Highlights: CSJ FBS Group of Five Top Five Games and Recap of Week 7

Cincinnati RB Jerome Ford rushing against UCF in the Bearcats 56-21 victory. (Courtesy of AP)

Cincinnati continues to roll and likely will be the #2 ranked team in all of the FBS when the polls are release this week.  The Bearcats played what most thought would be the toughest AAC conference game at the beginning of the season against UCF this week.  Over the past couple of years, this game has been the game of the year in the AAC.  The two played to a three-point win each of the last two years with the Bearcats beating the Knights.    The game was really not even close this time around. 

Bearcat RB Jerome Ford rushed for a career-high 189 yards and four touchdowns, helping Cincinnati roll past UCF 56-21.

QB Desmond Ridder passed for 140 yards and a touchdown as the Bearcats extended the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 24 games. 

This game’s result gave the first time in school history that Cincinnati scored 50 or more points in consecutive games. 

Cincinnati will have a date with SMU on November 20th in what looks like will decide the AAC race. 


Here are some highlights from this game.

Other Undefeated Teams

The challenges for Cincinnati are down to four other undefeated teams left in the Group of Five.  There are also six Power Five league teams undefeated that likely will all challenge (Georgia, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Wake Forest) for College Football Playoff Position.

Here are the four other G5 undefeated teams with their results with highlights from this week if they had a game and what they have ahead of them. 

Cincinnati (6-0) (defeated UCF 56-21)

Next game: Oct. 23 at Navy

Coastal Carolina (6-0) (off week)

Next game: Oct. 20 at Appalachian State

SMU (6-0) (off week)

Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Tulane

San Diego State (6-0) (defeated San Jose Sate 16-10 (OT))

Next game: Oct. 23 at Air Force

UTSA (7-0) (defeated Rice 45-0)

Next game: Oct. 23 at Louisiana Tech

In the Win Column

Connecticut won their first game of the season with its win at home over FCS Yale. The Huskies won for the first time since October 2019 in defeating the Bulldogs 21–15.

UConn had a 21-0 lead to begin the game but held on including an interception on the game’s final play to secure the victory.

Here are some highlights from this game.

The Huskies (1–7) snapped an 11-game losing streak to end the second-longest losing streak in the nation (Arizona hasn’t won since Oct. 5, 2019 and UNLV is now the only other FBS team (and only G5 team) without a win this year. 

Top Five Games of the Week

Aside from the action above, the Group of Five had several close contests with two needing extra time before they were settled. Here are my Top Five games of the Week with a bonus selection as there was six this week that had close calls.

1. Tulsa 32 South Florida 31 (Tampa, Fla.)

2. Buffalo 27 Ohio 26 (Buffalo, N.Y.)

3. Central Michigan 26 Toledo 23 (OT) (Mount Pleasant, Mich.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isaiSTB91YU

4. Louisiana-Monroe 31 Liberty 28 (Monroe, La.)

5. Air Force 24 Boise State 17 (Boise, Idaho)

BONUS: Utah State 28 UNLV 24 (Las Vegas, Nev.)