D2 over FCS Scalp Watch 2022 edition

[CHIP72]

Over on what I sometimes call the sibling board to this forum (Any Given Saturday, a board dedicated to DI-AA/FCS talk), there's a thread focused on DI-AA/FCS vs DI-A/FBS games during the 2022 season and a "watch" for potential upsets by the lower classification opponents in those games. I thought it would be appropriate on this board to have a similar thread focused on D2 vs DI-AA/FCS games.

??????As of this writing there are 28 D2 vs DI-AA/FCS games scheduled in 2022, with the possibility of more games being added. Most of the games will be played in either Week 1 (8 games) or Week 2 (9 games), though there are 3 D2/FCS games each in both Week 3 and Week 4 and individual games in Weeks 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11.

More information can be found at the following website, which also includes 2022 DI-AA/FCS games vs NAIA (10 games), NCCAA (8 games, all involving Virginia-Lynchburg), and D3 (1 game):

FCS vs Non-D1 Games in 2022

[SW_Mustang]

Lincoln (CA) is not D2, so there's 25 games total.

M. Tech @ UST is the one I'm most interested in.

[CalifOKRA]

Delta State University @ Mississippi Valley State University.

They're really close to each other, so a geographic rivalry in a sense. They've played 5 times before, with DSU holding a 4-1 record over MVSU. Last time they played was a 24-14 win by DSU in 2013. Definitely a D2 vs. FCS game that can end in an upset.

2013: 24 - 14 DSU
2003: 45 - 0 DSU
2002: 28 - 26 MVSU
2001: 25 - 3 DSU
2000: 35 - 23 DSU

[LegalRam]

WSSU v. NCCU is rivalry game that goes back decades. The two played last year for the first time since 2010, and even though WSSU was bad we still almost beat NCCU. WSSU was up until the 4th and NCCU didn't take the lead until 1:41 left in the game.

Unless we continue to regress, this is a game that we have a decent chance of winning.

[Bryon Ramos]

Lindenwood (now FCS) has 3 "lower level" games scheduled in it's inaugural (piecemeal) Division 1 schedule.

9/17- Keiser University (NAIA)
10/29- William Jewell
11/12- McKendree.

I wouldn't have expected the WJC or McKendree games to be all that competitive prior to the move to D1. Since then, LU has hit the transfer portal hard in upgrading their roster. They've gotten noticeably bigger and more athletic. Does that mean better? Probably by the time they play their former GLVC foes, they'll have gelled a little bit.

The Keiser game is a crap shoot. You never know what you're going to see from an NAIA program until a few games into the season. FBS and FCS talent has a funny way of quietly resurfacing on NAIA rosters. That early in the season, and it's enough to give me pause.

TBH, I would only feel comfortable betting on a 4 win season this year. These 3 games would be 3 of those 4 wins.

[Runnin' Cat]

Lindenwood (now FCS) has 3 "lower level" games scheduled in it's inaugural (piecemeal) Division 1 schedule.

9/17- Keiser University (NAIA)
10/29- William Jewell
11/12- McKendree.

I would've expected the WJC or McKendree games to be all that competitive prior to the move to D1. Since then, LU has hit the transfer portal hard in upgrading their roster. They've gotten noticeably bigger and more athletic. Does that mean better? Probably by the time they play their former GLVC foes, they'll have gelled a little bit.

The Keiser game is a crap shoot. You never know what you're going to see from an NAIA program until a few games into the season. FBS an FCS talent has a funny way of quietly resurfacing on NAIA rosters. That early in the season, and it's enough to give me pause.

TBH, I would only feel comfortable betting on a 4 win season this year. These 3 games would be 3 of those 4 wins.

We used to joke that NAIA stood for No Athletic Investigations Allowed.

[Goods]

We used to joke that NAIA stood for No Athletic Investigations Allowed.

You got paid by Frazini's Pizza to run 8 minute miles in the 80s didn't ya?

[ccmoney8]

Chadron State at Dixie State, Sept. 10

Dixie has only played one full FCS season. They went 0-10 against a tough FCS schedule, but they never really came close to a win until they played D2 Fort Lewis (0-11) in mid-November. Their last two wins are against Fort Lewis, in fact, as they beat the Skyhawks (0-1) in the spring of 2021. Their only FCS win was February 2021 at Tarleton State, which was the first FCS game for both programs. Tarleton returned the favor later at Dixie.

Chadron is reloading this fall, but still an above-average program with only two losing seasons in 15 years. They were conference opponents of Dixie for 4 years, and the two teams split the four games with Dixie winning the first two and Chadron winning in 2018 and 2019. Chadron is coming off a 6-5 mark where they played (and lost to) the teams finishing #1, #2, #5, and #10 in the region. Their other loss was to 2014 national champ CSU-Pueblo.

Early season game, with Chadron coming off tough road trip to #10 Angelo State and Dixie following up a trip to FCS #11 Sacramento State ... should be fairly close either way.

[crixus]

Lincoln (CA) is not D2, so there's 25 games total.

M. Tech @ UST is the one I'm most interested in.

Not yet, but I'd like to see Lincoln become D2 and join the GNAC. Hope so.

[crixus]

From the games listed, I think San Diego Toreros (FCS) will blow out La Verne Leopards (D3) by at least 30 points.

[SW_Mustang]

Not yet, but I'd like to see Lincoln become D2 and join the GNAC. Hope so.

Eh... wouldn't be sad if that didn't happen.

[Wildcat Khan]

Not yet, but I'd like to see Lincoln become D2 and join the GNAC. Hope so.

That would still only be 4 teams, but if they followed the others to the LSC for football last year they also played teams from the LSC and it would make more sense.

[crixus]

That would still only be 4 teams, but if they followed the others to the LSC for football last year they also played teams from the LSC and it would make more sense.

Lincoln (CA) played a very tough schedule last year, all road games. They won one and came close in another. And as I'm sure you know your Wildcats blew them out. But the Oaklanders should get better in time. I admire them for taking on the challenge. And as a Californian, I'm still mourning the loss of Humboldt and Azusa Pacific football. So I really want Lincoln to succeed. And I think they'll have a better chance of doing that if they join a conference and the GNAC is the best fit, IMHO. Lincoln did play a LSC team (Eastern New Mexico) and another GNAC team (Western Oregon) last year. Go Oaklanders!
????

[crixus]

Lincoln Oaklanders football (season 2). I'm guessing they're all road games again this year. Whew, that's tough.

[CHIP72]

With the season about to start, I'm bumping up this thread.

I'll also note the link provided back in Post #1 is missing at least one game; Stonehill, who is moving up to DI-AA/FCS this year, will be playing at Bloomsburg in Week 1. The game is the back half of a home-and-home series, and will provide a rare opportunity for a D2 team to host a DI-AA/FCS team, albeit a higher classification team that played in D2 last season.