Week 0 is now officially in the rear view mirror and what a week it was around college football. Five of Saturday’s season-opening games featured FCS teams and those games in particular were head-turners for varying reasons and not all good. From a huge upset in Thibodeaux to a less-than-satisfying cancellation down in Montgomery, the week that was in the subdivision was an exciting (and interesting) one to get things going for 2025. Here’s what went down:
Nicholls Stuns #5 Incarnate Word
Incarnate
Word (0-1) came into the season as legitimate hopefuls to make a run at a national championship. No one told Nicholls (1-0) that on Saturday afternoon, though. In Tommy Rybacki’s first game as the Colonels head coach, his team shocked the heavy Southland favorites 20-6 and immediately established themselves as a team to contend with in the conference in 2025.
Highlighted by a huge pick six from Nicholls defensive back Ty Marsh, the Colonels defense wrote the story of the day, intercepting UIW quarterback Richard Torres three times. Torres had an all-around rough debut with the Cardinals as he fumbled the ball twice as well and did not toss any touchdowns. Star receiver Jalen Walthall was held to 40 yards.
On the other side, Nicholls QB Deuce Hogan had a solid outing, completing 21 passes for 221 yards and a score. That lone TD went to receiver Karaaz Johnson in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. The Cardinals offense, which is pegged to be one of the most potent in the FCS this season, only mustered 204 total yards and did not find the end zone at all.
The win is a massive one not only for the Southland Conference but for the FCS as a whole. UIW, which came into Saturday ranked #5 nationally, should take a tumble in the polls while Nicholls will likely enter the Top 25 now. The Colonels also already hold a leg up in the league race and will have a tiebreaker over Incarnate Word if it comes to it down the line. They’ll turn their attention to Troy for Week 1 while the Cardinals will prepare to host Eastern Washington.
Tarleton State Runs by Portland State
Last season Tarleton State (1-0) took home a share of the UAC title for the first time since moving up to Division I and it seems as though the Texans, ranked #10 in the country, are picking up right where they left off from their second-round playoff run in 2024. On Saturday afternoon, TSU shut out Portland State (0-1) of the Big Sky Conference and looked impressive while doing so.
Redshirt freshman running back Tre Page III was excellent for Tarleton State as he rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries to pave the way for the rushing attack. In total the Texans ground game racked up 301 yards all while quarterback Victor Gabalis tossed for another 152 yards and two more scores. When all was said and done, TSU came out of the Rose City with a 42-0 win to get their season rolling in a big way.
For all that went well, though, the Texans did see starting running back Tylan Hines go down with an injury on just his fourth carry of the game, thus opening the door for Page’s big day.
Turnovers plagued the Vikings all game long. In total PSU gave the ball away four times, three by way of interceptions from both Gabe Downing and John-Keawe Sagapolutele. Three different quarterbacks played for Portland State but none threw for more than 100 yards. The tough day also extended to kicker Mathias Uribe who missed both of his field goal attempts.
Tarleton State now has a short week as it plays on the road at Army on Friday night while the Vikings will take on BYU next Saturday.
Idaho State Gives UNLV Scare
For a good long while on Saturday in Las Vegas, the Rebels (1-0) probably regretted paying Idaho State (0-1) to play them in the opener. That’s because there were several instances throughout the contest where the Bengals were either tied with or led the defending Mountain West runner-ups. When the dust finally settled in the back-and-forth shootout, UNLV prevailed 38-31 but ISU stamped itself as a team to watch in the Big Sky this season.
Idaho State got off to a early 10-0 lead thanks to a big recovered fumble in the end zone that negated a UNLV touchdown. Signal caller Jordan Cooke found himself on the receiving end of the team’s first touchdown after a nifty trick play in which receiver Michael Shulikov found him open for a 15-yard score.
As they did all day, though, UNLV was able to fight back to take the lead. ISU’s defense struggled containing running back Jai’Den Thomas who ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Jaden Bradley also had a big day for the Rebels, hauling in six balls for 131 yards. They were the two main problems for the Bengals defense that gave up 532 total yards.
Cooke had an up-and-down day as he completed 30 passes for 380 yards and a touchdown but also threw three picks. Running back Dason Brooks ran for 132 yards and broke chalk twice as well. Idaho State also got some big performances from linebacker Teilor Tuioti and safety Ryan Leathers who each posted double-digit tackles. All in all it was a gallant effort for the Bengals who look to be a problem against FCS competition this year. They will play Southern Utah next weekend.
Mercer-UC Davis Showdown Canceled, Declared “No Contest” Due to Lightning
In what was surely the disappointment of the weekend, Mercer (0-0) and UC Davis (0-0) had their FCS Kickoff game end in a “no contest” after a lightning storm rolled through Montgomery. The contest was delayed significantly in the fourth quarter with the Aggies holding onto a 23-17 lead. The Bears, despite trailing, had scored 14 unanswered points and had the ball.
While all the statistics from the game will not officially count, a lot still got learned on both sides. For UC Davis, freshman quarterback Caden Pinnick played well, completing 13 passes for 141 yards along with a touchdown before the game got called off. After saying goodbye to last year’s star Miles Hastings under center, it seems as though the Aggies have found their guy moving forward. Pinnick also ran for 62 yards and another score.
For Mercer, D.J. Smith was also coming on. The senior QB threw for 172 yards and had completed 68.2% of his throws. The Bears defense led by stud pass rusher Andrew Zock, too, looked strong after a slow start. After falling behind 23-3, they held UC Davis down and had just blocked a field goal try to get the ball back. The contest was officially canceled with under ten minutes to play. Both teams will go into Week 1 with no wins or losses.
UC Davis will now get ready for a road trip to Utah Tech to face the Trailblazers while Mercer goes home to host Presbyterian.
NCCU Topples Southern in MEAC/SWAC Challenge
North Carolina Central (1-0) got its season off on the right foot in Atlanta on Saturday night with a solid 31-14 win over Southern (0-1). No more J’Mari Taylor proved to not be a problem for the Eagles as Chris Mosley gashed the Jaguars defense for 180 yards and a touchdown. He was one of three different NCCU players to rush for a score while quarterback Walker Harris threw for 189 yards and had just five incomplete passes on the evening.
Southern kept things interesting for most of the first half and actually led late in the first half but ultimately the Eagles proved to be too much on both sides of the ball. Jags quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy had a relatively quiet collegiate debut, throwing for only 71 yards. He did, however, rush for 93 as well. Jalen Woods also got to see the field some late. He completed four-of-five passes.
The North Carolina Central defense was also on point. The unit held the Jaguars offense to just two third down conversions and 89 passing yards. They weren’t on the field much, either, as NCCU won the time of possession battle decisively 35:04 to 24:56.
North Carolina Central will look to make it two in a row next Saturday as it welcomes in New Hampshire while Southern hits the road to face Mississippi Valley State.
