Gillman vs. Brungard: The FCS Battle That Could Define the Season

It’s time to give Eli Gillman his flowers. All of the flowers. Every last one. 💐

This is far from the first time this website has written about, or the podcast has talked about the Montana running back, but this weekend Gillman emptied the adjective drawer.

He was spectacular, showstopping and stunning all at once. Gillman was a star.

The fifth year back for the Griz carried the ball 26 times for 275 yards and four scores to lead third-ranked Montana to a commanding 62-22 win at UC Davis in a Top 10 showdown late Saturday night.

Gillman had seven explosive runs, runs of 10 yards or more, in the win, including a 58-yard score to start the fourth quarter and a 64-yard scamper midway through the second quarter.

For all his success in Missoula, Gillman has always stayed just outside the national spotlight when it comes to award season, mostly due to his usage. In his first four seasons under former coach Bobby Hauck, the Dassel, Minnesota native averaged just 13.4 carries per game. But under new coach Bobby Kennedy, Gillman’s usage is up to 18.6 carries per game this season.

That increase in usage has also led to an increase in productivity. Gillman is averaging a career-best 7.4 yards per carry, and with 11 rushing touchdowns already, on pace to break his career-best mark of 21 from last season.

Gillman has also made a point of rewriting the Montana record books nearly every week this season. Against Davis, he broke the UM record for rushing yards in a game (275) and broke the Big Sky Conference record for career rushing touchdowns (60). He has also broken the school records this season for career rushing yards, career rushing touchdowns and career total touchdowns.

So, with all that in mind, he’s the clear favorite in the national player of the year conversation, right?

In the words of Lee Corso, not so fast, my friend.

It’s no doubt that Gillman would have my vote, but Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard isn’t just handing Gillman the title without a fight.

Brungard has been fantastic again for the seventh-ranked Penguins this season, highlighted by their impressive 47-28 drubbing of previously top-three South Dakota over the weekend.

In that contest, Brungard was at his best. The fifth-year signal caller threw for just 159 yards and a touchdown but added 170 yards and three scores on the ground. The dual-threat talent out of New Middletown, Ohio is completing a career-best 74.1% of his passes this fall for 1,216 yards and 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions. On the ground, Brungard has added 461 yards and seven touchdowns.

Quarterbacks have dominated the national player of the year conversation in recent years, but Gillman is making a strong case for a running back to take center stage this season.

There is also a case to be made for Gillman’s fellow position mates in Lehigh’s Luke Yoder and Tarleton State’s Tylan Hines, and maybe their play will make me write that story in the coming weeks.

There is a lot of football left to play this season, but Gillman has not only elevated the Griz back into championship discussion, but himself into the national spotlight as well.

Down go the Redbirds: When I had the chance to see Northern Iowa earlier this fall when they took on Eastern Washington, I remember thinking the Panthers were a bit fun and frisky.

Even though they ended up losing to the Eagles that day, UNI had the makings of a team that could disrupt the Missouri Valley Football Conference a bit this season.

And disrupt they have.

Jaxon Dailey threw for 217 yards and two scores as the Panthers (2-2) pulled the stunning upset over then No. 3 Illinois State 28-21 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The loss for ISU (4-1) comes just two weeks after they took down FBS for Northern Illinois. But the Redbirds don’t have time to sulk on the result, next up is top-ranked South Dakota State (Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT, ESPN+).

South Carolina State keeps rolling: Another week, another impressive win for the now 5-0 South Carolina State Bulldogs.

SCSU quarterback Keely Watson threw for two scores and standout running back Mason Pickett-Hicks added 136 yards on the ground as the Bulldogs went into Daytona Beach, Florida against Bethune-Cookman and came out with a 31-21 victory.

15th-ranked South Carolina State will now prepare for a showdown with The Citadel (Saturday at 2 p.m. EDT), who earned a FBS win over Charlotte earlier this season.

Top 25 shakeup: Montana’s win at UC Davis over the weekend sent our Top 25 poll into shakeup mode as the Griz jumped back up to the No. 3 spot, also due to Illinois State’s loss, while Davis plummets down to No. 17.

Illinois State also takes a sharp drop out of the top 10 to the No. 11 slot.

That means Tarleton State, North Dakota and Lehigh all move up to the 4-6 spots, followed by Youngstown State, which jumped from No. 12 to 7 after thumping now No. 9 South Dakota.

The middle pack of the poll remains mostly unmoved, with Richmond and Southern Illinois joining the polls at the backend at Nos. 24 and 25 respectively. Yale and Rhode Island have dropped out to make room for the Spiders and Salukis.

Looking ahead: Eyes will again be on the MVFC this Saturday as top-ranked South Dakota State travels to No. 11 Illinois State. Seventh-ranked Youngstown State will also get another shot at a ranked win as they travel to No. 25 Southern Illinois (Saturday at 4 p.m. CDT, ESPN+).

Meanwhile No. 2 Montana State will look to get out of its recent rut travelling to the Kibbie Dome to take on winless Idaho on national television (Friday at 6:30 p.m. PDT, ESPN2). MSU was without quarterback Justin Lamson and wide receiver Taco Dowler in their 28-14 win over No. 20 Northern Arizona last week, so it will be interesting to see if one or both return against the Vandals.

There is also a showdown near the top of the Southern Conference as Chattanooga (3-2, 2-0 Southern) travels to East Tennessee State (3-2, 1-0) with the winner looking to keep pace with No. 11 Tennessee Tech (4-0, 2-0).

Finally, No. 21 Harvard gets its first test of the season as they’ll host No. 23 Colgate (Saturday at 7 p.m. EDT, ESPN+).