At least six of the 16 available Championship Subdivision Playoff berths were filled Saturday.
Appalachian State won its fifth consecutive Southern Conference title in a win over a game Elon team. The Mountaineers jumped ahead of the Phoenix early, scoring 21 of their 27 points in the first half. Elon failed to get on the board in that time.
Making a case for a second straight Walter Payton Award, ASU quarterback Armanti Edwards scored each of the Mountaineers' three touchdowns, all on rushes.
Postseason aspirations weren't snuffed out for Elon, however. A top 10 team with one of the best scoring defenses in college football, the Phoenix can finish 9-2 with a victory over Samford this week.
With its rout of Missouri State, Southern Illinois finished the Missouri Valley slate undefeated and as conference champions.
The Salukis navigated their schedule with just one loss, that coming at Marshall 31-28 in Week 1. Since, only one team has even been within single digits of SIU.
SIU tailback Deji Karim had what one could call an OK Saturday - three touchdowns, including a 73-yarder.
Holy Cross escaped a Lafayette rally to knock off the Leopards 28-26, and take the Patriot League crown. UL scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, but a pair of failed point-after attempts would come back to haunt the homestanding Leopards.
As he has all year, HC quarterback Dominic Randolph powered the Crusader offense. He was involved in all four HC touchdowns through the second and third quarters, one rushing and three passing.
Meanwhile, the Crusader defense overcame a scoreless final period, holding Lafayette to a single touchdown - enough to preserve the win and conference championship.
South Carolina State's 37-13 romp of Morgan State, combined with Florida A&M's 25-0 loss to Hampton sealed the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship for SCSU. Bulldog quarterback Malcolm Long threw for four touchdown passes in the SCSU win.
By virtue of its seven straight Big Sky win and a Northern Arizona loss at Weber State, Montana is again conference champions. For those keeping score, that's a share of 14 out of the last 16 and a 12th straight Big Sky title for the Grizzlies.
The Northeastern Conference became the (Blue) Devils' Workshop when leader Wagner suffered a 37-10 setback against Robert Morris. The two had been even at 10, but 27 unanswered Robert Morris points in the second half made the difference.
That loss allowed Central Connecticut State to jump back into first, and ultimately the championship, with its frantic comeback vs. Monmouth.
All 20 of the Blue Devils' points came in the second half, the final six on an Aubrey Lewis touchdown pass to Josue Paul.
While other league championships won't be doled out until this upcoming final week, the races certainly became interesting.
William & Mary put on a clinic against New Hampshire. It was UNH's second Colonial Athletic Association loss, putting them behind W & M, Richmond and Villanova, all of which have just one loss.
Two of those squads - Richmond and W & M - meet Saturday in the newly renamed Capital Cup. The winner will have a stake in the CAA crown, but only earn the conference's automatic playoff bid with a Villanova loss.
Villanova earned wins over both the Tribe and Spiders to control its own destiny.
Josh Lewis' 28-yard field goal gave McNeese State a road win over Texas State, and put the Cowboys in position to claim a share of the Southland Conference championship.
However, MSU might be scoreboard watching in its finale vs. Central Arkansas. The Cowboys' lone Southland defeat came to Stephen F. Austin, the team that shares the league lead.
Texas State defensive coordinator Fred Bleil said earlier this season he believed the Southland would be a one-bid conference. If those words prove prophetic, the Cowboys need to defeat the Bears and hope for a Lumberjack loss at Northwestern State.
Appalachian State won its fifth consecutive Southern Conference title in a win over a game Elon team. The Mountaineers jumped ahead of the Phoenix early, scoring 21 of their 27 points in the first half. Elon failed to get on the board in that time.
Making a case for a second straight Walter Payton Award, ASU quarterback Armanti Edwards scored each of the Mountaineers' three touchdowns, all on rushes.
Postseason aspirations weren't snuffed out for Elon, however. A top 10 team with one of the best scoring defenses in college football, the Phoenix can finish 9-2 with a victory over Samford this week.
With its rout of Missouri State, Southern Illinois finished the Missouri Valley slate undefeated and as conference champions.
The Salukis navigated their schedule with just one loss, that coming at Marshall 31-28 in Week 1. Since, only one team has even been within single digits of SIU.
SIU tailback Deji Karim had what one could call an OK Saturday - three touchdowns, including a 73-yarder.
Holy Cross escaped a Lafayette rally to knock off the Leopards 28-26, and take the Patriot League crown. UL scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, but a pair of failed point-after attempts would come back to haunt the homestanding Leopards.
As he has all year, HC quarterback Dominic Randolph powered the Crusader offense. He was involved in all four HC touchdowns through the second and third quarters, one rushing and three passing.
Meanwhile, the Crusader defense overcame a scoreless final period, holding Lafayette to a single touchdown - enough to preserve the win and conference championship.
South Carolina State's 37-13 romp of Morgan State, combined with Florida A&M's 25-0 loss to Hampton sealed the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship for SCSU. Bulldog quarterback Malcolm Long threw for four touchdown passes in the SCSU win.
By virtue of its seven straight Big Sky win and a Northern Arizona loss at Weber State, Montana is again conference champions. For those keeping score, that's a share of 14 out of the last 16 and a 12th straight Big Sky title for the Grizzlies.
The Northeastern Conference became the (Blue) Devils' Workshop when leader Wagner suffered a 37-10 setback against Robert Morris. The two had been even at 10, but 27 unanswered Robert Morris points in the second half made the difference.
That loss allowed Central Connecticut State to jump back into first, and ultimately the championship, with its frantic comeback vs. Monmouth.
All 20 of the Blue Devils' points came in the second half, the final six on an Aubrey Lewis touchdown pass to Josue Paul.
While other league championships won't be doled out until this upcoming final week, the races certainly became interesting.
William & Mary put on a clinic against New Hampshire. It was UNH's second Colonial Athletic Association loss, putting them behind W & M, Richmond and Villanova, all of which have just one loss.
Two of those squads - Richmond and W & M - meet Saturday in the newly renamed Capital Cup. The winner will have a stake in the CAA crown, but only earn the conference's automatic playoff bid with a Villanova loss.
Villanova earned wins over both the Tribe and Spiders to control its own destiny.
Josh Lewis' 28-yard field goal gave McNeese State a road win over Texas State, and put the Cowboys in position to claim a share of the Southland Conference championship.
However, MSU might be scoreboard watching in its finale vs. Central Arkansas. The Cowboys' lone Southland defeat came to Stephen F. Austin, the team that shares the league lead.
Texas State defensive coordinator Fred Bleil said earlier this season he believed the Southland would be a one-bid conference. If those words prove prophetic, the Cowboys need to defeat the Bears and hope for a Lumberjack loss at Northwestern State.
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