10 FCS Versus FBS Games in 2024 We Are Excited to Watch

A record number of FCS versus FBS games are on tap in 2024 with 121 matchups scheduled, which means there will be no shortage of potential FCS victories. This will be similar to previous entries we’ve done in 2021, 2022, and 2023 where we list ten(ish) FCS versus FBS games that provide some intrigue for the upcoming season.

As a friendly reminder, this list is not solely comprised of the best FCS-FBS matchups or the most likely FCS over FBS wins this year. These are only the games we want to see, and they will naturally have plenty of crossover with potential FCS over FBS wins. This year’s list will rank the games in reverse order from 10 to 1, which maintains the same format from the previous two editions. We’ve also provided a table below summarizing the games and links for each one.

Rank	FCS Team	FBS Opponent(s)	Date(s)
Bonus	Southeast Missouri State Southern Utah	New Mexico State UTEP	August 31 September 7
10	Lindenwood	Kansas	August 29
9	Merrimack	Connecticut	September 7
8	Jackson State	UL Monroe	August 29
7	Eastern Washington	Nevada	September 21
6	UT Martin	Kennesaw State	September 28
5	North Dakota State South Dakota State	Colorado Oklahoma State	August 29 August 31
4	Chattanooga	Georgia State	September 7
3	Lafayette	Buffalo	August 29
2	Sacramento State	San Jose State	August 29
1	Montana State	New Mexico	August 24

Bonus: SE Missouri State at New Mexico State (August 31) and Southern Utah at UTEP (September 7)

Southeast Missouri State’s matchup against New Mexico State is intriguing because the Redhawks are coming off a 4-7 season with four of those losses by a touchdown or less. Paxton DeLaurent is back at quarterback after throwing for 1,608 yards with 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in an injury-filled 2023 campaign. Offensive lineman Zack Gieg and linebacker Bryce Norman are both named to multiple FCS All-American preseason teams. While SEMO lost a few big pieces on offense, NMSU lost a lot more on both sides and from the coaching staff. Jerry Kill led the Aggies to its first back-to-back bowl appearances in over 60 years but has departed with Tony Sanchez taking over. NSMU lost its top two quarterbacks, running backs, top 5 receivers, and top 7 tacklers from 2023. This is a good opportunity for SEMO to surprise the Aggies right out of the gate and will have played a Week 0 game against North Alabama the week before.

Similar to SEMO, Southern Utah is facing a UTEP team that has a new head coach (Scotty Walden from Austin Peay) and lost a bunch of key players from last year. However, UTEP didn’t do well in 2023 as they finished 3-9 overall. Southern Utah had a solid year in 2023 going 6-5 overall and nearly upsetting Arizona State in the 24-21 season-opening loss. On offense, Braedon Wissler will shoulder a heavier load for Southern Utah in 2024 after rushing for 686 yards and 5 touchdowns while the Division II Seton Hill transfer Mark Bails is expected to be the top receiver (46 catches for 926 yards and 8 TDs in 2023). The defense will be led by All-UAC Preseason defensive lineman Rylen Sua-Filo (28 tackles and 2 sacks) and linebacker Kohner Cullimore (73 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss, and 3 sacks). SUU should be able to put up a good game against UTEP even with a new quarterback taking over as the Thunderbirds seek their first win against the FBS since 2013 when they defeated South Alabama 22-21.

10. Lindenwood at Kansas – August 29

Only one FCS team is playing its first game against FBS competition in 2024 – Lindenwood. The good news for the Lions is that they will travel to Kansas City to face the Kansas Jayhawks as their normal home – David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium – undergoes construction. The bad news is that Lance Leipold has righted the ship for Kansas who went 9-4 last year and won its first bowl game in 15 years. Lindenwood is only in its third year of Division I football and these games always provide a barometer for where a squad needs to improve for the current year and the program as a whole.

9. Merrimack at Connecticut – September 7

2024 is the beginning of a new era for Merrimack as the Warriors will compete as an independent this year. On top of that transition, the Warriors will have a new head coach with defensive coordinator Mike Gennetti replacing Dan Curran, who left for Holy Cross. Furthermore, star running back Tyvon Edmonds (1,247 yards and 10 touchdowns) transferred to Robert Morris. Combined with back-to-back FBS opponents to start the season, there’s no shortage of challenges for a relatively new FCS program. Merrimack starts the season at Air Force on August 31 but will play much closer to home at FBS Independent Connecticut the following week.

The man to watch is Donovan Wadley who had 1,332 all-purpose yards and 11 TDs in 2023 (645 yards on kickoffs, 471 receiving, and 216 rushing). He’s electric on kickoffs with 3 returns for a touchdown in 2023 while averaging an incredible 38 yards per return. This game will be tough for the Warriors despite UConn’s 3-9 record last season. UConn had 4 losses by a touchdown or less in 2023 with 6 starters back on offense and 8 on defense. On the upside, UConn has played 11 FCS teams since 2013 with 2 of those resulting in FCS wins and another 7 have been decided by a touchdown or less. Can Merrimack keep the trend going and play the Huskies close?

8. Jackson State at UL-Monroe – August 29

The last two times these teams met it was an offensive struggle as UL Monroe survived 12-7 back in 2021 when Deion Sanders was in charge of Jackson State. Fast forward three years and TC Taylor is head coach after a respectable 7-4 campaign in 2023. Irv Mulligan is set to lead the rushing attack after putting up 668 yards and 5 TDs in the first 7 games and was hampered by an injury for the final 5 contests. Mulligan’s return and Jacobian Morgan winning the starting quarterback job should help the Tigers get close to 2021’s numbers (27.3 points and 391 yards per game), if not eclipse them.

This game may be headed towards another defensive battle as UL Monroe has only two starters back from an offense that scored 17.3 points per game and totaled 321 yards per game in 2023. The Warhawks will also have a new head coach in Bryant Vincent, which means there are plenty of wrinkles to work out – the same ones Jackson State struggled with during the 2023 season. Despite their struggles at the FBS level, UL Monroe hasn’t lost to an FCS opponent since 2005 (Northwestern State) while Jackson State is 0-12 all-time but this could be another close game that goes in favor of the FCS.

7. Eastern Washington at Nevada – September 21

Eastern Washington is facing a make-or-break season in 2024 after posting 3-8 and 4-7 records in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The speculation around head coach Aaron Best was strong enough that the school released a statement saying Best would return this year. This game against Nevada won’t be easy and the surrounding schedule – at Southeastern Louisiana the week before and home to Montana the following week – doesn’t make things any better. The good news for EWU is most of the key pieces return on offense including quarterback Kekoa Visperas (2,754 yards with 19 TDs and 10 interceptions), top running back Tuna Altahir (534 yards and 6 touchdowns), and wide receivers Efton Chism (84 catches for 932 yards and 8 TDs) and Nolan Ulm (45 catches for 564 yards and 4 TDs). The Eagles put up 32.3 points and 417 yards per game in 2023 and should be able to match those numbers, if not improve upon them.

EWU has struggled on defense the last two years giving up 42.4 points and 504 yards per game in 2022 and improved those numbers slightly in 2023 to 36.1 points and 455 yards per game. They have a new defensive coordinator in Eric Sanders who was the linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator at EWU in 2023. He has previous experience in the NFL and he’ll need defensive lineman Matthew Brown (36 tackles and 3 sacks), linebacker Adam Cohen (51 tackles), and defensive back Armani Orange (31 tackles and 2 interceptions) to lead their respective units to improved numbers.

EWU has played Mountain West opponents closely in the last two games when they defeated UNLV 35-33 in 2021 and lost by a field goal (34-31) to Fresno State in 2023. Since 2016, Nevada has played 7 FCS opponents, lost three of those games (Idaho State in 2017, Incarnate Word in 2022, and Idaho in 2023), and another two games were decided by 6 points or less (Cal Poly in 2016 and Weber State in 2019). The Wolf Pack were 2-10 last year and have a new head coach in Jeff Choate (formerly at Montana State). This is a winnable game for EWU even in a stretch of difficult games.

6. UT Martin at Kennesaw State – September 28

2024 is a big year for UT Martin. The Skyhawks have won or shared three straight conference titles and are predicted to make it four in a row this season. They’ve lost some big pieces from 2023’s team but have added over 15 transfers from the FBS to help fill the gaps in a competitive Big South-OVC race. The Skyhawks were the best offense in the conference at 31.7 points and 440 yards per game with quarterback Kinkead Dent leading the way in 2024 after throwing for 2,403 yards with 24 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. UT Martin had a solid defense that allowed 24 points and 351 yards per game in 2023 and will be eager to replicate those results in 2024.

Kennesaw State had a rough 2023 season at face value going 3-6 overall in the Owls’ last FCS before joining C-USA. All three of those wins came against non-Division I opponents but in the 6 losses to FCS and FBS opposition, Kennesaw State didn’t lose a game by more than 10 points. The KSU offense never looked comfortable in those losses and that may give UT Martin some hope. The Owls do return 7 starters on offense that put up 26.1 points and 334 yards per game but that offense only put up 17.7 points per game against D-I foes. If UT Martin can shore up its defensive line in the first four games before this matchup, it could be a huge win for them going into the back half of the season.

5. Dakota States – August 29 and 31

Unsurprisingly, the two Dakota State matchups make an appearance on the list. While the results are unlikely to settle the FCS versus FBS debate, both games represent an opportunity for the FCS to get high-profile wins. North and South Dakota State have combined to win 11 of the last 13 FCS titles and are the favorites to make it 12 of 14 in 2024.

North Dakota State opens the season on Thursday, August 29 at Colorado in a highly anticipated matchup against another Power 5 4 opponent. The Bison have won three straight games against the Big 12 with previous victories versus Kansas in 2010 (6-3), Kansas State in 2013 (24-21), and Iowa State in 2014 (34-14). This feels like a classic Bison-FBS game where the offense will try to wear down the defense with its running-by-committee approach and NDSU’s quarterback(s) make the big plays as needed. Defensively, NDSU will face a challenge going up against Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter but the Bison return three starters in the secondary although First Team FCS All-American Cole Wisniewski may not play. The potential loss of Wisniewski hurts but the Bison will have a good shot at the upset if they control the trenches.

South Dakota State is the two-time defending FCS champions and faces Oklahoma State on Saturday, August 31. They will have quite the challenge to stop Ollie Gordon, who is not expected to miss any game time in 2024. The Jackrabbits lost some key pieces from 2023’s squad like running back Isaiah Davis, the top three wide receivers, All-American offensive linemen Mason McCormick and Garrett Greenfield, and three defensive linemen. Returning is quarterback Mark Gronowski who is seeking to win a third straight FCS title. The Jackrabbits will be going up against an OSU squad with 19 returning starters from a team that made the Big 12 Championship Game but the defense allowed 28.6 points and 442 yards per game. There’s no doubt this will be a challenge for South Dakota State but one they will relish in their quest to keep the 29-game winning streak alive.

4. Chattanooga at Georgia State – September 7

Chattanooga is a preview of a similar theme as the next game on the list – they are the preseason favorite in the SoCon, have strong offensive weapons returning, and will be facing an FBS opponent that has a new coaching staff. The Mocs put up 27.5 points per game in 2023 and welcome back quarterback Chase Artopoeus who threw for 2,672 yards and 20 TDs against 7 interceptions but lost their top rusher and receiver from last year. The passing attack would be more worrisome if the second and third guys hadn’t produced similar numbers with Javin Whatley recording 55 catches for 977 yards and 9 TDs while Sam Philips had 60 receptions for 624 yards and 4 TDs. Joining the Mocs at WR will be Chris Domercant from Stonehill who had 37 catches for 541 yards and 5 TDs in 2023.

The defense will return the top four tacklers from 2023 – Alex Mitchell (78 tackles), Jordan Walker (73 tackles), Josh Battle (70 tackles), and Kameron Brown (63 tackles). A total of seven starters are back from a team that allowed 24.5 points and 355 yards per game. Chattanooga will be taking on a Georgia State squad that has only 10 total starters back including four on offense. GSU head coach Dell McGee was hired in late February 2024 and lost his top QB, RB, WR, and tackler from 2023. This is a solid chance for Chattanooga to score its first win against an FBS opponent since 2013 when they also defeated Georgia State. The date of that game? Saturday, September 7.

3. Lafayette at Buffalo – August 29

Lafayette hasn’t beaten an FBS opponent since 1981 while Buffalo has lost its last two games to FCS opponents – both from the Patriot League (Holy Cross in 2022 and Fordham in 2023). That alone should be enough for this list but Lafayette is the defending Patriot League champions and has been chosen as the preseason favorites to repeat. 8 starters return for the Leopards’ offense that put up 30 points per game and will be led by Jamar Curtis. Curtis ran for 1,460 yards and 15 TDs in 2023 along with another 164 yards receiving and two touchdowns but he will have plenty of company in terms of returning experience. Quarterback Dean DeNobile is back along with wide receiver Eli Steward and offensive linemen Ryder Langsdale, Brian Baucia, and Reed Collins.

The defense also has 8 starters back from a squad that allowed 23.3 points and 342 yards per game including second and fourth-leading tacklers – Saiku White and Preston Forney. They’ll face a Buffalo team that has only three returning offensive starters and has a first-year head coach in Pete Lembo. Lembo is familiar with the FCS and Lafayette in particular as he served as the head coach at Lehigh from 2001 through 2005 where he went 44-14 overall with two I-AA Playoff appearances. This is a winnable game for Lafayette as they seek to improve upon last year’s First Round Playoff exit.

2. Sacramento State at San Jose State – August 29

This matchup has the potential to be one of the higher-scoring FCS-FBS matchups in 2024 and Sacramento State currently holds a two-game win streak against the FBS following wins versus Colorado State (41-10 in 2022) and Stanford (30-23 in 2023). The Hornets have only one starter back on defense from a group that allowed 27.2 points and 383 yards per game. The offense has 7 starters back from a unit that put up 30.5 points and 421 yards per game last year. Contrast that with San Jose State who hired Ken Niumatalolo sans his option offense, has three starters back on offense, and four back on defense from a group that allowed 25.6 points and 353 yards per game. Kaiden Bennett will lead the offense that has plenty of weapons and an experienced offensive line. For the Hornets, the key will be how well the defense holds up with a huge dearth of returning experience and they will find out about this group in the first game.

1. Montana State at New Mexico – August 24

Every year seems to have at least one FCS-FBS matchup that favors the FCS team on paper before the season begins. It was Idaho at Nevada in 2023, Sacramento State at Colorado State in 2022, and there were multiple in 2021 that fell into this category. This season’s game is Montana State at New Mexico with the Bobcats favored by 8.5 points as of this article’s posting. New Mexico has a total of 9 starters back from a team that went 4-8 in 2023, has a new coach in Bronco Mendenhall, and lost its biggest offensive stars. Meanwhile, Montana State returns seven starters on offense including the top four rushers – led by Julius Davis – from a team that ran for nearly 300 yards a game. The defense also has seven starters back and will face a relatively inexperienced Lobos offense that is missing its best players from last year. This game represents a potentially big step for Montana State in the 2024 season as it looks to rebound from a disappointing end to the 2023 campaign. If Montana State were to win this game, it would be the school’s first win over an FBS opponent since 2006 when the Bobcats defeated Colorado 19-10.

Photo Credit to Montana State University Athletics