Group of Five: Week 1 Power Rankings

4. South Alabama Jaguars (1-0/SUN)

• LAST WEEK: won 21-20 @ Mississippi State
• NEXT WEEK: September 10 v. Georgia Southern

When Mississippi State kicker Westin Graves pinged his attempt off the upright with six seconds remaining, it gave South Alabama its first win over a Power Five opponent in the eighth season of the program’s existence. It might not be wise to jump the gun on the Jaguars just yet, but there were promising signs that they can challenge for the Sun Belt in 2016. South Alabama held MSU to 4.6 yards per passing attempt, forcing the SEC favorites to rely almost solely on the run. Sophomore quarterback Dallas Davis completed 24 of his 34 attempts for 285 yards and a pair of passing touchdowns, finding Gerald Everett for the go-ahead score with 57 seconds remaining.

South Alabama can’t celebrate too long, however, as they dive immediately into conference play with next week’s showdown against Georgia Southern. They also have a showdown versus San Diego State on October 1, and the Jaguars get their own shot at LSU on November 19. Winning the Sun Belt will likely be Joey Jones’ first priority, but South Alabama proved it can play with anybody on any weekend.

Next: 3. Western Michigan Broncos