FCS Football: Three Top 25 Teams On Upset Alert In Week 4

Last week, two of our three teams on upset alert won by three or fewer points, including a game-winning touchdown by Northern Arizona, which helped the Lumberjacks escape with a 52-49 win over Southern Utah. Rhode Island also found a way to squeak by Holy Cross in a 9-7 defensive battle, in which the Rams did not score a touchdown.

There are a few Top 25 teams that could be on upset alert in Week 4. Official preview and predictions will be released on Friday, but we take a look at three ranked teams who shouldn't overlook their opponents this weekend.

Below are three Top 25 teams who should be on upset alert in Week 4.

No. 25 New Hampshire at Dartmouth

New Hampshire moved into the Top 25 for the first time this season. The Wildcats are 2-1 with wins over North Carolina Central and Holy Cross. They also pushed Ball State in their FBS matchup, falling 34-29 in a competitive game last weekend. We know it's hard to win on the road in college football. Not only does New Hampshire travel this weekend, but the Wildcats also face a really good Dartmouth team that has not played a game this year.

Dartmouth has won a share of the Ivy League the past two seasons, including an 8-2 season in 2024. Quarterback Grayson Saunier returns after taking over the starting job midseason, where he totaled 533 passing yards and 5 passing touchdowns. He added another 231 yards and five scores with his legs. The Big Green also returns six offensive starters, including All-American tackle Delby Lemieux. Sean Williams and Tyson Grimm headline a secondary that returns four starters, who all played over 350 snaps.

New Hampshire quarterback Matt Vezza has been really good this season. This defense has done a really good job against the pass, but can the Wildcats slow down Dartmouth's rushing attack? The Wildcats have won the previous two games against Dartmouth, but this has all the makings of a dangerous road trip for New Hampshire.

Southern Utah at No. 9 UC Davis

It's been a tough two weeks for Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds suffered an upset loss to San Diego, then followed that up with a heartbreaking loss to Northern Arizona in Week 3. This is going to be a desperate Southern Utah team, which could make things tricky for UC Davis at home. The Aggies moved to 1-1 after an FBS loss to Washington. They also had to overcome a 24-7 deficit against Utah Tech in Week 1.

Neither defense has played spectacularly this season, making me believe this could be a shootout. Southern Utah has averaged 40.7 points and 473 yards per game this season, which could give UC Davis' defense some problems. Bronson Barron is playing at a high level, throwing for over 800 yards and seven touchdowns with no turnovers. Is redshirt freshman Caden Pinnick ready to deliver in a high-scoring shootout against the Thunderbirds? That'll be the question as the Aggies will look to win a key non-conference game before Big Sky play begins next weekend.

No. 11 Villanova at No. 21 Monmouth

Monmouth is 3-0 all-time against Villanova, including last season when the Hawks upset the No. 10-ranked Wildcats. The Wildcats are 1-1 (1-0 vs FCS) with a win over Colgate in Week 2. The Hawks opened the season with wins over Colgate and Fordham before an FBS loss to Charlotte last weekend.

Nobody is confused about where this game will be won. All eyes will be on Villanova's defense as the Wildcats aim to stop the high-flying Monmouth offense. The Hawks are averaging 42 points and 535 yards per game this year, including an eye-opening 7.1 yards per play.

We still don't have a ton of data points for Villanova, which has only played one FCS matchup. The Wildcats returned six defensive players who played over 480 snaps last season. The biggest key for Villanova will be winning the turnover battle by forcing Derek Robertson into mistakes, giving their offense a short field and an opportunity to put up points.

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