FCS Football Insider: 5 Predictions For Week 3

There will be dozens of FCS football games during Week 3 of the 2026 season, and we've selected five to preview and predict, including URI vs. Stony Brook.

Sep 17, 2026 by Matt Cannizzaro

Replay: Bryant vs Hampton | Sep 12 @ 7 PM3:02:04

For more than three decades, Lee Corso was a face of college football, known for his animated predictions that always ended with him wearing a mascot head that corresponded with the biggest pick of the week.

Since my budget is a little smaller than ESPN and “College Game Day,” and I somehow don’t even own a single piece of Football Championship Subdivision merchandise – yet – I’m just going to play to my strengths for these predictions and give it to you straightforward.

I thought about my schtick being picks based on the best colors or which mascot would win in a fight, but I’m going to start this process the old-fashioned way – with research and informed decisions.

After some recent moves and reorganization within the FCS, there now are 128 teams across 13 conferences for the 2026 season.

That means there will be a lot of games each week, with some more compelling than others, as the long season leads us to the 24-team FCS playoff bracket.

From that list, we’ll pick a handful to briefly analyze and choose a winner, sans headgear. Make sure to find FloCollege and FloFootball on social media to share your own thoughts and predictions each week from across the college football ranks.

Now that that’s out of the way, here are five meaningful FCS games scheduled for Week 3 of the 2026 season:

No. 13 Rhode Island (2-1, 1-0) vs. Stony Brook (1-2, 0-0)

CAA football turns heads. A conference showdown between the team to beat and a talented up-and-comer? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Rhode Island, the two-time defending CAA champion, has slipped slightly in the FCS poll this year, though the only blemish on the team’s record is a 38-14 loss to FBS Temple sandwiched between a pair of heavy wins.

Ultimately, if you keep winning your conference games, rankings end up meaning a whole lot less, and you’re not packed into an auditorium on Selection Sunday to see if you did enough to earn an at-large bid to the playoffs.

Heading into Week 3, URI is one of five teams tied at 1-0 in the CAA standings. That also means there are five 0-1 already needing to start clawing.

Wait, there’s more? Yes, the CAA is a large conference, and there still are three teams that haven’t played their first conference games. One of them is Stony Brook, which landed in the No. 5 spot in the CAA’s preseason poll and even earned a first-place vote.

The Seawolves are 1-2 overall this season and coming off a 41-17 loss to Ball State last week, while the Rams rebounded from their loss with a 31-10 home win over Elon Football to kick off CAA action.

Rhode Island is coming off back-to-back 11-3 seasons and with two CAA titles – shared with recently departed Richmond in 2024 and outright in 2025. Stony Brook was 6-6 overall last season and finished in the middle of the standings at 4-4 in CAA games.

Stony Brook continues to have potential, but it has been challenging to break through in such a deep and talented conference.

That probably won’t happen against Rhode Island this week, with the Rams eyeing their 10th consecutive CAA win.

*This game will be broadcast live on FloCollege on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

Prediction: Rhode Island 28, Stony Brook 16

UPCOMING

2026 Rhode Island vs Stony Brook

Sat, Sep 19 · 6:30 PM UTC

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Other FCS Games On FloCollege This Week

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Saturday, Sept. 19

Now, back to business.

No. 9 Youngstown State (2-1, 0-0) vs. No. 3 South Dakota State (2-1, 0-0)

This contest between Youngstown State and South Dakota State might be the highest-profile and most important game on this page.

They’re both top-10 FCS teams, and they’re rivals in the 10-team Missouri Valley Football Conference, which sent a conference-record six teams to the playoffs in 2025.

Both were bounced earlier than they’d hope from the NCAA Division I FCS Championship, so there’s no doubt they’re eager for another shot at the trophy. SDSU was the national runner-up in 2020 and won it all in 2022 and 2023.

Youngstown State ranks third all-time with four FCS championships, but they all came in the 1990s.

The Penguins are led by fifth-year standout quarterback Beau Brungard, who won last year’s Walter Payton Award, given annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS. It’s the FCS equivalent to the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the top player in all of college football.

Brungard has had a solid start to the 2026 campaign and has gotten better each week.

Against Duquesne last Saturday, a 70-13 win for the Penguins, he threw for six touchdowns and ran for two more, setting school records for touchdown passes and most touchdowns accounted for in a single game.

Brungard was 20 of 23 for 290 yards and threw touchdown passes to five receivers. He added another 111 yards on 14 carries and found the end zone twice on foot.

His efforts earned him Stats Perform FCS National Player of the Week honors, and he also was named the MVFC Offensive Player of the Week.

The lone loss for Youngstown State this year was a 45-13 beating from FBS Kentucky on Sept. 5.

SDSU also ran into some trouble against the FBS this year, falling to Northwestern 34-18 on Sept. 5 in the first meeting between the two schools. The defeat moved the Jackrabbits to 2-12 all-time against FBS opponents since moving to the FCS in 2004.

Beyond that loss, South Dakota State has posted two convincing wins – 70-7 over Stetson and 57-14 against New Haven last weekend.

This is a big statement opportunity for YSU and SDSU in the ultra-competitive MVFC, which has a different look this year without dominant North Dakota State, last year’s undefeated conference champion.

NDSU left (for the FBS) as the winningest program the FCS has ever seen, with all 10 of its national titles coming between 2011 and 2024.

It’s time for a new king in the Missouri Valley. The Jackrabbits have been in the mix, winning at least a share of the title five times in the last decade, while Youngstown State hasn’t hoisted the MVFC hardware since winning back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.

This really is a coinflip between two high-powered offenses with a lot of momentum. So, we’ll give the advantage to the home team.

Prediction: SDSU 35, Youngstown State 24

Central Connecticut State (0-2, 0-0) vs. Montana State (3-0, 1-0)

Montana State is the No. 1-ranked team in the FCS, the reigning national champion and the owner of the longest active winning streak in the FCS (17), which began more than a year ago after back-to-back losses to start the 2025 season.

The Bobcats are 3-0 this season and coming off a 20-7 defensive gem against FBS foe Nevada on the road in Reno.

In the two games prior, MSU outscored its opponents 105-24, including a season-opening shutout of Utah Tech that doubled as a hot start toward a third-consecutive Big Sky Conference title.

This Week 3 meeting with Central Connecticut might be the easiest pick of the week, however, even though the Blue Devils might be coming in battle-hardened after facing No. 12 South Dakota and FBS Toledo so far this year.

CCSU lost 59-20 and 63-10 respectively, and the result probably won’t be much different this week against the Bobcats.

Consider this a final warm-up for Montana State before eight consecutive games against conference opponents, four of which are ranked or received votes in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

This also will be the first meeting in history between MSU and the Blue Devils, who hail from the Northeast Conference.

Prediction: Montana State 48, CCSU 9

No. 14 Austin Peay (2-1, 0-0) vs. No. 17 West Florida (2-0, 1-0)

Much like North Dakota State jumping to the FBS and finding quick success (and a 3-0 start to the new era), West Florida’s move from Division II to the FCS also has turned some heads.

Of course, there was going to be some uncertainty, but UWF isn’t a team to waste time.

The program rose from NCAA Division II newcomer to Division II powerhouse in just a few years, surging from debutante (2016) to national champion (2019).

The FCS era of Argonauts football began with a pair of wins over ranked teams – No. 16 Southern Illinois (34-31) and No. 24 Central Arkansas (42-14) – and there’s another one on the schedule for this week.

West Florida, which has climbed from off the radar to receiving votes to No. 22 to No. 17 in the AFCA FCS poll, is coming off a bye week and will host No. 14 Austin Peay looking to make a huge statement in the United Athletic Conference.

Yes, you read the correctly. The hype around the Argonauts is so big that West Florida made a huge move up the rankings without even playing last week.

A win against Austin Peay this week would put UWF at 2-0 in UAC play and alone at the top of the standings to wait for the rest of the conference to play some games against each other.

Don’t expect the Governors to be over-gracious to the conference newbies, however. They’re looking to open UAC play with some positivity after going 4-4 last season on the way to a fifth-place finish.

Austin Peay will arrive in Florida with a lot of momentum after a 63-7 rout of Morehead State last weekend. It was a chance at redemption for the Govs after a 28-9 loss to FBS/Southeastern Conference Vanderbilt on Sept. 5, and everyone seemed to step up.

The team was led onto the field by UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Chris Parson, who completed 12 of 15 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, but he wasn’t even the star of the game.

That was redshirt freshman receiver and kick returner Denver Harper, who touched the ball just six times on the way to 196 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. He ran for 124 yards and two scores, had a 31-yard touchdown catch and returned a punt 67 yards for another six points.

That performance was enough to land him this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Offensive Player of the Week honor as well as the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week nod.

Parson has gotten his share of recognition this year. He earned the first TSWA Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season after racking up 308 passing yards against Gardner-Webb.

On paper, through the first few weeks of the season, the Austin Peay-West Florida matchup could look pretty close, but I believe UWF is the real deal, and the Governors won’t be the group to humble the rising stars.

Austin Peay definitely appears to have improved with the confidence and experience of Parson, plus the increased reps for Harper, but the Argos are going to continue to roll through the early part of the UAC slate.

Prediction: West Florida 35, Austin Peat 24

No. 20 Yale (0-0, 0-0) vs. Holy Cross (0-3, 0-2)

For decades, Ivy League football teams were strict about maintaining 10-game schedules and opted out of any postseason opportunities. All that changed in 2025, and Yale was the first team in this new Ivy League era to advance to the FCS Playoffs.

The Bulldogs made the most of the experience by ousting Youngstown State from the first round (43-42) and earning the opportunity to play again.

Yale then ran into eventual national champion Montana State and lost, but the Bulldogs should feel great about playing tough in the 21-13 contest and use that as motivation to get back to the postseason.

Once again, the only guaranteed way to get into the bracket is by winning the league, and Yale only has this week to shake off any rust before kicking off Ivy League play next week on the road against Cornell.

The Bulldogs won a share of the Ivy League crown and the league’s automatic playoff spot last year by beating Harvard 45-28 in the final game of the regular season. It was the 141st edition of The Game, but it had a little extra on the line.

Yale was voted the preseason favorite for 2026, but Harvard was close behind at No. 2. To make sure their Nov. 21 meeting with Harvard definitely matters again, the Bulldogs will need to get out to a strong start against middle-of-the-pack Cornell.

That begins this week with a final tune-up against Holy Cross, which has quickly fallen to 0-3 in 2026, complete with a pair of conference losses to start the year, and is coming off a 3-9 campaign in 2025.

Holy Cross definitely needs something to go right before two Patriot Leagues games on the horizon, but it probably won’t be a win against Yale this week.

The Crusaders have been outscored 115-27 this season, so fatigue and frustration might be creeping in already.

The Bulldogs, on the other hand, have had to watch hundreds of college football games take place over the last three weeks, so to expect they’re anything less than fresh and beyond ready to play, would be foolish.

Prediction: Yale 24, Holy Cross 6

Week 3 Schedule For FCS Top 25

*Based on latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll

No. 1 Montana State (3-0, 1-0 Big Sky): vs. Central Connecticut State (0-2), 3 p.m.
No. 2 Montana (3-0, 1-0 Big Sky): at Oregon State (0-2), 11 p.m.
No. 3 South Dakota State (2-1): vs. No. 9 Youngstown State (2-1), 7 p.m.
No. 4 Illinois State (3-0): vs. Eastern Illinois (1-2), 3 p.m.
No. 5 Tarleton State (3-0): vs. Merrimack (1-2), 7 p.m.
No. 6 North Dakota (3-0): at Nebraska (0-2), 7:15 p.m.
No. 7 Lehigh (3-0, 3-0 Patriot): vs. Dartmouth (0-0), noon
No. 8 Stephen F. Austin (3-0, 2-0 Southland): at Prairie View A&M (1-2), 8 p.m.
No. 9 Youngstown State (2-1): at No. 2 South Dakota State (2-1), 7 p.m.
No. 10 Tennessee Tech (3-0, 1-0 Southern): No game
No. 11 UC Davis (2-1, 1-0 Big Sky): vs. San Diego (0-2), 8 p.m.
No. 12 South Dakota (3-0): at Boise State (1-1), 10 p.m.
No. 13 Rhode Island (2-1, 1-0 CAA): at Stony Brook (1-2, 0-0), 2:30 p.m.
No. 14 Austin Peay (2-1): at No. 17 West Florida (2-0), 7 p.m.
No. 15 Lamar (2-1): No game
No. 16 South Carolina State (3-0): at Furman (2-1), 7 p.m.
No. 17 West Florida (2-0, 1-0 UAC): vs. No. 14 Austin Peay (2-1), 7 p.m.
No, 18 Idaho State (3-0): No game
No. 19 Northern Arizona (2-1, 1-0 Big Sky): at Utah Tech (0-3, 0-1 Big Sky), 8 p.m.
No. 20 Yale (0-0): at Holy Cross (0-3), 2 p.m.
No. 21 William & Mary (2-1, 1-1 Patriot): vs. Fordham (0-3, 0-1), 6 p.m.
No. 22 Mercer (2-1, 0-1 Southern): at Georgia Tech (0-2), noon
No. 23 Villanova (1-2, 1-1 Patriot): at LIU (0-3), noon
No. 24 Furman (2-1); vs. No. 16 South Carolina State (3-0), 7 p.m.
No. 25 Southern Illinois (2-1): at Illinois (1-1), 2 p.m.

New AFCA FCS Rankings After Week 2 Of 2026

As of Sept. 12

Montana St. (3-0) – 650 – Prev. 1
Montana (3-0) – 601 – Prev. 2
South Dakota St. (2-1) – 595 – Prev. 3
Illinois St. (3-0) – 578 – Prev. 4
Tarleton St. (3-0) – 552 – Prev. 5
North Dakota (3-0) – 483 – Prev. 7
Lehigh (3-0) – 473 – Prev. 8
Stephen F. Austin (3-0) – 432 – Prev. 9
Youngstown St. (2-1) – 405 – Prev. 10
Tennessee Tech (3-0) – 393 – Prev. 11
UC Davis (2-1) – 389 – Prev. 6
South Dakota (3-0) – 370 – Prev. 12
Rhode Island (2-1) – 331 – Prev. 13
Austin Peay (2-1) – 317 – Prev. 15
Lamar (2-1) – 268 – Prev. 17
South Carolina St. (3-0) – 194 – Prev. 20
West Florida (2-0) – 178 – Prev. 22
Idaho St. (3-0) – 177 – Prev. 24
Northern Arizona (2-1) – 174 – Prev. 23
Yale (0-0) – 160 – Prev. 19
William & Mary (2-1) – 103 – Prev. 16
Mercer (2-1) – 93 – Prev. 14
Villanova (1-2) – 83 – Prev. 18
Furman (2-1) – 74 – Prev. NR
Southern Illinois (2-1) – 70 – Prev. NR

Dropped Out: Richmond (21), ACU (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Richmond, 67; Cal Poly, 51; Colgate, 30; Wofford, 27; Jackson St., 20; Prairie View A&M, 20; Harvard, 18; Central Arkansas, 16; Southern Utah, 13; Alabama St., 10; Elon, 7; HCU, 6; Campbell, 4; Robert Morris (Pa.), 4; UAlbany, 3; ACU, 2; Dartmouth, 2; Nicholls, 2; UT Martin, 2; Monmouth (N.J.), 1; San Diego, 1; Southeast Missouri St., 1.

Some Things To Know About FCS Football

The FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) is the second tier of NCAA Division I football, with the top tier being the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision).

While the FBS determines its national champion through a 12-team, committee-selected College Football Playoff, the FCS Championship includes 24 teams.

The FCS conference champions automatically qualify for the playoffs, and the remaining spots are filled via at-large selection.

This season, there will be 128 programs across 13 conferences. The regular season will begin in late August, and the playoffs will get underway at the end of November.

Who Won The Each Football National Championship For The 2025-2026 Season?

Division I FBS – Indiana def. Miami, 27-21
Division I FCS – Montana State def. Illinois State 35-34 (OT)
Division II – Ferris State def. Harding, 42-21
Division III – University of Wisconsin-River Falls def. North Central (Ill.), 24-14

When Do The 2026 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs Start?

The first round of the 2026 NCAA FCS Playoffs will be Nov. 28.

The format includes 24 teams and five rounds of play – first round, second round, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game. Everything through the semifinals will be played at the site of the participating schools.

Round 2 is set for Dec. 5, the quarterfinals will be held Dec. 11 (one game) and Dec. 12 (three games) and the semifinals will take place Dec. 19.

The 2026 FCS national championship will be determined Jan. 11, 2027, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Music City first hosted the title tilt in 2025 after 15 consecutive visits to Frisco, Texas.

Every game will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks.

How Do The FCS Playoffs Work?

The 24 FCS teams that advance to the playoffs are situated into a single-elimination bracket.

The top 16 teams are seeded, with the first eight earning byes into the second round. Seeds 9-16 must play in the opening round of action, but they get to play host, as do the higher seeds in each game through the semifinals.

The two semifinal winners then make the trip to Nashville to play for the national championship.

In 2025, Montana State defeated Illinois State 35-34 in overtime to claim the trophy.

Since 2011, North Dakota State had been dominating the FCS landscape, winning 10 national titles, but the Bison have now moved to a bigger pasture – the FBS level as part of the Mountain West Conference.

No. 13 Rhode Island vs. Elon Football Highlights | CAA Football Highlights

Watch the highlights from No. 13 Rhode Island’s 31-10 win over conference rival Elon on Sept. 12.

Archived Footage On FloCollege

Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Watch The 2026 College Football Season On FloCollege

FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long.

Don’t miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games.

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