Week 5 FBS Preview: Georgia-'Bama, Louisville-Notre Dame, More

September 26, 2024 by Rich Cirminiello, VP of College Awards at Maxwell Football Club, and CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

(FRIDAY UPDATE: Liberty at App State canceled due to damage at campus and surrounding areas)
(SATURDAY UPDATE: Samford at Furman, Davidson at Presbyterian join Alabama A&M at Florida A&M on football postponement list).

Hurricane Helene will be wreaking havoc on portions of the deep south Thursday night/early Friday morning, and then up into the Ohio Valley. It is possible that the weekend's college football schedule could face some alterations. We will try to do our best to keep you updated on x.com/cfpoll.

As of the time of this posting, the only postponement is the FCS battle of Alabama A&M at Florida A&M in Tallahassee which was moved to November 29.

The weekend slate kicks off tonight with Army West Point at Temple. It presents two more games on Friday featuring Rutgers, the winner of last Saturday's game at Virginia Tech, playing at Washington, and the loser of that contest heading to Miami (FLA).

Saturday's full slate starts with a dozen Noon kick-off games (eastern time) with half of those at 11:00 a.m. local time.

The following is just four of the top games on the agenda on Saturday. There are certainly others.

Kentucky (2-2) at Ole Miss (4-0) - Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET (ABC)

Finally, a chance to watch Ole Miss against a quality program.

The Rebels have stampeded through four overmatched opponents by a gaudy margin, but how high is their ceiling this season? While this is clearly a very talented team with deep playoff run potential, it’s hard to get a complete gauge against the likes of Wake Forest and Georgia Southern. Kentucky has been erratic in September, but it also took Georgia to the wire two weeks ago. And the Wildcats are the best D Jaxson Dart & Co. will face in the first half of the year.

Louisville (3-0) at Notre Dame (3-1) - Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Peacock Exclusive)

The Irish get a chance to avenge last year’s loss to the Cardinals in Louisville.

Notre Dame has rebounded from its loss to Northern Illinois by disposing of Purdue and Miami (OH) by a combined score of 94-10. The D has been outstanding, and QB Riley Leonard finally threw a TD pass last week versus the RedHawks. The Irish likely still control their own CFP destiny but the Cards are dangerous and talented. Louisville has won its first three games by double-digits, beating Georgia Tech this past weekend, but this is its first road trip. It’ll be a particularly interesting test for QB Tyler Shough who hasn’t faced a defense this good in a long time.

Georgia (3-0) at Alabama (3-0) - Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

It’s the game of the year so far, with two storied SEC programs battling in primetime with a chance to make a massive national statement.

Of course, anything could happen between now and December but Saturday’s winner in Tuscaloosa will take an enormous step toward an automatic playoff berth. Georgia and Alabama are both in the top 5 so the scene at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be predictably electric. Bama has had the Dawgs’ number recently, winning eight of the last nine meetings, including last year’s SEC Championship Game. However, Nick Saban was on the sideline for all of those matchups. This time, it’s Kalen DeBoer who’ll be going head-to-head with Kirby Smart. A game of this magnitude will also have serious Maxwell Award implications as Jalen Milroe and Carson Beck square off as two of the premier quarterbacks in the country.

Illinois (4-0) at Penn State (3-0) - Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Illinois has raised the bar so far in September. Now the Illini get a chance to shock the world.

Head coach Bret Bielema is doing a terrific job in Champaign. His Fighting Illini have already upset two teams that were ranked at kickoff, Kansas and Nebraska last Friday in Lincoln. Illinois is winning with defense and the versatile playmaking of QB Luke Altmyer. Penn State, though, will be a heavy favorite Saturday night in Happy Valley. The Lions have more weapons, particularly in the backfield, and it figures to be tough sledding for Illinois against a very good Penn State defense.

Top Performers (Week 4) - Offense

The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best player with the Maxwell Award. CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the voting panel.

Here’s a look at some of last week’s standout performances on offense.

QB Luke Altmyer, Illinois

The Fighting Illini are now 4-0 after beating Nebraska in Lincoln in a battle of ranked teams Friday night. Altmyer was terrific and wound up outplaying his celebrated counterpart, Husker rookie Dylan Raiola. Altmyer completed 21-of-27 for 215 yards and four touchdowns, capped by the game-winning strike to Pat Bryant in overtime. The junior now has 10 TD passes and no interceptions through the first four games.

QB Alonza Barnett III, James Madison

Where was THIS offense all month, JMU? The Dukes, who scored 13 points against Gardner-Webb in Week 2, rung up two under par in a record-setting 70-50 rout of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Barnett was the unstoppable ringleader of the assault. He sets a new program record by accounting for seven touchdowns, five through the air and two on the ground, and 487 total yards against an ACC defense in its own building.

WR Tre Harris, Ole Miss

Bring on the SEC portion of the schedule. Ole Miss was electric in the non-conference portion of the schedule, outscoring four opponents, 220-22. Georgia Southern was the latest victim in front of a record crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Harris continues to be Jaxson Dart’s preferred target, catching 11 balls for a career-high 225 yards and two scores. It’s gonna be a blast watching this offense over the next few months.

QB Blake Horvath, Navy

Horvath authored in Week 4 one of the greatest games ever by a Navy quarterback. The junior did it all in leading the Midshipmen to a 56-44 upset of No. 23 Memphis, one of the favorites to represent the Group of Five in the College Football Playoff. Horvath shattered all kinds of personal bests by rushing for 211 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 192 yards and two more scores on 9-of-12 passing.

RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

When Iowa is scoring 31 points in Big Ten road games, this team has to be considered a sleeper in the conference race. The Hawkeyes pulled away from Minnesota in the second half of a convincing 17-point victory. Without much help from the passing game, Johnson carried the offense with a career-best 206 yards and three scores on 21 carries. He now leads the FBS in total rushing yards and is averaging 8.3 yards per carry.

QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Things are beginning to get interesting at Clemson. Since scoring just three points in the opener with Georgia, the Tigers have now hung up 125 points in consecutive routs of Appalachian State and NC State. Klubnik has been the catalyst. In Saturday’s 59-35 battering of the Wolfpack, the surging junior accounted for four touchdowns, with the opening salvo being a 55-yard burst through the D. He also completed 16-of-24 for 209 yards, three TDs and no turnovers before giving reps to the backups.

QB Graham Mertz, Florida

Seriously, Mertz is a quality quarterback, despite the messiness that’s surrounded the Gator program since the season began. Florida earned a stop-the-bleeding road win over Mississippi State Saturday, 45-28, to even its record at 2-2. The accurate Mertz was locked in against the Bulldogs, completing 19-of-21 for 201 yards and three touchdowns in a turnover-free game. He also added 24 yards and a TD on the ground.

RB Brashard Smith, SMU

TCU was clubbed by SMU in Dallas Saturday, 66-42, like it was absorbing an Iron Skillet to the noggin. The Mustangs won every phase of the game, creating five turnovers and scoring three non-offensive touchdowns. Smith, a first-year transfer from Miami, was the offensive hero. He scored four times and amassed a personal-best 190 all-purpose yards, including 127 rushing yards on only 18 carries.

Top Performers (week 4) - Defense

The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best defensive player with the Chuck Bednarik Award. CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the voting panel.

Here’s a look at some of last week’s standout defenders.

OLB David Bailey, Stanford

Stanford traveled cross-country to pick up its first-ever ACC win, stunning Syracuse Friday night, 26-24, on a field goal as time expired. Bailey didn’t even start yet he was instrumental in slowing down QB Kyle McCord and the Orange. Bailey’s bend and explosiveness were too much for Syracuse’s tackles as he produced four tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and four total pressures despite playing just 23 snaps.

SPUR Tyrin Bradley, West Virginia

You have to be versatile to play the SPUR in West Virginia’s defense. Bradley checks all the boxes for the Mountaineers. In Saturday’s comeback win over Kansas, Bradley showcased his range and myriad skills in his toolbox. The 6-2, 255-pound senior from Lubbock, Tex. had seven stops, a sack and a hand in two turnovers, an interception and a forced fumble that closed out the 32-28 victory.

LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo

Dolac isn’t Khalil Mack, but he’s having a Khalil Mack kind of start to the 2024 season. The Bulls’ tackling machine sparked an upset of No. 23 Northern Illinois, 23-20, on an afternoon that the offense produced just nine first downs and 184 total yards. Dolac, who now leads the FBS in tackles, had a personal-best 19 stops in DeKalb, including 4.5 for minus yards and a 53-yard interception return.

LB Eric Gentry, USC

Troy lost for the first time this year, and the D allowed 290 yards on the ground. But Gentry, the 6-6, 215-pound senior from Philadelphia, played very well at the Big House. The Trojans’ most consistent defender of the afternoon racked up a game-high 12 tackles, including eight solos, three stops for loss, a sack of Alex Orji and a forced fumble.

SAFETY TJ Metcalf, Arkansas

The Hogs earned a big win in Week 4, knocking off Auburn at Jordan-Hare, 24-14, to move to 3-1. Metcalf was outstanding playing back in his home state. The Birmingham native had four tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and two pass breakups. In so doing, Metcalf became the first Arkansas player since Kenoy Kennedy in 1999 with two picks, a forced fumble and two PBUs in a single game.

DE Patrick Payton, Florida State

When all else fails, just lean harder on the defense. The Seminoles struggled again on offense, but the D did all the heavy lifting for the school’s first win of the year, 14-9 over Cal. Payton provided the pass-rushing spark as FSU allowed just three field goals to the Bears. The future NFL Draft pick’s five tackles included 3.5 behind the line and three sacks of QB Fernando Mendoza.

SAFETY Trey Rucker, Oklahoma State

The Cowboys lost a pivotal showdown with Utah in Stillwater, but Rucker had a whale of a game. The 6-0, 210-pound senior was the best defensive performer in a battle dominated by the defenses. Rucker not only notched a game-high 14 tackles, including one for loss, but he also had both of Oklahoma State’s interceptions. His Pro Football Focus grade of 91.4 ranked fourth among all Week 4 safeties.

EDGE Josaiah Stewart, Michigan

Defense and the running game. It’s a formula that’s worked in the past for the Wolverines and it worked again in Saturday’s upset of No. 11 USC. Powerful RB Kalel Mullings, a former linebacker, carried the offense with 159 yards and two TDs, capped by the game-winner late in the fourth. Meanwhile, Stewart was one of the defensive stars with four tackles, three stops for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. He had eight total pressures of Miller Moss and the highest grade of any Week 4 defensive player, according to Pro Football Focus.

Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Player of the Week

The Maxwell Football Club supports former Alabama and Seattle Seahawks star RB Shaun Alexander in annually naming the top college freshman.

LB Josiah Trotter, West Virginia: There’s a rich tradition of playmaking linebackers in the Trotter family that Josiah is ready to build upon in Morgantown. His dad, Jeremiah Sr., was a two-time All-Pro with the Philadelphia Eagles and his brother, Jeremiah Jr., was a Clemson All-American before being drafted by the Eagles last spring. Josiah has the pedigree and the talent after sitting out his first season at West Virginia with a knee injury. In Saturday’s pivotal comeback win over Kansas, he helped keep the Jayhawks in check when it mattered most with a game-high 11 tackles. It was Trotter’s second double-digit tackle game of the month.

FBS vs. FCS

10 more FBS-FCS games were played last weekend with the FBS schools going 9-1. The FBS schools to raise their record to 106-5 in such games this season, and a collective 1,906-157 (.924) since we began tracking this in 2003.

Only 3 such games take place this week with Wagner at Florida Atlantic, UT-Martin at Kennesaw, and Holy Cross at Syracuse.

In 2024, there are 121 scheduled scheduled matchups between FBS and FCS schools with 119 schools playing one such game, while Hawaii and UMass each play two.

This year, 15 schools do not play a FCS opponent and 5 are in the B1G (Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, USC and UCLA). Texas is the only school in the SEC that will not play a FCS program. The same is true for Virginia Tech in the ACC. In fact, Texas and Virginia Tech, along with Michigan and Houston, are repeats from last year's list of schools that played all FBS programs.

2024 FCS wins vs. FBS:
August 24: Montana State 35, New Mexico 31
September 7: St. Francis (PA) 23, Kent State 17
September 7: Idaho 17, Wyoming 13
September 7: Southern Utah 27, UTEP 24 (OT)
September 21: Monmouth 45, FIU 42

In 2023, FBS schools were 114-4. These were the FCS wins last year:
September 9: Idaho 33, Nevada 6
September 9: Southern Illinois 14, Northern Illinois 12
September 9: Fordham 40, Buffalo 37
September 16: Sacramento State 30, Stanford 23

Streaks - Current FBS Longest

GEORGIA - Won 42 straight regular season games, 26 straight at home, and 16 straight true road wins.
Last: Won 13-12 at Kentucky on Saturday, September 14.
Next: at Alabama on Saturday, September 28.

MICHIGAN - 26 straight conference wins.
Last: Won 27-24 at home over USC on Saturday, September 21.
Next: Hosts Minnesota on Saturday, September 28.

MISSOURI - Won 8 straight overall. (Army and Ole Miss have 7 straight)
Last: Won 30-27 in OT at home over Vanderbilt on Saturday, September 21.
Next: at Texas A&M on Saturday, October 5 after a bye week.

KENT STATE - Lost 13 straight over-all.
Last: Lost 56-0 at Penn State on Saturday, September 21.
Next: Hosts Eastern Michigan on Saturday, September 28.

ULM - Lost 10 straight conference games (tied with Vanderbilt).
Last: Lost 51-3 at Texas on Saturday, September 21.
Next: at Troy on Saturday, September 28.

VANDERBILT - Lost 10 straight conference games (tied with ULM).
Last: Lost 30-27 in 2 OT at Missouri on Saturday, September 21.
Next: Hosts Alabama on Saturday, October 5 after a bye week.

STANFORD - Lost 9 straight home games to FBS foes.
Last: Won 26-24 at Syracuse on Friday, September 20.
Next: Another trip to the east coast, this time at Clemson on Saturday, September 28.

UTEP - Lost 6 straight home games.
Last: Lost 27-17 at Colorado State on Saturday, September 21.
Next: Hosts Sam Houston on Thursday, October 3 after a bye week.

TEMPLE - Lost 16 straight true road games.
Last: Won 45-29 at home over Utah State on Saturday, September 21.
Next: Hosts Army this Thursday, September 26.

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Rich Cirminiello is the VP of College Awards at Maxwell Football Club. He can be followed on Twitter at @Rich Cirminiello