Group of 5 Top 4 After Week 8
RELATED ARTICLES: W8 RECAP, CFP TEAMS, GOPHERS UPDATE, W9 PREVIEW
UCF held off a stingy Navy team to win 31-21. Adrian Killins rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Navy's quarterback Zach Abey was knocked out of the game in the second half, but still managed to rush for 126 yards. The Knights only have one more "big" test to anticipate before their finale against USF.
Those Bulls continue to make things interesting, as a 34-7 lead on Saturday evaporated to a 34-28 win. This team has the potential to run away with games, but they can't seem to do that for whatever reason. Charlie Strong has his defense playing well on top of an explosive offense, but slow starts and lulls in games continue to plague the Bulls. A tough Houston team is coming to town this week, and USF needs to play its best game yet.
Toledo ran away from Akron Saturday, and the offense continues to be explosive. Their only loss remains to undefeated Miami, and the defense has improved since then. Logan Woodside proved, once again, that he can find a "next man up" when a top receiver goes down. Jon'Vea Johnson has stepped up in the absence of Cody Thompson, who's injured for the season. Johnson was one of 10 players to catch a pass against the Zips. The running game continues to be a three-headed monster, led by Terry Swanson.
Memphis roared back against Houston Thursday night, and pulled out a stunning 42-38 win on the road. The Tigers offense looked abysmal in the first half, but that unit didn't show in the second. There were only two drives in which they didn't score in the second half: a punt on their second to last drive, and a kneel down to end the game. The defense also came up big once again, forcing two turnovers on Houston's final two drives. They're in the driver's seat in the AAC West, and are probably hoping for another shot at UCF, their only conference loss of the season.
Marshall continues to shock the nation, as the Thundering Herd improved to 6-1 with a 38-10 win over Middle Tennessee. Many thought this would be the year that the Blue Raiders would win the conference, but injuries to Brent Stockstill and Richie James have had a negative impact. Marshall has taken their place, and it's the play of Chase Litton and Tyre Brady. The quarterback-receiver combination has worked wonders for their offense, and Doc Holliday's seat has cooled off immensely since the preseason.
Why is the former #1 team out of the rankings? It's because of the Bulldogs from Fresno State. After a 1-11 season, new coach Jeff Tedford is making a strong case for Coach of the Year with the programs revival. Their 27-3 win over San Diego State on Saturday certainly got people's attention. Tedford has exploded onto the season in the Mountain West, and the domination of the Aztecs is something that nobody anticipated.
