What We Learned About FCS Football In Week 3: Scores, Highlights & More

Let’s take a look at some of the key storylines from Week 3 of the 2026 FCS season and what they told us. There were upsets and some unforgettable games.

Sep 22, 2026 by Matt Cannizzaro

This Has NEVER Happened In College Football...2:51

With the 2026 Ivy League football season now underway, and intense conference showdowns taking place across the country, it’s safe to say the race for the Football Championship Subdivision postseason bracket has begun.

At the same time, we’re approaching an interesting plateau in the season, where it probably is too early to predict who will win each conference and the automatic playoff berths, but some teams already are falling far enough behind that even an at-large spot is a longshot.

Four weeks of action also have been enough for teams to shake off the preconceived expectations for the 2026 season that determined the various preseason rankings.

Some squads have solidified their spots, some have shown they were overrated and others are proving themselves one shocking win at a time.

Week 3 offered dozens of games and many memorable moments, but the spotlight easily belonged to the Coastal Athletic Association – though maybe a little of the glow reached the nearby Ivy League for our first look at the eight hopeful teams.

In the CAA, Monmouth got redemption against UAlbany and became the conference’s first two-win team, Campbell routed North Carolina A&T and earned a national ranking for the first time, and Bryant gave Princeton a sour start to the season, while improving to 3-1 overall.

Among the ranked teams in the FCS, four of the top five teams won, but there still was quite a bit of shuffling in the top 25.

What does all of this mean, and what did we learn? Scroll down and find out!

Let’s take a look at some of the key storylines from Week 3 and what they told us:

Is Campbell The Biggest Surprise In The CAA So Far In 2026?

We mentioned it earlier in the season, and here’s a reminder. We’re seeing a different Campbell football team this year after a 10-loss 2025 campaign that ended with five consecutive conference defeats.

Since moving to the CAA in 2023, the Camels have gone 5-6 (4-4), 3-9 (1-7) and 2-10 (2-6), but there clearly was some optimism leading into the new season, as Campbell was selected to finish eighth in the 13-team CAA.

That’s high enough to feel like the other coaches are anticipating some improvement, but low enough to take the field with something to prove.

Whether it was a learning curve, bad luck or just needing to get the right pieces in place, something has clicked for Campbell early in the 2026 season.

The Camels are 3-1 overall and outscoring their opponents in their wins, 119-70. The other game?

Don’t worry about the drubbing the Camels got from the FBS Florida Gators on Sept. 12. The Gators also are having a remarkable year after some struggles, and The Swamp is one of the toughest places for any visiting team to play.

Campbell lost 52-3, but hopefully the program got some positive attention, a quality learning experience and some money to help attract more talent in the future.

UPCOMING

2026 Campbell vs Hampton

Sat, Sep 26 · 10:00 PM UTC

WATCH

Campbell is legitimately thriving in 2026, and people are taking notice.

The proof?

The Camels bounced back with a 42-14 conference win over North Carolina A&T, senior quarterback Kamden Sixkiller earned his second CAA Offensive Player of the Week nod and Campbell surged into the top 25 for the first time in the school’s unique football history.

In the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, the Camels landed at No. 22, just behind the other CAA team in the top 25, reigning CAA champion Rhode Island (No. 19).

Campbell also received votes in the American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Poll, and the top 25 definitely is within reach with another strong showing this week against 1-3 (0-1) Hampton.

Heading into Week 4, and another CAA matchup, Campbell is one of four 1-0 teams in conference play, while Monmouth is the front-runner at 2-0.

Oh, and by the way – Campbell is leading the CAA in total offense through four games with an average of 456.5 yards per contest. That includes a conference-best 294 passing yards per game, too.

Monmouth Is Mad, And The Hawks’ Redemption Tour Has Begun

Monmouth had a solid 2025 season that included a 9-3 record and 6-2 performance in CAA play, which was good enough to land the Hawks in a three-way tie for third place in the conference.

However, only three CAA teams advanced to the FCS Playoffs, and Monmouth wasn’t one of them.

When the postseason began, the Hawks were watching from home and probably still reeling over their season-ending loss to UAlbany. It was the only conference win for the Great Danes in 2025 and ultimately what kept Monmouth from earning a spot in the playoff bracket.

How has Monmouth responded?

Well, the Hawks are 2-2 so far this season, but their victories have come in the right places.

They beat CAA newcomer Sacred Heart (31-24) after a season-opening loss and then rebounded from their second defeat with a 28-20 redemption win over UAlbany last weekend.

The Hawks were able to avenge their November 2025 loss to the Great Danes with their first game at Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium in Albany, New York, since 2006 and become the first two-win team in the CAA this year.

And they’re doing it all under first-year head coach Jeff Gallo. But don’t be misled by his new title – Gallo actually is in his 22nd season at Monmouth. He served a variety of roles under Kevin Callahan, the only other head coach in Monmouth football history.

The Hawks head to New Hampshire this week to face Dartmouth, while some of the other CAA teams get another game in. The following week, Monmouth hosts Towson for the first of five consecutive conference contests.

Stony Brook Makes Big Statement, Crushes No. 13 Rhode Island

It feels like Stony Brook Football has been a “will they, won’t they” program for a few years and just hasn’t been able to break through, ultimately landing in the middle of the standings in a loaded CAA.

The Seawolves have front-loaded their schedule in 2026, and while the result has been a 2-2 start, they’re holding their own against tough competition and kicked off conference play with a statement win – a 56-24 rout of preseason favorite and reigning CAA champion Rhode Island.

Stony Brook played host to URI, the No. 8 team in the last Stats Perform poll and No. 13 in the AFCA rankings, and cruised to the victory on the shoulders of redshirt junior running back CJ Hester and redshirt senior running back Jeremiah Coney, who combined for seven touchdowns.

It was the first win for the Seawolves over a ranked team since 2024 and first over a top-10 program since 2019.

Is this the confidence-boosting breakthrough Stony Brook has been waiting on?

The Seawolves now have a week to let it sink in as they travel to Fordham. After that, seven straight conference games.

Through four games, Stony Brook leads the CAA in points per game (35.8), rushing yards per game (185.3), first downs (22 per game) and sacks (14).

Ivy League Enters The Chat In 2026

Last year, for the first time, the Ivy League chose to participate in the NCAA Division I FCS Championship, which meant that the conference champion would earn an automatic bid to the playoffs.

Yale beat Harvard late in the season to secure the automatic bid, but Harvard did enough to advance as an at-large selection.

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, though that game ended with a 21-13 loss to eventual national champion Montana State.

Harvard made a quick exit, losing to Villanova in the opening round, 52-7.

Both teams clearly made an impression and started the season in the mix, even without actually playing.

Yale opened the year ranked in the AFCA poll, and Harvard received votes.

The league finally played its first games of the new campaign last weekend, and both front-runners came away with wins.

Yale, the eight-team league’s preseason favorite, edged Holy Cross 38-28, and Harvard, picked to finish second in the league, rolled past New Hampshire, 31-7.

When the new AFCA poll was released, Yale landed at No. 18, and Harvard broke into the top 25 at No. 25.

They’ll waste no more time getting down to business, however. Harvard will travel to Brown for a league game Friday, and Yale will visit Cornell.

The 2026 Yale-Harvard showdown will be the 142nd meeting between the two teams and will take place Nov. 21 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern as the final game of the regular-season for both teams and the Ivy League.

Is that game going to decide the champion and automatic bid once again?

Here’s a look at the Ivy League Football Preseason Poll

Yale, 127 points
Harvard, 111
Dartmouth, 94
Penn, 75
Cornell, 46
Princeton, 46
Brown, 45
Columbia, 32

FCS Top 25 Results For Week 3

The majority of the top 25 teams in last week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll found success in Week 3, but there definitely was some movement.

Montana State is still undefeated and remains No. 1 in both major FCS polls, but the gap is tightening.

The Bobcats got a scare Saturday at home against winless Central Connecticut but were able to hold off the Blue Devils late in the contest to escape with a 35-30 victory.

No. 2 Montana was crushed by FBS Oregon State (52-17) and fell to a tie for No. 4, while Rhode Island’s shocking loss to Stony Brook saw the Rams fall from No. 13 to No. 21.

*Upsets in bold

No. 1 Montana St. def. Central Connecticut St., 35-30
Oregon State (FBS) def. No. 2 Montana, 52-17
No. 3 South Dakota State def. No. 13 Youngstown St., 27-20
No. 4 Illinois State def. Eastern Illinois, 49-13
No. 5 Tarleton State def. Merrimack, 45-20
Nebraska (FBS) def. No. 6 North Dakota, 34-7
No. 7 Lehigh def. Dartmouth, 24-20
No. 8 Stephen F. Austin def. Prairie View A&M, 31-10
No. 10 Tennessee Tech – Idle
No. 11 UC Davis def. Stetson, 45-7
Boise State (FBS) def. No. 12 South Dakota, 38-24
Stony Brook def. No. 13 Rhode Island, 56-24
No. 14 Austin Peay def. No. 17 West Florida, 38-16
No. 15 Lamar def. Idaho, 23-17
No. 16 South Carolina State def. No. 24 Furman, 20-17
No. 18 Idaho State – Idle
No. 19 Northern Arizona def. Utah Tech, 35-23
No. 20 Yale def. Holy Cross, 38-28
Fordham def. No. 21 William & Mary, 27-21
Georgia Tech (FBS) def. No. 22 Mercer, 44-11
No. 23 Villanova def. LIU, 20-16
Illinois (FBS) def. No. 25 Southern Illinois, 48-10

New AFCA FCS Rankings After Week 3 Of 2026

As of Sept. 19

Montana St. (4-0) – 649 – Prev. 1
South Dakota St. (3-1) – 598 – Prev. 3
Tarleton St. (4-0) – 566 – Prev. 5
Illinois St. (4-0) – 561 – Prev. 4
Montana (3-1) – 561 – Prev. 2
Stephen F. Austin (4-0) – 480 – Prev. 8
Lehigh (4-0) – 461 – Prev. 7
North Dakota (3-1) – 459 – Prev. 6
UC Davis (3-1) – 439 – Prev. 11
Tennessee Tech (3-0) – 415 – Prev. 10
Austin Peay (3-1) – 378 – Prev. 14
South Dakota (3-1) – 366 – Prev. 12
Youngstown St. (2-2) – 363 – Prev. 9
South Carolina St. (4-0) – 303 – Prev. 16
Lamar (2-1) – 296 – Prev. 15
Idaho St. (3-0) – 273 – Prev. 18
Northern Arizona (3-1) – 228 – Prev. 19
Yale (1-0) – 188 – Prev. 20
Richmond (3-1) – 104 – Prev. NR
West Florida (2-1) – 97 – Prev. 17
Rhode Island (2-2) – 93 – Prev. 13
Villanova (2-2) – 85 – Prev. 23
Colgate (3-1) – 71 – Prev. NR
Mercer (2-2) – 71 – Prev. 22
Harvard (1-0) – 50 – Prev. NR

Dropped Out: William & Mary (21), Furman (24), Southern Illinois (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Southern Illinois, 45; Campbell, 41; Jackson St., 39; Elon, 38; Furman, 37; Alabama St., 14; Prairie View A&M, 12; Stony Brook, 12; Bryant, 7; Central Connecticut St., 6; Dartmouth, 6; UIW, 6; William & Mary, 6; ACU, 5; Monmouth (N.J.), 5; Southeastern Louisiana, 4; Southeast Missouri St., 3; UT Rio Grande Valley, 3; Robert Morris (Pa.), 2; San Diego, 2; Chattanooga, 1; St. Thomas (Minn.), 1.

FCS vs. FBS In Week 3

As the season rolls on, the number of FCS vs. FBS matchups continues to decrease.

This week, there were only 18 such contests, with the FCS registering one more victory. That brings the total to six during the 2026 season.

This time, it was Southeastern Louisiana going on the road and topping the University of Louisiana Monroe 38-35.

Here are all the FCS wins over FBS programs this season:

Tarleton 20, Bowling Green 13 – Sept. 5
The Citadel 43, Charlotte 41 (3 OT) – Sept. 5
Idaho State 29, Utah State 17 – Sept. 5
Montana State 20, Nevada 7 – Sept. 12
Illinois State 28, Northern Illinois 24 – Sept. 12
Southeastern Louisiana 38, ULM 35 – Sept. 19

FCS vs. FBS Results For Week 3 Of The 2026 College Football Season

USF 59, Delaware State 17
Washington State 48, Duquesne 7
Tulsa 42, East Texas A&M 0
Washington 48, Eastern Washington 16
Boston College 22, Maine 16
Georgia Tech 44, Mercer 11
Oregon State 52, Montana 17
Oklahoma State 59, Murray State 0
Sam Houston 59, Nicholls 0
Nebraska 34, North Dakota 7
Iowa 55, Northern Iowa 0
Oregon 84, Portland State 0
Boise State 38, South Dakota 24
Southeastern Louisiana 38, ULM 35
Illinois 48, Southern Illinois 10
UMass 36, Stonehill 14
Memphis 45, UT Martin 7
Cal 49, Wagner 7

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.

Monmouth vs. UAlbany Football Highlights | 2026 CAA Football

Check out the highlights from Monmouth’s win over UAlbany on Sept. 19.

The Hawks won 28-20, marking the first time since 2006 they beat the Great Danes on their home turf.

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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