FCS Football: Three Top 25 Teams On Upset Alert In Week 3

The Week 3 slate only features one ranked matchup between No. 16 North Dakota and No. 5 Montana, but there's no shortage of intriguing games that could shake up the rankings next Monday.

We saw plenty of chaos last weekend with three Top 25 programs suffering upset losses to unranked opponents. This included non-scholarship San Diego stunning No. 24 Southern Utah on Saturday night and Lamar pulling off a historic upset over No. 4 South Dakota in Beaumont.

There are multiple Top 25 teams who could be on upset alert in Week 3. Official preview and predictions will be released later this week, 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 3.

No. 24 Lamar at Texas Southern

Not only does Lamar have to overcome the emotional high of a historic upset over South Dakota, but the Cardinals will be without starting quarterback Robert Coleman. The three-year starter suffered a shoulder injury last weekend, thrusting Aiden McCown into the starting role. He's the son of former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, but his first start comes on the road against a desperate 0-2 Texas Southern team.

Texas Southern suffered a tough one-point loss to Prairie View A&M in Week 1, but played well early in an FBS matchup against California last week. This was a one-score game last year, in which Texas Southern quarterback KJ Cooper missed with an injury. Cooper is back and playing well, while the defense, led by Isaiah Bogerty and Michael Akins, will be a tough test for McCown on Saturday night.

No. 6 Rhode Island at Holy Cross

Rhode Island has overcome a 10-point deficit in back-to-back games, earning key CAA wins to start the season. The slow starts could make this game interesting against Holy Cross, who may be 0-2, but have lost both games by only five combined points. It's been the offense that's struggled for Holy Cross, preventing the Crusaders from finishing games.

The matchup that will determine this one will be if Holy Cross' defense can find a way to slow down Rhode Island's offense. The Crusaders are only allowing 283 yards per game and have done an excellent job at forcing turnovers with three interceptions. On the other side, Devin Farrell looks like he's taken a step forward with 591 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero turnovers. Holy Cross will need to find a way to stop Marquis Buchanan and force Farrell into making mistakes to get the upset win on Saturday.

No. 18 Northern Arizona at Southern Utah

This may seem odd after Southern Utah suffered an upset loss to San Diego last weekend, but the Thunderbirds have all the pieces to make this game much closer than expected. Northern Arizona improved to 1-1 with a win over Utah Tech, but the Trailblazers scored 14 unanswered late in the fourth to make it a one-score game. A desperate team, paired with a non-conference road trip, is the perfect recipe for an upset.

Southern Utah will have to find a way to establish the run, which was a major issue against San Diego. It's an interesting matchup for Northern Arizona's rushing defense, which has allowed 6.8 yards per carry and nearly 180 yards per game. If the Thunderbirds can find success on the ground, along with Bronson Barron continuing to play well at quarterback, Southern Utah should have a chance to rebound with a ranked win.

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