The good news is that most of what the SoCon needed to happen in its non-conference games in week zero, did, in fact, happen. The bad news was also the the only real shocker result, as ETSU's home-opening loss to CAA member Campbell. A team that won two games last season and never came close to scoring 49 points in any game!Kevin and I were in Spartanburg to take in the official SoCon opener for the 2026 football season, as Wofford hosted The Citadel in a game that most thought would come down to the wire.
That would not be the case, as the Bulldogs were the sloppier of the two teams on the night, and it would be Wofford which would take advantage of big plays in the special teams department to create some separation at the half, and then after the Bulldogs made things interesting for a few brief moments, order would be restored the Terriers tacked on three more unanswered scores to put the game away.
Despite that, the Bulldogs outgained Wofford 351-341 on the evening, and you got the feeling that the game might have been closer had those miscues not been made, but it was clear that, at least for this point in the season, Wofford was the much more talented team and it was a big reason I felt that the Terriers might be a serious challenger for the SoCon title this fall.
Both Tennessee Tech and Western Carolina looked especially impressive in their wins after both had slow starts to the season, while Samford showed signs of improvement and also a long road ahead under new head coach John Grass.
The same can be said of VMI, although the Keydets played some impressive defense in the opening half, trailing just 10-0 to Big Sky dark horse Idaho State before the Bengals put it into high gear with 28 third quarter points to put the game away in a 38-10 route of VMI.
No. 17 Mercer did all it could to fumble away a 23-7 lead in the fourth quarter against East Texas A&M in the FCS Kickoff Classic before getting a key sack late from reaching the Mercer six-yard line with 49 seconds left before defensive lineman Kehinde Akuntunde and linebacker Jyarius Carter broke through the line to combine for a sack on the biggest defense play of the night, as the Bears' defense was able to hold up for two more plays to preserve a 23-15 win at Five Star Stadium on Saturday night.
Both Chattanooga and Furman opened the season with wins on Thursday night, with the Mocs looking better on both sides of the football, but especially on defense, holding the Wolves to just 219 yards of total offense in its opening night road win.
Furman kept it vanilla as milk toast on offense, but the Paladin defense was stellar as we thought it might be, holding Anderson to a total of six yards in a battle of former Furman head coaches, as Clay Hendrix's Paladins triumphed, 20-3, over Bobby Lamb's Anderson Trojans.
There's still a lot of football to be played yet, but hope is springing eternal so far after week one. Check out the week zero recaps and power rankings below.
Week 0 Recaps
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026
Chattanooga 24, West Georgia 10
Chattanooga (1-0) got off to a solid start to the 2026 season, posting a 24-10 win over West Georgia (0-1) in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. It was West Georgia's first loss in a season opener since 2011, ending what had been a 13-game winning streak in season openers for the Wolves.The two teams struggled to gain any kind of momentum offensively for much of the evening, as the two teams went through the first 15 minutes of football in the 2026 season scoreless. The two teams combined for just 72 yards of total offense and four punts
Midway through the second quarter there was a breakthrough, as Christian Monfort plunged over the top from a yard out with 7:46 remaining in the opening half, as the Wolves needed just seven plays to cover 75 yards for the score, as they would be aided by four UTC penalties.
The Mocs got a Jude Kelley field goal, which split the uprights from 39 yards out just before the halftime buzzer to cut the Mocs deficit to four, at 7-3, as the two teams went to their respective locker rooms for the half.
It wouldn't take the Mocs long to find the end zone in the second half, as on the second play of the third quarter, Battle Alberson found Ashton Schumann on a 72-yard scoring strike to give the Mocs their first lead of the evening, at 10-7.
The Wolves responded shortly thereafter, as Freddy Perez connected on a 43-yard field goal to tie the game, 10-10, at the 12:50 mark of the third quarter.
Chattanooga would once again assume the momentum of the game when Alberson engineered an eight-play, 71-yard drive, as the junior signal-caller found Boobie Leavell for a 20-yard scoring strike with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter to make it a 17-10 Mocs lead.
With just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Mocs would go up by two scores, as Kevin Lalin capped off a nine-play, 52-yard drive with a 6-yard scoring run to put the Mocs up 24-10 with 9:53 remaining.
Chattanooga's defense would do the rest, limiting the Wolves to a meager 219 total yards in the game, including just 38 yards on the ground.
In a bizarre twist, the Wolves were without head coach Steve Englehart, in what was supposed to be his debut as the UWG head coach, however, a self-reported violation rendered him suspended by the UAC for the first game of the season pending investigation for an apparent ineligible player.
The Mocs finished the contest with 329 yards of total offense, with Battle Alberson finishing the night by connecting on 9-of-17 passes for 180 yards and a pair of TDs. Kevin Lalin led the Mocs on the ground, as he finished his evening with 30 rush attempts for 128 yards and one score.
Austin Schumann finished the night as UTC's leading wideout, hauling in four passes for 100 yards and a score.
The Wolves finished being led offensively by quarterback Collin Hurst. The Presbyterian transfer signal-caller connected on 19-of-30 passes for 124 yards.
Defensively, the Mocs got a solid performance from defensive back Kam Baah-Slay with eight tackles. The Mocs finished the game with five tackles-for-loss and three sacks. Myles Mays, Ky Tayo and CJ Smith all recorded quarterback takedowns for UTC.
Furman 20, Anderson 3
Furman opened the 2026 season in strong fashion, as the Paladin defense limited Anderson to just 160 yards of total offense, including just six yards on the ground en route to a 20-3 win to open the season.Neither team could find points in the opening quarter of play, with the most notable missed opportunity coming on a 43-yard missed field goal from Furman’s new place-kicker Nathan Chapman missed wide right on a 43-yard field goal attempt following an Anderson turnover on the game’s first play from scrimmage, as Eli Lipscomb recovered an Anderson fumble in Trojans territory at the 40. The Paladins would see their opening drive of the season bog down at the 25, and Chapman was called on for the field goal attempt.
Midway through the second quarter, Furman sophomore running back CJ Nettles broke off a 47-yard run with 8:47 remaining in the half, getting the ball just inside the Anderson red zone to the 24. However, the drive once again soured, as Garcia and the Paladins only netted a yard over the next three plays and Furman was forced to settle for a 40-yard field from Chapman, which was perfect, to give the Paladins a 3-0 lead with 7:10 remaining in the half.
Furman’s first touchdown of the season would come on its next possession, which was set up by the Paladin defense with a Joshua Stoneking tackle-for-loss and Caldwell Bussey sack forcing a quick Trojans three-and-out and getting the ball back to a Furman offense fresh off finding its first breakthrough in the contest.
Following the Anderson punt, the Paladins took over the football at their own 37 and on third play of the drive, Garcia hooked up with Dartmouth transfer Daniel Haughton for a 49-yard pass play to set the Paladins up well inside Anderson territory at the Trojans 4. On the very next play, Ben Croasdale bowled over from four yards out to give the Paladins a 10-0 lead with 3:02 left in the half.
Anderson would respond by scoring its only points of the night, as the Trojans were set up in great territory when Trojans quarterback Wilson Edwards located Kenneth Brown for a 37-yard connection behind the Paladin secondary and down to the Paladin 32. However, Furman’s defense did enough to force the Trojans to settle for a 28-yard Ross Burnette field goal to cut Furman’s lead to seven, at 10-3, with 1:16 left in the half.
It would leave Garcia and the Paladins just enough time to find the end zone one more time in the half, as Garcia engineered a beautifully-executed nine-play, 73-yard drive that was capped off by Croasdale’s second touchdown of the game, as he plunged into the end zone from a yard out to make it 17-3 on the final play of the opening half.
In the second half, Furman’s defense did its thing, locking down the Anderson offense, allowing it to gain a total of just 30 yards over the final 30 minutes of football. The lone points of the second half came from the boot of Chapman, who connected on a 30-yard field goal with 9:05 left in the game, giving the Paladins a 20-3 lead and that would ultimately end up being the final verdict.
While the game lacked the overall glitz and glamour of some of Furman’s season openers, it ended up being a solid way to open the season for Hendrix and the Paladins, who now look forward to a much different and tougher challenge on the horizon, as the Paladins (1-0) will tangle with Tennessee (0-0) for the first time since 1942 next Saturday.
Kickoff between the Paladins and Vols is set for 3:30 p.m. EST at Neyland Stadium. Lamb and Anderson (0-1) will look for their first win of the season next Saturday against Keiser (0-0) in the home opener and also first meeting between the two programs. Kickoff for that contest is slated for 6 p.m.
Wofford Throttles The Citadel in Big Dog Bowl
Wofford used a balanced attack and big plays on special teams to open the 2026 season in style with a 42-14 Southern Conference win over The Citadel Saturday night at Gibbs Stadium.
The Terriers took a 21-0 lead into the half and would tack on three more scores in the second half, as the Wofford defense kept the Bulldogs from ever finding any kind of rhythm offensively, despite getting outgained in total yards by The Citadel (351-341).
The Terriers were led offensively by quarterback JT Fayard, who connected on 18-of-26 passes for 176 yards with two TDs and two INTs. Wofford running back Gerald Modest Jr. also added 105 yards and a pair of TDs on the ground in the win.
The Citadel quarterback Quentin Hayes ended the night leading the Bulldogs offense, as he finished the evening connecting on 12-of-20 passes for 88 yards and an INT, while also leading the Bulldogs' ground attack by rushing for 96 yards on 18 attempts. Gavin Garcia added 68 rushing yards on 15 attempts in his first game in a Bulldogs uniform.
Wofford used special teams to grab momentum in the game in the second quarter. Wofford lead 7-0 at the end of the opening quarter after Gerald Modest Jr. scampered 15 yards with 3:28 remaining in the quarter to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
On the opening play of the second quarter, the Bulldogs were faced with a punting situation, and All-SoCon defensive back Eli Campbell broke through to block the punt, and freshman running back Davis Penn picked up the loose football and sprinted the remaining 33 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Terriers lead.
The Bulldogs' ultimate undoing, however, would come late in the half. It appeared the Bulldogs were ready to turn the game around when Temarcus Elam picked off a Fayard pass at the one and returned it 66 yards and well into Wofford territory. However, the Bulldogs would drive all the way to the one yard line before fumbling the ball back over the Terriers, which was forced by Elijah Washington and recovered by Javario Tinch.
That turnover took the proverbial wind out of the sails for the Bulldogs. Later in the first half, The Citadel defense forced a Wofford punt with just 1:52 remaining on the game clock. However, the punt would be muffed by The Citadel and Joshua Hodge was there to corral the Bulldogs miscue at the 32.
Following a first down gained by penalty, Gerald Modest scored his second touchdown of the half on a 5-yard scamper to make it a 21-0 lead for Wofford with just 19 seconds left in the half.
The Citadel would at least make the game interesting for at least a little while, as Sebastian Boyle bowled in from four yards out to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive out of the locker room to make it a 21-7 game with 7:28 remaining in the third quarter.
However, the Terriers would answer with three-straight scores to salt away the game. The first came on the ensuing drive, as the Terriers marched 75 yards in 11 plays to make it a 28-7 contest with a 5-yard scoring grab from Ivory Aikens. The scoring toss was the first of Kaeden Gilstrap's career in a Wofford uniform.
Following The Citadel's third turnover of the night, which saw Hayes intercepted by Wofford's Ky'Ree Murphy and returned to The Citadel's eight-yard line. Fayard found Colby Alexander two plays later for a one-yard scoring strike and a 35-7 Wofford lead.
The Terriers would cap their night scoring with just over five minutes remaining, as Alexander hauled in his second scoring pass of the evening, as he made an over-the-shoulder grab off a beautiful throw from J.T. Fayard in the corner of the end zone to make it a 42-7 lead for Wofford with 5:32 left in the game.
The Bulldogs would tack on one final score in the game, as Boyle scored his second touchdown of the evening, finding paydirt from six yards out to set the final score at 42-14.
Wofford (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) returns to action next Saturday when it hosts Gardner-Webb (0-1), while The Citadel (0-1, 0-1 SoCon) will be on the road to face Charlotte (0-0). The Terriers and Bulldogs from Boiling Springs will kickoff at 6 p.m. EST at Gibbs Stadium. The Citadel and Charlotte will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
Campbell Drops 49 on ETSU in the Bucs Home Opener
On a night when Mason Mims put together a sensational, record-breaking performance in his debut as ETSU's new starting quarterback, it was Campbell's Kamden Sixkiller that seemingly used a litany of big plays against an overmatched ETSU defensive backfield en route to getting what was a 49-37 win over the Bucs in the season opener for both teams at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium. The loss marked the first in a season-opener at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
Mims completed a night that saw him connect on 33-of-41 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns, as the Bucs rolled up 528 yards and 37 points in the season-opening setback to the CAA foe. The 33 completions by Mims are a new school record. Mims' 33 completions broke the previous record of 30, which was set by Greg Ryan in 1993 and tied by Cade McNamara just last season.
Sixkiller finished his evening connecting on 29-of-42 pass attempts for 343 yards and a pair of touchdowns, helping the Camels roll up 514 yards of total offense in the process. Six Camels registered 40 or more yards receiving in the win.
The Camels got the scoring started and it would be a little less than three minutes into the game before they struck the first blow, as Sixkiller found wideout Evan Austin on a 30-yard strike to put the Camels ahead 7-0 at the 12:07 mark of the opening quarter.
ETSU needed just three plays to answer, finishing off a 76-yard drive when Trey Weary hauled in an 18-yard strike from Mims, tying the game, 7-7, with 6:32 left in the first quarter. The key play in the game-tying drive came from Sunderian Harrison, who was targeted by Mims and hauled in a 55-yard reception to get the Bucs down to the Camels 18. Weary hauled in the game-tying 18-yard scoring pass.
The see-saw affair continued, as the Camels would take the lead into the second quarter, as Ethan Lawrence's 3-yard run capped what was an impressive 12-play, 75-yard drive, with just 31 seconds remaining in the opening quarter to make it a 14-7 Camels lead.
Back-to-back touchdowns would help the Bucs secure their first lead of the afternoon, as Jason Albritton found the end zone for the first time in 2026 with a six-yard scoring run to cap off a 75-yard drive that consumed only four plays.
After ETSU's defense forced a rare Campbell punt, the Bucs took over with good field position at the Campbell 45 after just a 24-yard punt from Camels punter Brandon Bowman. Three plays later, TJ Peyton was in the end zone again for ETSU, as his three-yard scoring scamper gave the Bucs a 21-14 lead with 10:25 remaining in the first half.
Campbell had an answer on its next drive, however, as it needed only seven plays to cover 75 yards, as Kamden Sixkiller called his own number for the first time in the contest, scoring on a five-yard run to make it a 21-21 game with 6:20 to play in the half.
Late in the half, the Camels would retake the lead when Stevie Keener hauled in a 26-yard strike from Sixkiller, concluding the six-play, 64-yard drive, and giving the Camels the 28-21 lead with just 25 seconds left in the opening half.
Ewan Johnson's 44-yard field goal as time expired in the opening half trimmed ETSU's deficit to just four.
After a first half that saw a combined 52 points between the two teams, including 31 in the second quarter alone, the only points that would come in the third quarter would come from the Camels, as De'Von Thomas scored from two yards out to cap off the six-play, 65-yard drive and give the Camels their first double-digit lead of the evening, at 35-24, with just 28 seconds remaining in the third.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Bucs would commit a costly turnover, which would ultimately capitalized upon by the Camels. Mims was hit in the backfield on attempted draw play, fumbling the ball at his own 23 and the ball was eventually picked up by Camels linebacker Justin Garza and returned all the way to the one-yard line. On the next offensive play from scrimmage by the Camels, Thomas plunged over the top for the score and a 42-24 Camels lead.
The Bucs would at least make things interesting from there, as D'Marius Rucker ran it in from four yards out with 10:34 left, and after the two-point conversion was no good. ETSU's defense then forced a three-and-out after the Camels ran only 57 seconds off the clock. The Bucs cut the deficit to just five when Mims found Winton on a six-yard scoring strike with 5:34 remaining to make it a 42-37 game, capping an impressive 10-play, 80-yard drive that took 4:03 off the game clock.
But Campbell would decide the game on its next possession, as it needed just six plays to cover 82 yards, with Sixkiller finishing off the drive with his second rushing score of the evening, with this one coming from 14 yards out to provide the final margin of 12, at 49-37, with just under two minutes remaining.
ETSU (0-1) returns to the field next Saturday, hosting Tusculum in a 5:30 p.m. contest at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium. Campbell is set to open its home slate next Saturday, welcoming fellow SoCon member Western Carolina (1-0) into Barker-Lane Stadium with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. EST.
Idaho State Dominates VMI
Idaho State and VMI met in what was a cross-country battle between the SoCon and Big Sky, and it would be the Bengals to come out victorious, as ISU put up 28 points alone in the third quarter to secure what was a 38-10 win over the Keydets in the season-opener for both teams.
ISU was led by quarterback by Jordan Cooke, who finished his afternoon by connecting on 18-of-29 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with four different receivers for touchdowns in the contest.
Cooke's top target in the passing attack would turn out to be Eli Aragon, who hauled in seven passes for 97 yards and one touchdown, while Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio finished with a pair of grabs for 86 yards and a touchdown. Julian Mason also hauled in seven passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Chedon James posted two catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
VMI played three different quarterbacks in the game, with the Keydets' JoJo Crump leading the passing threats on the afternoon for VMI, as he connected on 3-of-7 passes for 16 yards. VMI ended the game with just 11 total passing yards. Keydet quarterbacks were intercepted twice on the afternoon.
VMI's other quarterback--Chandler Wilson--led the Keydets' option-ground attack, as he rushed for 62 yards, including the Keydets' lone touchdown of the game on just seven attempts. Trevin Simon turned in a solid effort on the ground for the Keydets, as he finished with five rushing attempts for 49 yards.
All told, ISU ended the game with a 454-240 advantage in total yards gained, while VMI held the advantage in ground yards, finishing the contest with 229 yards on 52 carries, while the Bengals finished with 88 yards on the ground on 25 attempts.
The only scoring in the opening half of what was a bit of defensive struggle came from the Bengals, who used a Mason Linberg 38-yard field goal and a Julian Mason nine-yard scoring catch from Jordan Cooke, as ISU took a 10-0 lead into the halftime locker room.
Things would open up for the Bengals offensively in the third quarter inside the friendly confines of Holt Arena, as Chedon James got the scoring started by hauling in a 49-yard strike from Cooke to make it a 17-0 Bengals lead with 13:22 remaining in the quarter.
On VMI's ensuing possession, the Bengals defense would force a three-and-out and the Keydets had to punt the ball away from deep within its own territory. The Bengals special teams would come up with the game's next big play, as Ben Shrewsberry had his punt blocked and the ball would be picked up and returned six yards for a touchdown and a 24-0 lead by ISU's Noa Calacay with 11:06 remaining in the third and the rout was on.
With 6:34 remaining in the third, the Bengals came up with their fifth-longest play from scrimmage in the past 26 years, as Cooke found Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio behind the VMI secondary for an 83-yard scoring strike and a 31-0 Bengals lead. The final points of the afternoon from the Bengals would come with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, as Cooke hooked up with Eli Aragon for a 38-yard scoring connection to make it 38-0.
VMI's lone points of the game would come in the final 15 minutes, as Chandler Wilson scampered 31 yards for a score with 7:11 remaining in the game to make it a 38-7 game before Jack Joyce set the final margin at 28 points with a 23-yard field goal with just under two minutes left to play, making it 38-10.
VMI (0-1) returns to the gridiron next Saturday with a trip to Blacksburg, VA., to take on ACC member Virginia Tech, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. EST at Lane Stadium. Idaho State (1-0) will also be on the road at an FBS foe, taking on Utah State in a 7 p.m. EST contest.
Catamounts 'Black Out' Colonels
Western Carolina would see its defense come alive before the 10-largest crowd (13,482) in program history, as the Catamount defense turned out the lights on Eastern Kentucky in the second half, allowing only seven second-half points en route to aiding an offense that rolled up 508 yards of total offense in what was a 45-21 season-opening win at EJ Whitmire Stadium.
The Catamounts exploded for 35 second-half points, thanks to the strong performance put in by the new quarterback under center for the 2026 season--Lex Thomas--as he finished the game by connecting on 27-of-35 passes for 305 yards, with three touchdowns and no INTs.
Western Carolina, though, started the game slow and trailed 14-10 entering the halftime locker room. Most of the damage that Thomas would end up doing under center would come in the second half, however, as he finished the opening half of play connecting on 10 of his first 11 throws, however, only had 67 passing yards to show for it, as the Catamounts found themselves behind by four at the break.
Western Carolina had eight different receivers haul in a pass in the contest, with Michael Rossin leading the way, as he caught nine passes for 94 yards, while AJ Colombo returned to action with six catches for 90 yards.
Colombo missed the entire 2025 season with a knee injury. Bode Burns, who caught one of three of Thomas' scoring strikes, finsihed with four catches for 51 yards, while Josh Perry accounted for the other two Thomas TD throws, hauling in a total of six passes for 29 yards.
The Catamounts' ground game was also paced by Thomas, who rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown on 14 rush attempts. All told, Thomas finished his debut for the Catamounts under center accounting for 389 yards of total offense and four touchdown responsibilities.
His counterpart--Tyler Travers--finished the contest connecting on 22-of-34 throws for 305 yards, three touchdowns and one INT. His favorite target on the evening would be Elijah Caldwell, who hauled in six passes for 102 yards and a score, while Brayden Latham led the EKU ground efforts with 41 yards on 16 rush attempts.
All told, the Catamounts held a 508-370 advantage in total yards gained, putting up 320 yards through the air and another 188 yards on the ground.
It would be the Colonels who would open the scoring in the contest, as Elijah Caldwell hauled in an 18-yard scoring strike from Tyler Travers to make it 7-0 with 9:38 remaining in the opening quarter.
With just 15 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, the Catamounts would tie the contest, as Marlin Cochran scampered 34 yards to paydirt to make it a 7-7 game.
Late in the second quarter, the Colonels would retake the lead when Brayden Latham capped off an impressive, 12-play, 81-yard drive with a nine-yard scoring run to make it a 14-7 game with 1:57 left in the opening quarter.
Western Carolina would manage to tack on a Bryan McCollum 20-yard field goal as time expired in the opening half, and the Catamounts went to the half trailing 14-10.
The third quarter would belong to the Catamounts, as they would score three-straight touchdowns to overwhelm the Colonels and assume a 31-14 lead. The first score came on Lex Thomas' first scoring pass as a Catamount quarterback, as he would find tight end Bode Burns wide open down the seam for an 18-yard scoring strike to make it a 17-14 Catamount lead. It was WCU's first advantage of the contest, which came with 12:47 remaining in the third quarter.
It would be a lead the Catamounts would not relinquish the rest of the night. The Catamount defense would seize momentum from there and promptly got the ball back to the offense, forcing an EKU three-and-out.
Thomas quickly found wideout Santana Carlos on a 36-yard pass play before hooking up with Josh Perry for the first of his two scoring grabs, with this one covering 12 yards to make it 24-14 with 8:31 remaining in the third. Perry's second score would be a six-yard grab from Thomas with 3:38 remaining in the third, making it 31-14 Catamounts.
EKU would get back into the game late in the third quarter, as Jarvis Hayes (not the Catamount basketball player that won Freshman of the Year in the SoCon in 2000 before transferring to UGA) hauled in a 15-yard pass from Travers with just 37 seconds remaining in the third to make it a 31-21 game.
That would turn out to be the Colonels' final points of the evening, as the Catamounts would close out the game in style, posting two more touchdowns in the final frame on a 15-yard run by Thomas and a 14-yard scamper from Anthony Benjamin with 47 seconds remaining to put the finishing touches on an impressive, 45-21, season-opening win for WCU.
Defensively, the Catamounts were led by linebacker Joshua Collins, who finished with seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a quarterback sack. Ken Moore Jr. and Alant'e Reese each posted five tackles, with Moore adding a TFL in the win.
WCU (1-0) returns to action next Saturday, traveling to Buies Creek to battle Campbell at Barker-Lane Stadium, with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. EST. EKU (0-1) also returns to action and will be on the road at FBS member Jacksonville State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST.
Newest SoCon Member Makes Stellar Debut
It didn't take long for Tennessee Tech to look like the team to beat in their new league affiliation, as the No. 14/15 Golden Eagles overwhelmed No. 23/22 Monmouth, 38-14, in their first game as a SoCon member Saturday night at newly-renovated Tucker Stadium.
The Golden Eagles also got a stellar debut from quarterback Jax Leatherwood, who transferred into Tennessee Tech during the off-season from former conference rival SEMO, as he connected on 24-of-35 passes for 289 yards, with four touchdowns and no INTs.
The Golden Eagles forged a 389-304 advantage in total offense and controlled the ball for an impressive 37:55 in the game.
Gabe Nunez also made his debut an impressive one in a Golden Eagles uniform, hauling in six passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, which included a 56-yard scoring reception in the third quarter, as he helped the Golden Eagles post their first score of the second half.
Tre' Holloway added 114 all-purpose yards, including 86 punt-return yards, while new running back MJ Flowers rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown.
The Golden Eagles would strike first in the game, using its opening possession of the 2026 season to drive 38 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead following a Jax Leatherwood-to-Gabe Nunez 2-yard scoring pass with just under 10 minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
With just under five minutes to play in the half, Monmouth found its first score of the 2026 season, as Elijah Hawkins ran it in from 11 yards out to tie the game, 7-7.
Tennessee Tech, however, would garner the momentum back before the two teams entered the halftime locker room when Leatherwood tossed his second scoring pass of the evening, finding running back Qua Ashley for his first of two touchdown receptions of the night, as he hauled in an 18-yard pass for a 14-7 Golden Eagles lead with a minute left to play in the first half. The Golden Eagles made it a two-score game as time expired in the half when Carter Brown connected on a 40-yard field goal as time expired, as the Golden Eagles trotted to the locker room leading 17-7.
In the third quarter, the Golden Eagles made the most of their drive to open the second half, driving 75 yards in five plays, with MJ Flowers capping the scoring drive with a six-yard scoring run with 12:41 left in the third, making it a 24-7 Tennessee Tech advantage. It would turn out to be the only points scored in the third quarter.
Tennessee Tech would tack on a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, as Leatherwood connected with veteran wideout Maury Sullivan for a 16-yard TD with 12:01 remaining. Leatherwood then hooked up with Ashley again out of the backfield, as he hauled in a 23-yard scoring strike to make it 38-7 with 4:53 left.
The final score of the evening would come from Monmouth when Kenny Smith Jr. plunged over from a yard out to make it 38-14 game with 1:50 left.
Tennessee Tech (1-0) returns to action next Saturday in what will be a non-conference game against a SoCon opponent, as the Golden Eagles will face Chattanooga on the road next Saturday in a 6 p.m. EST kickoff at Finley Stadium. Monmouth (0-1) will host Sacred Heart (0-0) in its home opener next Saturday, with kickoff slated for 2 p.m. EST.
Two-Time Defending SoCon Champs Hold On
Fortune would smile on No. 17 Mercer this time around in the FCS Kickoff Classic, as the Bears ran out to a 23-0 lead through 2.5 quarters of football but had to hold on for dear life to get a 23-15 win over East Texas A&M Saturday evening at Five Star Stadium.
The evening would also feature the return of head coach Joel Taylor to the sidelines at Mercer, only this time as the program's fourth head coach since the program was resurrected following a 72-year hiatus back in 2014. Taylor previously served at Mercer under then head coach Drew Cronic as the program's defensive coordinator.
Last season in the FCS Kickoff Classic, Mercer was driving for what would have been the game-winning score, however, the game was halted due to lightning in the area and after a near three-hour delay, declared a "no contest" in a game between a pair of ranked foes, in No. 10 Mercer and No. 14 UC Davis.
This time around and playing on its home turf and with the ability to dictate the rules of engagement should there have been any kind of weather stoppage, it was a night that would see the Bears dominate through the better part of three quarters of the game.
The game was highlighted by the play of the Bears defense, which once again looks to be pretty salty. The Lions did hold a slight, 383-356, advantage in total offensive output in the contest. For the Bears, the win marked their 21st victory in their last 25 home games at Five Star Stadium.
The Bears got the scoring started midway through the opening quarter when Simon Zeidan established a new program record with a 55-yard field, as Jaylen King looked good under center early for Mercer, including helping the Bears offense convert a key third down near midfield with a 13-yard pass completion to preseason SoCon Player of the Year Brayden Smith.
Later in the opening quarter the Bears would increase their lead to 10-0 by scoring their first touchdown of the 2026 season when Jackson Kostmayer hauled in a 12-yard pass from King to conclude a four-play, 76-yard drive, which was highlighted by a 62-yard run by Pittsburg State transfer runnning back Zahamari Palode-Gary.
In the second quarter, it would be the Bears cherry-picking secondary that would set up the next Mercer points, as Justin Ferguson picked off Lions quarterback Eric Rodriguez deep in Bears territory. Mercer proceeded to then mount a seven-play, 65-yard drive that would eventually end with another Zeidan field goal, as he converted from 21 yards out to make it a 13-0 Bears lead with 8:31 remaining in the half.
Following another Zeidan field goal from 33 yards out on Mercer's next offensive possession, it would fittingly be the defense that would cap the scoring for the night for the Bears with only 30 seconds remaining in the first half. Cameron Goggins stepped in front of a Rodriguez errant pass and raced 38 yards for the touchdown, giving the Bears a 23-0 lead at the break.
The Lions finally broke through and found points midway through the third quarter, as East Texas A&M put together a four-play, 56-yard drive, which was capped by a 48-yard scoring strike from Rodriguez-to-Micah Simpson to make it a 23-7 game with 6:54 remaining in the frame.
The margin would remain 16 points as the two teams entered the final 15 minutes of football. The Lions would then bridge the two quarters of football by putting together an impressive 13-play, 80-yard drive to get the Lions back to within one score a two-point conversion from tying the football game.
Rodriguez would end up completing all four of his passes during the drive, but it was a 1-yard scoring plunge by Quay Middlebrooks up the middle to finish off the drive. Rodriguez then called his own number on the two-point conversion play and suddenly it was a 23-15 game with just over 11 minutes left.
Mercer's offense, which found it tough to move the football for much of the night, continued to struggle in the fourth quarter. Late in the game, East Texas A&M threatened to potentially tie the football game, getting all the way to the Mercer six-yard line facing a 2nd-and-goal with just 49 seconds remaining, however, Rodriguez was sacked by Mercer linebacker Jyarius Carter and defensive lineman Kehinde Akintunde for a loss of seven yards back to the 13.
After the Lions got four of the yards back to the Bears nine on the next play, as Rodriguez found Simpson. On 4th-and-goal from the nine, Rodriguez's pass went through the arms of intended receiver Jake Whitehead in the end zone and the Lions had to turn the ball over on downs, as the Bears were able to run out the clock and collect their first win of the 2026 campaign.
The Bears were led offensively by King, who connected on 17-of-30 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown. Brayden Smith showed why he was the SoCon's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by hauling in nine passes for 131 yards. Zahamari Palode-Gary finished the game as Mercer's leading rusher, posting 87 yards on just eight carries (10.9 YPR).
Defensively, the Bears were led by Carter's eight stops and half-a-sack from his inside linebacker spot, while defensive end Kobe McInnis posted four tackles and 1.5 sacks and Cameron Goggins, Mike Polke and Justin Ferguson off posting INTs, with Goggins returning his 38 yards for a touchdown.
The Lions were led offensively by Rodriguez, who connected on 16-of-31 passes for 235 yards, with one TD and three INTs, while Micah Simpson led all pass-catchers with 10 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown.
Mercer (1-0) returns to the gridiron next Saturday looking to avenge last season's 15-10 loss to Presbyterian (1-0). Kickoff for that contest is set for 6 p.m. EST at Five Star Stadium. East Texas A&M (0-1) returns to action against Stephen F. Austin (1-0) in Nacodoches, TX, with that game slated for an 8 p.m. EST kickoff between the Lions and Lumberjacks.
North Alabama Holds Off Samford in In-State Battle
The John Grass era got off the ground and running on Saturday night, and though there was once again signs of optimism associated with Bulldogs football, it was North Alabama that ultimately came out on top in the in-state battle between the two programs, holding on for a 22-10 Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium.
Samford may have found its new quarterback in Saturday evening's win, as Oregon State transfer Gabarri Johnson was impressive, completing 19-of-33 passes for 245 yards with one touchdown and an INT, while Marquise Henderson was as good as advertised for the Bulldogs catching the football, hauling in five passes for 151 yards and one TD.
Johnson's counterpart, Destin Wade, finished the contest connecting on 13-of-19 passes for 229 yards and a score.
Though the two teams combined to score just 32 points, big plays were on the menu for both sides in the game. The first would come from North Alabama. After the first quarter ended scoreless, Lions quarterback Destin Wade found Xavier Johnson for a 95-yard scoring play, breaking the school record for the longest play from scrimmage, which was set back in 1997, which was last set by Travis Carswell and James Moore, who connected on a 94-yard scoring play.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the half, the Lions defense got into the act, as they sacked Johnson in the end zone for a safety, with both edge rushers Avery Howard and Kamore Harris combining on the big play to allow the Lions to take the 9-0 lead with 6:58 remaining in the first half.
Samford, however, would put up some fireworks of their own on the next possession, as the first score of the season would be a memorable one, as Johnson found the speedster Marquise Henderson behind the Lions defense for an 86-yard scoring strike with 4:19 to play in the half.
However, it would be North Alabama that would end up taking the momentum into halftime locker room, driving 88 yards in 13 plays, with the final three yards coming from Rodrick Taylor Jr. to make it a 16-7 game with only 21 seconds remaining in the half.
Both teams would go scoreless in the third quarter, but early in the fourth, it would be Samford that would end up striking first in the second half, as Ty Ippolito booted through a 26-yard field goal to finish off a five-play, 48-yard drive.
However, the Lions would then put the game away with the most impressive drive of the evening, using 10 plays to cover 91 yards, which would be capped by Ty Watkins' 1-yard scoring plunge with 6:38 remaining to make it a 22-10 game after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
The Lions held a substantial advantage in total yards in the game, posting a 394-237 overall advantage offensive output. The Lions defense also set an FCS-era record with 13 tackles-for-loss, while tying the school's top sacks total as an FCS member with six. North Alabama limited Samford to -8 rushing yards for the game.
Both teams will return to action next week, with Samford (0-1) having a quick turnaround, as the Bulldogs will host Southern Illinois in the home opener on Thursday evening at Pete Hanna Stadium. Kickoff for that contest is slated for 7 p.m. EST. North Alabama (1-0) will be on the road at Arkansas next Saturday in a game slated for a 3 p.m. EST kickoff.
Power Rankings Following Week 0
1. Tennessee Tech (1-0)--Did what they were supposed to do
2. Wofford (1-0, 1-0 SoCon)--Looked like a title contender in demolition of The Citadel
3. Western Carolina (1-0)--Lex Thomas turned it up in the second half vs. EKU
4. Chattanooga (1-0)--Mocs defense is back and Battle Alberson was efficient in impressive win
5. Mercer (1-0)--Cam Goggins' INT return for a score proved to be the game winner
6. Furman (1-0)--Furman's Jake Garcia was solid, but it was Eli Lipscomb on defense that was the star
7. East Tennessee State (0-1)--Mason Mims completes 33 passes in a loss
8. Samford (0-1)--Marquise Henderson's 86-yard scoring grab is a hint of things to come
9. The Citadel (0-1, 0-1 SoCon)--Special teams are a concern moving ahead to week two
10 VMI (0-1)--Keydets have a lot of work to do on offense.
SoCon Football Players of the Week
Offense--QB Lex Thomas (Western Carolina)
Defense--DB Cameron Goggins (Mercer)
Special Teams--RB Davis Penn (Wofford)
FCS Nation Superlatives
Who Surprised Us? Wofford/Chattanooga
Who Disappointed Us? ETSU
Who Bored Us? Furman/Mercer
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