Power Conference Win Streak vs FCS Reaches 125 Games
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- Power conference teams are on a 125-game winning streak against FCS opponents, with the last upset being Sacramento State's 30-23 win over Stanford in Week 4 of 2023.
- FBS power conference teams are 223-2 (.991) against FCS opponents since the NIL era began in 2022, compared to 747-38 (.952) during the prior 16 seasons (2006-2021).
- North Dakota State is moving to FBS in 2026, leaving behind a 6-4 record against power-conference opponents since 2006 — the most successful FCS record against power teams of that era.
- South Dakota State, the back-to-back FCS national champion, opens at Northwestern, where coach David Braun spent four seasons as NDSU's defensive coordinator (2019-22).
- Youngstown State brings reigning Walter Payton Award winner Beau Brungard — who threw for 3,234 yards and 26 TDs while rushing for 1,468 yards and 27 scores in 2025 — to face Kentucky in coach Will Stein's debut.
- North Dakota, which kept Nebraska in a battle for three quarters in Lincoln in 2022 before falling 38-17 and was 42 seconds away from upsetting Kansas State in 2025, returns to face the Huskers.
- West Virginia is a perfect 24-0 against FCS competition, but coach Rich Rodriguez has overhauled the roster with more than 70 new players for 2026.
Why it matters: Two of the era's most successful FCS upset-makers — North Dakota State and Sacramento State — are both leaving for FBS in 2026, depleting the talent pool that produced the last upset. With 57 Power Four vs. FCS games on the 2026 schedule, even one win would end a drought spanning 125 consecutive losses and two full seasons.
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