The game will feature two of most explosive offenses in the FCS with the Hawks averaging 41.7 points per game which is fifth in the FCS and Sam Houston scoring 45.4 per contest just ahead of MU in fourth.
Tag: Southland
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Football Preview, Week of 4/10/2021
Lots of playoff implications on the line for the Southland this weekend.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Football Preview Week of 3/27/2021
Scoreboards may break as one of the biggest games of the week features two of the best spring offenses squaring off.
CSJ Roundtable, Week of 3/7/21: FCS March Madness Actually Starts With March Mildness
Compared to the chaos of the final week of February, where we saw half the top 25 lose, the results of the first week in March could instead be called “March Mildness”.
College Sports Journal Southland Football Preview Week of 3/6/21
Northwestern State’s first game of the spring season, Southeastern Louisiana playing for its playoff lives, and surprising Incarnate Word headline Southland Conference action this weekend.
College Sports Journal Southland Football Preview Week of 2/27/21
McNeese State and Nicholls are the only two Southland schools that have already played spring football games, winning both. This weekend the Southland Conference opens with important conference games.
2021 CSJ Southland Spring Football Preview
With three playoff teams in 2019, including 2018 champion and 2019 co-champ Nicholls, the Sam Houston State Bearkats seek a return to form following seven straight NCAA trips from 2011-17 that began with two title game appearances.
Historic Spring College Football Season Set to Begin
The National Football Foundation (NFF) highlighted today the more than 310 schools and 35 conferences playing college football this spring at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, Division III and NAIA levels. FBS independent New Mexico State will also play games this spring.
Nicholls Favored to Win Southland Football Spring Season
Nicholls is the favorite for the Southland Conference spring football season based on a preseason vote, the league announced Wednesday.
What Will It Take For Teams Outside the “Big Three” FCS Conferences To Become Title Contenders?
How do teams outside the FCS “Big Three” conferences take that final step to become national championship contenders, and how do these conferences gain national respect?
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: Record-Setting Performance for Montana As They Smother Southeastern Louisiana 73-28
Hosting their first FCS Playoff games since 2015, the Grizzlies put on a show for their home fans, setting program and national records as they defeated Southeastern Louisiana 73-28 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
FCS Second Round Playoffs: Top Seeded North Dakota State Starts Slow, Finishes Strong in Win over Nicholls, 37-13
FARGO, N.D. — Top seeded North Dakota State set a new FCS record with its 34th consecutive victory, pulling away from Nicholls in the second half for a 37-13 win in the second round of the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs in front of 15,690 at the Fargodome. North Dakota State (13-0) broke a tie […]
FCS Second Round Playoffs: The James Robinson Show Rumbles Through Central Arkansas In 24-14 Victory
Illinois State RB James Robinson followed up his 297 yard effort last week against Southeast Missouri State with a 210 yard rushing game against Central Arkansas, including two touchdowns as the Redbirds defeated Central Arkansas 24-14 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
2019 FCS Playoffs: CSJ Playoff Picks, Round 2
This weekend eight seeded teams join the FCS Playoff party, including North Dakota State, who has made December dome football a North Dakota tradition, and four teams from the Big Sky, who saw an unprecedented four teams seeded in the playoffs. As a result, seven of the eight games are being played west of the Mississippi River.
2019 FCS Second Round Playoff Matchup: Illinois State at Central Arkansas, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
FCS Second Round Playoff Matchup: Illinois State at Central Arkansas Where: Estes Stadium, Conway, Arkansas When: Saturday, December 7th, 3:00 PM TV/Streaming: ESPN3 (subscription req’d) Illinois State Redbirds (9-4), Head Coach: Brock Spack Missouri Valley Normal, Illinois In order for Illinois State to come away with a victory in its first-round playoff game […]
2019 FCS Second Round Playoff Matchup: Nicholls at North Dakota State, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
The oddsmakers don’t give them much of a chance – on a popular gambling site, Nicholls was a 28 point underdog.
2019 FCS Playoffs, Round 1 Review: CSJ Staff Gives Their Opinions
With the first round of the FCS Playoffs now complete, we give you links to all our recaps and our writers’ impression of the games. Monmouth 44, Holy Cross 27 FCS 1st Round Playoffs: Monmouth Overwhelms Holy Cross 44-27 For Hawks First-Ever Playoff Victory Chuck: Monmouth proved they have a balanced offense that can give […]
FCS 1st Round Playoffs: Southeastern Louisiana Outlasts Villanova 45-44 in Playoff Classic
When the bracket was released last Sunday, many fans pointed to the Villanova/Southeastern Louisiana as the most potentially entertaining game and the one most likely to see a lot of scoring. The two teams did not disappoint, scoring a total of 89 points in a 45-44 Lion win that went down to the very last minutes of the game.
FCS 1st Round Playoffs: Julien Gums Helps Nicholls Run Past North Dakota, 24-6
Julien Gums and Dontrell Taylor combined for 267 yards on the ground and quarterback Chase Fourcade completed all but two of his 16 pass attempts as Nicholls State defeated North Dakota 24-6 on Saturday on Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium.
2019 FCS Playoffs: CSJ Playoff Picks
The FCS playoffs are finally here! Enjoy the picks of the staff of the College Sports Journal and find out who we think will win the FCS National Championship.
2019 FCS First Round Playoff Matchup: Villanova at Southeastern Louisiana, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
Are the Wildcats just a streaky team? Can they continue their hot streak into the playoffs? A matchup with a strong Southeastern Louisiana Lions team will certainly test Villanova on both sides of the ball.
2019 FCS First Round Playoff Matchup: North Dakota at Nicholls, How To Watch and Fearless Predictions
Perhaps no other matchup in this year’s opening round of the FCS playoffs pits two teams with such a varying discrepancy in terms of history and achievement in the sport of football. But, in the end, history will be made for one team as the sun sets on the day after North Dakota and Nicholls State meet for the first time in the history of the two schools.
2019 FCS Playoff Bracket Announced: How To Watch, CSJ Staff Impressions
Two-time defending national champion North Dakota State (12-0) tops the bracket as the number one seed after winning the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison are making their 10th consecutive and 15th overall appearance in the championship.
College Sports Journal Sagarin FCS Playoff Predictions–FINAL 2019
Using the Sagarin ratings from this week alone to project the FCS playoffs, along with the automatic bid for the conferences that receive a bid, the following would be the playoff teams. These teams are seeded 1 through 24 for the 24 teams that make the FCS playoffs. The seven Division I win criteria was […]
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Final Playoff Picks, 11/23/2019
The FCS Playoff Committee has a pretty unenviable job this time around in trying to determine the playoff seeds. With a crazy day of upsets of Montana, South Dakota State, Illinois State and others, teams who looked like certain seeds suddenly look like they are going to be practicing on Thanksgiving Day instead.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews, How To Watch: Week of 11/23/2019
It has taken until the last week of the regular season, but we finally have some clarity in the Southland Conference.
College Sports Journal Top 25 11/19/19
Just like that, we are down to the last week of the regular season. Selection Sunday comes to your airwaves thus Sunday November 24th at 11:30 AM on ESPNU. This past week, six of the ten automatic bids were sewn up. Those bids went to Monmouth (Big South), James Madison (CAA), North Dakota State (MVFC), Central Connecticut State (NEC), San Diego (Pioneer), Wofford (Southern). The Southland will be decided on Thursday night, while the Big Sky, Patriot and Ohio Valley will be decided on Saturday. The top 25 this week will look at each team from the prism of the playoffs.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Finally, Finally! A Whole Heap of Clarity
I’ve been doing this FCS Playoff field predictions a very long time now, and it’s been a very strange year. It’s not customary for so many autobids to be in doubt this late in the season. But this week, a lot of results came in that clarified five of the autobids.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews, How To Watch: Week of 11/16/2019
If you know what’s going to happen in the Southland Conference these last two weeks, head out to Vegas and make yourself a lot of money.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Two Weeks Til Selection Sunday, Zero Autobids Offered
Two weeks to go, and how many autobids have been clinched? How about… none?
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews, How To Watch: Week of 11/9/2019
While Central Arkansas seems to have control of the Southland at his point, the conference has shown that anything can happen on a weekly basis. There are three teams nipping at the Bears’ heels just one game back in the standings.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Finally, Things Start To Come Into Focus
There are three more football weekends to go before FCS Playoff Selection Sunday, where FCS Nation hopes ESPN pronounces all the schools’ names correctly and don’t forget to specify who is home, and who is away in the first round.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews, How To Watch: Week of 11/2/2019
The Southland continues to be one of the most confusing conferences to figure out. As soon as we think a team has taken a step forward to enhance their profile, they perplex us all by losing a game you would never expect them to lose.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: When Last Week’s Bracket Goes Terribly Wrong
Remember when I had Villanova as a seed? Good times. Harken back to when I had Delaware in my field? Yes, way back when – last week. Do you recall the time that I had more than two Southland teams in my bracket? It’s so long ago, why, when it happened, North Dakota State and […]
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews, How To Watch: Week of 10/26/2019
If the playoffs started today, the Southland would easily have four teams in the playoffs, and would still have at least one team that would feel snubbed. The Southland has taken a big step forward to become that fourth conference just behind the big three. There is still a lot of football to be played, but this is one of the more intriguing races as we head down the stretch.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Where Everything Is Made Up And the Picks Don’t Matter
As of right now, the FCS Playoff field feels like the show “Who’s Line Is It Anyway”, where the picks are just random improvisations of things that end up not making any sense. Nonetheless, we’ll keep pressing on, trying to figure out some version of truth.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews, How To Watch: Week of 10/19/2019
After week seven, the Southland has only one team unbeaten in conference play – defending champion Nicholls – after Sam Houston State lost in triple overtime to Lamar. The race is still wide open and the Southland could see anywhere between two and four playoff berths. Southeastern Louisiana lost its second straight contest and will […]
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Who Will I Cast Out Of the Projected Bracket This Week? (By Picking Them)
Welcome, America, to the FCSP’TID Cover Photo Curse.
Eastern Washington, UC Davis, Jacksonville State, and, last week, Montana State graced this space as rising teams that were all but guaranteed spots in the FCS playoffs after a particularly impressive win, or a gut-check performance.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews And Streaming Links: Week of 10/12/2019
Last week, Nicholls asserted itself as the team to beat by cruising over Central Arkansas. Sam Houston State currently leads the conference at 3-0 and is looking to return to the playoffs after a one year absence. Houston Baptist could not continue its winning ways, falling to Incarnate Word.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Your Modestly Improving 2019 FCS Playoff Projection, Week of 10/8/2019
Don’t bother looking at my previous editions of “Playoffs ‘Til I Die” to get a solid playoff bracket. Like the rest of America, I had Eastern Washington and UC Davis in my brackets and now, let’s just say, they are not. As the Big Sky autobid turns, however, we inch ever closer to a better […]
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews: Week of 9/28/2019
1/3 of the way through the season, there are still a large number of Southland teams in contention for the league title. What was already thought to be a crowded field has only gotten more crowded with the level of play of Southeastern Louisiana.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Your Somewhat More Relevant 2019 FCS Playoff Projection, Week of 9/21/2019
It would be nice if Eastern Washington would stop making my sample FCS Playoff brackets look so foolish. The first playoff bracket of the season, I had the Eagles in the field as a seed, mostly on the backs of their potential to win the Big Sky. Two losses and a 1-3 record later, I’m […]
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews: Week of 9/21/2019
Week three brought a mixed bag of results in the Southland. Houston Baptist shocked the FCS world with their exciting 53-52 upset of MVFC member South Dakota. Sam Houston State was unable to avenge their 2018 loss to North Dakota, again falling to the Fighting Hawks. In conference, Central Arkansas and Abilene Christian lived up to the pregame hype with the Bears prevailing late 31-30.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Your Modestly More Relevant 2019 FCS Playoff Projection, Week of 9/14/2019
Last week, we shook the dust off our first laughable attempt at picking an FCS Playoff field, and this week, we make another laughable attempt at picking an FCS Playoff field, but with a few more data points so that it’s, well, a tiny bit less hilarious. This week, we saw North Dakota State extend […]
The Week That Was: Highlights of the Five Top FCS Games, Week Ending 9/14/2019
It was a week of high-profile Top 25 clashes in FCS this week, as the marquee games of the week pitted Delaware vs. North Dakota State and Eastern Washington vs. Jacksonville State. One was a Bison display of dominance, the other a thriller that could be the game of the year. Adding to the fun of this week’s games was a shootout in Vermillion, South Dakota and another big FBS upset in Georgia.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews: Week of 9/14/2019
The Southland did not have many FCS vs FCS games last week. However, two of its teams – Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin – lost to Division II opponents. The one team we continue to be impressed by is Central Arkansas. The Bears used another comeback to defeat Austin Peay.
FCS Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Your Near-Meaningless 2019 FCS Playoff Projection, Week of 9/7/2019
There truly is a never-ending search for content, a fact I was reminded of when I was politely and earnestly asked this week about coming up with an FCS playoff projection for the 2019 season.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Previews: Week of 9/7/2019
The Southland Conference picked up two of the biggest early wins and one of the most talked about close losses to an FBS team in week one. Central Arkansas scored 21 fourth quarter points to upset Western Kentucky. Southeastern Louisiana took Jacksonville behind the woodshed in the biggest upset of the week. Unfortunately the Lions will not get to build on that momentum due to Hurricane Dorian causing the cancellation of their game with Bethune-Cookman. Houston Baptist surprised everyone by taking a fourth quarter lead against UTEP. The bottom rung Southland team came up just short, but Bailey Zappe put himself on the map as a quarterback to watch.
Highlights: CSJ FCS Top Five Games and Recap of Week 1
Week One saw quite a few Power 5 FBS teams celebrate wins against powerful FCS teams as if they had won a bowl game. Only one FCS program, Central Arkansas, managed to knock off an FBS opponent: for the second straight year, Western Kentucky was defeated by an FCS program
