4 G5 Football Games You Should Watch In Week 7

We’ve reached the halfway mark of the season which means we’re separating the contenders for conference titles and bowl berths from those who are just looking

© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

We’ve reached the halfway mark of the season which means we’re separating the contenders for conference titles and bowl berths from those who are just looking to finish the season strong. Let’s take a look at four G5 contests which have interesting storylines and have a chance to play a major part in bowl implications.

Fresno State at Utah State

The Bulldogs finally suffered a defeat, falling to an excellent Wyoming team in Laramie last week and will look to get back in the win column against Blake Anderson’s Utah State club, who have their sights set on making a push in the Mountain West as well. Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene has been one of the top signal-callers in the nation through six games, throwing for 1,692 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions. The Aggies enter the contest with a bit of a different quarterbacking situation as both Cooper Legas and true freshman McCae Hillstead have started at QB this season. Legas has been the starter after Hillstead was sidelined with a concussion and has guided the team to back-to-back wins.

UNLV at Nevada

Is it finally time for UNLV football to breakthrough and become a serious contender in the Mountain West? If they’re going to do so, they’re going to need to avoid the types of second-half of the season slip ups that have plagued the program going back to the Tony Sanchez days. Barry Odom’s 4-1 Rebels take on their rival Nevada, who have struggled in the early part of the season, getting off to 0-5 start. While offense has led the show in Vegas, look for a defense that’s allowing 26.8 points per game to try and rebound against a Wolf Pack offense that’s left a lot to be desired.

Marshall at Georgia State

This is a make or break game for both of these programs in terms of establishing legitimacy and maintaining pace in the Sun Belt’s East Division race. Charles Huff’s Marshall team are led by the resurgence of running back Rasheen Ali, who missed most of last season to focus on his mental health. Ali has picked up his 2020 form where he rushed over 1,400 yards and 23 touchdowns, as he’s scored nine times and gained 538 yards on the ground this season. For Shawn Elliott and Georgia State, the home game is the second opportunity for the Panthers to claim a massive conference victory in front of the Atlanta fans after losing a hard-fought battle to Troy two weeks ago. Quarterback Darren Grainger is still enjoying the best season of his career and will need to be excellent against a solid Marshall defense.

Tulane at Memphis

Similarly to the game above, Tulane’s trip to the Liberty Bowl to take on Memphis will play a major factor in the conference race. Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan is again one of the top signal-callers amongst the Group of Five ranks, throwing for 10 touchdowns and five interceptions on 68% completions and 1,376 yards. He’ll look to guide the Tigers offense against a Green Wave defense that’s allowing just 17.4 points per contest – good enough to rank 17th in the nation. Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt has been banged up during the season, but should be fully healthy and up to the task of keeping pace with the Memphis offense.