Live updates for the 2023 FCS football playoffs
🗓️ Second round FCS playoffs: Schedule, scores, how to watch
The FCS playoffs continue on Saturday, Dec. 2 with eight second round games starting at 12 p.m. ET. See a complete game schedule below.
| Game (Click for Live Stats) | Time (ET) | WATCH | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Villanova 45, Youngstown State 28 | 12 p.m. | ESPN+ | Villanova Stadium Villanova, PA |
| No. 5 UAlbany 41, Richmond 13 | 12 p.m. | ESPN+ | Casey Stadium Albany, NY |
| No. 7 Furman 26, Chattanooga 7 | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ | Paladin Stadium Greenville, SC |
| Mercer at No. 1 South Dakota State | 2 p.m. | ESPN+ | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium Brookings, SD |
| Sacramento State at No. 3 South Dakota | 2 p.m. | ESPN+ | DakotaDome Vermillion, SD |
| North Dakota State at No. 6 Montana State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+ | Bobcat Stadium Bozeman, MT |
| Delaware at No. 2 Montana | 9 p.m. | ESPN+ | Washington-Grizzly Stadium Missoula, MT |
| Southern Illinois at No. 4 Idaho | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 | Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID |
Up next
The winners of the second round games will move on to play winners opponents in the quarterfinals round next weekend. We'll post matchups below as games conclude.
Furman advances to quarterfinals, handles Chattanooga
No. 7 Furman beat Chattanooga 26-7 in a second-round playoff battle of SoCon foes. The Paladins beat the Mocs for the second time this year, picking up an earlier, regular-season win.
Furman saw quarterback Tyler Huff return from injury and accounted for 224 yards. Running back Dominic Roberto also made his return, rushing for two touchdowns. Kicker Ian Williams made four field goals in the win.
Dominic Roberto 2 yard TOUCHDOWN run, his second of the day! pic.twitter.com/zBvuIY29Eu
— Furman Football (@PaladinFootball) December 2, 2023
Defensively, Furman shut down the Chattanooga passing attack, forcing the Mocs to replace second-string quarterback Luke Schomburg with third-string quarterback Matthew Clemmer. Together the two quarterbacks passed for just 84 yards while throwing two interceptions.
Travis Blackshear with the interception and return to the UTC2! pic.twitter.com/rAZX2WGo3l
— Furman Football (@PaladinFootball) December 2, 2023
With the win, No. 7 Furman advances to play the winner of No. 2 Montana/Delaware.
Halftime update: South Dakota vs. Sacramento State
South Dakota leads Sacramento State 24-14 at halftime. The Coyotes jumped out to a 17-0 lead, highlighted by a fumble return for a touchdown.
YOTES SCOOP N' SCORE 🤯#FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @SDCoyotesFB pic.twitter.com/dqoyB6T4Ax
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 2, 2023
Howwever, Sacramento State didn't give up in the first half, as Hornets rallied with 14 points in the second quarter from two Marcus Fulcher rushing touchdowns.
ANOTHER ONE 💪6️⃣#FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @SacHornetsFB pic.twitter.com/xcHvqkTdqv
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 2, 2023
Click or tap here for first half and live stats from the game
Halftime update: South Dakota State vs. Mercer
South Dakota State leads Mercer 24-0 after the first half. After a slow first quarter that saw the heavily favored Jackrabbits up just 3-0, South Dakota State's offense came to life in the second quarter with three touchdowns. Running back Isaiah Davis ran in for two of the touchdowns.
.@z4days coming right at you 🫵#FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @GoJacksFB pic.twitter.com/MdGsDIEHDH
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 2, 2023
Click or tap here for first half and live stats from the game
UAlbany advances to quarterfinals, eases by Richmond
No. 5 UAlbany beat Richmond 41-13 in a second-round playoff battle of CAA foes. The Great Danes took a 27-0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back.
UAlbany's defense was largely dominant in this game, scoring the first interception return for a touchdown of the playoffs, making two total interceptions in the game, forcing two fumbles, making five sacks and nine tackles for loss.
Go get 'em @JoesphGreaney ☠️#UAUKNOW #WinTheDay 🟪🟨 pic.twitter.com/Rc0uPiXOYd
— UAlbany Football (@UAlbanyFootball) December 2, 2023
On offense, quarterback Reese Poffenbarger scored four total touchdowns, two on the ground and two in the air. Running back Griffin Woodell also had a solid day averaging 7.4 yards per carry en route to 96 yards and a touchdown.
Give us ALL the angles 🔥@Brevineaston01 https://t.co/UNxOPnfnPF pic.twitter.com/yOMvvwee4k
— UAlbany Football (@UAlbanyFootball) December 2, 2023
With the win, No. 5 UAlbany advances to play the winner of No. 4 Idaho/Southern Illinois.
Villanova advances to quarterfinals, blasts Youngstown State
No. 8 Villanova defeated Youngstown State 45-28 in the second round of the FCS playoffs. After falling behind 10-7, Villanova responded with a 31-3 run that extended into the start of the fourth quarter. The Wildcats dominated on the ground in the win, scoring five rushing touchdowns.
.@NovaFootball with the START 😎#FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @NovaFootball pic.twitter.com/9ttSnOnNLG
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 2, 2023
With the win, No. 8 Villanova advances to play the winner of No. 1 South Dakota State/Mercer.
Halftime update: Furman vs. Chattanooga
Furman leads Chattanooga 10-7 after the first half. The Paladins have scored the latest 10 points in what's been a hard-fought playoff battle between conference rivals. With the skies opening up for rain as the game entered halftime, expect this game to remain low scoring.
A kick for the lead ⚔️#FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @PaladinFootball pic.twitter.com/V7lCUGvFf2
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 2, 2023
Click or tap here for first half and live stats from the game
Halftime update: UAlbany vs. Richmond
UAlbany leads Richmond 27-7 at halftime after the a strong, defensive first half. The Great Danes jumped out to a 27-0 lead after its defense made three sacks and two interceptions across the first two quarters, including the first interception returned for a touchdown of the 2023 FCS playoffs. Offensively, UAlbany quarterback Reese Poffenbarger has been electric, rushing and throwing for a touchdown.
Off script? No prob. @ReesePoffenbarg ➡️ @marq6szn #UAUKNOW #WinTheDay 🟪🟨 pic.twitter.com/TvGrEP8Nfl
— UAlbany Football (@UAlbanyFootball) December 2, 2023
SAY GOODBYE! 👋
— UAlbany Football (@UAlbanyFootball) December 2, 2023
BILL HACKETT TO THE HOUSE!#UAUKNOW #WinTheDay 🟪🟨 pic.twitter.com/smlPxwdeIN
Richmond finally got on the board right before halftime, thanks to a sudden change play after a UAlbany blocked punt resulted in a muffed-punt turnover, giving the Spiders possession. From there, Richmond backup quarterback Camden Coleman found Nick DeGennarro for an 11 yard touchdown.
Richmond is on the board 🕷️#FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @Spiders_FB pic.twitter.com/fZXlrLH6eT
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 2, 2023
Click or tap here for first half and live stats from the game
Halftime update: Villanova vs. Youngstown State
Villanova leads Youngstown State 21-10 after a strong close to the first half of the second round playoff game. The Wildcats trailed 10-7 in the second quarter, but scored two touchdowns from the legs and arm of quarterback Connor Watkins, respectively, to take a two possession lead.
Out in the open ➡ +6️⃣#FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @NovaFootball pic.twitter.com/el1yjZYptw
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 2, 2023
Click or tap here for first half and live stats from the game
7 questions to be answered in the second round of the FCS playoffs
The second round of the FCS playoffs is here after round one brought big-time plays and exciting finishes. With eight second-round games up next, here are some burning questions that will be answered this week.
- Will Montana State vs. North Dakota State be the game of the year?
- Who has the edge in the SoCon rematch?
Recapping the first round of the FCS playoffs
FCS playoff action returned as the first round of the tournament kicked off Saturday, Nov. 25 with a full slate of games. Check out the results below:
- Sacramento State 42, North Dakota 35
- Delaware 36, Lafayette 34
- Richmond 49, North Carolina Central 27
- Chattanooga 24, Austin Peay 21
- Mercer 17, Gardner-Webb 7
- Southern Illinois 35, Nicholls 0
- North Dakota State 66, Drake 3
- Youngstown State 40, Duquesne 7
The winners of the first round games face awaiting opponents in the second round next Saturday, Dec. 3. Here are the matchups:
All times Eastern. All games airing on ESPN+ unless otherwise listed.
- 12 p.m. | Youngstown State at No. 8 Villanova
- 12 p.m. | Richmond at No. 5 UAlbany
- 1 p.m. | Chattanooga at No. 7 Furman
- 2 p.m. | Mercer at No. 1 South Dakota State
- 2 p.m. | Sacramento State at No. 3 South Dakota
- 3 p.m. | North Dakota State at No. 6 Montana State
- 9 p.m. | Delaware at No. 2 Montana
- 10 p.m. |Southern Illinois at No. 4 Idaho | ESPN2
Click or tap here for the full bracket
Game-winning field goal sends Chattanooga to the second round
Chattanooga Clayton Crile kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give Chattanooga the 24-21 win over Austin Peay. The Mocs trusted Crile with the game and he redeemed himself after going 0-2 (one kick was blocked) to start the game. Click or tap here for complete stats from the game.
AND THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE!!!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kMf4jG3eZd
— Chattanooga Football (@GoMocsFB) November 25, 2023
With the win, Chattanooga advances to play No. 7 Furman in the second round of the playoffs next week.
Mercer wins first FCS playoff game
Mercer made its first FCS playoff appearance in 2023 and it picked up its first FCS playoff win, 17-7 over Gardner-Webb. Mercer quarterback Carter Peevy broke free for a 72-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and from there, the defense did the rest. Mercer grabbed three interceptions in the win. Click or tap here for complete stats from the game.
Carter Peevy 72-yards to the house‼️ @TruistNews@Cpeev7 has wheels! 💨
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) November 25, 2023
Q2 | 9:18
Mercer 14, Gardner-Webb 0#RaiseTheBar | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/WUuW5L9MV1
With the win, Mercer advances to play No. 1 South Dakota State in the second round of the playoffs next week.
Richmond handles North Carolina Central
Richmond defeated North Carolina Central 49-27. The Spiders fell behind 20-7 in the second quarter before scoring four straight touchdowns to take a 35-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.
While North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard would score his fourth touchdown of the day to make it a one-possession game with 9:54 to play, two Richmond standouts Jerry Garcia Jr. and Savon Smith scored late touchdowns to put the game away. Richmond's 49 points in the win are the most it's ever scored in an FCS playoff game. Click or tap here for complete stats from the game.
With the win, Richmond advances to play No. 5 UAlbany in the second round of the playoffs next week.
Delaware rallies to beat Lafayette
Delaware fell down 28-7 in the second quarter with its third-string freshman quarterback in the first round against Lafayette. After a touchdown before halftime, the Blue Hens pulled off a comeback for the ages.
Delaware scored four straight touchdowns to grab a 33-28 lead in the fourth quarter behind three touchdowns from quarterback Nick Minicucci. However, Lafayette didn't go away quietly, with running back Jamar Curtis scoring a go-ahead touchdown — his fourth — with 07:25 to play. The Blue Hens responded with a 13-play, 73-yard drive to kick a game-winning field goal. Click or tap here for complete stats from the game.
With the win, Delaware advances to play No. 2 Montana in the second round of the playoffs next week.