Around the Group of 5: Week 5
The Group of 5 has some big games in Week 5, especially among those that are ranked. These teams may not have the same chance at a national title as those in Power 5 conferences, but the matchups are nevertheless ones to watch for.
There were a lot of exciting games in Week 4 as well. Let's take a look at those as well as a glimpse toward the games we'll see in Week 5.
No. 15 BYU held off USF to remain undefeated. Quarterback Baylor Romney completed 80% of his passes and tossed three touchdowns while his running back Tyler Allgeier averaged 5.7 yards per carry and found the endzone twice. Now sitting at No. 13, the Cougars will battle Utah State on Saturday at 9 p.m. EST.
Down in Myrtle Beach, No. 17 Coastal Carolina demolished UMass 53-3. Quarterback Grayson McCall made three house calls, two through the air and one on the ground, while the Chanticleers as a team amassed over 300 rushing yards. In Week 5, No. 16 Coastal will face off against Louisiana Monroe at 2:30 p.m. EST.
No. 22 Fresno St fended off UNLV in a high-scoring affair last Friday night. Quarterback Jake Haener shredded the Rebel defense as he threw for nearly 400 yards and five touchdowns. Four of those were hauled in by wide receiver Jalen Cropper. The No. 18 Bulldogs will head to Honolulu to play the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at 11 p.m. EST.
San Diego State throttled Towson by a score of 48-21. The ground game was the real story as running backs Chance Bell, Kaegun Williams and Jordan Byrd each rushed for over 75 yards and combined for four scores. This Saturday, the Aztecs will be on their bye week, but Week 6 finds them pitted against New Mexico at 9 p.m. EST.
The SMU Mustangs stayed undefeated in Week 4 as they defeated the Big 12's TCU Horned Frogs 42-34. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai amassed four passing touchdowns, each to a different receiver, and ran in another.
Mordecai also threw three picks, but this was made up for by the terrific rushing performances by Ulysses Bentley IV and Tre Siggers. Bentley and Siggers combined for 263 yards on 38 carries and a touchdown to lead the Mustangs past the Horned Frogs. The next game for SMU will be against USF at 4 p.m. EST.
One of the biggest games of Week 5 is undoubtedly the No. 7 Cincinnati Bearcats versus the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend at 2:30 p.m. EST. Both teams are undefeated as quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Jack Coan prepare for a game that has serious College Football playoff implications.
Cincinnati has not only been one of the premier teams in the Group of 5 but one of the best teams in the FBS since Luke Fickell took over as head coach in 2017. On the other side, Notre Dame is one of the most storied college football teams of all time, but it hasn’t looked great this season.
After almost losing to unranked Florida State and Toledo, this game will be Notre Dame's first true test. Whoever wins will shoot up in the AP Poll, potentially into one of the top four slots.
JC Colavita is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. You can contact him via email at jrc6383@psu.edu.
