NDSU to host Montana Grizzlies at Fargodome
Delaware 56 Vs. St. Francis (PA) 17 –
The Delaware Blue Hens (8-4) dismantled the St. Francis Red Flash (9-3) 56-17 at home to move on to the second round. The Blue Hens rolled out to a 35-3 lead thanks to quarterback Nolan Henderson who threw for 266 yards and four touchdowns en route to his team’s victory. The 56 points scored by Delaware was the most by any team in the first round of the playoffs. Delaware will now have the privilege of traveling to the #1 overall seed in the FCS, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The second-round matchup will kick off from Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium at 2:00 p.m. next Saturday.
New Hampshire 52 Vs. Fordham 42 –
In a high-scoring affair, the New Hampshire Wildcats (9-3) outlasted the Fordham Rams (9-3) 52-42 on their home turf. In a game that accumulated over 1,200 yards of total offense, New Hampshire was led by quarterback Max Brosmer and Dylan Laube. Brosmer threw for over 348 yards and three touchdowns and Laube rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns in the win. The win sets up New Hampshire for a second-round matchup with #8-seeded Holy Cross next Saturday. The Wildcats will kick off with the undefeated Crusaders from Fitton Field at 11:00 a.m.
Gardner-Webb 52 @ Eastern Kentucky 41 –
Heading on the road for a first-round matchup, the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (7-5) upset the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (7-5) to advance to the second round. Despite a terrific 454-yard, five-touchdown effort from Colonels’ quarterback Parker McKinney, the Bulldogs leaned on a strong rushing attack headed by Narii Gaither that rushed for over 400 yards and six touchdowns on the day. Gardner-Webb will travel up to Williamsburg, Va. to take #5 overall seed William & Mary on Saturday. The second-round matchup between the Bulldogs and Tribe is set to begin at 1:00 p.m. from Cary Field.
Weber State 38 Vs. North Dakota 31 –
After erupting to a 31-7 lead in the first half, the Weber State Wildcats (10-2) were able to hold off a late surge from the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (7-5) in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats leaned heavily on their rushing attack headed by Josh Davis and Damon Bankston who each rushed for over 120 yards on the day on the way to a first-round victory. Weber State won’t have far to go next Saturday as they head up to Bozeman, Mont. to face #4 Montana State. The Wildcats and reigning runner Bobcats will kick off at 2:00 p.m. from Bobcat Stadium.
Richmond 41 Vs. Davidson 0 –
For the first time since 2016, the Richmond Spiders (9-3) are back in the FCS playoffs and they made it known with a crushing 41-0 victory over the Davidson Wildcats (8-4). While many players had a big impact for the Spiders, the biggest stat of the game was the Spiders’ third-down offense as it went 10 for 15 while Davidson managed a 2-10 effort. Richmond now travels cross country next Saturday for their second-round matchup to take on the #2 overall seed Sacramento State Hornets. The Hornets and Spiders will kick off from Hornet Stadium at 4:00 p.m.
Furman 31 Vs. Elon 6 –
Earning their first playoff win since 2017, also against Elon, the Furman Paladins (10-2) kept the Phoenix (8-4) out of the end zone en route to their first-round win. The Paladins were led by senior tight end Ryan Miller who amassed nine catches for 74 yards and a score on Saturday afternoon. Furman also held Elon’s 1,000-yard rusher Jalen Hampton to just 30 rushing yards on the day. Next Saturday, Furman will travel to San Antonio, Texas for a second-round matchup with #7 Incarnate Word. Kickoff from Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium is at 1:00 p.m.
Southeastern Louisiana 45 Vs. Idaho 42 –
In a back-and-forth affair that consisted of 42 total 4th quarter points, the Southeastern Louisiana Lions (9-3) took home a first-round victory for the second straight season as they eliminated the Idaho Vandals (7-5). As the Lions had a balanced offensive attack, the biggest play came on a 48-yard pick-six from Zy Hamilton late in the fourth quarter to give the Lions a big boost late in the game. Southeastern Louisiana will travel to #6 Samford next Saturday for a second-round matchup. Kickoff from Seibert Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. is at 2:00 p.m.
Montana 34 Vs. Southeast Missouri State 24 –
After falling behind 24-3 halfway through the third quarter, the Montana Grizzlies (8-4) scored 31 unanswered points on their way to an impressive come-from-behind victory over the Southeast Missouri State RedHawks (9-3). The comeback was sparked by special teams’ scores from Malik Flowers and Junior Bergen and two touchdown passes from Lucas Johnson to lead the Griz to victory. Montana will now travel up to Fargo next Saturday to play North Dakota State in the second round. Kick-off from the Fargodome will be at 2:30.
2nd Round Schedule – (All games 12/3, all times central)
#8 Holy Cross Vs. New Hampshire 11:00
#5 William & Mary Vs. Gardner-Webb 1:00
#7 Incarnate Word Vs. Furman 1:00
#1 South Dakota State Vs. Delaware 2:00
#4 Montana State Vs. Weber State 2:00
#6 Samford Vs. Southeastern Louisiana 2:00
#3 North Dakota State Vs. Montana 2:30
#2 Sacramento State Vs. Richmond 4:00
*All games will be broadcasted on ESPN+