FCS Round-Up: Week 4, 2026

Welcome to our FCS Roundup, our weekly article which highlights all of the lower-level programs in action against the Mid-American Conference in one place.

You'll notice we have skipped a few weeks here and that's because of the circumstances surrounding the schedule. Week 2 saw eight MAC/FCS games, with the MAC team winning all of them this time around, while Week 3 saw only one MAC/FCS game, which meant that game got its own preview like any other.

Let's update the scoreboard then! As of publication, the MAC stands at 11-1 in MAC/FCS matchups, with the only loss being Bowling Green vs. Tarleton State. Now, that's not to say there weren't some dust-ups; Central Michigan and Kent State both had to mount fourth-quarter comebacks to win their games in Week 2, for instance. But hey, a win is a win.

2026 has been a bit of a wild ride, but we seem to be in the last week of multiple FCS matchups (and therefore the last chance to see FCS Round-Up). We're in the very unique position of two MAC teams with two FCS games, so we will also have more than 13 of these games to preview.

Without futher ado, let's take a look at what's in the stable of upcoming games:

We preview each team below in appearance order:

Lindenwood Lions

• Who are they playing? Eastern Michigan, on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
• Odds: Eastern Michigan (-26.5), over/under 49.5-50.5, per Covers.

Lindenwood is set to face their second FBS team, traveling to Ypsilanti for the first time in program history this weekend. Two weeks back, the Lions took the short trip down the highway to Missouri State to face the Bears, where they lost by a final score of 48-14.

They're 1-2 on the season, with a opening win over conference foe Charleston Southern and a road loss to Stony Brook (who we saw two week ago vs. Ball State) by a four-point margin.

The Lions seek balance in the offense, wanting to run and pass at about the same pace in ideal circumstances. Conducting the offense to said balance is QB Pops Battle, one of the three signal-callers across FCS to currently lead their team in both passing and rushing yards through four weeks. Battle has 456 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 59 percent completion through the air and an additional 176 net yards (229 before sacks) with three touchdowns.

The most impressive feat is that the receiving load is split very evenly, with three receivers over 100 yards (Jalen Smith, Drew Krobath, Elijah Roy) and two (Smith, Roy) with 10 catches. Roy performed admirably against MO State, hauling in four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown to earn the OVC's Rookie of the Week honors.

Joining Battle in the backfield is 2025 all-OVC/Big South honorable-mention prospect Jared Rhodes, who has 36 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown. Rhodes didn't find much room to run against MO State (14 yards) and the game script went negative as well; in his other two games, he's averaged 61 yards.

Lindenwood's defense has been a concern through the first month, allowing 33 points and over 428 yards of total offense on average per game. There isn't anything being particularly exploited either; as a unit, they've allowed nine touchdowns on the ground and over eight yards per pass attempt.

Linebacker Caleb Jacobmeier has been a surprise emergence for the Lions, with 14 of his team-leading 16 tackles being solo efforts. The Nebraska native was a reserve on last year's squad (10 tackles) and also a reserve with Iowa Western CC (15 tackles) in 2024, which makes the numbers all the more intriguing. Nose tackle King Smith has FBS size, standing at six-foot-two, 311 lbs., and leads LU with four TFLs and 2.5 sacks. D-end Mason Burke is right behind him, with 3.5 TFLs and two sacks.

Robert Morris Colonials

• Who are they playing? Buffalo, on Saturday, Sept. 26th, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
• Odds: Buffalo (-29.5), over/under 45.0-45.5 depending on book, per Covers.

Robert Morris faces a MAC school for the second time this year. The Colonials’ last result should put Buffalo fans at ease. Akron defeated Robert Morris 45-10 in their much-anticipated home opener. Nonetheless, Robert Morris showed some aspects that the Bulls must be wary of.

The Colonials’ standout receiver Galen Combs performed exceptionally against the Zips’ secondary. Combs caught nine passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. He has established himself as a Walter Payton Award (FCS Heisman) candidate with a torrid start to the season. Combs has 15 receptions for 307 yards and five touchdowns in Robert Morris’ first three games.
Despite Combs and quarterback Carson Haggard’s (609 passing yards, 7 TDs, 2 INTs) efforts, the Colonials’ offense is one-dimensional. Robert Morris averages 89.7 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. Without sacks, the Colonials ran the ball 18 times for 22 yards with their longest rush totaling five yards. This game could be a confidence builder for a Buffalo run defense allowing 176 yards per game.

A well-rounded defense has powered Robert Morris’ 2-1 start. The Colonials have four players with at least three tackles for loss and four with at least two sacks on the season. Linebacker Amanuel Dickson is disruptive in the pass game and run game. He leads Robert Morris with 23 tackles and three pass breakups. Defensive back Ronnie Woods is a solid defender on the edge with three pass breakups himself.

On special teams, punter Bryson Costa has been exceptional, averaging 45 yards per punt on 20 chances. Six of those kicks have gone over 50 yards.
Despite Robert Morris’ blowout loss to Akron, there is a lot on this team to get excited about. Buffalo is in no position to take the Colonials lightly after their near-upset loss to Albany to begin the year.

-- Omar-Rashon Borja

Stonehill Skyhawks

• Who are they playing? Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 26th, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
• Odds: Ohio (-33.5), over/under 51.5-53.5 depending on book, per Covers.

We just saw Stonehill last week against UMass, and they were pretty game for the first half in Amherst. The Skyhawks even held an early 7-3 lead on the Minutemen on a convincing offensive drive before UMass pasted 30 unanswered points to safely put the game away late.

They're a game group despite their 1-3 record, and certainly did not show fear going up against UMass, with the defense holding Pop Watson III to his worst performance so far in 2026. The Skyhawks allowed just 160 passing yards on 15-of-25 passing and forced an interception, containing explosives through the air throughout the day. Where they ultimately faltered was with turnovers, losing two fumbles and tossing an interception to gift UMass with possession and short fields.

Doesn't matter how good or bad you are: if you lose the turnover margin battle, you're likely losing the game.

QB Jack O'Connell struggled immensely vs. UMass, with 69 yards, one touchdown and a pick. Considering Ohio's defensive pedigree, he might be in for a similar performance this Saturday. That said, he's still capable of getting one over on the defense, as he showed against New Hampshire, tossing for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns. If he can connect early and often with wide receiver Alijah Turner (12 rec., 121 yards, one TD) and tight end Cole Clark (11 rec., 169 yards, TD), that would be an immense aid.

On defense, there are nine players all above 10 tackles on the season through four games. Linebacker Ma'hkai Wilson paced the Skyhawks vs. UMass, with seven stops, a tackle-for-loss and a sack. EDGE rusher Adjahtay Abegesah leads the team in TFLs (three), while Caden Henritzy is the team's best overall stopper, with 26 tackles (15 solo) to lead the effort. This team loves to break up passes; four players have two PBUs each, with seven different players notching at least one.