FCS Football: Three Top 25 Teams On Upset Alert In Week 5

Last week, two of the three teams on upset alert ended up losing, including New Hampshire's 30-27 loss to Dartmouth and Monmouth's dominant 51-33 win over Villanova.

There a multiple Top 25 teams that could be on upset alert in Week 5. 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 5.

No. 12 Abilene Christian at Incarnate Word

Abilene Christian already has one of the best resumes in the FCS, holding two ranked wins over Stephen F. Austin and Austin Peay. The Wildcats have a chance to add another key non-conference win, but will have to do it on the road against an extremely desperate 1-3 Incarnate Word team. The Cardinals fell just short of an upset last weekend against Northern Arizona, but now face a potential must-win situation to keep their postseason hopes alive. The Wildcats are currently only 2.5-point favorites over the Cardinals.

Incarnate Word has been a different team since EJ Colson has taken over the starting quarterback position. He's thrown for 505 passing yards and five touchdowns with no turnovers over the past two games. The Cardinals have enough weapons on the outside to challenge a talented Abilene Christian secondary. Jalen Walthall has returned from injury, but sophomore Jameson Garcia has emerged as an outstanding threat alongside former All-American Chedon James.

Abilene Christian should have the significant advantage at the line of scrimmage. The Wildcats have held opponents to 3.9 yards per carry, which is not a great matchup for an UIW rushing attack that's struggled all season, averaging only 2.4 yards per carry. If UIW is going to pull off the upset, Colson is going to have to be special. It won't be easy as the Wildcats have their own star at quarterback in Stone Earle, who has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 10 total touchdowns.

No. 18 West Georgia at Southern Utah

Don't let the 1-3 overall record fool you... Southern Utah has enough talent to make things very interesting this weekend. West Georgia might be one of the best stories in college football this year. The Wolves are 4-0, with all wins coming against Division I opponents, earning a Top 25 ranking for the first time since transitioning to Division I. The Wolves are currently a 1.5-point favorite over the Thunderbirds.

West Georgia's defense has been the catalyst behind the hot start, holding opponents to 274.3 yards per game and only 4.3 yards per play. The Wolves have generated 28 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, four interceptions, and 21 quarterback hurries. This may be their biggest test of the season. Southern Utah's offense has been electric, averaging 39 points and 492 yards per game. Quarterback Bronson Barron is playing elite football right now, while Travis Dye leads the UAC with 538 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

My biggest concern is Southern Utah's defense, particularly against the run, where they have allowed over 200 yards per game and over 6.0 yards per carry. The Wolves are averaging 215.8 rushing yards per game, making this the matchup to watch on Saturday night. This has all the makings of a potential upset, especially given the long trip from Carrollton, GA, to Cedar City, UT, for West Georgia.

Penn at No. 10 Lehigh

Lehigh has taken an early lead in the Patriot League race, starting 2-0 in conference play and 4-0 overall. The Mountain Hawks are currently a 13.5-point favorite over Penn, which started the year with a win over Stonehill last weekend.

The Quakers are a dangerous opponent, led by quarterback Liam O'Brien, who stepped into a starting role over the last four games of last season. Last weekend, O'Brien passed for 238 yards and one touchdown, but will face a talented Lehigh secondary, allowing only 181.7 passing yards per game. The one concern is Penn's rushing attack, that only averaged 4.3 yards per carry in Week 4, matching up with Lehigh's rushing defense, which has held opponents to 2.7 yards per carry.

After a slow start, Lehigh's offense has found its rhythm, scoring 35 or more points in back-to-back games. The Penn defense held Stonehill to 266 total yards and only 4.5 yards per play. If the Quakers can limit Lehigh's rushing offense, it'll be up to quarterback Hayden Johnson to make the plays to win the game. Lehigh has the potential to be a real threat in the FCS Playoffs, but this could be a trap game for the Mountain Hawks before they get back into conference play.

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