Around the Group of Five: Sept. 6

The Mountain West

Boise State made some serious noise after running all over Georgia Southern in an impressive 56-45 win for the Broncos.

The Broncos are more like a one-trick pony, with their game plan being “give the ball to Ashton Jeanty.” who had a whopping 267 yards on the ground and 6 touchdowns.

Running back Sire Gaines was also impressive while toting the rock, averaging 9.2 yards a carry and hitting the endzone once.

Boise State has a tough battle against Oregon, who struggled with an Idaho team that everyone expected the Ducks to obliterate. Even as 19-point underdogs, there’s some real hype that Boise State could have the formula to pull off one of the craziest upsets in college football history.

Air Force defeated Merrimack 21-6 to start the season. The Falcons look to continue their momentum against conference opponent San Jose State.

The San Jose State Spartans are also 1-0, after beating Sacramento State 42-24 in their home opener.

Mid-American Conference (MAC)

We saw plenty of Maction Week 1 as Akron took on Ohio State, and Toledo blew the doors off Duquesne.

Ball State starts their season on Saturday with a home opener against Missouri State. The Cardinals look to rebrand bringing in 44 new players and brand new coordinators on both sides of the football.

Young quarterback Kadin Semonza will be given the starting job after completing 50 of 82 passes for 48 yards and three touchdowns in his redshirt freshman season.

Bowling Green unveiled the option game against Fordham University, running the football for 305 total yards and having a solid day throwing the football as well.

The Falcons will have a much bigger test on their hands as they travel to Happy Valley in Week 2 hoping to pull off the upset for the ages against Penn State.

Akron put up a fight against Ohio State… in the first half. The second half consisted of a 35-3 point differential in the favor of Ohio State.

Sun Belt

The 2024 “Funbelt” is here and the games have lived up to the reputation the conference has gained over the last few years.

Appalachian State has a battle against No. 25 ranked Clemson, the Tigers got bludgeoned by Georgia 34-3 and are looking to use App State as a bounce-back game.

Another squad facing a team in desperation for a good performance is the Marshall Thundering Herd.

With an impressive 45-3 against the Stony Brook Seawolves, The Herd are looking to pull off the stunner against the Hokies at home.

Old Dominion had an impressive 23-19 showing against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

With a defense that's humming and a favorable remaining schedule, expect the Monarchs to be competing for the conference later in the season.

Conference USA

Sam Houston started the season 1-0 after a strong win over Rice. The Bearkats face off against UCF in Florida for a 6:30 kickoff.

The UCF Knights are arguably the toughest game on Sam Houston’s schedule, so this game stands as a big test for what's to come for the Bearkats.

With another tester game against TCU, the Bearkats need to put up a strong performance to stay relevant in the season.

FIU had a similar story to UTEP, helping a Big Ten school show off its promise in an embarrassing 31-7 loss against Indiana.

The Panthers will look to turn things around in their home opener against Central Michigan, a team that blew out the Central Connecticut Blue Devils at home 66-10

UTEP football acted as a pedestal for Nebraska to show off their new-look offense. UTEP plays Southern Utah for their home opener in hopes of putting something together.

Liberty still has a promising season on their hands after last week's 41-24 dispatching of Campbell. Liberty has an in-conference battle against New Mexico State for a lead in the conference.

American Conference

The Army Black Knights kicked off their 2024 season in impressive fashion, steamrolling over Lehigh with a decisive 42-7 victory that showcased both their offensive prowess and defensive tenacity.

Black Knights football has to follow it up with a road trip to conference their opponent the FAU Owls.

East Carolina has a huge Group of Five matchup against Old Dominion, a team that looked really good in their opening game on the road.

The Pirates will need to limit their turnovers if they want to take a key win on the road.

Tulane has a ranked matchup against the No. 17 ranked Kansas State Wildcats. The Green Wave could make a serious statement if they win before another huge road game against Oklahoma.

The UAB Blazers distributed the football well against Alcorn State, who had three passers combined for 60 total passing yards. The Blazers have a road stretch against LA Monroe, and the potential titan Arkansas that makes for a tough two weeks.

Antonio Fondacaro is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email adf5400@psu.edu