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Group of 5 power rankings, Week 9: Cincinnati stumbles; Fresno State, Appalachian State cruise

By Daniel Stave

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 20: Desmond Ridder #9 of the Cincinnati Bearcats throws a pass in the second quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field on October 20, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 20: Desmond Ridder #9 of the Cincinnati Bearcats throws a pass in the second quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field on October 20, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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GREENVILLE, NC – OCTOBER 20: UCF Knights quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. (8) scrambles out of the pocket during a game between the UCF Knights and the East Carolina Pirates at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC on October 20, 2018. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
GREENVILLE, NC – OCTOBER 20: UCF Knights quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. (8) scrambles out of the pocket during a game between the UCF Knights and the East Carolina Pirates at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC on October 20, 2018. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Appalachian State Mountaineers (5-1) SBC

Appalachian State wasn’t as dominant as usual last week. After winning their previous four games by an average of 43 points, the Mountaineers struggled to pull away from Louisiana. The Ragin’ Cajuns kept the margin to one score or less throughout the first half. Darrynton Evans had a touchdown rushing and receiving. He took over for the injured Jalin Moore and carried the offense, finishing with 183 yards on 26 rushes. The Mountaineers’ winning streak earned them national recognition finally, as they made their debut in the AP Poll at 25 this week.

Up next: Thursday at Georgia Southern.

1. Central Florida Knights (7-0) AAC

The Knights advanced their winning streak to 20 without McKenzie Milton Saturday. Milton, the Heisman candidate quarterback, hurt his ankle in the team’s previous game against Memphis. While he dressed out for the 37-10 win over East Carolina, coach Josh Heupel decided to let Milton rest and not risk further injury as the team reaches the final stretch of the season.

Backup Darriel Mack Jr. took over for Milton and struggled to throw the ball, completing 12 of his 20 passes for only 69 yards. Instead, Mack moved the ball on the ground, leading the team with 22 carries for 120 yards and a score. The UCF defense had its hands full with ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers, who was making his first career start. Ahlers threw for 406 yards and ran for 69. However, he was also responsible for three of five Pirate turnovers, allowing the Knights to pull away with the win.

Up next: November 1 at Temple.

Next: Top 15 College Football Players Who Never Won Heisman

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