Week 1 highlighted by FCS vs. FBS matchups

(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

STATS FCS Senior Editor

(STATS) - If you aren't familiar with the hashtag #FearTheFCS, you may see it often during the first full week of college football's 150th anniversary season.

FBS teams are on alert against FCS opponents in Week 1, when 40 of this year's 114 matchups take place.

A quarter of the matchups are Thursday night, including one of the dozen games involving ranked FCS teams, No. 3 South Dakota State at Minnesota. The other ranked teams follow on Saturday, with No. 15 Illinois State traveling to Northern Illinois in search of a third straight win over an FBS opponent.

Other highlight games include:

- No. 2 James Madison visiting West Virginia with coach Curt Cignetti debuting against his alma mater;

- No. 4 Eastern Washington, the 2018 FCS national runner-up, heading west to take on Washington;

- No. 12 Nicholls taking on Kansas State, whose new coach, Chris Klieman, guided North Dakota State to four of the last five FCS national titles;

- No. 16 Indiana State trying to spoil Les Miles' coaching debut at Kansas;

- No. 18 Northern Iowa going for a third win at Iowa State since 2013;

- No. 23 Sam Houston State seeking to repeat its 2011 win at New Mexico, which helped key a perfect regular season.

- ETSU reviving a rivalry with Appalachian State for the first time since 2003;

- UIW facing UTSA inside the Alamodome in a first meeting between the two San Antonio programs;

In addition to Cignetti, four other new FCS coaches will open against FBS opponents: Morgan State's Tyrone Wheatley Sr. (Bowling Green) Thursday night, and Bucknell's Dave Cecchini (Temple), Howard's Ron Prince (Maryland) and Stephen F. Austin's Colby Carthel (Baylor) on Saturday.

One ranked team already seeks to bounce back from a loss: Preseason No. 13 Colgate fell to Villanova in the season's first game last Saturday and comes right back against Air Force.

The FCS posted a single-season record of 16 wins over the FBS in 2013. There were seven last year, including four over Labor Day weekend.

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Week 1 FCS vs. FBS Matchups

All Teams ET

Thursday, Aug. 29

Morgan State at Bowling Green, 7 p.m.

Robert Morris at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Albany at Central Michigan, 7 p.m.

Wagner at Connecticut, 7 p.m.

Gardner-Webb at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.

Florida A&M at UCF, 7:30 p.m.

Central Arkansas at Western Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.

Alabama State at UAB, 8 p.m.

No. 3 South Dakota State at Minnesota, 9 p.m.

Northern Colorado at San Jose State, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 31

No. 18 Northern Iowa at Iowa State, noon

No. 16 Indiana State at Kansas, noon

Howard at Maryland, noon

Rhode Island at Ohio, 2 p.m.

No. 2 James Madison at West Virginia, 2 p.m.

Bucknell at Temple, 3 p.m.

No. 4 Eastern Washington at Washington, 3 p.m.

No. 13 Colgate (0-1) at Air Force, 3:30 p.m.

ETSU at Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m.

Holy Cross at Navy, 3:30 p.m.

Idaho at Penn State, 3:30 p.m.

Portland State at Arkansas, 4 p.m.

No. 14 Montana State at Texas Tech, 4 p.m.

No. 23 Sam Houston State at New Mexico, 6 p.m.

Campbell at Troy, 6 p.m.

UIW at UTSA, 6 p.m.

No. 5 UC Davis at California, 6:30 p.m.

VMI at Marshall, 6:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin at Baylor, 7 p.m.

No. 12 Nicholls at Kansas State, 7 p.m.

No. 15 Illinois State at Northern Illinois, 7 p.m.

Norfolk State at Old Dominion, 7 p.m.

Alcorn State at Southern Miss, 7 p.m.

Monmouth at Western Michigan, 7 p.m.

Abilene Christian at North Texas, 7:30 p.m.

Grambling State at UL Monroe, 8 p.m.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at TCU, 8 p.m.

Houston Baptist at UTEP, 8 p.m.

No. 8 Weber State at San Diego State, 9 p.m.

Southern Utah at UNLV, 10 p.m.