Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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MGB01
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FCS report

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Sam Houston rolls in their opener, but a good night for the Sky nonetheless with two wins over FBS teams--Cal Davis over Tulsa, EWU over UNLV in 2OT

Tough night for Seth Harrison as he misses three field goals--including a game-winner with three seconds left, but quite frankly UNLV receivers dropped some balls that should have been caught and Barriere threw two picks and should have had least two more, including the 46-yard bomb to Andrew Boston that got them rolling in the first place (the UNLV safety mistimed his leap). That said, he came to play in both OTs: Two plays, two touchdown passes. Big game ending stop by Eli Doyle literally just inches short of the goal line.
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Kiss the Sky

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Big Sky finishes a strong weekend with Cal Poly going in and upsetting San Diego and topped off by Montana over Washington. Even the two home losses weren't embarrassing (one to defending champ SHSU, the other to top-ten ranked UND) so this has to easily be the greatest top-to-bottom weekend in BSC history.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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The top three conferences in FCS are easily the Big Sky, Missouri Valley, and the Colonial with eight of the top ten. Only Sam Houston and Jacksonville State are the stragglers. With JSU's unbelievable win over FSU, that makes four wins over FBS--and two P5s

The BSC's first big showdown comes in two weeks on the red turf when Montana comes to play EWU (which will be Montana's first time in since 2016) late night on ESPNU.

Howard and Hampton play Saturday at Audi Field on NBCSN, which will apparently be the only game broadcast by NBCSN this year (and the last before they shut down) as the Bayou Classic is expected to move to USA
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Remember San Diego had that 40 game PFL streak snapped in April? Then they got possibly knocked out of an at-large spot by Valpo. The 2021 season hasn't started off too well, as they've lost two at home to start the year--the latter a 53-7 annihilation by Cal Davis, the fourth BSC team in the top 15 who also has an FBS win.

Speaking of the PFL, St Thomas (replacing the now-football-defunct Jacksonville this year) was hardly impressive in their FCS debut, winning 12-10 over D2 Michigan Tech. In something of a missed opportunity, St Thomas doesn't play San Diego, although while USD should pick it back up in PFL play the Tommies were picked eighth, so it might be just as well.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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I was wrong, the Tommies apparently do play USD on 10/2, same day as the Montana/EWU showdown on the red on ESPNU. Obviously, not quite the showdown it first appeared on the PFL schedule: USD's spring season ended with a springing thud, and just went 0-3 against Big Sky teams losing the latter two 105-17; the Tommies got demolished by Northern Iowa in their first game against an FCS opponent.

Eastern somehow nearly melted away a 34-point lead but held on for the win at WIU 62-56, both teams combined for nearly 1400 yards of offense. Montana was idle before their BSC opener against a Cal Poly team that might make things interesting.

Incarnate Word and Northern Arizona make it 9 and 10 in FCS wins over FBS. It's hard to discern the actual record, technically set back during the initial D1 split which is 29, but also includes wins over current FCS conference teams as well as some that don't even play football. For that reason I consider the 16 wins in 2013 (highlighted by EWU over Oregon State, EIU--with Jimmy Garappolo--slamming San Diego State, and NDSU over K-State on the same weekend) the high-water mark--2000 had 16 as well but one of those was over Idaho, who's back in FCS. Unfortunately I don't see more than about three chances in the remaining 20 games, topping out at 13 max, but it's been a good run
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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UM/EWU to ESPN2, hope both teams win Saturday and are undefeated going in
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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I am impressed with the increasing caliber of play among many FCS teams and their ability to knock off FBS opponents,
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Griz and Eags both coast to set up the showdown on the red turf under the lights on ESPN2. Could even be a top 5 showdown, North Dakota State and James Madison were both idle.

This was the first weekend of no FCS/FBS upsets. The closest being a 31-28 Charleston Southern loss at East Carolina. New Hampshire coming in undefeated and #21 getting absolutely slaughtered at Pitt was the disappointment.

San Diego is now 0-4 after dropping their PFL opener at Davidson 28-16. A monumental loss, it's the first time since 2010 the Toreros have lost consecutive conference games. St. Thomas shut out Butler in their PFL opener, setting up what on paper just a year ago would have been quite the deal. As Jerry Glanville once put it...............
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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GAME.........OF.........THE.........YEAR

I've seen plenty of Eags/Grizz slobberknockers over the years but this was easily the best one. Two teams fighting for a first-round bye if they don't both end up getting one. Eags with the win 34-28 after they get to the backup Kris Brown, forcing him to throw wild (and actually looked like it could have been caught for a split second) but broken up. Lot of talk that Cam Humphrey would have won this game but Eags had a couple of picks (including one in the endzone) to help take control in the fourth quarter and also got him for a strip-sack at the beginning of the drive that would have ended the game. Barriere had the play of the game, 4th and 7 at the UM 23 with under four minutes left and scrambles for 11. There was talent all over the field between Barriere, Limu-Jones/Boston (one of the top WR duos in FCS if the not the best), Malik Flowers for Montana. When the Pac 12 after about four teams is just plain sorry, including UW and WSU, this is much appreciated.

The showdown that wasn't quite was San Diego's first win of the season, beating the Tommies 27-24.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Yep, the UM EWU game may be the FCS game of the year. It was the kind of game where you really hate to see anyone lose, especially given the injuries. Nice it was nationally seen on espn2 and lived up to the hype. Looking forward to the MSU EWU game in a couple of weeks also at the Inferno!
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