A stunning first week of college football 2015 saw four FCS victories over FBS teams, including Portland State’s winning trip to Washington State.
The amazing victimization of FBS teams achieved by FCS outfits in the first week of the season is put in proper perspective when noting there were two FCS victories over FBS teams in the first week of last season and eight in the season overall.
There were Eight FCS Victories over FBS Teams in 2014
Two Big Sky teams knocked off FBS opponents and two Power Five conference members went tumbling down to defeat.
Portland State (Big Sky) 24 at Washington State (Pac-12) 17 – I read this game was played in a driving rainstorm. Well, you know what they say about excuses … Amazingly, I have heard nothing out of Washington State Head Coach Mike Leach about this. Nothing about heartless zombies or hound dog faces. Perhaps the radioactivity was contained to the Palouse. The Cougars’ game at Rutgers this weekend now looms mighty large in the context of the entire season. Portland State, led by an interim coach and picked near the bottom of the Big Sky, should be given due credit for this Power Five shocker.
North Dakota (Big Sky) 24 at Wyoming (Mountain West) 13 – The Cowboys tried to make a comeback, scoring all 13 of their points in the fourth quarter. This must be even more painful for Wyoming head man Craig Bohl considering he won three straight FCS national titles at North Dakota State. The Fighting Sioux aren’t really supposed to be Fighting Sioux, Sioux, or even Siouxsie Sioux, but the Cowboys may have felt a little like Yellow Hair at the Little Big Horn River. Wyoming fans probably did not join along in the singing of Kiss Them For Me at karaoke night in Laramie.
South Dakota State (Missouri Valley) 41 at Kansas (Big 12) 38 – Kansas made a furious comeback in this game, but the Jackrabbits, FCS playoff material last year, held on to win. In his postgame press conference, Kansas Head Coach David Beaty was upbeat and wishing the game had been just a bit longer. Kansas was that close to winning this one. The Jayhawks outscored South Dakota State 24-10 in the second half. Additionally, Kansas looks like they found a running back in JC transfer, Ke’aun Kinner who rushed for 157 yards. All due credit to the Jackrabbits, however, as they surged to a 31-7 lead in the second quarter and never trailed the Power Five Jayhawks in the game.
Fordham (Patriot) 37 at Army West Point (Independent) 35 – Fordham is a high-quality FCS playoff team from last year, and Army really has to play by their own set of rules, so this is not unexpected. I do love the old school vibe of this contest. From Fordham’s Seven Blocks of Granite, including Vince Lombardi, to West Point’s Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, can’t you just see Grantland Rice pounding out deadline copy.