Biggest non-Army/Navy college football games this week

Week 16 of the college football season is here, and the only contest everyone is talking about is the Army-Navy game.

This is not the only showdown in the world of college football this weekend, as there are many crucial games in lower levels of the sport that can fill the time.

Here’s a list of some of the biggest non-Army/Navy games in college football this weekend, sorted by date and time.

FCS Quarterfinals: No. 8 Idaho at No. 1 Montana State

The lone Friday night showdown comes in the form of a Big Sky clash between the Idaho Vandals and the Montana State Bobcats.

The Vandals lost to the Bobcats by a score of 38 to 7 on the road in their lone head-to-head contest this season on October 12.

Since that moment, Idaho has rattled off six straight wins, outscoring opponents 216 to 141. The Vandals are led by wide receiver Jordan Dwyer, who’s had 1,003 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns this year.

Montana State secured the first undefeated regular season in their 127-year program history with a 34-11 home win over Montana. The Bobcats are led by quarterback Mason Mellott, who’s had 26 passing touchdowns and only one interception this year.

Kickoff is at 9 p.m. EST on Friday, and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN.

FCS Celebration Bowl: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State

Dubbed the “HBCU National Championship”, the 2024 Celebration Bowl features SWAC member Jackson State and MEAC member South Carolina State.

The Jackson State Tigers went 8-0 in the SWAC this season, led by quarterback Jacobian Morgan, having 2,003 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns this season.

Tigers running back Irv Mulligan leads the SWAC in rushing yards with 1,174 and ties the lead in rushing touchdowns with 11.

The South Carolina State Bulldogs went 5-0 in the MEAC this season, with their only losses being to Florida A&M and FBS Georgia Southern.

The Bulldogs are led by HBCU+ National Player of the Year quarterback Eric Phoenix, whose 2,469 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns lead the MEAC.

The MEAC is 6-2 in the Celebration Bowl against the SWAC, having won five out of the last six games.

Jackson State has never won a Celebration Bowl in two tries. South Carolina State has won one Celebration Bowl, which was their only try in 2021.

Kickoff is at 12 p.m. EST on Saturday, and the game will be broadcasted on ABC.

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl: South Alabama vs. Western Michigan

Bowl season came early this year, as a battle between a Sun Belt and a MAC member took center stage.

South Alabama went 6-6 this season and 5-3 in the Sun Belt. Their lone contest against a MAC opponent was a 27-20 road loss to conference champion Ohio.

As of now, the Jaguars have no players opting out of the bowl game.

Western Michigan went 6-6 this season and 5-3 in the MAC. They had two losses to Big Ten opponents and lost their lone Sun Belt showdown to conference champion Marshall in a 27-20 road loss.

The only notable opt-out for the Broncos is tight end Blake Bosma, whose six receiving touchdowns lead the team.

Kickoff is at 9 p.m. EST on Saturday, and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN.

Bryan Portney is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.