BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- James Blackmon Jr. made five 3-pointers, scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Robert Johnson added 16 points, as No. 6 Indiana sailed to a 100-78 victory over UMass Lowell on Wednesday night.Blackmon made four 3-pointers and scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half of Indianas regular season home opener.The Hoosiers (2-0) were playing their first game since beating No. 3 Kansas in the Armed Forces Classic and had to overcome a slow, sloppy start. Indiana outscored UMass Lowell (1-2) 32-15 over the final 8:24 of the first half. Indiana shot 60 percent from the field (21 of 35) in the first half. The Hoosiers found scoring opportunities with sound passing, scoring 23 of their field goals off an assist.Big men OG Anunoby and Thomas Bryant contributed to Indianas onslaught. Anunoby scored 15 points and Bryant added nine. The Hoosiers outrebounded UMass Lowell 46-24. The 19 offensive rebounds helped the Hoosiers score 15 second-chance points.Jahad Thomas finished with 16 points and Tyler Livingston scored 14 for the River Hawks.BIG PICTURE: Indiana will have three more games to build on the big win over Kansas. The Hoosiers next three games are against mid-majors before they host North Carolina on Nov. 30. The Hoosiers other notable non-conference game comes on Dec. 17 when they face Butler at Bankers Life Fieldhouse before kicking off Big Ten Conference play against Nebraska on Dec. 28. Indianas final non-conference game is a showdown with No. 12 Louisville at Bankers Life on New Years Eve.UP NEXT:Indiana hosts Liberty UniversityUMass Lowell travels to Indiana-Fort WayneMiles Boykin Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Lamar Jackson Jersey . 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This was no night to go to sleep.(STATS) -- FCS defenses believe its better to both take and receive, so were putting on our non-authentic jersey and going in at linebacker.OK, place-kicker.Here are some takeaways from an FCS September to remember:- Twelve teams remain unbeaten heading into this weekends action and all but No. 2 Sam Houston State have taken away more turnovers from their opponents than served up. Its a group led by No. 21 Albanys plus-13 turnover margin. These teams learned last year -- only one had a negative margin.- Nine of the 10 FCS teams to beat FBS programs are nationally ranked. The exception is Central Arkansas, which is 3-1.- The coaches and players on five-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State simply believe they will win no matter the opponent or the situation. The top-ranked Bison are 3-0, winning twice in overtime and once on a game-ending field goal.- The team of the month has to be No. 4 Eastern Washington, which has beaten Washington State (on the road), Northern Iowa and Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Arizona (on the road) and only lost at North Dakota State in overtime. The Eagles have done it behind the nations leading passer, sophomore Gage Gubrud.- Conference opponents know FCS powers better than anyone else. Richmond, William & Mary, Montana and Illinois State were all in the Top 10 when they played their conference opener … and lost.- Teams that run the ball well are always big winners. Out of the top 27 teams in rushing offense, 23 have winning records (with nine unbeaten), two are .500 and only two are below .500.- Injuries play an unforgiving part of the game, as James Madison (Vad Lee) and Villanova (John Robertson) could attest last season. NDSU has lost middle linebacker Nick DeLuca, its leading tackler, for the remainder of the season. Other All-Americans to lose playing time to injuries include Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Jacksonville State wide receiver Josh Barge, William & Mary running back Kendell Anderson and Northern Arizona quarterback Case Cookus. Defending conference champs Charleston Southern (Big South) and Alcorn State (SWAC) have lost their signal-callers as well.- Speaking of Charleston Southern, no team has ridden a roller coaster quite like the Buccaneers. They had the early start in the FCS Kickoff (Aug, 27) and went to overtime at North Dakota State, have been through four quarterbacks, had their coach (Jamey Chadwell) suspended for an assistants recruiting violation on social media, had 32 players suspended one game each for violating an NCAA rule regarding financial aid (bringing national attention the week of the Florida State game) and re-entered the Top 10 after winning their Big South opener.---=FCS GAME OF THE WEEK=The Matchup: No. 2 Sam Houston State (3-0, 2-0 Southland) vs. Stephen F. Austin (3-1, 1-0)Kickoff: 4 p.m. at NRG Stadium in HoustonTelevision: ESPN3Series: Sam Houston State leads 53-35-2 (most recent meeting: 34-28 on Oct. 3, 2015)The Skinny: This is the 91st meeting of the Battle of the Piney Woods. SFA won the first time the game was played at NRG Stadium in 2000 and Sam Houston has captured the last five meetings.Stephen F. Austin has won recent games with QB Hunter Taylor coming off the bench in relief of Zach Conque, coach Clint Conques son. The Lumberjacks defense is stout against the run, surrendering just 91 yards per game. While the Lumberjacks have a strong pass rush, led by DE Kedrick Harrisons five sacks, Sam Houston has allowed only one sack. They have forced 10 turnovers for a plus-5 margin. Storm Ruiz has kicked seven field goals, which is tied for second-most in the FCS.Sam Houston leads the FCS in points per game (51.7) and yards per game (632.7). QB Jeremiah Briscoe has averaged 345 passing yards, but the Bearkats will run the ball as well with Remus Bulmer, Corey Avery and Javin Webb, who all have at least 200 yards. The Bearkats defense has never been confused as being North Dakota State-esque, but two-thirds of the points surrendered have come in the second half when games are out of reach. Ten of DE P.J. Halls 13 tackles have gone for loss.Prediction: Stephen F. Austin is improved from a year ago, but Sam Houston also is better, and the prohibitive Southland Conference favorite went to the FCS semifinals. Sam Houston, 38-27.---=STATS FCS TOP 25 SCHEDULE=All Times ETX-Predicted WinnerThursday, Sept. 29Hampton (1-2, 1-0 MEAC) at X-No. 22 North Carolina A&T (2-1, 1-0), 7:30 p.m. -- A&T has a 24-5 record at home in coach Rod Broadways six seasons.Friday, Sept. 30Georgetown (3-0) at X-No. 25 Harvard (2-0), 7 p.m. -- The Hoyas have a better record than the three-ttime defending Ivy League champ.dddddddddddd Say what?Saturday, Oct. 1X-No. 5 Chattanooga (4-0, 2-0 Southern) at East Tennessee State (2-1, 1-1), noon -- The Mocs defense is the best in the FCS at stopping third down conversions, which has led their opponents to 39 punts in four games. Last weekend, ETSUs offense didnt even reach Woffords side of the field.Delaware (2-1, 0-0 CAA) at X-No. 7 James Madison (3-1, 1-0), 1:30 p.m. -- Hard to believe Delaware, land of the NFL quarterbacks, is last in the FCS in passing for the second consecutive season. The Blue Hens run the football well, but JMU is even better with the No. 1 tandem in the FCS, Khalid Abdullah and Cardon Johnson.No. 16 Cal Poly (3-1, 1-0 Big Sky) at X-North Dakota (2-2, 1-0), 2 p.m. -- This is UNDs 100th game at the Alerus Center, where the Fighting Hawks have a 77-22 record. While UNDs run defense poses a big challenge to Cal Polys triple option, its the visiting Mustangs who are No. 1 in the Big Sky in rushing defense.No. 18 Illinois State (2-2, 0-1 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 1 North Dakota State (3-0, 0-0), 2 p.m. -- The Bison, who last faced Illinois State in the 2014 FCS championship game (a 29-27 win), have won their last 22 games when coming off a bye week dating to a home loss to UC Davis in 2005.Missouri State (2-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 24 Indiana State (3-1, 1-0), 3 p.m. -- Illinois State was surrendering 223.3 yards per game entering last weeks Missouri Valley opener at Indiana State and the Sycamores doubled it with 445 offensive yards.X-No. 17 Villanova (3-1, 1-0 CAA) at Elon (2-2, 1-0), 3:30 p.m. -- With his fast start as a senior, Novas 6-foot-7, 290-pound defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon is improving his NFL Draft stock by the game.No. 19 William & Mary (2-2, 0-1 CAA) at X-New Hampshire (2-2, 1-0), 3:30 p.m. -- So UNH has lost 11 of its last 13 games against William & Mary, but selected the Tribe as its Homecoming Day opponent? Wildcats coach Sean McDonnell must know something.Towson (1-2, 0-1 CAA) at X-No. 6 Richmond (3-1, 0-1), 3:30 p.m. -- Spiders quarterback Kyle Lauletta was second in the FCS in passing yards last season and hes second again this season. The Spiders have been consistent, combining for 30 points in their four first quarters on the season, while totaling 31 in the second, third and fourth.X-No. 9 The Citadel (3-0, 2-0 Southern) at Western Carolina (1-2, 0-1), 3:30 p.m. -- Bulldogs coach Brent Thompson is turning back to Dominique Allen as the starting quarterback. WCU running back Detrez Newsome has scored seven touchdowns in three games.South Dakota (1-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 20 Youngstown State (2-1, 0-0), 4 p.m. -- After allowing 20 rushing touchdowns a year ago, Youngstown State hasnt allowed any in its first three games.UC Davis (1-3, 0-1 Big Sky) at X-No. 4 Eastern Washington (3-1, 1-0), 4:05 p.m. -- Only in the Big Sky could the Eagles be averaging 43.3 points and 526.3 yards per game and not be leading the conference in either statistic.Southern Utah (2-1, 1-0 Big Sky) at X-No. 11 Montana (2-1, 0-1), 4:30 p.m. -- The defending Big Sky champion Thunderbirds just beat one of last years two second-place teams (Portland State). Will they pull the sweep in Missoula?Southern Illinois (2-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 12 Northern Iowa (1-2, 0-0), 5 p.m. -- UNI has had some of the worst special teams in the FCS. They surely were points of emphasis during the bye week.X-No. 10 Charleston Southern (2-2) at No. 14 Coastal Carolina (3-1), 6 p.m. -- Emotions remain high even though this is no longer a Big South matchup. Both teams have gone through too many injuries at quarterback.Nicholls (1-2, 1-0 Southland) at X-No. 23 McNeese State (2-2, 1-1), 7 p.m. -- The Cowboys will be wearing throw-back uniforms that reflect four different eras, but theyre keeping the blue and gold. Up until the 1970 season, they wore purple and gold.No. 8 Western Illinois (3-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 15 South Dakota State (1-2, 0-0), 7 p.m. -- Its a battle in the red zone: SDSU has converted all 13 trips into points -- tying for the FCS high with a perfect conversion rate -- while WIUs defense is the stingiest in the nation, surrendering points on only four of its opponents nine trips (44.4 percent).No. 13 Eastern Illinois (3-1, 1-0 OVC) at X-Southeast Missouri State (1-3, 1-0), 7 p.m. -- After his first game on the EIU defensive line last Saturday, South Carolina transfer David Johnson was named the Ohio Valley Conference defensive player of the week.utheast Missouri State (1-3, 1-0), 7 p.m. --url] ' ' '