(STATS) – It’s a good thing for CAA Football there was a conference matchup between James Madison and Delaware in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
It guaranteed at least one CAA win.
Otherwise Saturday was a lost day for the FCS power conference. Five of its record six playoff qualifiers were in action, and only James Madison, the 2016 national champion and 2017 runner-up, advanced to join conference champ Maine in the second round. Delaware, Elon, Stony Brook and Towson were all eliminated.
Home teams won six of the of the first seven games. Jacksonville State hosted ETSU in the night game.
Here’s a review of first-round games and a lookahead to the second round:
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Duquesne (9-3) 31, Towson (7-5) 10=
Story Line: The Dukes road another big effort from running back A.J. Hines and scored the final 31 points for their first playoff win and first over a ranked opponent since joining the FCS in 1993.
Game Ball: Hines totaled 246 yards from scrimmage, going over 200 yards for the fifth time in the Northeast Conference co-champ’s six-game winning streak, and scored two touchdowns. His 71-yard score off a screen pass in the third quarter put the Dukes ahead for good, 17-10.
Key Stat: Hindered by a driving rainstorm, Towson’s CAA offensive player of the year Tom Flacco had just 165 yards of total offense, less than half his regular-season average.
Up Next: Duquesne visits No. 5 seed South Dakota State (8-2) for the second round next Saturday (3 p.m. ET). They’ve split two all-time meetings, most recently a 51-13 Jackrabbits’ win to open the 2017 season. The ‘Rabbits are on a four-game winning streak, with Missouri Valley Football Conference freshman of the year Pierre Strong Jr. particularly hot. Senior quarterback Taryn Christion holds MVFC career records for total offense (12,263 yards), passing yards (10,892) and touchdown passes (97).
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Wofford (9-3) 19, Elon (6-5) 7=
Story Line: Wofford’s No. 5-in-the-FCS rushing attack ground out 344 yards and Luke Carter kicked four short field goals. The Terriers improved to 6-0 at home.
Game Ball: The game was won at the line of scrimmage by the Terriers’ offensive line, anchored by right guard Justus Basinger.
Key Stat: The Terriers’ triple option offense held the ball for 37 minutes, 11 seconds.
Up Next: Wofford will play at No. 4 seed Kennesaw State (10-1) in the second round next Saturday (2 p.m. ET). It will be a first-time matchup. The Big South champion Owls have won 10 straight games since a season-opening loss at Sun Belt member Georgia State. Chandler Burks has set an FCS single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (29). He was the conference’s offensive player of the year and linebacker Anthony Gore Jr. took defensive honors.
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Southeast Missouri (9-3) 28, Stony Brook (7-5) 14=
Story Line: The Redhawks gained their first playoff win after scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions of the third quarter, including three off turnovers.
Game Ball: Quarterback Daniel Santacaterina accounted for all four touchdowns in the decisive third quarter, scoring on a 16-yard run before throwing two scores to Kristian Wilkerson and one to Jerrick Orr.
Key Stat: With a plus-four turnover margin, the Redhawks are up to 27 this season. That’s No. 1 in the FCS along with the Ohio Valley Conference squad’s interceptions (23) and turnovers gained (35).
Up Next: SEMO will continue its second all-time playoff appearance at No. 2 seed Weber State (9-2) in the second round next Saturday (4 p.m. ET). It will be a first-time meeting. The host Wildcats reached the national quarterfinals last year and earned the Big Sky’s automatic qualifier as part of a three-way tie for the conference title this season. Freshman running back Josh Davis was named rookie of the year and was one of the Wildcats’ record 13 players on the Big Sky first team.
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James Madison (9-3) 20, Delaware (7-5) 6=
Story Line: In an all-CAA matchup, James Madison’s defense clamped down on Delaware to spoil the Blue Hens’ first playoff game since the 2010 national championship game. The Dukes improved to 5-0 all-time in the playoffs against CAA foes.
Game Ball: The Dukes’ defense dominated in every way. It didn’t allow a touchdown, had a safety, sacked Delaware’s Pat Kehoe five times and picked him off twice late in the game, allowed only 185 yards and didn’t surrender a first down until Delaware’s seventh offensive series.
Key Stat: Behind quarterback Ben DiNucci’s strong performance, the Dukes held the ball for 37:04.
Up Next: James Madison advances to play at No. 8 seed Colgate (9-1) in the second round next Saturday (1 p.m. ET). In 2015, Colgate went to JMU and eliminated the Dukes 44-38 in the second round. This season, the Raiders won their first nine games, posting five shutouts and allowing only 29 points. Running back James Holland Jr. and linebacker T.J. Holl were named the Patriot League’s offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively.
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Montana State (8-4) 35, Incarnate Word (6-5) 14=
Story Line: Montana State never trailed in the game and won going away with the final 17 points. UIW fumbled twice in Bobcats territory in the fourth quarter.
Game Ball: Freshman Isaiah Ifanse was the motor of the Montana State offense, carrying the ball 30 times for 171 yards with a long of 30.
Key Stat: A decisive 41:22 time of possession led to the Bobcats running 32 more offensive plays than UIW (86 to 54).
Up Next: Montana State will travel to No. 1 seed and defending national champion North Dakota State (11-0) for the second round next Saturday (3 p.m.). It will be the first meeting since NDSU won 42-17 at Montana State in a 2010 second-round game. The host Bison, who are 16-0 at the Fargodome the last two seasons, are in pursuit of a record seventh FCS title. Senior quarterback Easton Stick, the Missouri Valley Football Conference offensive player of the year, has a 45-3 career record as a starter.
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Nicholls (9-3) 49, San Diego (9-3) 30=
Story Line: Behind quarterback Chase Fourcade, Nicholls racked up 606 yards of offense, averaging 8.2 yards per play against a San Diego defense that entered the game ranked 105th in the FCS.
Game Ball: Fourcade, the Southland Conference player of the year, was responsible for 419 yards of offense and four touchdowns. He passed for 337 yards and two scores and had 82 yards and two scores on the ground.
Key Stat: Below-average field position didn’t faze the Colonels, whose seven touchdown drives included six over 70 yards.
Up Next: Nicholls will play at No. 3 seed Eastern Washington (9-2) in the second round next Saturday (5 p.m. ET). In one previous meeting in 2004, Nicholls won 37-14 at home. The host Eagles, one of three teams to share the Big Sky title, have won four straight games by an average of over 37 points. They rank second in the FCS in offensive yards per game (553.2) and fourth in points per game (45.2), with sophomore quarterback Eric Barriere starting the last six games after No. 1 Gage Gubrud was lost to injury. Senior nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli was named the Big Sky defensive player of the year.
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UNI (7-5) 16, Lamar (7-5) 13=
Story Line: Considered the biggest favorite in the first round, UNI survived a scare. Austin Errthum kicked three field goals in the win and the first-time qualifier from the Southland Conference had costly mistakes in the second half, including two missed field goals.
Game Ball: Safety Korby Sanders, last week’s Missouri Valley defensive player of the week, recovered Lamar fumbles at the UNI 16- and 19-yard lines. He finished with five tackles.
Key Stat: Entering the game, opponents had scored on 40 of 45 trips to the UNI red zone, but Lamar was 0-for-3, including a pair of turnovers.
Up Next: UNI will play at No. 6 seed UC Davis (9-2) in the second round next Saturday (7 p.m. ET). The two teams will meet for the first time. The host Aggies are enjoying their best Division I season, earning a share of the Big Sky title and a playoff bid for the first time. Quarterback Jake Maier was named the conference’s offensive player of the year and NFL prospect Keelan Doss has reached 100 receptions for the second consecutive season.
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