# Week 2 FCS football by the numbers > Success rate reveals which teams truly dominated and which got lucky in Week 2 of FCS football. - Title: Week 2 FCS football by the numbers | Shortify - Summary: Success rate reveals which teams truly dominated and which got lucky in Week 2 of FCS football. Success rate measures down-to-down efficiency better than… - Keywords: fcs football, week 2, success rate, south dakota state, youngstown state, austin peay, north alabama, incarnate word, montana, rhode island, lehigh, sports - Source: FCS Football Central On SI — https://si.com/college/fcs/mvfc/behind-the-numbers-2026-week-2-fcs-football-review - Published: 2026-09-15T20:02:08+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: fcs football, week 2, success rate, south dakota state, youngstown state, austin peay, north alabama, incarnate word, montana, rhode island, lehigh, sports ## What success rate measures Success rate tracks down-to-down efficiency. A play succeeds if it gains 50% of needed yards on first down, 70% on second, and 100% on third or fourth. ## The benchmarks that matter Average college football success rate is 40%. Closer to 50% is excellent, while under 30% is poor. ## Southern Illinois holds SEMO down The Salukis limited SEMO to 30% success rate with DJ Williams back. Explosive plays kept the Redhawks close despite poor down-to-down performance. ## Tennessee Tech breaks through The Golden Eagles cracked 50% success rate against Samford and finished as the 5th-most explosive team in the country. ## North Dakota keeps rolling The Fighting Hawks posted nearly 60% success rate for the second straight week. They face Nebraska next in a much tougher test. ## Stephen F. Austin stuffs the run The Lumberjacks posted a 41% stuff rate against Abilene Christian with 10 tackles for loss, holding them to 1.4 yards per carry. ## South Dakota State dominates defensively SDSU held New Haven to 13% success rate in non-garbage time. After one 43-yard drive, New Haven managed just 21 yards on their next eight drives. ## Youngstown State's perfect offense The Penguins posted a 70.6% success rate, best in the country. They hit 84% on passing plays in a nearly flawless performance. > That's an impossible level of efficiency for this passing game. ## Austin Peay's explosive attack The Govs had five runs of 25-plus yards and nine completions of 23-plus yards. Freshman Denver Harper averages 36.6 yards per reception. ## Lehigh shreds William & Mary Luke Yoder and the rushing attack posted 56% success rate. Running backs alone gained 338 yards on 7.5 yards per carry. ## South Dakota finds a pass rush Charles Pierre Jr. rushed for 159 yards on 16 touches. The Yotes generated 33% pressure rate and five sacks after managing only 18 all last season. ## UAlbany emerges in the CAA The Great Danes are one play from being undefeated with an FBS win. Their passing game finally clicked, making them more well-rounded. ## North Alabama outplays but loses UNA posted 56.3% success rate but lost to Southeastern Louisiana. Two turnovers in SLU territory, a missed field goal, and 11 penalties cost them. > UNA outplayed SLU for a majority of the game, but SLU won the game in key moments. ## Incarnate Word's turnover disaster UIW gained 606 yards to Northern Arizona's 333 but lost by double digits. Three interceptions and three fumbles, plus a missed field goal, doomed them. ## Rhode Island wins ugly The Rams had only 286 yards and went 3-and-out on their first five drives. The 21-point margin came from Elon's five turnovers, not offensive dominance. ## Montana survives Utah Tech The Griz won by 21 but got outplayed down-to-down. Utah Tech fumbled twice in Montana territory and missed two field goals. > The expected points for Utah Tech were probably closer to 24, but the Trailblazers didn't capitalize on those opportunities. ## Key takeaway Success rate measures down-to-down efficiency better than final scores, revealing which teams are truly dominant and which won despite being outplayed.