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There are seven games on the schedule for this Saturday. It will be the first home games of the season for Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb and Southeast Missouri, who have each played their first three contests on the road. Eastern Illinois plays in the Mid-America Classic at No. 5/4 Illinois State, Western Illinois hosts Morehead State, UT Martin is at FBS foe Memphis and Tennessee State travels to Florida A&M.
Saturday, September 19
Eastern Illinois at #5/4 Illinois State, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Point
at Charleston Southern, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
North Carolina Central
at Gardner-Webb, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Tennessee State at Florida A&M, 6:00 p.m. (HBCU GO)
UT Martin at Memphis, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Morehead State
at Western Illinois, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Central Arkansas
at Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Eastern Illinois Panthers (1-2) at #5/4 Illinois State Redbirds (3-0)
Saturday, September 19 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Hancock Stadium (13,391) • Normal, Ill.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4ikUuqE
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3SwTCEY
Series Record: Illinois State leads 61-43-9
Last Meeting: Illinois State won 42-30 (9/13/25)
Noteworthy: The 114th meeting of the Mid-American Classic takes place on Saturday in Normal. The rivalry began in 1901 and has been won by the Redbirds each of the past two seasons. The Panthers last won 14-13 in the 2023 season ... Cole LaCrue was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week after netting 332 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in last week's game with Indiana State ... Charles Kellom has 297 rushing yards through three games, which is seventh-most among FCS players ... EIU has not thrown an interception this season (one of 11 teams nationally) and has lost only one fumble in three games ... ISU, last year's National Runner-up, is coached by Brock Spack, who was an assistant at EIU under Hall of Fame Coach Bob Spoo (1987-90). The team knocked off FBS opponent Northern Illinois last week.
Point University Skyhawks (0-2) at Charleston Southern Buccaneers (1-2)
Saturday, September 19 • 5:00 p.m. CT
Buccaneer Field (4,000) • Charleston, S.C.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4A3bbNI
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3YZbcQo
Series Record: Charleston Southern leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Charleston Southern won 66-0 (9/23/17)
Noteworthy: Charleston Southern welcomes NAIA foe Point University for its home opener. The teams last played in 2017 and also played in the 2014 season (a 61-9 CSU win that was later vacated by the NCAA) ... Charleston Southern has bragging points in the city of Charleston after winning the Lowcountry Boil Bowl, besting The Citadel in double overtime ... Hakeem Watters was one of three CSU backs with a rushing touchdown; his nine-yard score in overtime proved to be the game winner ... Kicker Matt Rolader made a 48 and 52-yard field goal in the win; the 52-yarder is tied for the sixth-longest in the FCS this season ... Point is looking for its first victory of the season. The team is averaging 281.5 yards of offense/game.
North Carolina Central Eagles (2-1) at Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (0-3)
Saturday, September 19 • 5:00 p.m. CT
Spangler Stadium (8,500) • Boiling Springs, N.C.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4y3tL77
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/4ijZMma
Series Record: Series tied 3-3
Last Meeting: Gardner-Webb won 21-12 (9/14/19)
Noteworthy: For the seventh time, Gardner-Webb and North Carolina Central will meet on the gridiron. The teams have split the first six matchups ... The Runnin' Bulldogs have lost each of its last two games by a combined five points. At FBS foe Liberty on Saturday, the team led at halftime and carried a 23-17 lead late into the fourth quarter before the Flames scored with 2:34 to play ... Sabin McLaughlin had a 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the game. He also added four tackles and a PBU. Tre Yanez added 10 tackles and 2.0 sacks; his 10.3 tackles/game ranks first in the OVC and 13th nationally ... Kicker Tyler Simpson made field goals from 41, 35 and 27 yards against Liberty. He ranks 11th nationally in field goals made/game (1.67) ... North Carolina Central has won two in a row after a season-opening loss to Texas Southern. That included a 30-22 win over North Carolina A&T last weekend. RB Plez Lawrence ran for 210 yards (the third-most by a FCS player this season) and three touchdowns in the win.
Tennessee State Tigers (0-3) at Florida A&M Rattlers (1-2)
Saturday, September 19 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Bragg Memorial Stadium (19,633) • Tallahassee, Fla.
Video (HBCU Go): https://bit.ly/3V36Ytc
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/4xfoF6s
Series Record: Tennessee State leads 31-24
Last Meeting: Tennessee State won 24-13 (9/16/17)
Noteworthy: A rivalry is renewed as Tennessee State and Florida A&M play for the first time in nearly a decade. The teams have played 55 previous times, 21 of those coming in HBCU Classic games. TSU has won the last six contests with the Rattlers. ... Tennessee State struggled offensively for the second-straight week, managing only three points. Preston Hurless remained perfect on the season, making his third field goal of the young season ... Bryce Gray keyed the Big Blue defense against Alabama A&M, making nine tackles and added a sack ... Tennessee State ranks 12th nationally in fewest penalties, having been called for 12 through three games ... FAMU topped Albany State in its season-opener before falling to nationally-ranked FCS foe South Carolina State and then nationally-ranked FBS foe Miami (Fla.).
UT Martin Skyhawks (1-2) at Memphis Tigers (2-1)
Saturday, September 19 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (45,632) • Memphis, Tenn.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4ra0dly
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/46f6PFu
Series Record: Memphis leads 9-4-1
Last Meeting: Memphis won 21-6 (11/9/13)
Noteworthy: UT Martin and Memphis meet for the first time since the 2013 season on Saturday. That 2013 meeting came one year after the Skyhawks pulled the 20-17 upset over the FBS Tigers. The two programs first met in the 1925 season ... It marks the second-straight FBS game for the Skyhawks, who play at West Virginia last week. UTM recorded its second defensive touchdown of the season in that game, a John Betts III scoop and score; UTM leads the FCS in defensive touchdowns ... Punter Max Zuluaga averaged 53.2 yards per punt last week, including a 68-yarder to flip the field ... Memphis suffered its first loss of the season last week, falling 38-20 at Boise State. The Tigers are averaging 486.7 yards of total offense/game including 221.7 yards on the ground. RB Jaylin Carter leads the team with six rushing scores.
Morehead State Eagles (1-2) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (1-2)
Saturday, September 19 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Hanson Field (16,368) • Macomb, Ill.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4iT2kYG
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3Pyfr2i
Series Record: Western Illinois leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Western Illinois won 31-6 (8/31/06)
Noteworthy: Western Illinois will host Pioneer Football League (PFL) foe Morehead State in its third home game of the early season. It is the first game between the teams in 20 years (2006), a contest the Leathernecks won 31-6 ... Playing at FBS Wisconsin last week, Kennedy McGill passed for 139 yards and rushed for a team-best 88 yards. McGill ranks second in the OVC in total offense (220.0 yards/game) ... WIU has done a good job protecting its QB's this season, allowing just 0.33 sacks/game (which ranks third nationally) ... Ronan Culikin made three field goals (27, 27, 34) yards against Wisconsin and is now 5-for-5 on the season ... Morehead State is coming off a loss to No. 15 Austin Peay last week. MSU's Ashton Adams was named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 50.1 yards on nine punts. The Eagles are averaging 40.7 points/game over its first three contests.
Central Arkansas Bears (2-1)
at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (1-2)
Saturday, September 19 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Houck Stadium (8,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4cADQ2A
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/4gVg9mV
Series Record: Series tied 8-8-1
Last Meeting: Central Arkansas won 38-33 (10/7/23)
Noteworthy: For the 18th time Southeast Missouri and Central Arkansas will meet on the gridiron. It marks the third time in five years the two programs will have played. The Bears have won five of the last six in the series, with SEMO winning in 2022 (35-27 the last time the game was in Cape Girardeau) ... It marks the home opener for the Redhawks, who are 22-23 in home openers at the FCS level. SEMO has averaged 40.5 points in its last four home-opening victories ... QB Braylen Ragland threw for 316 yards against Southern Illinois last week. He ranks 18th nationally in passing yards (732) ... RB Payton Brown returned from injury to score a touchdown at SIU last week. He finished the game with 27 yards while Khyair Spain had 38 yards ... Central Arkansas is among teams receiving votes nationally this week. The Bears knocked off No. 22 UT Martin in Week 0 before falling to nationally-ranked West Florida and then besting Central Oklahoma.
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