First Round of 2025 FCS Playoffs: Yale Authors Historic Comeback

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The top story of the day came from the FCS First Round, where the Yale Bulldogs staged an improbable comeback to secure a historic win for the Ivy League. Trailing the No. 15 Youngstown State Penguins 42-14 deep into the third quarter—and with an analyst-cited win probability of just 0.3 percent—the Bulldogs scored 29 unanswered points to win 43-42. Yale’s ground game, led by running back Josh Pitsenberger (209 yards and three touchdowns), fueled the furious rally, with his 56-yard touchdown run giving Yale the final lead with just 2:47 remaining. The victory marks the first-ever FCS playoff win for an Ivy League program and earns Yale a trip to face No. 2 Montana State.

SWAC Regular Season Closes with Drama

Southern University 28, Grambling State 27: In the 52nd annual Bayou Classic, Southern rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, scoring the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Southern quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass with just over seven minutes remaining to push the Jaguars ahead, 28-27. The Southern defense then recovered a fumble in the final minute to seal their fourth straight victory over the rival Grambling State Tigers.
Mississippi Valley State 35, Florida A&M 31: In a shocking upset, the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils defeated the favored Florida A&M Rattlers. MVSU won the back-and-forth thriller on a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass after both teams traded the lead in the final period. The loss was a crushing blow for the Rattlers, who were looking to solidify their postseason positioning, while the Delta Devils closed their season with a monumental win.

Abilene Christian Dominates Lamar in FCS Playoff Opener

The No. 10 Abilene Christian Wildcats secured a dominant start to their FCS playoff run, defeating the Lamar Cardinals 38-20 in the first-round matchup held at Wildcat Stadium. Abilene Christian’s offense came out firing, racing out to a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter behind a spectacular performance from quarterback Stone Earle, who accounted for four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) on the afternoon. Earle was sharp and efficient, completing 25 of 31 passes for 308 yards, with receiver Javon Gipson serving as his primary weapon, hauling in nine catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats’ defense was equally stout, holding Lamar to under 100 rushing yards for the game. Although Lamar managed to find the endzone late, the initial deficit was insurmountable, and Abilene Christian secured the victory and extended its winning streak to five games. The Wildcats now advance to the Second Round to face former conference rival and No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin.

Other playoff results mostly saw the seeds hold their ground:

No. 12 Villanova made an emphatic statement by crushing Harvard 52-7, showing the strength of the Colonial Athletic Association.
No. 14 South Dakota State dominated New Hampshire 41-3, setting up a heavyweight clash with No. 3 Montana.
No. 9 Rhode Island survived a scare from Central Connecticut State, winning 27-19.
No. 11 South Dakota beat Drake 38-17.
North Dakota easily dispatched No. 13 Tennessee Tech 31-6.
Unseeded Illinois State won a defensive battle against No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana 21-3, earning the unenviable task of facing No. 1 North Dakota State in the next round