FCS Week 10 Recap: One for the Books

· Yahoo Sports

MISSOULA, MONTANA - SEPTEMBER 14: Eli Gillman #10 of the Montana Grizzlies reacts after a second quarter touchdown against the Morehead State Eagles at Washington - Grizzly Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Missoula, Montana. (Photo by Tommy Martino/University of Montana/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s evident that the pressure cooker that is November is heating up across the FCS. There was a different feeling of desperation in several games around the country over the past weekend and the results were that much more impactful. Week 10 brought with it upsets, bounce backs and thrillers that all helped lay shape to the playoff picture.

Lehigh Dominates Colgate 33-7 for Key Patriot LeagueWin

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Lehigh looked its old self again over the weekend. The Mountain Hawks made light work of visiting Colgate on Saturday afternoon. Still without starting quarterback Hayden Johnson, the Lehigh offense leaned on All-American running back Luke Yoder to get it done. Yoder ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, pacing the ground game. Patrick Coan, playing in Johnson’s place, threw for 221 yards and a touchdown as well. The Mountain Hawks defense smothered the Raiders, sacking QB Jake Stearney twice and forcing him into two interceptions. When all was said and done, Colgate ran for just 77 yards and only had the ball for just over 20 minutes of game time. Now 6-1 in Patriot League play, Lehigh turns its attention to Richmond.

Mercer Survives Chattanooga in OT

The Bears kept their SoCon championship hopes alive on Saturday with a hard-fought 14-7 win over Chattanooga on the road. The low-scoring affair had to wait until overtime to get decided. The Mercer defense made a big fourth down stop but a missed 41-yard field goal attempt from kicker Simon Zeidan at the end of regulation sent the game to OT. On the first possession, Bears quarterback J.P. Pickles laced a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Brayden Smith on third down. Smith toe-tapped in the back of the end zone for his second TD of the afternoon. Three plays later, defensive lineman Ke’Vion Wellington hit Mocs signal caller Battle Alberson and forced a fumble. The defense jumped on it to seal the victory. Mercer got a big performance from that side of the ball which held Chattanooga to just eight first downs and forced three turnovers. The Bears now move to 8-2 overall (5-1 SoCon) as they get ready for a massive game against Tennessee Tech next week. Chattanooga falls to 6-4 (5-2 SoCon) and, in all likelihood, is out of the playoff chase.

North Dakota Rebounds with Drubbing of Illinois State

The Hawks knew they needed to win heading into Week 10 and they did so resoundingly. UND blasted Illinois State to the tune of 49-21. Jerry Kaminsky threw five touchdowns on 18 completed passes and Michael Devereaux led the defense with 13 tackles. North Dakota opened up a 35-14 halftime lead and put it on cruise control for the rest of the way. Beckham Pellant started under cetner for ISU and threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns as well. The Redbirds defense, however, struggled to get stops, specifically on fourth down. The Hawks converted all three of their fourth down tries and, despite ten penalties, won the time of possession battle. North Dakota moves to 7-4 (4-3 MVFC) while Illinois State slips to 7-3 (3-3 MVFC). UND has a bye week before facing Southern Illinois in the regular season finale on November 21. ISU travels to Youngstown State next weekend for what feels like a must-win game.

Lamar Stifles SFA BehindMcCown, Strong Defense

Stephen F. Austin is still heading to the playoffs but they’ll have to wait at least a week longer before they can make it official. Lamar prevented the Lumberjacks from clinching the Southland title on Saturday evening in Beaumont with a surprising 45-28 win. Both Mar Mar Evans and Bryce McDonald picked off SFA quarterback Gavin Rutherford in what was a total defensive clinic by the Cardinals. Aiden McCown tossed three touchdowns and Parker Jenkins ran for three more along with 138 yards to help Lamar win going away. Going in it was supposed to be the Lumberjacks defensive line that was the threat but it was the Cardinals’ that ended with seven tackles for loss and two sacks. The loss is Stephen F. Austin’s first of the season as the get knocked from the ranks of the unbeatens. Lamar is 8-2 (5-1) Southland and is still alive for a conference championship as they face East Texas A&M next weekend. SFA, now 9-1 (6-1 Southland), travels to UTRGV next.

Gillman Does it Again, Breaks Big Sky TD Record

There is seemingly no record that Eli Gillman won’t hold when his college career ends. Montana’s star running back broke the Big Sky’s all time touchdown record on Saturday, besting Cooper Kupp’s career mark of 77. His 78th came on a vintage Gillman play as he spun out and broke free against Portland State’s defense and sprinted 84 yards untouched into the end zone. It highlighted a dominant 57-24 win for the Grizzlies over the Vikings. Gillma ran for four touchdowns on the afternoon and racked up 246 total yards. The victory is Montana’s seventh of the year as they improve to 7-3. The Griz host Idaho State next week in the nightcap on national television in a game with many postseason implications for both squads.

Montana StateEdges Idaho State in Triple Overtime Thriller

Idaho State gave the defending champs everything they could handle on Saturday night in Pocatello but in the end the Bobcats squeaked out a 28-26 victory in triple overtime. Montana State quarterback Justin Lamson put his toughness on full display, completing 22 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown all while getting battered by the physical Bengals defensive front. Lamson connected with tight end Rocky Lencioni for a 20-yard touchdown to tie the game toward the end of regulation then MSU blocked a would-be game-winning field goal from ISU in the closing seconds. The two teams would trade field goals in both the first and second OT periods. Forced to swap two-point tries in the third, Idaho State was unable to score with their chance. The ‘Cats ran a trick play with receiver Dane Steel completing a pass to Rylan Schlepp in the end zone to seal it. Idaho State’s defense held the usually-lethal MSU rushing attack to just 123 yards and forced five punts. Montana State survives to move to 9-1 (6-1 Big Sky). They’ll face Northern Colorado next week while Idaho State, sitting at 6-4 (3-4 Big Sky) must win next weekend at Montana to keep its slim postseason hopes alive.

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