Group of 5 power rankings: Appalachian State moving up fast

4. BYU Cougars (Independent) 3-2

The Cougars suffered a tough loss in Week 5, going down 35-7 to no. 11 Washington. It was a big loss for a team that seemed to have a lot of momentum after their upset of Wisconsin two weeks ago. As it turns out, asking a team to go on the road and beat two top-15 teams in three weeks is too much, and BYU couldn’t get it done.

Washington looked very sharp and dominated the game. The Cougars were held to 194 yards of offense and seven first downs, while the Huskies moved the ball for 464 yards and moved the chains 26 times. BYU returns home for an in-state match up this week.

Up next: Friday vs. Utah State.

3. Appalachian State Mountaineers (Sun Belt Conference) 3-1

Appalachian State looked like an elite team in their Week 1 overtime battle with Penn State. They have done nothing to break that notion in their three games since. The Mountaineers have outscored their last three opponents–Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, and South Alabama–169-23.

Sophomore quarterback Zac Thomas is a first-year starter who has been the key to the Appalachian St. offense. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in their Week 5 victory.

Senior running back Jalin Moore is well on his way to his third-straight 1,000-yard season. His 123 yards rushing against South Alabama give him 368 through the team’s first four games. He also ran for two scores in Week 5.

Up next: Oct. 9 at Arkansas State.