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What We Learned About FCS Football In Week 8: Scores, Highlights & More

What We Learned About FCS Football In Week 8: Scores, Highlights & More

Let’s take a look at the FCS and some storylines from Week 8, including how two teams from Texas in purple & white maintained their places at the top.

Oct 27, 2026 by Matt Cannizzaro
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In 2011, there was a shift in the Football Championship Subdivision, and the Missouri Valley Football Conference suddenly became the most powerful group of teams in college football, besting even the almighty Southeastern Conference, which has controlled the narrative in the sport’s top tier, the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Granted, 10 FCS Championship trophies from 2011-2024 made their way to Fargo, North Dakota, in the hands of the North Dakota State Bison, including five in a row from 2011-2015, but two of the years NDSU didn’t win it all, the honor went to MVFC rival South Dakota State (2022, 2023).

With North Dakota State having since moved up to the FBS, the power in the FCS briefly shifted back to the Big Sky Conference, which bookended the MVFC reign with national titles in 2010 and 2025.

Last season, the Big Sky’s Montana State edged Illinois State, another MVFC team, for the hardware in a 35-34 overtime thriller, but the BSC’s time atop the FCS rankings was short-lived.

MSU started the year at the top of the American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Poll as the defending national champion, and rightfully so, but a shocking loss to winless conference foe Idaho on Oct. 2 sent the Bobcats tumbling down the rankings.


The teams of the MVFC were nearby and waiting for a chance to regain control, and it again was South Dakota State that was there to shoulder the responsibility.

The Jackrabbits did get to enjoy a brief moment on the mountaintop, including a bye week that allowed them to bask a little longer, but they returned to action Oct. 17 with a 21-10 loss to North Dakota, trigging an SDSU fall from grace.

After eight weeks of FCS action, it’s now a pair of teams from Texas in the cockpit and looking to bring a national championship back to the Lone Star State for the first time since Sam Houston got it done in 2020.

The Bearkats (Southland Conference) and James Madison in 2016 (Coastal Athletic Association) are the only non-MVFC/Big Sky teams to win the title since back-to-back wins for the CAA in 2008 and 2009.

But, with North Dakota State, Sam Houston and James Madison all now playing in the FBS, and the next generation of teams from the Big Sky Conference and MVFC letting the FCS’ top billing slip away, could the near-future of the FCS be anchored deep in the heart of Texas?

Let’s take a closer look at the FCS and some of the key storylines from Week 8, including how two teams from Texas donned in purple and white managed to maintain their place in the spotlight:

Tarleton State And Stephen F. Austin Have Taken Control In The FCS

There are three undefeated teams in the latest edition of the AFCA FCS rankings, and two of them occupy the No. 1 and No. 2 positions – Tarleton State (8-0) and Stephen F. Austin (8-0).

Despite their physical proximity in the vast state of Texas, they now reside in different conferences and each have the opportunity to automatically qualify for the 24-team FCS Football Championship.

But that’s also one of the things that makes postseason play so wacky. You can wreck everyone in your conference or dominate in the polls, but no matter how many points you score or how many wins you rack up, you still only have a 1:24 chance of winning a national title.

The champion mindset simply has to be focusing on one week and one goal at a time. Win each of the 12 one-week seasons. Get those conference dubs and make a run at the title, so your playoff fate isn’t in someone else’s hands.

So far, TSU and SFA are doing just that and made the most of their first week at the top of the rankings after watching the top-ranked squads from across the divisions continue to get knocked off.

Tarleton State successfully defended the No. 1 spot in Week 8 with a statement 49-6 conference win on the road at West Georgia, but the main thing that accomplished was keeping the Texans tied for the lead in the United Athletic Conference early in the UAC slate.

TSU and Abilene Christian are tied for first place at 3-0, while Austin Peay is 3-1, and Eastern Kentucky is 2-1.

Week 9 could create a little more separation, if Tarleton State can get past EKU and Abilene Christian can beat West Georgia. That would set up a huge Nov. 7 matchup between TSU and ACU that ultimately could decide who wins the UAC.

Stephen F. Austin also will be in action both weeks, and the Lumberjacks probably would be lying if they weren’t at least considering the possibility of becoming the top-ranked team if the Texans falter.

SFA is in a tight conference race, too, but tops the Southland Conference standings at 5-0. Lamar is 4-1 right now, but the two front-runners are set to meet on Lamar’s home turf Nov. 7. That showdown will come after SFA hosts Houston Christian in Week 9 and Lamar visits UT Rio Grande Valley. Both are SLC contests.

Will Tarleton State be able to keep the No. 1 spot in the FCS rankings for a few more weeks, unlike Montana State and South Dakota State were able to do?

Have the Texans already done enough to feel safe when it comes to making the 2026 postseason, even with four weeks of action, all conference games, ahead?

Honestly, no matter how it shakes out, it probably is going to be dramatic and exciting, and FCS fans can watch top games every week live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.

Missouri Valley Football Conference Fighting Its Own Battle For Now

Before teams can worry about the postseason and a national championship, they first must handle business within their own conferences, and the battles for the coveted automatic playoff bids definitely are heating up, as noted above.

In the MVFC, No. 6 South Dakota’s epic win over No. 8 North Dakota definitely made a statement for the Coyotes, but it also gave them some things to work on as the season progresses.

South Dakota led the clash 17-0 early and 20-3 at halftime, but the Coyotes failed to score after the break and nearly let the important conference game slip away.

North Dakota rallied back with seven points in the third quarter and 10 more in the final stanza to tie the game and force an overtime period.

The host Coyotes won the coin toss heading into the extra frame and chose to let North Dakota take the ball first. A touchdown scamper for the Fighting Hawks was negated by a penalty, and they were forced to settle for a field goal.

Once South Dakota stepped up to the ND 25-yard line with the game on the line, it only took two plays for the Coyotes to find the end zone and the win column.

An 11-yard run up the middle from redshirt senior running back Charles Pierre Jr. was followed by a 14-yard touchdown strike from redshirt freshman quarterback Austyn Modrzewski to fellow redshirt freshman Brayden White.

What does all of this mean?

With Youngstown State idle in Week 8, South Dakota was able to join the Penguins at the top of the MVFC standings at 4-1, while North Dakota landed in fourth place at 3-2 in conference play. Between, is South Dakota State, the former No. 1 team in the FCS, at 3-1.

The results also set up a HUGE week in the MVFC race, where North Dakota will visit Youngstown State, and South Dakota will make a trip to SDSU.

Will YSU and South Dakota handle business and remain in control in the MVFC, or could we end up with a pile of four-win teams heading into the final three weeks of the campaign?

The CAA Continues To Surprise Us In 2026

There’s little question that the Campbell Camels are the most improved team in the CAA and probably across the entire FCS.

After going 3-9 in 2024 and 2-10 in 2025 under new head coach Braxton Harris, his efforts to reshape the culture at Campbell are starting to be rewarded.

This season, the Camels have been nearly untouchable, bursting out of the gate on the way to the best overall record among CAA teams at 7-1, while becoming serious contenders in the conference race at 4-0, trailing only Monmouth (5-0) after Week 8.

Monmouth is meeting expectations after being selected to finished second in the CAA. The Hawks were slotted behind two-time defending champion Rhode Island, which has struggled and sunk toward the bottom of the standings at 1-3 in CAA games.

Campbell was picked to finish eighth in the 13-team conference, but things clearly have been turned upside down.

Along with the Camels, Bryant also is a surprise this year at 5-3 overall and 3-1, which ties the Bulldogs with Stony Brook and a UAlbany team that’s heating up in the second half of the campaign.

The biggest thing the teams will need to do now is continue looking forward and not think too much about the success they’ve had so far. It’s as basic as making sure you catch the ball and get a foot down before you start thinking about your touchdown dance.

UAlbany collected the latest surprise win over URI, a 38-21 decision in Week 8, and the Great Danes now will look to keep the momentum going at home against Campbell.

That said, even though UAlbany will have the home-field advantage, the Camels are coming off a record performance that featured a school-record 450 passing yards from senior quarterback Kamden Sixkiller in a 35-6 win over Maine.

Monmouth will be at home to welcome Bryant, but no matter what happens, the Hawks will remain in position for at least a share of first place based on wins.

It’s likely that some folks might already be looking at the Monmouth-Campbell clash on Nov. 21 as a possible deciding game, but a handful of teams within the conference know a lot can happen in the three weeks prior.

Again, keep your eyes forward – just not too far ahead.

Learning Curve For West Florida Football

It turns out that jumping divisions is a tough task after all.

After a fast and successful rise through Division II football, including a national championship in 2019, West Florida made the move to the Division I FCS level for the 2026 season, but it was impossible to guess how things would go.

The Argonauts opened their FCS era with a pair of wins over top-25 opponents (Southern Illinois and Central Arkansas) and immediately earned their own spot among the top 25 teams.

Over their seven games this year, they’ve been in, up, down, out and back in again, but following a 16-13 UAC loss to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, UWF again is on the outside looking in.

The Argonauts went from No. 23 after Week 7 to not even receiving votes in the latest rankings.

At 4-3 overall and 1-3 in UAC play, this likely will be a learning year for UWF.

However, with conference games against North Alabama, Tarleton State and West Georgia on the horizon, the Argos still have the opportunity to earn some respect with a good performance against the No. 1 team in the nation, Tarleton State, while potentially spoiling the TSU bid for a UAC title in a tight race with Abilene Christian, Austin Peay and EKU.

Top Of FCS Rankings Unchanged After Week 8

The chaos at the top of the AFCA FCS rankings has calmed – at least for a minute – with no changes among the top seven teams in Week 8.

Five programs added another tally to their win columns, and two teams had the week off after noteworthy wins in Week 7.

Heading into Week 9, there are three undefeated teams in the top 25 – No. 1 Tarleton State (8-0), No. 2 Stephen F. Austin (8-0) and No. 16 Harvard (6-0).

At the other end, three teams weren’t as lucky and fell out of the top 25. That was Jackson State, West Florida and Southeastern Louisiana, but their shortcomings made room for Idaho State, Abilene Christian and UAlbany to make their way back onto the radar.

Top to bottom, only two ranked teams were upset in Week 8. That was No. 12 Lehigh losing to unranked Villanova and falling to No. 20 and No. 23 West Florida losing to unranked Eastern Kentucky and falling out of the top 25.

Top 25 Results For Week 8

*Upsets in bold

  • No. 1 Tarleton State def. West Georgia, 49-6
  • No. 2 Stephen F. Austin def. No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana, 45-24
  • No. 3 Montana State def. Weber State, 38-33
  • No. 4 Youngstown State was idle
  • No. 5 South Dakota State def. Murray State, 42-9
  • No. 6 South Dakota def. No. 8 North Dakota, 26-23 (OT)
  • No. 7 Northern Arizona was idle
  • No. 9 Austin Peay def. North Alabama, 27-21
  • No. 10 Illinois State def. Indiana State, 17-10
  • No. 11 Tennessee Tech def. The Citadel, 28-13
  • Villanova def. No. 12 Lehigh, 24-18
  • No. 13 Mercer was idle
  • No. 14 Montana was idle
  • No. 15 Lamar def. Houston Christian, 35-10
  • No. 16 Campbell def. Maine, 35-6
  • No. 17 Harvard def. Princeton, 35-7
  • No. 18 Monmouth def. Hampton, 49-13
  • No. 19 Richmond def. Colgate, 13-6
  • No. 20 East Tennessee State def. VMI, 38-0
  • No. 21 UC Davis def. Northern Colorado, 33-6
  • No. 22 South Carolina State def. Norfolk State, 22-7
  • Eastern Kentucky def. No. 23 West Florida, 16-13
  • No. 25 South Carolina State def. Norfolk State, 22-7

AFCA FCS Rankings After Week 8 Of The 2026 Season

As of Oct. 24

  1. Tarleton St. (8-0) – 649 – Prev. 1
  2. Stephen F. Austin (8-0) – 623 – Prev. 2
  3. Montana St. (7-1) – 591 – Prev. 3
  4. Youngstown St. (6-2) – 567 – Prev. 4
  5. South Dakota St. (6-2) – 543 – Prev. 5
  6. South Dakota (7-2) – 520 – Prev. 6
  7. Northern Arizona (6-2) – 482 – Prev. 7
  8. Austin Peay (7-2) – 464 – Prev. 9
  9. Illinois St. (6-2) – 418 – Prev. 10
  10. Tennessee Tech (7-1) – 406 – Prev. 11
  11. North Dakota (6-3) – 374 – Prev. 8
  12. Mercer (6-2) – 340 – Prev. 13
  13. Lamar (6-2) – 319 – Prev. 15
  14. Montana (5-3) – 317 – Prev. 14
  15. Campbell (7-1) – 310 – Prev. 16
  16. Harvard (6-0) – 276 – Prev. 17
  17. Monmouth (6-2) – 231 – Prev. 18
  18. East Tennessee St. (6-2) – 194 – Prev. 20
  19. Richmond (6-2) – 192 – Prev. 19
  20. Lehigh (6-2) – 174 – Prev. 12
  21. UC Davis (5-3) – 142 – Prev. 21
  22. South Carolina St. (6-2) – 90 – Prev. 25
  23. Idaho St. (5-3) – 58 – Prev. NR
  24. Abilene Christian (4-4) – 34 – Prev. NR
  25. UAlbany (5-3) – 32 – Prev. NR

Dropped Out: Jackson St. (22), West Florida (23), Southeastern Louisiana (24)

Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana, 16; Alabama A&M, 13; Southeast Missouri St., 13; Weber St., 12; Wofford, 10; Chattanooga, 8; Stony Brook, 8; Southern Illinois, 5; Bryant, 4; Central Connecticut St., 4; Colgate, 3; Jackson St., 3; Morgan St., 3; Princeton, 2.

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.

Monmouth vs. UNH Football Game Replay | 2026 FCS Football

Watch the full replay of the 2026 CAA showdown between Monmouth and New Hampshire, which aired live on FloCollege and the FloSports app on Oct. 17.

Spoiler: Monmouth won 42-21 to remain undefeated in conference play early in the 2026 campaign.


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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