{"id":118908,"date":"2024-09-25T13:39:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T20:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/?p=118908"},"modified":"2024-09-25T13:53:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T20:53:47","slug":"fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/","title":{"rendered":"FCS Podcast: How Open Is The FCS National Title Race?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Welcome to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/college-football\/fcs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FCS<\/a>&nbsp;Football Talk podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On this episode, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SamHerderFCS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Sam Herder<\/a> and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/zachmckinnell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Zach McKinnell<\/a> discuss:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Week 4 Three Game Balls and A Flag<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-No. 4 Montana\u2019s comeback win over No. 24 Western Carolina <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-How open is the race for the FCS National Championship?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Week 5 previews:<br>No. 12 Mercer at No. 23 Wofford <br>No. 17 SIU at No. 5 South Dakota <br>No. 2 NDSU at No. 18 Illinois State <br>No. 19 Lamar at No. 7 Central Arkansas <br>No. 4 Idaho at No. 14 UC Davis<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and Spreaker.\u200b\u200b<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>SUBSCRIBE<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/fcs-football-talk\/id1205671649\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">FCS Football Talk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=62107619&amp;theme=dark&amp;chapters-image=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"h-3-game-balls-and-a-flag\">3 Game Balls and a Flag<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Each week of the 2024 FCS football season, the FCS Football Talk podcast will award three game balls and a flag from the previous weekend\u2019s action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The game balls are awarded to three standout teams or individual players, while the flag is thrown after a disappointing performance or questionable coaching decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are the three game balls and a flag from Week 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zach&#8217;s 3 Game Balls And A Flag<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Game Ball: Columbia<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Lions opened the season with a statement win over No. 18 Lafayette<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was the first win over a ranked opponent since 2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This game also served as the first win under head coach Jon Poppe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Columbia\u2019s offense was efficient, averaging 7.0 yards per play and recording over 447 total yards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chase Goodwin: 16-of-19 attempts for 180 passing yards and two touchdowns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In limited action, Cole Freeman recorded two passing touchdowns on only eight attempts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Lions rushed over 200 yards and 5.5 yards per carry, led by Joey Giorgi with 90 yards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Malcolm Terry II and Chase Goodwin also combined for 119 rushing yards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wide receiver Bryson Canty led the Lions with six receptions for 95 receiving yards and two touchdowns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Lions held a potent Lafayette rushing attack to only 3.3 yards per carry and did not allow a rushing touchdown<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Game Ball: Montana<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Earned first win over a ranked opponent this season with a 46-35 win over No. 24 Western Carolina<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter but outscored the Catamounts 25-8 in the second half<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Grizzlies recorded 349 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Led by Eli Gillman with 175 rushing yards (12.5 YPC) and one rushing TD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keali\u2019I Ah Yat became the first Montana QB to rush for four touchdowns in a single game<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After allowing 27 points in the first half, the Grizzlies dominated the second half<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Held the Catamounts to only 8 points, including a scoreless third quarter that helped the Grizzlies extend their lead<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Grizzlies held Cole Gonzales to only 115 passing yards in the second half<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Game Ball: Tarleton State RB Kayvon Britten<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Britten set multiple program records with his performance against North Alabama<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Britten\u2019s four touchdowns led the Texans to a 28-14 win over the Lions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He accounted for over 80% of Tarleton Sate\u2019s total offensive production<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Britten finished the game with 21 carries for 273 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>His 273 rushing yards set the new single-game program record<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Season-high total for an FCS running back in 2024<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>His four rushing touchdowns are tied for the most in a single game this season at the FCS level<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>His 96-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter was the longest rushing touchdown in the program\u2019s Division I era<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Britten was named the FCS National Offensive Player of the Week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leads the nation with 660 rushing yards this season<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Flag: North Carolina A&amp;T<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>North Carolina Central defeated the Aggies 66-24 in the Aggie-Eagle Classic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Aggies lost their third consecutive game to North Carolina Central, the longest streak since 2014-16<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was also the most points allowed in the history of the rivalry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Aggies have struggled the past two seasons under head coach Vincent Brown<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1-10 overall record last season, finished winless in conference play<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>North Carolina A&amp;T is 0-3 against Division I opponents this season<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only win against Winston-Salem State in overtime (27-20)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After this weekend, North Carolina A&amp;T ranks No. 113 nationally in total defense and No. 117 in scoring defense<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Aggies have also struggled to find any offensive consistency, averaging only 19.3 points per game this season<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sam&#8217;s 3 Game Balls And A Flag<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Game Ball: Monmouth<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>First FBS win in program history, beating FIU 45-42<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deuce Lee forced a fumble and recovered it near the goal line after an FIU player was fighting for extra yardage to seal the win<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>FCS over FBS win No. 5 this year:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Montana State vs. New Mexico (35-31)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saint Francis vs. Kent State (23-17)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Idaho vs. Wyoming (17-13)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Southern Utah vs. UTEP (27-24)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monmouth vs. FIU (45-42)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Game Ball: SEMO<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No. 21 SEMO beats No. 7 Southern Illinois 38-21<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SEMO led 16-12 at halftime, SIU took a 21-16 lead in the third quarter, but SEMO finished strong with three touchdowns to pull away<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SEMO&#8217;s Paxton DeLaurent throws for 301 yards and four touchdowns, and Payton Brown rushed for 124 yards and a score<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SIU backup-turned-starting-QB Hunter Simmons finished 28\/48 for 341 yards and a touchdown, but SIU rushed for only 62 yards on 30 attempts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SEMO LB Bryce Norman finished with 12 tackles and 1.5 TFLs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SEMO improves to 3-1 with a near FBS win over New Mexico State<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Game Ball: ETSU<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>After an emotional loss to NDSU, ETSU goes on the road and beats Elon 34-14<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both teams were receiving votes in the media poll last week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jaylen King goes 17\/28 for 233 yards while rushing for 93 yards and two scores<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bryson Irby adds 96 yards and a touchdown on the ground<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flag: Southern Utah<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>After looking like a rankable team after beating FBS UTEP and battling No. 15 UC Davis in a 24-21 loss, Southern Utah loses 38-28 at Idaho State<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was 24-7 at halftime<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Southern Utah is now 1-3 overall<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the&nbsp;FCS&nbsp;Football Talk podcast. On this episode, Sam Herder and&nbsp;Zach McKinnell discuss: -Week 4 Three Game Balls and A Flag -No. 4 Montana\u2019s comeback win over No. 24 Western Carolina -How open is the race for the FCS National Championship? -Week 5 previews:No. 12 Mercer at No. 23 Wofford No. 17 SIU at No. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":82477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fcs"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.5 (Yoast SEO v23.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>FCS Podcast: How Open Is The FCS National Title Race? - HERO Sports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On this episode, Sam Herder and\u00a0Zach McKinnell discuss -No. 4 Montana\u2019s comeback win over No. 24 Western Carolina and the FCS title race.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FCS Podcast: How Open Is The FCS National Title Race?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On this episode, Sam Herder and\u00a0Zach McKinnell discuss -No. 4 Montana\u2019s comeback win over No. 24 Western Carolina and the FCS title race.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HERO Sports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HEROSportsNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-25T20:39:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-25T20:53:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/FCS-Podcast-Graphic-1300x800-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Zach McKinnell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/e8tpmrtk53q.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/FCS-Podcast-Graphic-1300x800-1.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/The__Bluebloods\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@herosportsnews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Zach McKinnell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Zach McKinnell\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ab69024faed109486b7636dd57651069\"},\"headline\":\"FCS Podcast: How Open Is The FCS National Title Race?\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-25T20:39:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-25T20:53:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/\"},\"wordCount\":951,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/e8tpmrtk53q.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/FCS-Podcast-Graphic-1300x800-1.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"FCS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-podcast-2024-open-is-the-fcs-national-title-race-zmzm\/\",\"name\":\"FCS Podcast: How Open Is The FCS National Title Race? 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