Villanova, a FCS team, needs one more upset against a FBS squad to make it a three-peat.
Aug. 31, 2002 – Villanova 37, Rutgers 19: Villanova led 17-13 after the first half, and Brett Gordon’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Phil DiGiacomo capped an 80-yard drive in the fourth quarter that clinched the upset.
The Wildcats outgained Rutgers on offense 476 yards to 269 yards, and Gordon threw 45-yard and 50-yard touchdown passes to Brian White and Shaz Brown, respectively.
Wildcat running back Terry Butler rushed for 121 yards.
Rutgers lost to a FCS team for the first time in history and then did it again with a 35-24 loss to New Hampshire on Sept. 11, 2004.
Sept. 6, 2003 – Villanova 23, Temple 20, 2OT: The Wildcats became the first FCS football team to defeat a FBS team in back-to-back seasons, and they did it in the first regular season football game at Lincoln Financial Field in the two teams’ first meeting since 1980. (Temple lost that game, too, 23-7.)
Temple kicker Jason Davis kicked a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 13.
Villanova quarterback Joe Casamento hit Noble Champen for a 3-yard touchdown in the first overtime, but Temple quarterback Mike McGann connected on a 25-yarder to Zamir Cobb to tie it.
Villanova’s Adam James kicked a 37-yard field goal in the second overtime to end the game,
Davis missed a 47-yard field goal that would have tied the game in the second overtime.
Oct. 25, 2003 – Delaware 21, Navy 17: Delaware won the FCS title in 2003 but trailed the Midshipmen by 14 points after the first quarter.
The Blue Hens used a fake punt to trigger their first scoring drive and went for the lead on a fourth-and-1 play from Navy’s 28-yard line. Delaware running back Germaine Bennett ran in for a touchdown and the Blue Hens held off Navy thanks to three Midshipmen turnovers.
Delaware had not played a FBS opponent since 1996. The Blue Hens’ last win against one came against Navy in 1992.
Sept. 11, 2004 – New Hampshire 35, Rutgers 24: Rutgers began its season by upsetting Michigan State, but in the following week, the Scarlet Knights were the victims of an upset.
New Hampshire trailed Rutgers at halftime, 24-14, but the Wildcats came back, scoring 14 points to take the lead in the third quarter and 7 in the fourth quarter.
New Hampshire freshman quarterback Ricky Santos torched the Knights, going 30-for-40 with 385 yards, 5 touchdowns and one interception.
Sept. 18, 2004 – Maine 9, Mississippi State 7: Maine quarterback Ron Whitcomb connected with Kevin McMahan in the end zone with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter.
The Black Bears missed the point-after-touchdown attempt, but Mississippi State’s three turnovers made it a moot point.
The Black Bears were playing a FBS opponent for the first time since 1991.
Sept. 2, 2007 – Appalachian State 34, No. 5 Michigan 32: The Mountaineers, the two-time defending FCS champions, traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich., and beat the No. 5 team in the country.
It marked the first time a ranked FBS football team lost to a FCS team.
Appalachian State led 28-17 at halftime, but the Wolverines battled back. The Mountaineers took the lead again with a 24-yard field goal by Julian Rauch with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Michigan had one last opportunity, but Appalachian State’s Corey Lynch blocked the 37-yard field goal attempt.
Jennifer Reardon can be reached at jennifer.reardon@temple.edu.
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