RFC Throwback Thursday: Washington State upsets #1 UCLA-1988

(Video courtesy of ABC Sports)

This week's edition of Throwback Thursday takes us back to October 29, 1988. That was when the Washington State University Cougars traveled to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to face the #1-ranked UCLA Bruins in a Pacific-10 Conference contest. 

In an outcome that helped to shake up the national championship picture at the NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) level, the Cougars upset the Bruins, 34-30. The win over UCLA sparked a season-ending five-game winning streak for Washington State, which culminated in a 24-22 victory over Houston in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day (December 25).

The Cougars finished the 1988 season with a 9-3 overall record and a 5-3 mark in Pac-10 play, which was good enough for a third-place finish in the conference and a final national ranking of #16.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of September 13, 2025 Part 3

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

NAIA

Saturday, September 13

St. Thomas (Fla.)-(1-0) at Lindsey Wilson (2-0)

(With convincing back-to-back wins to start their season, the Blue Raiders hope to continue their winning ways against the Bobcats in an early-season battle of unbeaten teams this weekend!!!!!)

Reinhardt (1-1) at Southeastern (Fla.)-(1-0)

(The Fire from Florida face off against the Eagles from Georgia in another critical non-conference contest!!!!!)

Pikeville (0-1) at Campbellsville (2-0)

(The unbeaten Tigers take on the winless Bears in another early-season non-conference clash!!!!!)

Bethel (Tenn.)-(0-1) at Keiser (1-0)

(The Seahawks square off against the Wildcats in yet another huge non-conference showdown!!!!!)

Evangel (Mo.)-(2-0) at Southwestern (Kan.)-(2-0)

(The Moundbuilders play host to the Valor in another battle of unbeaten squads in America's Heartland!!!!!)

Graceland (1-0) at Benedictine (Kan.)-(1-1)

Northwestern (Iowa)-(1-0) at Mount Marty (2-0)

William Penn (2-0) at Baker (0-1)

BONUS PREDICTIONS

Saturday, September 13

Morehouse (NCAA Division II)-(1-0) at Howard (FCS)-(1-1)

Tuskegee (NCAA Division II)-(2-0) at Jackson State (FCS)-(1-1)

Virginia Union (NCAA Division II)-(1-0) at Edward Waters (2-0)

West Liberty (NCAA Division II)-(0-2) at Robert Morris (FCS)-(0-2)

Williams (NCAA Division III) at Hamilton (NCAA Division III)

Butler (FCS)-(1-1) at Hanover (NCAA Division III)-(0-1)

Whitworth (NCAA Division III)-(1-0) at Eastern Oregon (NAIA)-(0-1)

Oklahoma Panhandle State (NAIA)-(1-0) at East Texas Baptist (NCAA Division III)-(1-0)

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of September 13, 2025 Part 2

 KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

NCAA Division II

Thursday, September 11

Ohio Dominican at West Virginia Wesleyan (0-2)

Fort Valley State (0-1) at Clark Atlanta (1-1)

Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-1) at Arkansas Tech (1-0)

Southwestern Oklahoma State (0-1) at Harding (1-0)

Colorado State Pueblo (1-1) at Central Missouri (0-1)

Saturday, September 13

West Chester (1-0) at California (Pa.)-(1-0)

(The Vulcans host the Golden Rams in a key early-season non-conference PSAC contest!!!!)

Delta State (2-0) at UNC Pembroke (1-1)

(The Statesmen square off against the Braves on the road, hoping to stay undefeated in 2025!!!!!)

Minnesota State (2-0) at Minnesota-Duluth (2-0)

(The Mavericks hit the road to battle the Bulldogs in a critical NSIC clash!!!!!)

Southeastern Oklahoma State (1-0) at Ouachita Baptist (0-1)

(The winless Tigers from Arkansas play host to the undefeated Savage Storm in hopes of getting their first win of the season after a stunning season-opening loss!!!!!!)

Kutztown (1-0) at Edinboro (1-0)

Charleston (W. Va.)-(1-1) at West Alabama (2-0)

Tusculum (1-1) at Anderson (S.C.)-(2-0)

Tiffin (1-0) at Ferris State (2-0)

Wayne State (Neb.)-(1-1) at Northern State (0-1)

Nebraska-Kearney (2-0) at Fort Hays State (1-1)

Black Hills State (0-2) at Chadron State (0-2)

NCAA Division III

Saturday, September 13

John Carroll (1-0) at Johns Hopkins (1-0)

(The Blue Jays play host to the Blue Streaks in a battle of "Johns" vs. "John"!!!!!)

Mount Union (1-0) at Grove City (1-0)

(The Purple Raiders travel to Western Pennsylvania to face the Wolverines in a key non-conference contest!!!!!)

Wisconsin-LaCrosse at Carnegie Mellon (1-0)

(The Eagles from the WIAC will also travel east into Western Pennsylvania to take on the Tartans, who recently moved from the Presidents' Athletic Conference to the Centennial Conference!!!!!)

Wisconsin-Oshkosh (1-0) at North Central

(The defending national champion Cardinals will begin their national championship defense against a Titans team that knocked off Linfield on the road to open their season last week!!!!!)

St. Lawrence (1-0) at St. John Fisher (1-0)

Union (N.Y.)-(0-1) at Cortland (0-1)

Wilkes (1-0) at College of New Jersey (1-0)

Aurora (0-1) at Mount St. Joseph (1-0)

Moravian (0-1) at Rowan (0-0-1)

Hope (1-0) at Franklin (1-0)

Chicago (0-1) at Cornell (Iowa)-(0-1)

Rose Hulman (0-1) at Trine (0-1)

Randolph-Macon (1-0) at Central (1-0)

Austin (0-1) at Rhodes (0-1)

DePauw (1-0) at Centre (1-0)

Belhaven (1-0) at Trinity (Tex.)-(1-0)

Berry (1-0) at LaGrange (1-0)

Puget Sound (0-1) at Southwestern (Tex.)-(1-0)

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of September 13, 2025 Part 1

Last Week: 49-26 (.653)

This Year: 87-42 (.674)

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Five vs. FBS Group Of Five

Saturday, September 13

Buffalo (1-1) at Kent State (1-1)

(The Bulls travel into northern Ohio to face the Golden Flashes in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams!!!!!)

UConn (1-1) at Delaware (1-1)

(The Huskies will also hit the road to battle one of the newest members of the FBS in the Blue Hens!!!!!)

Washington State (2-0) at North Texas (2-0)

(The Mean Green clashes against the Cougars in a clash of unbeaten combatants!!!!!)

Appalachian State (2-0) at Southern Mississippi (1-1)

(It's Lowell Doggains' Mountaineers heading to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to take on Charles Huff and the Golden Eagles in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both squads!!!!!)

East Carolina (1-1) at Coastal Carolina (1-1)

(Finally, it's the Pirates facing the Chanticleers in a big, early-season nonconference clash!!!!!)

Memphis (2-0) at Troy (1-1)

Liberty (1-1) at Bowling Green (1-1)

Florida Atlantic (1-1) at Florida International (1-1)

Jacksonville State (1-1) at Georgia Southern (0-2)

New Mexico State (2-0) at Louisiana Tech (1-1)

Air Force (1-0) at Utah State (1-1)

FBS Group Of Five/FCS

Saturday, September 13

New Hampshire (2-0) at Ball State (0-2)

Incarnate Word (1-1) at UTSA (0-2)

Morgan State (0-2) at Toledo (1-1)

Merrimack (1-1) at Kennesaw State (0-2)

Prairie View A&M (1-1) at Rice (1-1)

Southern (1-2) at Fresno State (2-1)

FCS vs. FCS

Saturday, September 13

Sacred Heart (1-1) at Long Island (1-1)

(Fresh off an upset win over FBS Eastern Michigan on the road, the Sharks hope to keep the momentum going against the Pioneers in their home opener!!!!!)

Lehigh (2-0) at Duquesne (1-1)

(The Mountain Hawks hit the road to face the Dukes in their first road game of the 2025 season!!!!!)

North Dakota (1-1) at Montana (1-0)

(The Grizzlies go up against the Fighting Hawks in a contest that could have an early impact on the FCS playoff picture!!!!!)

Wofford (0-2) at Mercer (0-1)

(A battle of winless teams ensues in Georgia, as the Bears battle the Terriers in the Southern Conference opener for both teams!!!!!)

Northern Colorado (1-1) at South Dakota (0-2)

Rhode Island (2-0) at Holy Cross (0-2)

Illinois State (1-1) at Eastern Illinois (1-1)

Eastern Washington (0-2) at Northern Iowa (1-1)

East Tennessee State (1-1) at West Georgia (2-0)

Morehead State (1-1) at Austin Peay (1-1)

Tarleton State (3-0) at Central Arkansas (1-1)

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RFC Throwback Thursday: The Citadel Football 1992 Season

(Video courtesy of WCIV/First Charleston Corporation)

"RFC Throwback Thursday" has returned for another season of memories involving the college football programs that are currently not members of the so-called "power conferences."

This week, we go back to 1992. That was when The Citadel Bulldogs had one of their best seasons during their 120-year history. It started with a 10-3 upset win over Arkansas on September 5, then downed Army 15-14 three weeks later.

The Bulldogs suffered only one loss during the regular season, falling to eventual NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) national champion Marshall 34-13 on October 17. However, they won five straight games to finish the regular season at 11-1 overall and 6-1 in the Southern Conference, good enough for a league title.

The Citadel's season ended in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, as the Bulldogs lost to then-defending national champion Youngstown State 42-17. They finished the 1992 season at 11-2 overall following the loss to the Penguins.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of September 6, 2025 Part 2

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

NCAA Division II

Thursday, September 4

Charleston (W. Va.) at California (Pa.)

(The Vulcans host the Golden Eagles in a critical season opener for both Super Region #1 teams!!!!!)

Ashland at Indiana (Pa.)

(The Crimson Hawks from the PSAC clash with the Golden Eagles from the GMAC in another huge season opener!!!!!)

Tiffin at Wayne State (Mich.)

Clarion (1-0) at West Virginia Wesleyan (0-1)

Arkansas-Monticello at Southeastern Oklahoma State 

Arkansas Tech at Southwestern Oklahoma State

Assumption at Kutztown

Michigan Tech (1-0) at South Dakota Mines (0-1)

Colorado Mines at West Texas A&M (0-1)

Fort Hays State (0-1) at Colorado State Pueblo (1-0)

Friday, September 5

Slippery Rock at Franklin Pierce

Saturday, September 6

Valdosta State (1-0) at Johnson C. Smith (1-0)

(The Blazers from Georgia travel to Charlotte, N.C., to take on the Golden Bulls in a battle of unbeaten teams!!!!!)

West Alabama (1-0) at Chowan (1-0)

(The Gulf South Conference Tigers will also travel to North Carolina to face the Hawks in another key non-conference clash!!!!!)

West Florida (1-0) at Kentucky Wesleyan 

Hillsdale at McKendree (0-1)

Missouri S&T (1-0) at Northeastern State (Okla.)-(1-0)

Minnesota State-Moorhead (1-0) at Southwest Minnesota State

Eastern New Mexico (0-1) at Colorado Mesa (0-1)

NCAA Division III

Thursday, September 4

Averett at North Carolina Wesleyan

Franklin and Marshall at Lebanon Valley

Carroll (Wis.) at Wisconsin-La Crosse

Marietta at Westminster (Pa.)

Kings at Wilkes

Greenville (Ill.) at Illinois College

Trinity (Tex.) at Texas Lutheran

Millsaps at Belhaven

Friday, September 5

Bridgewater State at Curry

Montclair State at Merchant Marine

Norwich at St. Lawrence

Moravian at Muhlenberg

Ursinus at Alvernia

Saturday, September 6

Grove City at Cortland

(The Red Dragons open their 2025 season hosting an up-and-coming Wolverines program!!!!!)

Alma at Wisconsin-River Falls 

(The Scots square off against the Falcons in a season opener between the MIAA and the WIAC!!!!!)

Wheaton at Mount Union

(The Purple Raiders begin their quest for their 14th national championship when they play host to the Thunder!!!!!)

Case Western Reserve at Rowan

Trine at Christopher Newport

Maryville at Hendrix

Baldwin-Wallace at Wittenberg

Albion at Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Linfield

DePauw at Rose-Hulman

NAIA

Saturday, September 6

Benedictine (Kan.)-(1-0) at Grand View

(The Vikings will begin their NAIA national championship defense when they take on the Ravens!!!!!)

Campbellsville (1-0) at Webber International (1-0)

Midland (0-1) at Hastings (1-0)

St. Xavier at Indiana Wesleyan (0-1)

Reinhardt (1-0) at Cumberland (Tenn.)-(0-1)

Southwestern (Kan.)-(1-0) at Tabor (1-0)

Montana Tech (1-0) at Carroll (Montana)-(1-0)

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