FCS Football: Biggest Winners, Losers In Week 3

Loser: The SoCon

What happened to the SoCon this season? After only receiving one bid in the FCS Playoffs, the offseason was filled with talk about how this conference deserves more bids, but the on-field performance has been lackluster at best. The conference fell to 4-12 in FCS non-conference play, which includes two losses to non-scholarship Presbyterian. Four different teams lost to FCS opponents this week, including ETSU (West Georgia), Western Carolina (Elon), and The Citadel (Gardner-Webb). It's been a tough season for a conference that typically plays well out of conference, putting the SoCon's chances at multiple bids in jeopardy.

Winner: West Georgia

Any debates about whether West Georgia is a Top 25 team can be put to rest after this weekend. The Wolves added another impressive win to their resume, which already included a ranked win over Nicholls and a blowout against Samford. We saw West Georgia's ability to deliver in crucial moments, overcoming an 11-point deficit with 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The defense has been impressive every week, holding opponents to 246.7 yards per game. Will this momentum continue to UAC play? We'll find out next weekend as the Wolves host a sneaky Eastern Kentucky team, which made the FCS Playoffs last year.

Loser: Southern Utah

It was another heartbreaking loss for the Thunderbirds, who fell to No. 18 Northern Arizona in a 52-49 offensive shootout. After NAU built a 14-point lead, Southern Utah stormed back with 21 unasnwered points in the fourth quarter. It wasn't enough as the Lumberjacks went on a 13 play, 79-yard game-winning drive, capped by bold two-point conversion to give them the lead with 29 seconds left. After a costly miscue on the ensuing kickoff, the game ended with a safety after a penalty in the end zone. It was another "what-if" game for the Thunderbirds, who now fall to 1-2 overall and may face a must-win situation next week against UC Davis if they want to stay alive for a potential at-large bid.

Winner: L.J. Phillips Jr.

There's a lot that can be said about South Dakota's overtime win over Northern Colorado. After the loss of Charles Pierre Jr., there was some concern about who would take over the rushing attack, but that's not a question anymore. In his first career start, sophomore L.J. Phillips Jr. finished with 301 rushing yards on 35 carries and two scores. He became the first player in USD's Division I history to rush for over 300 yards in a game. His 13-yard touchdown run in overtime secured the win for the Coyotes. It was a historic performance and gives some hope that this South Dakota offense can improve after a sluggish start to the season.

Loser: Holy Cross

It's been a tough three weeks for the Crusaders. Holy Cross fell to 0-3 overall, but has lost those games by a total of seven points, including a 9-7 loss to No. 6 Rhode Island. Offensive inconsistency has wasted some outstanding defensive performances. In three games, the Crusaders are only averaging 13.3 points and 232.3 yards per game. If this team is going to make another push for the Patriot League title, Holy Cross is going to need to find more offensive output, or this could go down as a season of missed opportunities.

Winner: New Haven

The transition from Division II to Division I is never easy. New Haven not only had to navigate that challenge, but the Chargers also have a new head coach for the 2025 season. Despite all the odds being against them, the Chargers found a way to pick up their first win of the Division I era, also serving as the first win under head coach Mark Powell. New Haven stormed out to a 24-0 lead over UAlbany and held off a late comeback to move to 1-2 overall this season. We don't know how this team will do in NEC play, but beating a CAA opponent on the road in Year 1 is a promising start for the newest program in the subdivision.

Loser: Hampton

In terms of agonizing losses, it doesn't get much worse than Hampton's loss to North Carolina A&T on Saturday night. The Pirates allowed 10 unanswered points in the final 57 seconds, blowing a 10-point lead, before eventually losing in overtime to a team who was 0-16 in CAA games over the past two seasons. Not only did Hampton give North Carolina A&T its first Division I win since 2023, they did so despite the Aggies being down to their seventh string quarterback due to injuries. It was a tough weekend for the Pirates, who fell to 1-2 overall (0-2 vs FCS).