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Group of 5 power rankings, Week 10: Houston, Fresno State charging fast

By Daniel Stave

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 27: Houston Cougars quarterback D'Eriq King (4) gains nine rushing yards on a key third down conversion late in the game during the football game between the USF Bulls and Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 27: Houston Cougars quarterback D'Eriq King (4) gains nine rushing yards on a key third down conversion late in the game during the football game between the USF Bulls and Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: South Florida Bulls wide receiver Deangelo Antoine (13) is upended by Houston Cougars cornerback Isaiah Johnson (14) during first half action during the football game between the USF Bulls and Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: South Florida Bulls wide receiver Deangelo Antoine (13) is upended by Houston Cougars cornerback Isaiah Johnson (14) during first half action during the football game between the USF Bulls and Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

8. South Florida Bulls (American Athletic Conference) 7-1

And then there was one. South Florida was the second-to-last undefeated team in the Group of 5 in 2018. Unfortunately for the Bulls, their trip to Houston in Week 9 went very poorly, resulting in a 57-36 loss.

Houston jumped out to a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the game. USF was able to tie it at 14 and 21 in the second quarter, but couldn’t keep up with the Cougars for all 60 minutes. The Bulls are now 3-1 in AAC games but will have an uphill fight to win the division. UCF and Temple are both 4-0, and Cincinnati is 3-1. Those three represent USF’s last three opponents this season.

One bright spot for South Florida over the past two games is running back Johnny Ford. A week after running for 164 yards on only 7 carries, the Bulls featured Ford more last Saturday. Ford got 16 carries and churned out 106 yards and two touchdowns. With Jordan Cronkrite starting at running back, USF wasn’t lacking for productivity in the backfield, but Ford has provided an extra spark.

Up next:  Saturday vs. Tulane.

7. Cincinnati Bearcats (AAC) 7-1

Cincinnati slips one spot after needing overtime to get the win over SMU last Saturday. The Bearcats’ offense didn’t have much trouble moving the ball, as they picked up 477 yards of offense on the day. Scoring, on the other hand, was not so easy.

Desmond Ridder threw for 352 yards and a pair of touchdowns to wide receiver Kahlil Lewis. However, he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Cincinnati was also stopped by their own aggressiveness. They went for it on 4th down three times in SMU territory and fell short each time.

Head coach Luke Fickell didn’t seem to trust kicker Cole Smith. Smith missed three of his four field goal attempts in an overtime loss at Temple the week before. However, the Bearcats ended up needing Smith, and he came through, kicking a 41-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Safety James Wiggins made the play to win the game for Cincinnati. SMU got the ball to start the extra period. On third-and-two, Wiggins intercepted Ben Hicks’ pass and returned it 86 yards for the game-ending touchdown.

Up next: Saturday vs. Navy

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