Illinois State Redbirds

Upset Watch: Possible Week 3 Mid-Major and FCS Upsets

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Six Group of Five squads and FCS Illinois State defeated Power Five teams in Week 2. Who might pull off an upset of a powerhouse in Week 3?

Last week was supposed to be a mellow weekend, with none of the AP Top 25 teams playing one another and a lot of what looked like paycheck games on the schedule. Then they kicked off on Saturday, and everything devolved into mayhem. After the dust settled, upset after upset had shaken up the college football landscape:

The lesson to take away is that every week can yield surprising results, and the craziest conclusions often occur when and where you least suspect them.

So let’s look forward to the upcoming slate of games in Week 3 and break down which games provide the greatest upset potential and/or the biggest potential impact should an upset occur. You can also find a full schedule of Group of Five vs. Power Five matchups and a separate chart of FCS vs. Power Five contests at the end of this article. (All kickoff times listed are Eastern.)

Sep 3, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Chris Ash walks the sidelines against the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter at Husky Stadium. Washington won 48-13. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

New Mexico Lobos at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Saturday/12:00 pm)

Rutgers looked shaky in the early going against FCS Howard last week, and though they lost by one to New Mexico State in the Rio Grande Rivalry last weekend New Mexico remains a solid Mountain West team. Watch out for Lobos running back Teriyon Gipson, the leader of a backfield that is currently ranked seventh in the FBS in rushing offense.

The Scarlet Knights are ranked 49th nationally in rushing defense, though they’ve yet to face a team as run-oriented as New Mexico. If Chris Ash’s team gets off to a slow start at home on Saturday, they could find themselves falling to their mid-major opponent to fall to 1-2 on the season.

Sep 12, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Ke’aun Kinner (22) is tackled by Memphis Tigers defensive back Chris Morley (17) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas Jayhawks at Memphis Tigers (Saturday/12:00 pm)

Last season Memphis annihilated Kansas 55-23, and after the Jayhawks fell last weekend to Ohio we are likely to see more of the same in 2016 from the matchup between these two schools. As such it might be hard to call this a true upset, though a win over any Power Five team provides a boost for mid-majors.

The Tigers offense isn’t quite as prolific as it was when Paxton Lynch was leading the show under center last year, but Memphis fields a strong defense that has held its first two opponents to 253 yards and 17 points per game. Despite losing head coach Justin Fuente to Virginia Tech, Memphis should get another win over Kansas.

Sep 9, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Eric Dungey (2) goes head first to the turf after leaping over Louisville Cardinals cornerback Trumaine Washington (15) while running with the ball during the second quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

South Florida Bulls at Syracuse Orangemen (Saturday/3:30 pm)

South Florida entered 2016 as a favorite in the AAC East, and after blowing out FCS Towson and Northern Illinois in their first two games the Bulls now get the chance to take down an ACC opponent. Syracuse had no problem taking care of business against FCS Colgate in its opener, but the Orangemen are coming into the USF matchup after a demoralizing loss to Louisville last week.

Eric Dungey has been great at QB for Syracuse, but he faces a challenge against USF’s top-20 pass efficiency defense. If the Bulls can disrupt Dungey’s rhythm early, we could see South Florida run away with this showdown between former Big East rivals.

Sep 3, 2016; Evanston, IL, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge (7) runs after a catch against Northwestern Wildcats defensive lineman Fred Wyatt (92) during the first quarter at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Western Michigan Broncos at Illinois Fighting Illini (Saturday/4:00 pm)

The Broncos can already claim one victory over Big Ten competition after taking down Northwestern in the season opener, and now they get the chance to go 2-0 against the league when they head to Champaign to face Illinois. Western Michigan has outscored opponents 92-42 in their first two games, and rather than depending on quarterback Zach Terrell the Broncos are finding balance from a strong running game.

The Fighting Illini were routed by North Carolina last week, and Oklahoma State transfer Wes Lunt is throwing for fewer than 200 yards per game. WMU is the favorite in the MAC West and could stay on track for an Access Bowl bid with another Power Five statement win.

Sep 10, 2016; Greenville, NC, USA; East Carolina Pirates running back Anthony Scott (3) celebrates his forth quarter touchdown run with teammate quarterback James Summers (11) against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. East Carolina Pirates defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack 33-30. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

East Carolina Pirates at South Carolina Gamecocks (Saturday/4:00 pm)

Like Western Michigan, the Pirates have already knocked off one Power Five school after taking down NC State at home last week. The win was East Carolina’s sixth straight against ACC competition, and now they’ll try to add an SEC takedown to their season resume when they head to Columbia to take on South Carolina.

The Gamecocks barely beat Vanderbilt in their conference opener, and suffered their first loss to Mississippi State last weekend in a game that was never really close. Two years ago ECU lost 33-23 at South Carolina, and this could be their best chance to exact revenge for that defeat.

Sep 19, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema during the fourth quarter against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Texas Tech defeated Arkansas 35-24. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Texas State Bobcats at Arkansas Razorbacks (Saturday/7:30 pm)

Okay, so this is probably the least likely of the upset bids on this week’s list. But if Texas State, a dark-horse candidate in a wide-open Sun Belt race this season, could knock off an Arkansas team that toppled TCU last weekend it would reverberate through the polls.

While everyone is rightly gushing over the Razorbacks’ overtime victory over the Horned Frogs, it is important to remember that this is the same team that needed a late touchdown just to beat Louisiana Tech by one in its season opener.

Bret Bielema’s team is ranked in the bottom third of the FBS in both passing and rushing offense, and could be ripe for a letdown after winning such an emotional game in Week 2.

Jan 9, 2016; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison cornerback Jordan Champion (5) celebrates intercepting a pass with his teammates in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the FCS Championship college football game at Toyota Stadium. North Dakota State won the championship 37-10. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

North Dakota State at Iowa Hawkeyes (Saturday/12:00 pm)

Five-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State heads to Iowa on Saturday, hoping to extend its winning streak against Power Five teams to five game in a streak that dates back to 2010.

The Hawkeyes made light work of Iowa State last weekend, knocking off the Cyclones 42-3. But the Bison, regardless of their FCS designation, are a far better team than anybody Iowa has yet played this year. If the Hawkeyes hope to remain relevant in the Big Ten this year after winning the West Division in 2015, they have to avoid the upset against the strongest college team outside the FBS.

Sep 10, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Ohio Bobcats quarterback Greg Windham (14) carries the ball against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at Memorial Stadium in Week 2. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Group of Five vs. Power Five Games in Week 3

FCS vs. Power Five Games in Week 3