It took just five games of being an FBS program for James Madison to get ranked when they slid in at No. 25 in this week’s AP Poll. As the Dukes continue to cruise in their transition year, much of the rest of the Group of 5 is getting sorted into contenders, middle-of-the-road squads and also-rans. After being “on the bubble” in four of our first five rankings this season, Boise State finally made its 2022 debut in the top 15, while Eastern Michigan earned a spot in these rankings for the first time ever after a dominant win at Western Michigan. Here’s this week’s top 15.
#1. Cincinnati Bearcats (Last Week: 1)
Early miscues led to a 10-0 deficit for Cincinnati against South Florida Saturday, but the Bearcats battled back for a 28-24 win. A BYU loss to Notre Dame in Las Vegas helped Cincy claim the highest ranking among Group of 5 programs in the AP Poll this week. Ben Bryant shook off throwing an interception on Cincinnati’s first offensive play to finish the game 15-21 for 178 yards with two touchdowns. Charles McLelland set new career highs in rushing attempts (21) and yards (179) and scored two touchdowns for the second time this season, the first coming in the Bearcats’ rivalry win over Miami (OH). The Bearcat defense had its share of troubles in the game, not recording a single sack or takeaway while allowing the Bulls to convert on eight of 15 third downs. A key stop on fourth down with just over five minutes to play was the biggest highlight for the defensive unit, as the offense would run out the clock on its ensuing drive. Cincinnati has next week off before traveling to SMU on October 22.
#2. James Madison Dukes (4)
James Madison now sits at 5-0 with an average margin of victory of 29.2 points after a 42-20 win at Arkansas State Saturday. After starting the game with two punts and a missed field goal, the Dukes scored touchdowns on six of their final eight drives, with the other two being another missed field goal and the end of the game. Todd Centeio was dominant, completing 28 of 37 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with Kris Thornton nine times for 173 yards in the win. Percy Agyei-Obese ran for 158 yards and two scores on 21 carries, highlighting a major advantage for JMU on the ground. The Red Wolves managed just 20 yards on 27 carries as a team in the game, and the Dukes are now allowing just 42 rush yards per game this season. Next week, JMU has a potentially tricky matchup against a Georgia Southern team that’s coming off back-to-back losses but is 2-0 at home and beat Nebraska in the game that ended Scott Frost’s tenure as the Cornhuskers’ head coach. Saturday’s kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Eastern.
#3. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (3)
Coastal Carolina got all of its scoring done in the first half and held on for a 28-21 victory at UL-Monroe Saturday to move to 6-0 on the year and become the first bowl eligible Group of 5 team this season. Total yardage was nearly even between Coastal and ULM, with the Chanticleers gaining 433 yards of offense to the Warhawks’ 424. The biggest difference in the game was red zone success, as the Coastal Carolina defense came up with a fumble recovery and two fourth-down stops when ULM had the ball near the end zone. Grayson McCall and CJ Beasley once again led the CCU offense, as McCall had 287 yards of total offense with one touchdown while Beasley ran for 115 yards and two scores. With three one-score victories now under their belt, Coastal will look to keep the undefeated season going hosting Old Dominion Saturday at noon Eastern.
#4. UCF Knights (7)
With three consecutive wins of at least 17 points, UCF is starting to look like a powerhouse once again as the Knights hope to get to the AAC Championship Game for the first time since 2018. Wednesday against SMU, in a game that got moved back due to Hurricane Ian, the Knights got a slow start, trailing 13-10 at halftime. UCF turned it on in the second half, however, with a 31-0 run that included three fourth-down stops and a safety by the defense. Each of the four second-half touchdown drives featured a highlight play: a 51-yard completion, a 26-yard touchdown pass, a 58-yard touchdown pass, and a 30-yard run. John Rhys Plumlee threw for over 300 yards, Javon Baker and Ryan O’Keefe both had over 100 receiving yards with O’Keefe having both touchdown receptions, and Isaiah Bowser ran in three touchdowns. Next week, UCF hosts Temple looking to win a sixth consecutive game against the Owls. Thursday night’s game will kick off at 7 p.m. Eastern.
#5. Liberty Flames (6)
Liberty went up to fellow independent UMass Saturday and cruised to a 42-24 victory. The win puts the Flames at 5-1 on the season with the only loss being a one point game at Wake Forest. Liberty’s defense dominated Saturday’s game, holding UMass to just 233 yards of total offense, 1-14 on third downs, and 6-14 passing with an interception. Liberty’s offense coughing up a fumble return touchdown for the Minutemen made the score look less impressive than the defensive performance let on, but it was another impressive performance for a unit that has surrendered 30+ points just once (to Wake Forest) and held opponents under 15 twice. Liberty should have an easy path to 6-1 hosting Gardner Webb next week, with Saturday’s kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
#6. Tulane Green Wave (8)
#7. BYU Cougars (2)
#8. South Alabama Jaguars (9)
#9. San José State Spartans (13)
#10. Air Force Falcons (5)
#11. Boise State Broncos (On the Bubble)
#12. Troy Trojans (14)
#13. UTSA Roadrunners (15)
#14. Toledo Rockets (OTB)
#15. Eastern Michigan Eagles (NR)
Dropped Out
Appalachian State (10), UNLV (11), Memphis (12)
On the Bubble
Marshall, Appalachian State, UNLV, Memphis, UAB
Murphy's Field 
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