Idaho has five losses and two wins over Montana's biggest football programs. Stephen F. Austin can't stop scoring. And the Missouri Valley Football Conference is becoming a playoff traffic jam.
Week 7 of FCS football delivered plenty of surprises Saturday, Oct. 17, with four Top-10 teams falling, conference championship races tightening and several playoff contenders making their cases for November.
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But the final scores only tell part of the story. From the Vandals causing headaches in the Big Sky to three unbeaten conference contenders battling for the CAA crown, the FCS landscape looks a little different heading into Week 8.
Here are five takeaways from Week 7 of FCS football.
1. Idaho's Vandals Have Vandalized Montana Football
Somebody needs to explain Idaho.
The Vandals are 2-5 overall, yet their two victories have come against Montana State and Montana, two of the Big Sky's biggest football programs.
Idaho stunned then-No. 1 Montana State 35-34 on Oct. 2 before returning to the upset business Saturday with a 42-35 victory over No. 7 Montana.
Quarterback Joshua Wood put together another impressive performance against the Grizzlies, completing 30 of 38 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns while adding 85 rushing yards and another score.
Even five touchdown passes from Montana quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat weren't enough to stop the Vandals.
Idaho became the first Big Sky Football team since Sacramento State in 2019 to defeat both Montana programs in the same season.
The Vandals might not have the overall record of a playoff contender, but they've already left their mark on the Big Sky championship race.
2. The Hawks Lead The Pack, But The Camels And Bulldogs Are Close Behind
The CAA championship race is getting crowded, and nobody seems interested in losing.
No. 20 Monmouth improved to 4-0 in conference play with a convincing 42-21 victory over New Hampshire. Kenny Smith Jr. rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns as the Hawks continued their impressive conference run.
But Monmouth isn't alone.
No. 18 Campbell survived a 24-20 battle against Towson, while Bryant escaped Maine with a 17-14 victory. Both teams remain undefeated in CAA play at 3-0.
And don't forget UAlbany.
The Great Danes defeated Stony Brook 48-31 in the Battle for the Golden Apple, with Rahshan La Mons rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
With Monmouth, Campbell and Bryant all unbeaten in conference play, the race for the CAA's automatic FCS playoff bid is far from settled.
3. The Lumberjacks Are Chopping Their Way Toward No. 1
Stephen F. Austin might have the strongest argument for a promotion in the next FCS rankings.
The No. 3 Lumberjacks improved to 7-0 Saturday with a 56-0 demolition of Nicholls, continuing one of the most impressive undefeated starts in the country.
Quarterback Gavin Rutherford threw for 233 yards and four touchdowns, while receiver Braylon Mortimer hauled in six catches for 103 yards and three scores.
And the defense? Not a single point allowed.
With No. 1 South Dakota State losing to North Dakota, the top spot in the AFCA Coaches Poll is suddenly available.
No. 2 Tarleton State entered the weekend undefeated and remains another major contender in the rankings conversation.
Stephen F. Austin, however, certainly made its case Saturday.
The Lumberjacks aren't just winning. They're making it difficult for voters to ignore them.
4. The Fighting Hawks Have Turned The Valley Into A Ranking Nightmare
Good luck sorting out the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
North Dakota delivered the biggest result of the weekend, knocking off No. 1 South Dakota State 21-10 in Grand Forks.
But the Fighting Hawks weren't the only MVFC contender making noise.
No. 6 Youngstown State defeated No. 25 Northern Iowa 35-22, No. 9 South Dakota beat Murray State 48-20, and No. 13 Illinois State handled Southern Illinois 35-14.
North Dakota, Youngstown State and South Dakota now sit at 6-2 overall, while Illinois State and South Dakota State are both 5-2.
That's five nationally ranked programs with strong postseason ambitions and plenty of football remaining.
North Dakota's victory over the Jackrabbits gives the Fighting Hawks a particularly valuable head-to-head result.
And the schedule isn't getting any easier.
North Dakota visits South Dakota on Oct. 24 in another matchup that could have major implications for the MVFC standings and FCS playoff seeding.
5. The Mountain Hawks Stumble, And The Raiders Have Trouble
Saturday wasn't particularly kind to the Patriot League's ranked teams.
No. 4 Lehigh suffered its first defeat of the season, falling 48-38 to Cornell in a game that ended the Mountain Hawks' 23-game regular-season winning streak.
Cornell piled up 600 yards of offense, including 366 passing yards and 103 rushing yards from quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio.
Meanwhile, No. 19 Colgate lost 27-17 to Georgetown, creating another complication in the Patriot League championship race.
But here's the important distinction.
Lehigh's loss came against a nonconference opponent, meaning the Mountain Hawks remain unbeaten at 4-0 in Patriot League play.
Colgate's defeat, however, came against a conference opponent, dropping the Raiders to 3-1 in league play.
Richmond also sits at 3-1, keeping the competition for the automatic playoff bid interesting.
Lehigh's national ranking could take a hit, but its conference championship hopes remain firmly intact.
For Colgate, the margin for error just got smaller.
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