The first round of the FCS playoffs is officially in the books and most of the usual suspects found themselves moving on when the dust had settled. It was a Saturday full of big performances, strong defensive showings and one miraculous comeback from a first-timer. Here’s went went down in the first weekend of the postseason and who’s moving on.

North Dakota capitalized on Tennessee Tech's fourth turnover when Colton Brunell ran eight yards for a touchdown with 11:48 left in the game. The Fighting Hawks gained possession at the 50-yard-line when Tech quarterback Kekoa Visperas fumbled for the third time while trying to elude a heavy rush.

A dominant first half allowed Villanova to conquer Harvard, 52-7, in the first round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday. No. 6/9 and 12th-seeded Villanova (10-2) stretched its win streak to nine and now has won 23 consecutive home games — the longest active streak in Division I football.

Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard glided down the remaining 35 yards in less than a minute, waltzing into the end zone 16 seconds before halftime for his third rushing touchdown of the game to give his Penguins a commanding 35-7 lead. YSU is outgaining Yale 358-132, forcing three Bulldog turnovers while averaging nearly 7 yards per play.

The North Dakota Fighting Hawks dominated Tennessee Tech 31-6 to advance to the second round. Meanwhile, the North Dakota State Bison are preparing for a familiar Missouri Valley Conference opponent after their first-round bye.

For the first time since 2020, the University of North Dakota is headed to the second round of the FCS playoffs after a dominant 31–6 win over No. 13 Tennessee Tech on Saturday.

Pat McQuaide threw for three touchdowns and Isaiah Ragland ran for 152 yards and sixth-ranked Villanova overwhelmed No. 19 Harvard 5 in the Crimson's first playoff appearance.

Chase Mason threw three touchdown passes, Julius Loughridge ran for 100 yards and a touchdown and 14th-seeded South Dakota State strolled to a 41-3 win over New Hampshire in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

Even after a 31-6 loss to North Dakota in the FCS playoffs, Tennessee Tech looks forward to its move to a new conference in 2026.

Regardless, it was an excellent season for Drake, which won the Pioneer League championship with an 8-4 overall record. Head coach Joe Woodley has won seven consecutive conference titles, dating back to his time at Grand View, where he led the Vikings to the NAIA national championship in 2024.