FCS Playoff Game Capsules

NCAA Football Betting Lines

11/28/2009 - Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Ball led a dominating Wildcats running game with 99 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, as Villanova upended Holy Cross, 38-28, in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Chris Whitney threw for a touchdown and ran for another, totaling 239 passing yards on 16-of-23 attempts and 62 yards on 10 carries for the Wildcats (11-1), who will next play New Hampshire, which routed McNeese State, 49-13. Angelo Babbaro and Matt Szczur each scored on the ground in the win, as Villanova rushed for 298 yards, compared to just 46 for Holy Cross. Dominic Randolph had a rushing TD while tossing for three scores and 347 yards on 31-of-51 attempts for the Crusaders (9-3), who were making their first playoff appearance since 1983. Bill Edger logged 104 yards and a TD on seven grabs, while Alex Schneider had a pair of receiving scores in defeat.

Final Score: Appalachian State 20, South Carolina State 13

Boone, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dominique McDuffie scooped up a fumble in the fourth quarter and returned it 50 yards for the game-winning touchdown, as Appalachian State fended off South Carolina State, 20-13, in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Armanti Edwards threw for 218 yards and one touchdown on 19-of-30 efficiency but was intercepted three times, while Devon Moore had 61 yards on 20 carries for the Mountaineers (10-2), who advanced to face fourth-seeded Richmond in the quarterfinals. Malcolm Long was 18-of-36 passing for 189 yards with three interceptions for the Bulldogs (10-2), who were making their second consecutive playoff appearance.

Final Score: Richmond 16, Elon 13

Richmond, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eric Ward had 136 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries, as Richomd blocked a potential game-tying field goal in the waning moments of regulation and held on to defeat Elon, 16-13, in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. Elon took over at its own 39-yard-line with 35 seconds showing on the clock. They quickly moved to the Richmond 31 following two receptions by Lance Camp and Terrell Hudgins. With seven seconds remaining, Adam Shreiner came on to attempt a 48-yard field goal, but Parker Miles got a hand on the ball to secure the win. Richomd (11-1) advanced to take on Appalachian State despite a subpar performance from quarterback Eric Ward. Ward completed 14-of-26 passes for 140 yards, but was intercepted on three different occasions. Justin Forte totaled 96 yards on 25 carries. Scott Riddle finished with 309 yards and one touchdown on 25-of-42 efficiency for the Phoenix (9-3). Hudgins had 167 yards on 12 receptions, while Camp made seven grabs for 109 yards.

Final Score: William & Mary 38, Weber State 0

Williamsburg, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - R.J. Archer ran for two scores while the defense had two interception returns for touchdowns to help William & Mary to a 38-0 rout of Weber State in the opening round of the 2009 FCS playoffs. Archer threw for 187 yards and added 29 on the ground while Jonathan Grimes added 139 yards on the ground on 23 carries for the Tribe (10-2), who will play Southern Illinois, which routed Eastern Illinois on Saturday, 48-7, in the next round. Cameron Higgins was 21-for-40 with 167 yards and four interceptions for the Wildcats (7-5), who had won their final two games of the regular season. Tim Toone had six catches for 46 yards in the defeat.

Final Score: Southern Illinois 48, Eastern Illinois 7

Carbondale, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul McIntosh threw two scores and ran for one as Southern Illinois crushed Eastern Illinois, 48-7, in the opening round of the FCS playoffs. McIntosh went 13-for-17 with a pick and 66 yards and added 115 rushing yards on 15 carries for the Salukis (11-1), who will play William & Mary, which destroyed Weber State, 38-0, earlier on Saturday, in the second round. Deji Karim had 155 yards on 23 carries with two scores and also caught a touchdown in the win. Mon Williams had 107 yards on 20 carries while Bodie Reeder was just 6-for-10 with 67 yards in the loss for the Panthers (8-4), who dropped their final two games of the season.

Final Score: Montana 61, South Dakota State 48

Missoula, MT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrew Selle threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, two of them in the fourth quarter, as Montana used an incredible 40-point rally to down South Dakota State, 61-48, in a first-round FCS matchup. Marc Mariani posted 12 catches for 171 yards and two TD receptions for the top-seeded Grizzlies (12-0), who entered the playoffs as the national runner- up to Richmond a year ago. Montana takes on Stephen F. Austin next Saturday. Thomas O'Brien completed 14-of-27 passes for 198 yards, three scores and three interceptions for the Jackrabbits (8-4), who were making their first-ever FCS postseason appearance. Kyle Minett had 131 yards and two scores on 35 rushes in defeat.

Final Score: Stephen F. Austin 44, Eastern Washington 33

Nacogdoches, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeremy Moses threw for 432 yards and four touchdowns, leading Stephen F. Austin to a 44-33 win over Eastern Washington in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Moses completed 43-of-57 passes and was picked off three times for the Lumberjacks (10-2), who will next play top-seeded Montana on the road in the quarterfinals. Vincent Pervis ran for 125 yards on 16 carries, and Duane Brooks posted 15 receptions for 124 yards in the win. Brandon Scott added 11 catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns, and Corde Roberson also had 89 yards and a score on four catches. Matt Nichols had 461 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception on 43-of-76 efficiency for the Eagles (8-4), who made their first playoff appearance since 2007. Taiwan Jones ran for 118 yards and a score on 15 carries, and caught 10 passes for 68 yards. Tony Davis had 10 catches for 115 yards and Nathan Overbay added eight receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in defeat.

Final Score: New Hampshire 49, McNeese State 13

Lake Charles, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - R.J. Toman completed 17-of-25 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns, as New Hampshire shut out McNeese State in the second half to take a 49-13 decision in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Toman, who also had a rushing TD, hit Scott Sicko for two scores and Travis Negron for another. Chad Kackert finished with 63 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries for the Wildcats (10-2), who next play Villanova, a 38-28 winner over Holy Cross in first-round play. Champlain Babin logged 46 yards on nine carries and scored the lone touchdown for the Cowboys (9-3), who had won six straight coming into the game. Derrick Fourroux was 23-of-37 for 170 yards and threw an interception that Terrence Klein returned 79 yards in the third quarter for a commanding 35-13 lead.