FCS playoff schedule: Illinois State, Appalachian State, meet in 2nd round

The FCS playoffs continue this weekend, with Illinois State traveling to Appalachian State for a second-round contest at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boon, N.C. Both teams had a first-round bye in the tournament.

The Redbirds (8-3, 5-3 MVC) finished third in the Missouri Valley standings this season. Illinois State started the season 5-0, but the team is 3-3 in its last six games. The Red Birds average 29.1 points per game, which ranks third in the Missouri Valley, and quarterback Matt Brown is the conference's leading passer with 2,676 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Appalachian state (8-3, 6-2 SoCon) tied for first in the Southern Conference with Georgia Southern and Wofford, but Georgia Southern came out on top of a complicated tiebreaker, earning the SoCon's automatic bid to the playoffs. The Mountaineers are trying to win their first national title in five years. ASU won three straight titles from 2005 to '07. The Mountaineers rank 10th in FBS with 466.7 yards per game, and ASU's 32.6 points per game ranks 22nd.

The complete second-round schedule for the FCS playoffs is as follows. All times listed are Central:

Saturday, Dec. 1

Illinois State at Appalachian State, 1 p.m., ESPN3

Central Arkansas at Georgia Southern, 1 p.m., ESPN3

Coastal Carolina at Old Dominion, 1 p.m., ESPN3

New Hampshire at Wofford, 1 p.m., ESPN3

South Dakota State at North Dakota State, 3 p.m., ESPN3

Cal Poly at Sam Houston State, 3 p.m., ESPN3

Wagner at Eastern Washington, 5 p.m., ESPN3

Stony Brook at Montana State, 6 p.m., ESPN3