What We Learned About FCS Football In Week 5: Scores, Highlights & More

Week 5 of the 2026 college football season gave us a lot to remember and many things to think about the rest of the way. Here's what we learned in the FCS.

Oct 6, 2026 by Matt Cannizzaro

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We know that the teams on the football field are trying to learn from every performance, win or lose, so they can be better next week, but as each season unfolds, the fans are learning things, too.

During Week 5 of the 2026 season, the lessons taught by the teams in the Football Championship Subdivision were as black and white as they’ve ever been – no lead is safe, no team is invincible, you need to keep your emotions in check and there once again is going to be an intense battle in the Coastal Athletic Association.

For those who tune in simply for the highlights, upsets and entertainment, there was a lot of that, as well, including the No. 1 team in the FCS suffering a loss that seemed to be weeks in the making.

Now, as we transition from Week 5 to Week 6 and then to the intense conference battles on the horizon, we need to ask the pertinent questions:

Is defending FCS champion Montana State strong enough to rebound from a loss to winless Idaho and make a run at another national title?

The gauntlet has been thrown down in the CAA. Are newcomers Campbell and Bryant as good as their records indicate and ready to challenge front-runner Monmouth for the conference crown?

Is new No. 1 South Dakota State, the 2022 and 2023 FCS national champion, setting itself up to be the newest dynasty following the move of North Dakota State to the FBS?

Let’s take a look at some of the key storylines from Week 5 and what they told us:

No Team Is Safe In College Football

Whether you’re the defending national champion, the No. 1 team in the nation or riding an insane winning streak, the football gods don’t care.

You really just need to consider each campaign as 12 one-week seasons and play every game like it’s for a championship, because what you did last week or last year doesn’t matter.

And it really doesn’t make a difference to your opponent. Just ask the previously winless Idaho Vandals, who did themselves – and the rest of the FCS – a huge favor by unseating the top-ranked Montana State Bobcats.

The Bobcats actually were all of the things mentioned above.

They won the 2025 FCS national title, were the No. 1 team in the FCS polls this season and brought a program-record 19-game winning streak with them to Idaho.

However, anyone who follows the FCS knows MSU had been doing just enough lately to stay ahead of the pack, but a few close calls along the way made the Week 5 loss almost seem inevitable.

A week earlier, winless and unranked Central Connecticut State pushed Montana State to the brink, before the Bobcats were able to escape with a 35-30 win that included a combined 51 points in the second half.

There’s no doubt that the mistakes made during that contest were talked about a lot during the week and in developing a strategy for facing the Vandals.

Another thing that was discussed, especially during the Montana State-Idaho Big Sky Conference showdown, was the fact that one of the biggest wins in Idaho football history was a 24-21 victory over the Bobcats at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, in 2023 that ended with a last-second missed field goal by MSU.

That was the last time they played in Idaho, and the highest-ranked win in program history, as the Bobcats were No. 2 at the time.

The Vandals may not have found the win column yet in 2026, but the first two segments of their three-game homestand were solid. The result was a pair of losses by a combined eight points, but a lot of momentum heading into this year’s clash with Montana State. Plus the benefit of the home field and a well-rested roster after a bye week.

The game was every bit the battle the teams expected, with Montana State lading 24-20 at halftime.

The Bobcats led by 14 points at the start of the fourth quarter and took a 34-27 lead into the final minute.

Then, the Vandals went 80 yards in 49 seconds with no timeouts and were able to steal the win with a 2-point conversion.

To set it up, senior quarterback Joshua Wood threw a 23-yard pass to junior tight end Noah West-Baranco, who hit the turf at the 25-yard line with one second left on the clock.

The final play of the drive was a 25-yard floater to junior wide receiver Ryan Jezioro, followed by the no-brainer 2-point attempt.

Idaho wasted no time making its intentions clear with a 75-yard touchdown strike on the its first play from scrimmage and used the dramatic finish to improve to 27-21-1 in the all-time series.

The Vandals now are 1-4 in 2026 and 1-1 in Big Sky games, while Montana State fell to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play. Montana is 3-0 atop the standings, but five of the Big Sky's 13 teams are 2-1 in conference games.

The loss also saw the Bobcats plummet from No. 1 to No. 6 in the latest American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Poll, allowing SDSU to slide into the top spot.

There’s A Battle Brewing In The CAA, Too

It’s not unusual for things to be tight at the top of the CAA standings, but the names are a little different this season.

Monmouth has set the bar early, improving to 3-0 in conference play with a dramatic 41-40 homecoming win Saturday over Towson.

It was the Hawks’ first victory over the Tigers at home in New Jersey and gives Monmouth momentum heading into a conference tussle with struggling New Hampshire, though that game isn’t happening until Oct. 17.

Instead, the Hawks will take the week off and let everyone get healthy and hope it doesn’t slow their progress.

Campbell and Bryant, both relatively new to the CAA scene, are red-hot this year and right behind Monmouth in the standings at 2-0.

Campbell, a Week 5 winner against North Carolina Central, also is off this week, and Bryant will travel to Brown for a nonconference matchup after edging North Carolina A&T last weekend, 31-30.

Stony Brook is the next-closest threat at 1-0 in conference play and set to meet winless Townson on Saturday, looking to pull level with the Camels and Bulldogs in the pursuit of Monmouth.

In all, seven CAA teams are in action this week, while six will have a likely much-needed midseason break.

When they all return to the gridiron, however, it’s going to be all CAA all the time, and the fight will get fierce.

Keep Your Emotions In Check

Even though the college football season lasts four months, the teams only have 10-12 games to fight for postseason life.

When so much is on the line, tempers can flare, and things can get heated on the football field.

From the Towson-Monmouth game Saturday in New Jersey, most people are going to remember the Hawks breaking their long home losing streak to the Tigers and how special it was to squeak out a one-point win on homecoming.

They’ll also remember that the clutch victory kept MU as the leader in the 2026 CAA race.

Outside of the stats people and the coaching staff for each team, no one is going to remember the two extra points missed by Towson, or what ultimately led to the second one. Or how Towson got into a position to actually win the game.

Here’s a brief recap:

The teams exchanged scores through the fourth quarter, but it was penalties that played the biggest role in the final minutes.

Two roughing-the-passer penalties helped Towson march down the field, and the drive ended with a Hail Mary pass from sophomore quarterback Andrew Indorf that was deflected and secured by redshirt sophomore wide receiver Cleveland Charlton.

Unfortunately, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Towson after the score pushed the extra-point attempt back 15 yards and took the 2-point conversion out of play.

Redshirt freshman Zaydaan Faridi missed the 36-yard kick and left the Tigers trailing with just over a minute remaining in the game.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from the Tigers on the ensuing Monmouth drive gave the Hawks the first down they needed to be able to run out the clock and secure the win.

Did the Hawks deserve to win the game?

They had 10 penalties for 110 yards. Yikes. But the Tigers weren’t far behind with six of their own for 76 yards.

Offensively, Towson had more plays, more passing yards, more third-down conversions and more successful trips to the red zone (6 for 6 vs. 5 for 5), but it was the Monmouth defense that gave the Hawks the little bit of extra oomph they needed to prevail.

Monmouth held Towson to just 96 yards on the ground, an average of 2.6 yards per rush, had three sacks and returned a fourth-quarter interception for a touchdown.

The MU kicking crew also was solid, kicking two field goals and converting on all five extra-point attempts.

It’s early in the season, but it is very possible this game could play a part in who wins the CAA title and automatic bid to the playoffs.

If the teams can’t keep their emotions in check moving forward, something careless might prove to be quite costly. Heck, even a one-loss team could stay in the running in the CAA this year, so Towson might already be haunted by some of the mistakes.

Monmouth is 4-2 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The latter is huge. Towson is 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the CAA. That’s not too deep of a hole to get out of, maybe, but being 1-1 would’ve had a much brighter outlook.

FCS Top 25 Results For Week 5

As mentioned above, No. 1 Montana State fell to Idaho in the final seconds of their Big Sky battle at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, and the FCS now has a new top team - South Dakota State.

Through Week 5, there are five teams from the new top 25 that still are undefeated - No. 2 Tarleton State (5-0), No. 4 Stephen F. Austin (6-0), No. 5 Lehigh (6-0), No. 19 Harvard (3-0) and No. 22 Jackson State (5-0).

FCS newcomer West Florida has been in and out of the top 25 all season and has fallen out once again after a 35-7 loss to unranked Abilene Christian. South Illinois also dropped out thanks to a 28-16 loss to No. 10 Youngstown State.

All of that movement made room for Monmouth and Southeastern Louisiana to jump back into the top 25 at No. 24 and No. 25, respectively.

Check out how the rest of top 25 performed in Week 5:

Bold = Upsets

Idaho def. No. 1 Montana State, 35-34
No. 2 South Dakota State def. No. 11 Illinois State, 31-14
No. 3 Tarleton State def. Chicago State, 56-21
No. 4 Montana def. Northern Colorado, 36-14
No. 5 Stephen F. Austin def. Incarnate Word, 28-26
No. 6 Lehigh def. Fordham, 34-0
No. 7 North Dakota def. Murray State, 55-28
No. 8 Tennessee Tech lost to Western Carolina, 44-20
No. 9 Austin Peay def. New Haven, 42-17
No. 10 Youngstown State def. No. 25 Southern Illinois, 28-16
The Citadel def. No. 12 South Carolina State, 34-31
No. 13 Lamar def. Northwestern State, 42-14
No. 19 Northern Arizona def. No. 14 Idaho State, 38-31
No. 15 UC Davis def. Eastern Washington, 49-38
No. 16 South Dakota def. Indiana State, 44-14
No. 17 Richmond def. Lafayette, 40-31
Abilene Christian def. No. 18 West Florida, 35-7
No. 22 Harvard def. No. 20 Colgate, 20-17
No. 21 Mercer def. VMI, 54-3
No. 23 Jackson State def. Alabama A&M, 31-28
No. 24 Campbell def. North Carolina Central, 38-31

New AFCA FCS Rankings After Week 5 Of 2026

As of Oct. 3

South Dakota St. (5-1) – 648 – Prev. 2
Tarleton St. (5-0) – 614 – Prev. 3
Montana (5-1) – 570 – Prev. 4
Stephen F. Austin (6-0) – 558 – Prev. 5
Lehigh (6-0) – 528 – Prev. 6
Montana St. (5-1) – 509 – Prev. 1
North Dakota (5-1) – 496 – Prev. 7
Austin Peay (5-1) – 472 – Prev. 9
Youngstown St. (4-2) – 454 – Prev. 10
Lamar (4-1) – 408 – Prev. 13
UC Davis (4-2) – 358 – Prev. 15
South Dakota (4-2) – 338 – Prev. 16
Illinois St. (4-2) – 288 – Prev. 11
Northern Arizona (4-2) – 287 – Prev. 19
Richmond (5-1) – 277 – Prev. 17
Tennessee Tech (4-1) – 255 – Prev. 8
Idaho St. (4-1) – 197 – Prev. 14
Mercer (4-2) – 194 – Prev. 21
Harvard (3-0) – 180 – Prev. 22
Campbell (5-1) – 171 – Prev. 24
South Carolina St. (5-1) – 152 – Prev. 12
Jackson St. (5-0) – 147 – Prev. 23
Colgate (4-2) – 78 – Prev. 20
Monmouth (N.J.) (4-2) – 48 – Prev. NR
Southeastern Louisiana (3-2) – 41 – Prev. NR

Dropped Out: West Florida (18), Southern Illinois (25)

Others Receiving Votes: West Florida, 37; Bryant, 32; Yale, 24; Southern Illinois, 19; East Tennessee St., 15; Elon, 15; Idaho, 14; Stony Brook, 9; ACU, 8; Dartmouth, 3; Morgan St., 2; Alabama St., 1; Central Connecticut St., 1; North Alabama, 1; Robert Morris, 1.

Some Things To Know About FCS Football

The FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) is the second tier of NCAA Division I football, with the top tier being the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision).

While the FBS determines its national champion through a 12-team, committee-selected College Football Playoff, the FCS Championship includes 24 teams.

The FCS conference champions automatically qualify for the playoffs, and the remaining spots are filled via at-large selection.

This season, there will be 128 programs across 13 conferences. The regular season will begin in late August, and the playoffs will get underway at the end of November.

Who Won The Each Football National Championship For The 2025-2026 Season?

Division I FBS – Indiana def. Miami, 27-21
Division I FCS – Montana State def. Illinois State 35-34 (OT)
Division II – Ferris State def. Harding, 42-21
Division III – University of Wisconsin-River Falls def. North Central (Ill.), 24-14

When Do The 2026 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs Start?

The first round of the 2026 NCAA FCS Playoffs will be Nov. 28.

The format includes 24 teams and five rounds of play – first round, second round, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game. Everything through the semifinals will be played at the site of the participating schools.

Round 2 is set for Dec. 5, the quarterfinals will be held Dec. 11 (one game) and Dec. 12 (three games) and the semifinals will take place Dec. 19.

The 2026 FCS national championship will be determined Jan. 11, 2027, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Music City first hosted the title tilt in 2025 after 15 consecutive visits to Frisco, Texas.

Every game will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks.

How Do The FCS Playoffs Work?

The 24 FCS teams that advance to the playoffs are situated into a single-elimination bracket.

The top 16 teams are seeded, with the first eight earning byes into the second round. Seeds 9-16 must play in the opening round of action, but they get to play host, as do the higher seeds in each game through the semifinals.

The two semifinal winners then make the trip to Nashville to play for the national championship.

In 2025, Montana State defeated Illinois State 35-34 in overtime to claim the trophy.

Since 2011, North Dakota State had been dominating the FCS landscape, winning 10 national titles, but the Bison have now moved to a bigger pasture – the FBS level as part of the Mountain West Conference.

New Hampshire vs. Elon Football Highlights | 2026 CAA Football

Check out the highlights from New Hampshire’s 30-23 win over CAA rival Elon on Oct. 3.

The Wildcats improved to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in CAA play. Elon fell to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

Archived Footage On FloCollege

Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Watch The 2026 College Football Season On FloCollege

FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long.

Don’t miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games.

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