Group of Five teams are still hungry for statement opportunities. Which five could pose the biggest upset threats as we head into Week 5 action?
Many conferences are getting down to league play, narrowing the opportunities for Group of Five programs to make statements against Power Five opponents. But as we enter Week 5 of the 2017 college football season, there are still several chances for smaller schools to pull off big upsets this Saturday.
Even in games between Group of Five schools, though, there are some clear chances for upsets to emerge. Who has a shot of beating the point spread and winning outright this weekend? Keep reading for five Group of Five teams that will have their more-heralded opponents on upset alert this weekend. (All point spreads courtesy of Sportsbook Review.)
New Mexico State is playing in a sort of limbo this season. The Aggies are in their last year as a Sun Belt member before going off alone into the land of FBS independence. It was never the easiest of marriages between school and conference, as the Aggies were football-only members. What that means, though, is that 2017 marks the last year where we can put the Aggies on this list.
After the first four games of the year, it feels like only a matter of time before New Mexico State pulls off a big win. In their season opener, the Aggies took Arizona State to the brink before falling 37-31. Two weeks later, NMSU fell in another close contest, this time 27-24 to Sun Belt favorite Troy. Even in defeat, New Mexico State is averaging nearly four touchdowns per game.
When you add in their wins in rivalry games against New Mexico and UTEP, New Mexico State’s scoring average jumps up to 31.5 points per game. This week, they will take their show on the road to Fayetteville against an Arkansas team reeling from their latest loss to Texas A&M in overtime last Saturday.
With Tyler Rogers quarterbacking one of the 10 best passing offenses in the nation, New Mexico State will make life difficult for the Arkansas secondary. The Razorbacks are holding opponents to 160 passing yards per game, but they are also 1-2 at this point of the year. Bret Bielema’s seat could heat up to inferno levels if he loses to the 17-point underdogs from Las Cruces.