(STATS) – The Big South has gotten bigger, and so have expectations.
Fews wins in the regular season are bigger than an upset of an FBS program.
The Big South has posted six of those wins during the 2010s, but only one involves a program that’s still in the conference (Gardner-Webb beat Ohio 38-37 in overtime in 2010).
As FCS programs seek to make their mark again this year, here’s a look at the games involving Big South teams:
The Matchups (7) – Campbell: Troy (Aug. 31); Charleston Southern: South Carolina (Sept. 7); Gardner-Webb: Charlotte (Aug. 29) and East Carolina (Sept. 7); Hampton: Liberty (Sept. 21); Kennesaw State: Kent State (Sept. 7); Monmouth: Western Michigan (Aug. 31);
Glamour Game – Charleston Southern at South Carolina (Sept. 7): After debuting against Furman, new Buccaneers coach Autry Denson will take his squad upstate to South Carolina for a first-time meeting between the two programs. Columbia probably won’t be dubbed Upset City because the Buccaneers are 0-7 versus SEC teams and 0-20 against full FBS members. Oh yes, their rival The Citadel beat South Carolina in 2015.
Upset Alert – Kennesaw State at Kent State (Sept. 7): It’s hard enough to defend two-time reigning Big South champion Kennesaw State’s triple option, but Kent State will be doing it after ranking 114th in the FBS in rushing defense a year ago. The homestanding KSU is 12-47 in the last five seasons.
Notable – North Alabama and Presbyterian are not playing FBS opponents this year. UNA has future matchups at BYU (2020) and Memphis (2022). … Gardner-Webb’s first two games are against coaches who guided FCS programs last season, Charlotte’s Will Healy, who was at Austin Peay, and East Carolina’s Mike Houston, who was at James Madison. … Monmouth has only played FBS members from the Mid-American Conference, with Western Michigan becoming its fourth overall. … Big South newcomer Hampton has a 2-4 all-time record against Liberty, including a win in the most-recent meeting in 1998. … Campbell’s opener will mark the first game of new Troy coach Chip Lindsey. It’s a first-time meeting.
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