We’ve got 14 of the 16 local D1 teams in action this weekend as Maine and Merrimack have a bye. There’s a few intriguing double-local matchups, a huge primetime matchup on Friday night and a few teams that are already in danger of letting the season slip away.
Here’s a look at this really good slate. It should be beautiful day Saturday too, get out to a game if you can. You won’t be disappointed.
FRIDAY
(16) UNH @ Harvard (7:00)
It’ll be a historic matchup inside legendary Harvard Stadium when the Wildcats and Crimson meet on Friday night under the lights. These two programs haven’t met since 1939, but this matchup is the first of two set between the programs now and again up in Durham in 2026. The 16th-ranked Wildcats might be the best team in the CAA and are fresh off the bye. QB Seth Morgan looks comfortable with his new team and Rick Santos arguably has one of the best defenses in all of FCS. Meanwhile, Harvard should be 2-0 if not for a brutal ending to the Brown matchup a week ago. Now, back home in front of what should be a jam-packed crowd, Andrew Aurich’s club has a chance to pull off an upset early in the season and get that bad taste out of their mouth. This game is on NESN locally and should be the game of the weekend in the area and maybe even around the country at the FCS level. Expect a down-to-the-wire finish.
SATURDAY
BC @ UVA (Noon)
You could say every game is a big game for BC this season, but this one really is. It’s all ACC play from here on out for Bill O’Brien’s squad and the first conference test since FSU is a good Virginia team that’s at home and another early start. The Eagles struggled with the early start time last week and that game was in Chestnut Hill. Bill O’Brien emphasized that this team is a ‘morning program’ and has no excuse not to be ready to go. Tommy Castellanos is back under center after missing the game against Western Kentucky. This game is basically a pick ’em in Vegas. If BC has any shot at making an ACC title game in two months, this is a must-win game. The odds of Clemson and Miami slipping up more than once are probably pretty slim. This won’t be an easy game, but BC should have more talent to squeak one out heading into a well-timed bye week.
UMass @ Northern Illinois (3:30)
After another absolutely heart breaking, only-UMass-could-pull-that-off type of loss for the Minutemen, they’re back on the road against a Northern Illinois team that took NC State to the limit last weekend after beating Notre Dame on the road two weeks ago. Last week’s loss was so tough because of what lies ahead. NIU is 3-1 and its only loss came by three in an off game against Buffalo. UMass has Missouri looming in Amherst next weekend with no momentum after dropping to 1-4, blowing a lead with 40 seconds remaining against a mediocre-at-best Miami of Ohio team. This will be another tall task for a Minuteman team that simply doesn’t know how to win consistently yet.
Temple @ UConn (3:30)
Can the Huskies keep it rolling? UConn enters another home game during this wild six-game stretch with the offense humming. Nick Evers has started to settle in and the Huskies’ running back room is contributing all over the place. Couple that with a surprising effort from the defense so far and a long list of portal guys having immediate contributions and Jim Mora’s team is suddenly the best story in New England. Mora even got in the faces of Buffalo coaches last week pregame as his team scuffled with their guests during pregame. UConn has taken on the identity of Mora and have a very good chance to get ti 4-2 this weekend.
Holy Cross @ Colgate (1:00)
Rough start for Dan Curran and the Crusaders, but it’s a brand new season when Holy Cross travels to a beatable Colgate team on Saturday afternoon. The five-time defending Patriot League champs open up conference play in a battle of 1-4 teams. Curran said earlier this week that the PL is “as wide open as it’s been since probably 2018 or 2019,” but, this is a very different looking Crusaders team still learning how to close out games late. Three of Holy Cross’ four losses so far have all come down to the fourth quarter. This is a massive game for a young team.
(25) URI @ Hampton (2:00)
The Rams will go with Clemson transfer Hunter Helms at quarterback coming out of their bye week. Ranked No. 25 in the country heading into this one, it’s a big time opportunity for Jim Fleming’s team to get to 2-0 in CAA play before a Governor’s Cup showdown with Brown next weekend at home. The offense had struggled to find consistency with Devin Farrell under center and Helms led a comeback – along with the incredible rushing ability of Malik Grant – against LIU before the bye. Fleming has repeatedly said they believe in both guys, but it’ll be Helms getting the chance to keep the Rams in the Top 25 this weekend.
Bryant @ Brown (Noon)
Bryant comes off a bye week at 1-4 and sort of in the same boat as Holy Cross when it comes to young teams trying to learn how to win. Earlier in the week, head coach Chris Merritt said his team needs more of a sense of urgency and he felt like a rivalry game against an in-state opponent would help. Meanwhile, Brown is off to a fantastic 2-0 start after playing an early Game of the Year candidate against Ivy rival Harvard last weekend. Do we see the proverbial emotional drop off? Or, can the Bears offense keep this fast start going? This is an intriguing matchup that always seems to come down to the final moments.
CCSU @ Yale (Noon)
CCSU was seemingly on the rise until a tough loss to UMass. Coming out of its bye week, the Blue Devils will look to pick off the two-time defending Ivy League champs in an all-connecticut matchup. Yale had a great start to the season with a shootout win over Holy Cross on the road, but then last week they took a step back with a loss to Cornell. This is another ‘step forward’ type game for Adam Lichtenberg’s squad, while Tony Reno and his club look for a ‘get right’ type game. This one could come down to the wire as well.
Norfolk State @ Sacred Heart (1:00)
Following a win over Georgetown that appeared to be a ‘turning the corner’ moment for Mark Nofri and the Pioneers, Sacred Heart took two major steps back with an ugly loss to Stonehill and then a 49-0 embarrassing performance against Delaware last weekend. This is a very winnable game (Norfolk state is 2-4) and feels like one that the Pios absolutely need if they’re going to get things back on track, especially with two straight road games against Howard and Lafayette coming up.
Wagner @ Stonehill (1:00)
Speaking of Stonehill, the Skyhawks come out of their bye week looking to ride momentum from the win over Sacred Heart. It was a rough 0-2 start for Eli Garner’s club, losing to Stony Brook and UNH on the road by a combined score of 82-16. But, Stonehill gets a shot to get back to .500 at home against a 2-3 Wagner team that recently got blown out by Lehigh and FAU while also losing to Robert Morris. Very winnable games against LIU and Merrimack not he road follow this one, so Gardner’s club could find itself on a little run here if they can get it done at W.B. Mason Stadium this weekend.
Penn @ Dartmouth (TBD)
How can you not be enjoying the Sammy McCorkle era so far? After the Ivy League ti-championship a year ago, the big Green are 2-0 after squeaking out a win over Merrimack on the road last week thanks to stud kicker Owen Zalc. The performance against the Warriors wasn’t pretty – especially after a 45-point opening week performance against Fordham – but McCorkle’s crew is going to consistently play good defense and that means they’ll be in every game. Penn has started 1-1 after a seven-point loss to Delaware and then a 27-17 win last week over Colgate. This has typical Ivy League slugfest written all over it.