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The Southern Conference kicked off the 2025 FCS football season with a challenging first week, as several teams faced tough opponents both within and outside the league. Here's how each SoCon squad performed in their season openers.
The Bulldogs had perhaps the worst showing of any SoCon team in Week 1, losing to FCS newcomer West Georgia for the second straight year in a row. Samford's offense never found its rhythm, managing just 271 total yards while turning the ball over five times - including three lost fumbles that killed any momentum.
The ground game was non-existent, with the Bulldogs rushing for only 24 yards on 28 carries. While quarterbacks Quincy Crittendon and Brady Stober combined for 247 passing yards completing only 32 of their 44 attempts. Samford lost three of their five fumbles, keeping them out of the end zone until a late field goal. West Georgia controlled the game from start to finish, out-gaining Samford 411-271 and never trailing the entire game.
VMI traveled to Annapolis and faced the expected challenge against Navy's run heavy offense, falling 52-7. The Keydets simply couldn't match Navy's ground game, which rolled up 468 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
VMI's offense showed some bright spots through the air, with quarterback Collin Shannon throwing for 197 passing yards and one touchdown pass. VMI wideout Owen Sweeney had a career high in receptions (5) and yards (126) while recording his first career touchdown with a 75-yard grab. VMI's offensive line raised some concerns allowing five sacks for a loss of 42 yards and not opening gaps for their running backs.
VMI's defense was once again anchored by Safety Kouri Crump who had 14 total tackles (one shy of his career record) with 4 solo and 1 tackle for loss. Unfortunately, the defense as a whole was no match for Navy as they totaled 560 yards and 7 touchdowns with 468 of those yards and 6 of those touchdowns coming on the ground.
The Bulldogs suffered a disappointing season opener, getting blanked 38-0 by North Dakota State, ranked No. 1 in our preseason Top 25.
The Citadel's ground game was held to only 104 yards on 41 carries across seven different rushers. Their quarterbacks Quentin Hayes, transfer from the Air Force academy, and Cobey Thompkins were a combined 2/6 for 22 yards. North Dakota State controlled both lines of scrimmage, out-gaining The Citadel 519-126 while shutting out the Bulldogs.
Furman got a quality home win against William & Mary, 23-21, but it wasn't easy. The Paladins, needed a two field goals in the fourth to secure the victory in a back-and-forth battle.
The offense was solid but unspectacular, with 241 total yards and one passing touchdown. Quarterbacks Trey Hedden and Gavin Hall combined for 21/30 and 179 yards and 1 touchdown. Running backs Gavin Hall, Jayquan Smith and CJ Nettles along with QB Trey Hedden combined for 62 yards on 32 carries. Wideout Evan James was the only player to score an offensive touchdown. Kicker Ian Williams connected on all three field goal attempts, including a 50-yarder, while Safety Taylen Blaylock had a 43 yard pick six. William & Mary actually out-gained Furman 352-241, making the defensive touchdown crucial in the narrow victory.
Chattanooga faced a tough road test against FBS Memphis and came up short, losing 45-10. The Mocs showed fight early but were outclassed by the Tigers' speed and depth as the game wore on.
Bowling Green/Long Island transfer QB Camden Orth got the nod to start the game and went 12/19 for 114 yards with 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble. The ground game only produced 118 yards on 37 carries across four different rushers including quarterback Camden Orth. Kicker Jude Kelly went 1/3 on field goals and connected on the Mocs lone extra point.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Mocs gave up 432 yards of offense and 6 touchdowns. Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis went 22/28 for 199 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception while also leading their rushing attack with 81 yards himself. The Tigers rushed for a total of 233 yards and 4 touchdowns on 33 carries.
East Tennessee State, ranked No. 24 in our preseason Top 25, delivered the most impressive performance of any SoCon team with a 45-17 home victory over Murray State. With 25 D1 transfers, the Buccaneers showed a ground attack that Murray State couldn't stop.
The ground game was unstoppable, rushing for 395 yards and five touchdowns on 55 carries. Multiple players contributed to the rushing attack, with the Bucs controlling the line of scrimmage from start to finish. Both transfer quarterbacks, Cade McNamara (Iowa) and Jacolby Criswell (North Carolina), combined 17/25 for 180 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Criswell was more involved in the ground game (46 yards on 6 carries) vs the passing game (5/8 for 34 yards).
ETSU built a 24-3 halftime lead and cruised from there. The dominant win suggests the Bucs may have been undervalued in preseason rankings, though it came against a Murray State team that went 1-11 last year.
Western Carolina, ranked No. 17 in our preseason poll, lost a wild shootout to Gardner-Webb 52-45 in a game that featured over 1,000 total yards of offense. The Catamounts led 21-7 early but couldn't hold their advantage.
Despite 454 total yards, three passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns, Western Carolina's defense couldn't get stops when needed. The Catamounts managed 221 rushing yards, while quarterbacks Bennett Judy and Isaac Lee were a combined 18/36 for 233 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. However, their defense gave up 633 total yards to Gardner-Webb which included 2 passing and 5 rushing touchdowns.
The loss raises serious questions about defensive depth and whether Western Carolina can compete for a conference title with such porous defense and standout quarterback Taron Dickens.
Wofford suffered a heartbreaking 16-15 loss at South Carolina State, falling just short in a defensive struggle. The Terriers actually scored on an 89-yard kickoff return for their only touchdown and couldn't get anything going on offense.
DII Gannon transfer quarterback Jayden Whitaker went 6/21 for 56 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. On the ground, the Terriers only had 74 yards on 25 carries. Probably the most frustrating part of the night was kicker Connor Deviney going 0/3, missing from 51, 43 and 48 yards out.
The Terrier defense gave up 408 yards of offense but only allowing one offensive touchdown. SC State quarterbacks William Atkins IV and Ryan Stubblefield were a combined 27/50 for 299 yards and 1 touchdown. On the ground, eight different Bulldogs combined for 109 yards on 38 carries.
Mercer, ranked No. 11 in our preseason Top 25, suffered the most surprising loss of Week 1, falling 15-10 at home to Presbyterian. This followed their Week 0 game against UC Davis was ruled a no contest due to weather with 7 1/2 minutes left with UC Davis up 23-17.
Mercer quarterback DJ Smith went 22/36 for 154 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception while five Mercer Bears rush for 87 yards on 24 carries. The Mercer defense allowed Presbyterian College to amass over 400 yards of offense with quarterback Collin Hurst going 25/38 for 303 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The Blue Hose ground game was able to get 114 yards and 1 touchdown on 32 carries across six different rushers.
The loss raises major questions about Mercer's preseason ranking and whether the Bears can bounce back from such a disappointing opener.
Week 1 revealed a concerning trend for the SoCon, as the conference struggled badly against outside competition. With preseason favorites like Mercer and Western Carolina stumbling out of the gate, and even the "wins" coming against modest opposition - ETSU beat a Murray State team that went 1-11 last year, while Furman needed a couple late field goals to edge out William & Mary - the conference appears wide open but perhaps not for the right reasons.
