Week 2 of the 2024 FCS season features two ranked duels as well as several other exciting games.

Let’s predict some results.

Prediction recording:
Record 2024: 7-1
Record 2023: 96-42

Week 2

TV program week 2

UT Martin at SEMO

The Big South-OVC should be a tight race. Eastern Illinois returns most of its core players after a stellar season. SEMO has experienced leaders like QB Paxton DeLaurent, OL Zack Gieg and LB Bryce Norman. Tennessee State is on the rise. And Gardner-Webb is looking to stay at the top of the rankings. But it was UT Martin that finished first in the preseason poll.

Saturday will be a thrilling battle between UT Martin’s Kinkead Dent and SEMO’s DeLaurent. Dent threw for 2,295 yards, 25 TDs and eight interceptions last fall after transferring from Ole Miss. He’s a big reason the Skyhawks are the No. 1 team in the preseason. In the season opener last week, Dent went 7/14 for 87 yards in a 41-6 loss to Kansas State.

DeLaurent, on the other hand, is looking to repeat his 2022 season, in which he rushed for 2,684 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions, after missing half of last season with a shoulder injury.

SEMO is 1-1 but should be 2-0 with an FBS win. The Redhawks led 16-10 in the fourth quarter before New Mexico State came back to win 23-16. DeLaurent completed 27/45 passes for 295 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the loss. On the plus side, he returned after leaving the Week 0 game (a win over North Alabama) with a shoulder injury. In that matchup, he completed 14/17 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.

SEMO had trouble winning close games last year and it happened again last week. This week, luck is on the other side at home and the Redhawks pull out a nail-biting win.

Forecast: SEMO 34-31

Campbell at No. 17 Western Carolina

Two teams that struggled hard against FBS opponents last week. Campbell lost to Liberty 41-24, while WCU lost at FBS No. 24 NC State 38-21 despite leading 21-17 in the fourth quarter.

WCU’s Cole Gonzales looked like a top quarterback in the FCS, completing 22 of 35 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns and had 75 rushing yards on six carries.

Campbell has a talented roster, but his defense will have a hard time slowing down the Catamounts at home.

Prediction: Western Carolina 34-21

Elon at NC Central

Elon is ranked 16th for me, while NC Central is just outside my top 25. Last year, NC Central beat Elon 34-23.

Elon has a good core back from its 6-5 team. Its safety duo is top-notch with Caleb Curtain and Khalil Baker, who transferred from NC Central.

NC Central lost its standout quarterback Davius ​​Richard when he left for the NFL. But the Eagles are happy with Walker Harris, who they have behind center. He will have to be more efficient than 9/18 for 119 yards and a touchdown in the 31-24 win over Alabama State to be successful against a good Elon defense.

Prediction: Elon 28-24

No. 10 Southern Illinois at Austin Peay

Austin Peay has been in the playoffs in recent years. But there are some unknowns about the 2024 squad. The Govs lost a lot of players graduating or entering the transfer portal. Nearly 30 D1 transfers were brought in to fill out the roster. Their 62-0 loss at Louisville to open the season doesn’t give us many answers.

SIU is also coming off a 41-13 FBS loss at BYU. The Salukis also have some rebuilding to do, with a new starting quarterback and a good performance on defense. DJ Williams, a transfer from Murray State, finished the game with 10/20 passes for 98 yards and an interception while running for 121 yards and two touchdowns. The rush defense held up well, led by LB Colin Bohanek (12 tackles), limiting BYU to 3.8 yards per carry (47 attempts for 149 yards).

Expect Austin Peay to try to attack SIU from the air, but the Salukis should be able to control the trenches and pull out a road win.

Prediction: SIU 31-21

No. 12 UIW at No. 1 South Dakota State

SDSU didn’t perform as well as some expected in its 44-20 loss to FBS No. 17 Oklahoma State last week, while UIW did OK in a 28-7 home win over a struggling Northern Colorado team.

Week 2 will tell us a lot more about both teams.

Is SDSU still the dominant force that dominates 95% of the FCS?

Does UIW deserve 12th place after failing to impress with an 8-2 record (seven D1 wins) and thus missing out on the 2023 playoffs?

UIW won’t be able to beat SDSU at its own game. The Cardinals need to try to get around the Jackrabbits, not through them, spread them apart and let the talented arm of Zach Calzada do some damage. SDSU allowed 245 passing yards last week. But that was a Big 12 offense. Keep in mind that the Jackrabbits have a mostly identical secondary to last year’s team, which ranked 8th in FCS passing defense (167.6 YPG).

UIW also played solid defense last year relative to its strength, which was in the 80s.

I expect UIW to make some big plays on offense while the defense will test SDSU’s offense. At least in the first half. In the final two quarters, SDSU’s physicality will finally wear on UIW and the Jacks will pull away and take the win.

Prediction: SDSU 38-21

No. 4 Montana at No. 23 North Dakota

UND has won 25 of its last 28 games at the Alerus Center. The Fighting Hawks have a 10-3 record at home against higher-ranked opponents since 2019. Montana hasn’t lost an FCS non-conference game since 2018.

It’s a great early test for a Montana team hoping to return to the national championship game. The Grizzlies got off to a slow start in 2023 before peaking at the right time. Montana beat Missouri State 29-24 last week, a closer game than expected and perhaps a sign that a slow start could be coming again. Notably, the Grizzlies were without three All-American players: wide receiver/returner Junior Bergen, linebacker Riley Wilson and tight end Cole Grossman. Their status for Saturday is unknown.

Similar to 2023, the Griz have a two-QB system to start the year. Redshirt freshman Keali’i Ah Yat started last week before Fresno State transfer Logan Fife joined in the second half.

Montana can’t afford a choppy non-conference game like last fall. UND showed plenty of positives despite the 21-3 loss to Iowa State. The Hawks will be back in the playoff race and are a very tough team to beat at home. Montana also hosts top-ranked WCU in a few weeks. A lost non-conference game puts the Griz under pressure to go 8-0 in Big Sky play to secure a top-two playoff spot and coveted home-court advantage.

Last week, Missouri State’s run-pass balance worked in Montana’s defense. I’m not sure UND has that offensive balance yet. The run game looked solid at Iowa State. The offensive line, with four new starters, got a good push. Gaven Ziebarth and Isaiah Smith are two great backs. But Montana’s rush defense should force enough third downs to give the Griz a chance to get off the field.

UND QB Simon Romfo will be making his second career start and will need to show improvement in the shooting game. An inexperienced QB and an O-line still learning the ropes in pass defense when facing a pressure-packed Montana defense lead to the Grizzlies going off the field on third down while their offense made enough explosive plays for a hard-fought win.

Prediction: Montana 28-24

Tennessee State in 2nd place North Dakota State

The Bisons should win this game. How they win will be very exciting.

NDSU’s secondary was torn apart last week in Colorado, allowing nearly 450 passing yards. Part of that was because Colorado was just so good, but there were also some gaps, defensive errors, bad tackles, bad angles and missed assignments.

Tennessee State looks to compete for a playoff spot out of the Big South-OVC. The Tigers will test the NDSU secondary after veteran QB Draylen Ellis threw for over 350 yards in a 41-21 Week 1 win over Mississippi Valley State. The challenge, however, will be holding out in the trenches. NDSU’s D-line should be one of the best in the FCS. And the Bisons’ offense is expected to get rolling after an up-and-down game in Colorado.

Prediction: NDSU 41-21