The Road to Frisco, James Madison Dukes
When looking at James Madison’s road to Frisco and the FCS National Championship game this weekend, you have to look farther back than just the beginning of this season.
CSJ Photos from Frisco, 2020 FCS Championship Thursday
Here are some photos taken as the field crew prepares the Toyota Stadium field in Frisco, Texas to be ready for the championship for the 2020 Division I FCS National Title game. Both teams had a chance to take team photos and players and coaches had a chance to meet the media on the field..
The College Sports Journal 2020 FCS National Championship Roundtable: James Madison vs. North Dakota State, And Fearless Predictions
The FCS National Championship game will be played this weekend in Frisco, Texas and will be televised nationally on ABC. Prior to the game, the College Sports Journal crew – Chuck Burton, Ray Maloney, Ben Schleiger, Kent Schmidt and Jamie Williams – sat down for a Championship game round table to discuss the game.
An Outsiders Perspective of the FCS National Championship
What: FCS National Championship Where: Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas When: Sunday, January 11, 2020, at 12 p.m. TV Channel: ABC Unfortunately, not all of our teams can make the national championship game as only two teams are eligible. That means 116 teams (126 total, minus these two, minus the Ivy teams – 8) are.
North Dakota State’s Road to Frisco for the Eighth Time in Nine Years
This year, North Dakota State will play for its unprecedented eighth Division I title in football to close out a dominating decade of football when they face one of just three schools to win a national title this decade in James Madison. James Madison knocked the Bison off in the semifinal playoff round in 2016.
2019 FCS National Championship Game Position Breakdown – James Madison
We are just over a week out from the FCS National Championship game in Frisco, TX. By all accounts, this should be a tightly contested, close matchup featuring the two best teams in the country. Let’s take a position by position look at the number two team in the country, the James Madison Dukes.
FCS Semifinal Round Playoffs: Dukes Use Big First Quarter to Cruise Past Weber State 30-14
James Madison powered their way to Frisco and the FCS National Championship Game with a decisive 30-14 win at Bridgeforth Stadium this past Saturday.
FCS Semifinal Round Playoffs: Lance, Watson Key Top Seeded North Dakota State to a 42-14 Win over Montana State
FARGO, N.D.—WR Christian Watson scored touchdowns on back-to-back touches early in the second quarter and top playoff seeded North Dakota State defeated fifth seeded Montana State 42-14 in a Division I FCS semifinal matchup for its 36th straight victory in front of 18,077 in attendance inside the Fargodome. QB Trey Lance found Watson behind the.
2019 CSJ FCS Playoff Semifinal Picks And Celebration Bowl
It’s the next-to-last weekend of FCS football action, and it’s going to be a jam-packed Saturday with three games to showcase the best of FCS football. The unofficial HBCU National Championship is on the line, while the FCS Playoff Final Four see who advances to Frisco.
The Celebration Bowl (HBCU National FCS Championship) – Alcorn State vs. North Carolina AT – Fearless Predictions and How to Follow
Alcorn State vs. North Carolina A&T When: Saturday, December 21st, 2019 at 12 pm. ET Where: Mercadez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia How to Follow: ABC (TV), WSJS Sports Hub Radio (NCAT), 91.7 FM WPRL The Gold (Alcorn) The Celebration Bowl has been around for 5 years, but what it represents has been around since the.
CSJ Semifinal Roundtable: Weber State at James Madison, Ben vs. Jamie
The College Sports Journal staff thought it would be a good idea to get some perspective on the Weber St/James Madison game from the guys who covered them all year. In this roundtable, CSJ staffers Ben Schleiger and Jamie Williams give you a deeper look at the two teams. Jamie -What is the status of.
2019 FCS Playoffs Semi-Finals Matchup: Montana State at North Dakota State
FCS Semifinal Round Playoff Matchup: Montana State at North Dakota State Where: Fargodome, Fargo, N.D. When: Saturday, December 21st, 1:00PM CST TV/Streaming: ESPN2/Watch ESPN #5 Montana State Bobcats Coach: Jeff Choate – 4th Year at Montana State – 4 Years Total as a Head Coach Record at Montana State: 28-21 Overall Record: 28-21 Big Sky Championships:.
2019 FCS Playoffs Semi-Finals Matchup: Weber State at James Madison (The Weber State Edition)
Weber State may have taken down the most dangerous team outside of James Madison and North Dakota State. Montana was a fierce competitor that I thought had all the weapons necessary to move past Weber and make a push to Frisco.
2019 FCS Playoffs Semi-Finals Matchup: Weber State at James Madison (The James Madison Edition)
The Dukes were not happy with their offensive production. Between penalties, turnovers and missed field goals, Coach Curt Cignetti felt the team left a lot of points on the board. A normally efficient red zone offense struggle to add to the early lead. It didn’t cost them this week, but the coaches know they need to tighten that up the rest of the way.
FCS Quarterfinal Round Playoffs: Through Cold, Rain and Snow, Weber State Outlast Bitter Big Sky Rivals Montana 17-10
On a wet, snowy evening at Stewart Stadium, Weber State’s defense and special teams were the main reason the Wildcats defeated their bitter rivals Montana 17-10 and advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs for the first time in school history.
FCS Quarterfinal Round Playoffs: James Madison Defense Leads the Way in 17-0 Shutout of Northern Iowa
James Madison used a suffocating defense and just enough offense to defeat Northern Iowa 17-0 in the Quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
FCS Quarterfinal Round Playoffs: Ifanse’s Fabulous Friday Helps Montana State Over Austin Peay 24-10
The irresistible force met the immovable object and on this night the force prevailed.
FCS Quarterfinal Round Playoffs: Top Seeded North Dakota State Wins Defensive Struggle over MVFC Mate Illinois State, 9-3
FARGO, N.D.—North Dakota State did not score a touchdown, but three field goals proved to be enough to secure its ninth straight Division I FCS semi-final appearance in a 9-3 victory over fellow Missouri Valley Football Member Illinois State in front o 14,132 in attendance inside the Fargodome. This game was the first time North.
A New Era, The Ed McCaffrey Era
Fans, faculty, and community alike are buzzing on the University of Northern Colorado campus following the new coaching announcement. The rumor wheel started turning early Thursday morning and became official at 3:10 pm MT when Ed McCaffrey confirmed it on Twitter. The former Denver Broncos super bowl player, successful business owner, and former Valor Christian.
2019 FCS Playoffs: CSJ Playoff Picks, National Quarterfinals
We’re down to the final eight teams in the FCS Playoffs, as an unprecedented six of those teams face off on Friday evening in an intriguing tripleheader that includes three Big Sky teams. All three games played after sundown could be deeply affected by the weather.
2019 FCS Playoffs Quarterfinal Matchup: Montana at Weber State, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
Who: Montana at Weber State When: Friday, December 13th at 8 pm MT Where: Ogden, Utah at Stewart Stadium How to Watch: ESPN 2 Unlike many of the other playoff games, this showdown has already happened once this season. At WA-Grizzly Stadium Weber State was beat down by Montana 35-16. The only major change this.
2019 FCS Playoffs Quarterfinal Matchup: Illinois State at North Dakota State, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
FCS Second Round Playoff Matchup: Illinois State at North Dakota State Where: Fargodome, Fargo, North Dakota When: Saturday, December 14th, 12:00PM EST TV/Streaming: ESPN/Watch ESPN Illinois State Redbirds (10-4), Head Coach: Brock Spack Missouri Valley Normal, Illinois The Redbirds have won two road games to set up this all MVFC quarterfinal. Illinois State has defeated Southeast.
2019 FCS Playoffs Quarterfinal Matchup: Austin Peay at Montana State, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
After winning the Ohio Valley Conference championship for just the second time in school history and the first since 1977, the Governors won their second straight playoff game with a resounding win over Sacramento State last weekend. APSU has a chance to knock off another Big Sky Conference foe when the Govs travel to Bozeman, Montana, to take on Montana State in a Friday night clash.
2019 FCS Playoffs Quarterfinal Matchup: Northern Iowa at James Madison, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
The Panthers play exceptional defense. They allowed only 220 yards against South Dakota State and 213 against San Diego. They will need a similar performance to stay in the game against James Madison.
2019 FCS Playoffs, Round 2 Review: CSJ Staff Gives Their Opinions
With the second round of the FCS Playoffs now complete, we give you links to all our recaps and our writers’ impression of the games.
FCS Second Round Playoffs: Weber State Escapes Kennesaw State Upset Bid, Beat Owls 26-20
OGDEN, UT – Kennesaw State jumped to a 17-12 halftime lead over Weber State in their FCS Playoff matchup, but the host Wildcats used a big defensive play to take the lead and rode its momentum to a 26-20 second-round win.
Is it time for a Group of Five Football Playoff?
I may be in a unique situation as my crossover for football is not the FBS Power Five (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, & SEC, as well as Independent Notre Dame) and Group of Five (AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, & Sun Belt) schools like many college football reporters. Rather, my take is both.
