FCS Joined FBS in Chaotic Saturday of Upsets

No. 4 Lehigh Stunned by Cornell

Lehigh entered Saturday with a 23-game regular season winning streak and with the second-best scoring defense in the FCS. It did not finish the day that way after giving up 600 yards of offense to the Big Red during the 48-38 loss. Cornell, which came into the game with a 2-2 record, scored 31 points in the first half behind the impressive play of quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio, who completed 22 of 34 passes for 366 yards and two touchdowns.

Idaho Upsets No. 7 Montana

Idaho continued its bizarre season by pulling off the 42–35 upset over the Grizzlies right in the hostile environment of Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. The Vandals entered the game 1-5, with their only previous win coming against No. 1 Montana State. As for Montana, they sit at 5-3 after consecutive Big Sky Conference losses, the first time this has happened since the 2022 season when they lost three straight.

No. 8 Lamar’s Winning Streak Ends

Southeastern Louisiana derailed Lamar’s four-game winning streak with a 34–31 upset. Lamar had one of the stingiest defenses in the FCS, allowing just 17.8 points per game entering the weekend. However, the Lions’ offense totaled 412 total yards, including 245 yards on the ground. This result puts Stephen A. Austin in the driver’s seat in the Southland Conference.

No. 12 UC Davis Gets Drilled by 2-4 Southern Utah

With a 17-9 lead at halftime, UC Davis was in good position to move their record to 5-2. However, the unexpected happened in the second half when the Thunderbirds outscored the Aggies 29-0. UC Davis couldn’t contain the Southern Utah running game, with Floyd Chalk and Will Burns combining for 319 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

More Upsets on the Backend

Three more ranked teams were upset in the backend of the Top 25. No. 19 Colgate dropped a 27-17 home game to Georgetown, which entered at 1-4. The Red Raiders were outscored 20-0 in the second half. No. 21 Idaho State lost a tight battle at Weber State 27-20, with the Wildcats scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion with just over a minute remaining in the game. And finally, No. 23 Yale was drilled at home by Rhode Island 41-23.

Everyone knew that the departure of North Dakota State would create more opportunities for FCS programs. However, at this point it doesn’t seem as though anyone wants to grab that opportunity. While Tarleton State, Stephen F. Austin, and Harvard stand alone as the last remaining FCS unbeatens, this chaotic season has proven that no one is safe.