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Bracket (Ratings shown are most current Sagarin ratings); Ranking most recent STATS Perform); Conference along with Sagarin in parens.

6-2/6-2

Round 1, 11/26/22:

Saint Francis (NEC,49) @ FCS23 Delaware (CAA,52) by 5 - winner plays Seed #1 South Dakota State (MVC), 17-56

FCS16 Fordham (PAT,50) @ FCS15 New Hampshire (CAA,49) by 1 - winner plays #8 Holy Cross (PAT), 42-52

Gardner-Webb (BS,50) @ Eastern Kentucky (ASUN,51) by 3 - winner plays #5 William & Mary (CAA), 52-41

FCS20 North Dakota (MVC,57) @ FCS9 Weber State (BSky,65) by 10 - winner plays #4 Montana State (BSky), 31-38

FCS14 SEMO (OVC,55) @ FCS19 Montana (BSky,66) by 13- winner plays #3 North Dakota State (MVC), 24-34

FCS18 Idaho (BSky, 61) by 4 @ FCS17 Southeastern Louisiana (SLC,55) - winner plays #6 Samford (SoC), 42-45

FCS12 Elon (CAA,53) @ FCS11 Furman (SoC,59) by 8 - winner plays #7 Incarnate Word (SLC), 6-31

Davidson (PIO,32) @ FCS13 Richmond (CAA,54) by 24 - winner plays #2 Sacramento State, 0-41

Bracket (Ratings shown are most current Sagarin ratings); Ranking most recent STATS Perform); Conference along with Sagarin in parens.

8-0/14-2

Round 2, 12/3/22:

FCS23 Delaware (CAA,55) @ Seed #1 South Dakota State (MVC,71) by 18, 6-42
Jackrabbits outrun Blue Hens as expected

FCS15 New Hampshire (CAA,50) @ #8 Holy Cross (PAT,55) by 7, 19-35
Crusaders campaigns over Wildcats

Gardner-Webb (BS,51) @ #5 William & Mary (CAA,57) by 8, 14-54
The Tribe ("Griffins" for the PC among us) rout GW

FCS9 Weber State (BSky,65) @ #4 Montana State (BSky,66) by 3, 25-33
Dutton State Bobcats get 2nd win over WSU this season

FCS19 Montana (BSky,66) @ #3 North Dakota State (MVC,70) by 6, 26-49
Bison roll over Grizzlies

FCS17 Southeastern Louisiana (SLC,56) @ #6 Samford (SoC,60) by 6, 42-48, OT
Bulldogs edge by Lions in a good regional matchup

FCS11 Furman (SoC,61) @ #7 Incarnate Word (SLC,65) by 6, 38-41
Cards slip by Palladins

FCS13 Richmond (CAA,56) @ #2 Sacramento State (BSky, 69) by 15, 31-38
Comets in a close win over Spiders...could NCAA have found a longer trip to make?

Bracket (Ratings shown are most current Sagarin ratings); Ranking most recent STATS Perform); Conference along with Sagarin in parens.

8-0/14-2

Round 3, 12/9-10/22:

12/9:
#6 Samford (SoCon) @ #3 North Dakota State (MVFC) by 14 (ESPN2, 6:00pm), 9-27...Bulldogs started 2nd QB who finished the game v SELA last week and Bisons were without the "bowling ball" FB (800 yards rush) and then last their top WR ad RB during the game....Q1 was very hardnose football and 0-0....Bison got a 10-0 halftime lead with some help from Samford who had terrible clock management as time ran down in H1 which allowed NDSU enough time to kick a FG.... Bison came out in H2 and took KO down for a 17-0 lead then just ran out the clock...Samford switched QB to #1 who then threw for 200+ in H2 but Bisons just chewed up time, took what Samford gave them and kicked some FGs...

#5 William & Mary (CAA) @ #4 Montana State (BSky) by 9 (ESPN2, 9:15pm)....17 degrees at KO in Bozeman...7-55....The Tribe was in it for about a quarter then just got pounded....Bobcats put up 500+ yards including 320+ rush...enough said...not a good game for the CAA champ...

#7 Incarnate Word (SLC) @ #2 Sacramento State (BSky) by 5, 66-63....Cards outscored 46-38 in H2 but hang on for the win...the defenses apparently did not get off the bus.....Cards rolled up 237 pass and 342 rush for 579 total while the Hornets stung IWU with 405 pass and 333 rush for 738 total...each team had 2 100+ yd rushers.... Sac State had 2 100+ receivers....Hornets also lost four TOs and Cards zero...surely this is a FCS playoff record for total points and almost assuredly has to be a quarterfinal record....

12/10:
#8 Holy Cross (Pat) @ #1 South Dakota State (MVFC) by 18 (ESPN, 11am)

Bracket (Ratings shown are most current Sagarin ratings); Ranking most recent STATS Perform); Conference along with Sagarin in parens.

2-0/19-3

Very good matchups in semi-finals....Bison strength vs Cardinals speed...run vs spread...MSU/SDSU two well rounded team....hoping for good weather....

Round 4, 12/16-17/22:

12/16 - ESPN2, 6pm

Seed #7 Incarnate Word (SLC, 12-1) @ Seed #3 North Dakota State (MVFC, 11-2) by 8...32-35


12/17 - ESPN2, 3pm

Seed #4 Montana State (BSky, 12-1) @ Seed #1 South Dakota State (MVFC, 11-1) by 6 ... 18-39

Watching UIW whip NDSU and remembering they were a doormat for several years in the southland. Really wondering why UCA can’t get to this level

2 takeaways from the game...

UIW knows how to execute the hurry up offense. When you snap it with
30 seconds left of the play clock, that's moving at the speed of light.

NDSU was really effective a few times with faking injuries to slow down
the Cardinals and give their Defense a chance to catch their breath.

Both semi-final games were entertaining football.....weather conditions at Brookings were brutal but SDSU and MSU used to that...hats off to the fans who stayed to the end...

Have to admit SDSU looked really stout....MSU QB was running for his life much of the night ...

IWU game with NDSU was really terrific game....two very different styles....Bison use strength and Cards use speed and deception.....NDSU was missing their two top offensive players (FB and WR) and lost 2-3 first team defenders during the game....not sure how Cards stacked up with injuries...NDSU has not shown himself to be a Carson Wentz or Trey Lance and that may be the difference in playing SDSU....

Very impressive what Cards have accomplished...they were playing D2 football in 2010......worth seeing how they fared vs UCA...

2013: UCA wins at Conway by 58-7
2017: UCA wins 56-10 at IWU
2018: IWU wins at Conway by 40-27
2019: UCA wins 52-35 at IWU

IWU and UCA record since 2010:

2010: 3-8 (D2) / 7-4 (SLC)
2011: 2-8 (D2) / 9-4 (SLC) beat Tennessee Tech and lost to Montana in palyoffs
2012: 2-9 (D2) / 9-3 (SLC) ...lost to Ga Southern in playoffs
2013: 6-5 (mixed) / 5-4 (SLC)
2014: 2-9 (SLC) .....IWU lost to NDSU 58-0 / 6-6 (SLC)
2015: 6-5 (SLC) / 7-4 (SLC)
2016: 3-8 (SLC) / 10-3 (SLC) ...lost to EWU in playoffs
2017: 1-10 (SLC) / 10-2 (SLC) ...lost to New Hampshire in playoffs
2018: 6-5 (SLC) / 7-4 (SLC)
2019: 5-7 (SLC) / 9-4 (SLC) ...lost to Illinois State in playoff
2020: 3-3 (SLC) / 5-4 (ASUN)
2021: 10-3 (SLC) / 5-6 (ASUN)
2022: 12-2 (SLC) / 5-6 (ASUN)

Playoffs:
2018: Lost to Montana State 35-14
2021: Win over SFA 35-28; lost to Sam Houston 49-42
2022: Win over Furman 41-38, win over Sac State 66-63 and lost to NDSU by 35-32

Bracket (Ratings shown are most current Sagarin ratings); Ranking most recent STATS Perform); Conference along with Sagarin in parens.

2-0/19-3

Championship Game, Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Sunday, January 8, 2023. 1pm on ABC

North Dakota State (MVFC, 12-2) vs South Dakota State (MVFC, 13-1) by 2

Beyond the game outcome, which team will bring more fans?

I'm sure by now that most NDSU fans own property in Frisco...