TJ Chapman
Editor
Week 12 will feature the highs and lows of the Group of 5 conferences. While we like to feature the better games, it’s also fun to give some love to the teams struggling this season. Below are this week’s featured games.
No. 24 USF (7-2, 4-1) @ Navy (7-2, 5-1) noon ET, Nov. 15, Annapolis, MD on ESPN2
At the start of the season, USF was the darling of the college football world. Winning at home against Boise State and at Florida brought talk of the Bulls getting a spot in the College Football Playoff. USF has stumbled twice, but the CFP is still in its sights.
QB Byrum Brown is the leader of the Bulls’ offense. Brown has thrown for 2,203 yards with 19 TDs and 6 INTs. Brown also leads the team in rushing with 705 yards and 9 TDs. 16 different Bulls have caught a pass this season.
On defense, USF is giving up 24.22 points and 386.6 yards per game. The Bulls are tied for No. 14 in the FBS with 11 INTs. LB Mac Harris leads the team with 75 total tackles, 6 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.
Navy boasts one of the top offenses in the country. The Midshipmen average 439.8 yards per game, 32.0 points per game, and lead the FBS in rushing yards per game with 304.9. The rushing yards per game are 35.9 more than No. 2 Air Force’s 269.0.
QB Blake Horvath is having an incredible season. The senior has 1,143 passing yards with 7 TDs and 5 INTs. Horvath also leads the team in rushing with 926 yards and 13 TDS. However, Horvath sat out the loss last week to Notre Dame and is listed as questionable with an upper-body injury this week.
RB Alex Tecza has 646 total yards and 6 TDs. WR Eli Heidenreich leads the team with 33 catches for 595 yards and 4 TDs. WR Brandon Chatman has 481 total yards and 2 TDs.
The Navy defense has been leaky, giving up 393.6 yards and 26.8 points per game. DT Landon Robinson had 47 tackles and leads the team with 5.5 sacks. Robinson was recently named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award.
Kennesaw State (7-2, 5-0) @ Jacksonville State (6-3, 5-0) 8:00 p.m. ET, Nov. 15, Jacksonville, AL on ESPNU
Kennesaw State has been the surprise of Conference USA this season. Just a year ago, the Owls won only 2 games. First-year head coach Jerry Mack has orchestrated one of the best turnarounds in the FBS.
As a team, the Owls won’t blow you away statistically. They rank in the lower half in all major offensive and all but one defensive team statistic. QB Amari Odom has thrown for 1,268 yards with 8 TDs and 3 INTs. Odom leads the team with 4 rushing TDs. WR Gabriel Benyard has 38 catches for 568yards and 5 TDs.
The Owls’ defense gives up 383.0 yards and 21.11 points per game. The points per game statistic is the only major statistic in which KSU is in the upper half, No. 36 in the FBS. The Owls give up 148.6 rush yards per game. Freshman DL Elijah Hill leads the team with 6.5 sacks.
LB Baron Hopson has been lights out for KSU this season. He leads the team with 86 tackles. Benyard’s 39 solo tackles are more than the next highest defender has in total tackles.
Jacksonville State’s offense averages 260.9 rushing yards per game, No. 4 in the FBS. RB Cam Cook leads the FBS in rushing with 1,179 yards. Cook’s 12 rushing TDs are tied for sixth. Cook is third on the team with 21 receptions, showing he is dangerous in the passing game as well.
Jacksonville State’s defense gives up 378.6 yards and 26.0 points per game. The Gamecocks are tied for 15th in the FBS with 7 fumble recoveries. LBs Mac Sanders and Walker O’Steen have combined for 93 tackles.
Northern Illinois (2-7, 1-4) @ UMass (0-9, 0-5) 7:00 p.m. ET, Nov. 12, Amherst, MA on ESPNU
#MACtion Now it’s time to show some love to two FBS programs that are struggling. The combined record of these teams is 2-16, but let’s get to some positives.
Northern Illinois QBs have completed 112 passes this season. 36.6 percent of those completions (41) have gone to WR De’Aree Rogers. The junior wideout also leads Northern Illinois in receiving yards (468) and TDs (3).
The Huskies’ defense surrenders 354.9 yards and 24.33 points per game. LB Quinton Urwiler is tied for the FBS lead in tackles with 110. His 56 solo tackles rank second in the FBS.
The UMass offense has struggled to move the ball this season, ranking last in the FBS in both yards per game (244.6) and points per game (11.3). WR Jacquon Gibson has 43 catches for 393 yards.
On defense, UMass gives up 441.8 yards per game, No. 127 in the FBS. The scoring defense ranks No. 129, giving up 36.78 points per game. LBs Tyler Martin and Timmy Hinspeter have combined for 141 tackles.
Air Force (3-6, 2-4) @ UConn (7-3) noon ET, Nov. 15, East Hartford, CT on CBS Sports Network
The Air Force offense is led by QB Liam Szarka. The Falcons’ rush offense is second in the FBS, averaging 269.0 yards per game. Szarka has thrown for 1,260 yards with 9 TDs and 5 INTs. Szarka leads the Falcons with 903 rushing yards and 13 TDs. The rushing yards (12th) and TDs (T3) are ranked in the top 15 nationally.
WR Cade Harris leads Air Force with 31 catches for 536 yards and 2 TDs. Harris has also added 297 rushing yards, and his 4 rushing TDs are good for second on the team.
Air Force gives up 457.7 yards per game, No. 131 in the FBS. The Falcons give up 33.0 points per game, tied for No. 121. LB Blake Fletcher leads Air Force with 84 tackles.
UConn QB Joe Fagnano has been spectacular this season. Fagnano’s stats read like a video game on the freshman difficulty level. Fagnano has completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 2,840 yards (2nd FBS) with 25 TDs (3rd FBS). The most amazing stat is that Fagnano has yet to throw an INT this season.
WR Skyler Bell leads the FBS in receptions with 85 and receiving TDs with 13. Bell is second in the FBS in receiving yards with 1,081.
On defense, UConn is tied for 22nd in the FBS with 10 INTs. LB Bryun Parham tied for No. 3 in FBS with 10.5 sacks. If there is a way Air Force can exploit a UConn weakness, it will be in the run game. The Huskies give up 174.3 rushing yards per game. No. 106 in the FBS.
Troy (6-3, 4-1) @ Old Dominion (6-3, 3-2) 7:30 p.m. ET, Nov. 13, Norfolk, VA on ESPN
The Troy offense has struggled this season, gaining 324.9 yards and scoring 27.0 points per game. QB Tucker Kilcrease has 1,400 passing yards with 9 TDs and 4 INTs. Kilcrease is third on the team in rushing yards with 125 and leads with 5 rushing TDs.
Troy’s defense is a middle-of-the-pack defense, statistically. The Trojans surrender 24.11 points and 356.7 yards per game. Troy is tied for 18th in the FBS with 24 sacks. DE Donnie Smith leads the Trojans with 6 sacks.
Old Dominion has a potent offense, tied for No. 21 in the FBS with 451.8 yards per game. QB Colton Joseph has thrown for 2,231 yards with 19 TDs and 9 INTs. Joseph leads the Monarchs with 620 rushing yards and 9 TDs. WR Tre Brown, III, is fourth in the FBS with a 21.5-yard per reception average.
ODU’s defense, like Troy’s, is in the middle of the FBS statistically. The Monarchs give up 367.4 yards and 23.44 points per game. Safety Jerome Carter leads the team with 64 tackles and 3 INTs.
TJ Chapman
Editor
Week 10 in the Group of 5 will see another brick in the wall that is the American Conference fall. Seven American teams have one or no conference losses. In the remaining four conferences, two teams are looking to become bowl-eligible this week. The others are attempting to add to their win total to creep […]
TJ Chapman
Editor
Over the next few weeks, the Group of 5 conferences are going to start sorting out their championship game participants. This week, there are major games in the American Conference and Mountain West Conference. These games will start to shape the postseason for both. Below are this week’s featured games. American Conference USF (6-1, 3-0) […]
TJ Chapman
Editor
The Navy Midshipmen (6-0, 4-0) have won all six games so far this season. In five of the six games, they have scored at least 32 points. At the midway point of the season, the only question is, why aren’t the Midshipmen ranked in either Top 25 poll? Navy has played four conference games so […]
