JMU rises to No. 2 as last unbeaten and first bowl-eligible G6 team

James Madison is 6-0 after winning at Georgia Southern — the only unbeaten G6 team and the first to clinch bowl eligibility. Three Alabama schools — Troy, Jacksonville State and South Alabama — each climbed seven spots.

Boise State holds the No. 1 spot in the Diehard G6 Top 25 at 5-1 after beating No. 8 Fresno State 38-31 in a Pac-12 showdown. The Broncos have won five straight since a season-opening loss. Behind Boise, No. 2 James Madison (6-0) is the only unbeaten G6 team after North Dakota State lost for the first time — falling 13-7 at UNLV in a game where the Bison committed three turnovers and UNLV's offense scored zero touchdowns.

Three Alabama schools made the week's biggest climb. Troy jumped seven spots to No. 15 after a 55-34 rout of Southern Miss in which Goose Crowder accounted for four touchdowns. Jacksonville State climbed seven to No. 16 after surviving Kennesaw State 27-26 on Garrison Rippa's field goal with 51 seconds left. South Alabama rose seven to No. 17 after a 56-49 shootout at Arkansas State (105 combined points). The biggest drops belonged to Louisiana (13 to 24 after losing to unranked Louisiana Tech), Toledo (9 to 19 after a 23-8 upset loss to Buffalo) and USF (12 to 21 after losing to UTSA). Tulane (2-3), UMass and Tulsa (3-3) drop out. Air Force, Louisiana Tech and Ohio enter the rankings.

Games to watch this week:

No. 14 Georgia State at No. 2 James Madison — Saturday, 11 AM CT (JMU -11.5)

No. 7 FAU at No. 18 Army — Saturday, 11 AM CT (ARMY -2.5)

No. 13 UNLV at No. 20 Air Force — Saturday, 2:30 PM CT (UNLV -1.5)

No. 15 Troy at No. 24 Louisiana — Saturday, 4 PM CT, ESPN+ (ULL -4.5)

Here is the Diehard G6 Top 25:

1. Boise State (5-1, Pac-12) — Spencer Danielson, Year 3 (prev: 1)

Beat Fresno State 38-31. Maddux Madsen went 23-of-34 for 238 yards and two TDs. Dylan Riley rushed for 150 yards and a TD on 19 carries, and Sire Gaines added 120 yards and a TD on 20 carries in his return from a two-game wrist injury absence. Boise State totaled 512 yards and held the ball for 38:56. Attendance: 43,086.

This week: Bye

2. James Madison (6-0, Sun Belt) — Billy Napier, Year 1 (prev: 2)

Won 27-24 at Georgia Southern to become bowl-eligible. JMU used two quarterbacks: Camden Coleman went 16-of-27 for 171 yards and a TD, and JC Evans went 2-of-2 for 58 yards and two TDs, including a 57-yard strike to Cole Keller. George Pettaway rushed for 151 yards on 21 carries. JMU committed zero turnovers while forcing two. The Dukes have won 16 straight regular-season games and 11 straight in conference play.

This week: vs Georgia State (No. 14), Saturday (11:00 AM CT) — JMU -11.5

3. New Mexico (4-1, MW) — Jason Eck, Year 2 (prev: 4, +1)

Had a bye. Moves up one spot after North Dakota State's first loss of the season.

This week: at Hawaii, Saturday (9:30 PM CT) — UNM -14.5

4. Memphis (5-1, American) — Charles Huff, Year 1 (prev: 5, +1)

Beat UAB 38-13. Jaylin Carter rushed for 132 yards and two TDs on 19 carries with zero carries for a loss. Marcus Stokes went 11-of-21 for 164 yards. Memphis scored 28 unanswered points in the second half after trailing 13-10 at halftime. UAB managed 56 yards after halftime and went 0-for-9 on third and fourth down in the second half.

This week: at Tulane, Friday (6:30 PM CT) — MEM -7

5. UTSA (5-1, American) — Jeff Traylor, Year 7 (prev: 6, +1)

Beat South Florida 31-24. Owen McCown went 22-of-31 for 209 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. A'Marion Peterson rushed for 92 yards and three TDs on 12 carries. UTSA totaled 486 yards to USF's 288 and committed zero turnovers. The Roadrunners have won three straight.

This week: vs Navy, Saturday (7:00 PM CT) — UTSA -6.5

6. North Dakota State (5-1, MW) — Tim Polasek, Year 3 (prev: 3, -3)

Lost to UNLV 13-7 for the Bison's first defeat of the season. Nathan Hayes went 12-of-22 for 124 yards with one TD and three interceptions. Andre Porter returned one of those picks 23 yards for a touchdown — UNLV's only touchdown. Myles Mitchell rushed for 91 yards on 22 carries. NDSU totaled 300 yards but the three turnovers were the difference.

This week: vs Nevada, Saturday (6:00 PM CT) — NDSU -14.5

7. FAU (4-1, American) — Zach Kittley, Year 2 (prev: 7)

Had a bye. Holds steady at No. 7.

This week: at Army (No. 18), Saturday (11:00 AM CT) — ARMY -2.5

8. Oregon State (4-2, Pac-12) — JaMarcus Shephard, Year 1 (prev: 10, +2)

Beat San Diego State 66-14. Braden Atkinson went 29-of-38 for 409 yards and five TDs — his second consecutive five-TD game. Jesse Legree caught 10 passes for 191 yards and three TDs. Maalik Murphy was 8-of-8 in relief for 53 yards and a TD. Atkinson's 21 passing TDs lead the nation. SDSU's only non-special teams score was an 11-yard TD pass; Jaylon Hawkins returned a kickoff 97 yards for the other.

This week: vs Washington State, Saturday (5:00 PM CT) — ORST -17.5

9. Western Michigan (4-2, MAC) — Lance Taylor, Year 4 (prev: 11, +2)

Beat Kent State 38-7. Broc Lowry went 18-of-26 for 257 yards and three TDs. Jalen Buckley rushed for 105 yards on 16 carries. Adam Parks caught two TD passes. WMU totaled 466 yards and committed zero turnovers. Kent State committed 11 penalties for 100 yards and converted 3-of-13 third downs.

This week: at Central Michigan, Saturday (12:30 PM CT) — WMU -7

10. Fresno State (4-2, Pac-12) — Matt Entz, Year 2 (prev: 8, -2)

Lost to Boise State 38-31. Jayden Mandal went 19-of-33 for 218 yards and two TDs. Ezekiel Avit caught six passes for 96 yards and two TDs. Backup Khristian Martin threw a 59-yard TD pass in relief. Fresno State managed 69 rushing yards on 16 carries and held the ball for just 21:04. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak.

This week: at San Diego State, Saturday (9:30 PM CT) — FRES -8.5

11. Liberty (5-1, CUSA) — Jamey Chadwell, Year 4 (prev: 15, +4)

Beat Sam Houston 35-3. Deshawn Purdie went 10-of-14 for 114 yards and a TD. Liberty rushed for 297 yards on 39 carries with four different players scoring touchdowns. Jaylon Coleman led with 92 yards on seven carries (13.1 per carry). Kam Davis added 67 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Sam Houston managed 243 total yards and was shut out of the end zone. Liberty has won five straight.

This week: Bye

12. North Texas (4-2, American) — Neal Brown, Year 2 (prev: 17, +5)

Beat Charlotte 50-10. Tayven Jackson went 24-of-31 for 349 yards and five TDs — a career high for the second consecutive game. Jahiem White rushed for 105 yards and a TD on 12 carries. Justin Stevenson caught nine passes for 122 yards and two TDs. North Texas totaled 580 yards and committed zero turnovers. Charlotte committed two turnovers.

This week: Bye

13. UNLV (4-2, MW) — Dan Mullen, Year 2 (prev: 18, +5)

Beat No. 3 North Dakota State 13-7. Jackson Arnold went 8-of-16 for 77 yards with one interception and zero passing TDs. Jai'Den Thomas rushed for 112 yards on 22 carries. UNLV's defense scored its only touchdown: Andre Porter returned a Nathan Hayes interception 23 yards for the score. Mumu Bin-Wahad intercepted Hayes twice more. Ramon Villela kicked field goals of 29 and 24 yards. UNLV is 2-0 in Mountain West play.

This week: at Air Force (No. 20), Saturday (2:30 PM CT) — UNLV -1.5

14. Georgia State (4-1, Sun Belt) — Dell McGee, Year 3 (prev: 14)

Had a bye. Holds steady at No. 14. Georgia State is 4-1 and faces No. 2 James Madison on Saturday.

This week: at James Madison (No. 2), Saturday (11:00 AM CT) — JMU -11.5

15. Troy (3-2, Sun Belt) — Gerad Parker, Year 3 (prev: 22, +7)

Beat Southern Miss 55-34. Goose Crowder went 18-of-21 for 225 yards and two TDs and rushed for 145 yards and two TDs on 17 carries — four total touchdowns. Jordan Lovett added 142 rushing yards and a TD on 12 carries and caught a 46-yard TD pass. Troy rushed for 437 yards on 59 carries and totaled 662 yards. Southern Miss committed three turnovers. Troy has won six straight over Southern Miss.

This week: at Louisiana (No. 24), Saturday (4:00 PM CT, ESPN+) — ULL -4.5

16. Jacksonville State (4-2, CUSA) — Charles Kelly, Year 2 (prev: 23, +7)

Beat Kennesaw State 27-26 on Garrison Rippa's 33-yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining — his fourth career game-winner inside the final two minutes. Caden Creel went 26-of-44 for 311 yards with one TD and one interception. Deondre Johnson caught four passes for 112 yards. Rob Billings IV intercepted a Kennesaw State pass after the ensuing kickoff to seal the win. Kennesaw State's missed extra point was the one-point margin.

This week: vs FIU, Tuesday (7:00 PM CT, ESPNU) — JXST -3

17. South Alabama (4-2, Sun Belt) — Major Applewhite, Year 4 (prev: 24, +7)

Beat Arkansas State 56-49 (105 combined points). Keenan Phillips rushed for 157 yards and three TDs on 19 carries and added a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown — four total scores. Jared Hollins went 6-of-10 for 76 yards and a TD and added two rushing TDs. South Alabama rushed 50 times for 296 yards while attempting just 10 passes. Arkansas State's Trey Owens threw for 418 yards and four TDs but committed two interceptions.

This week: Bye

18. Army (3-2, American) — Jeff Monken, Year 13 (prev: 25, +7)

Beat Tulane 20-17 on a 25-yard Dawson Jones field goal on the final play. Cale Hellums rushed for a career-high 223 yards and two TDs on 38 carries. Army ran 59 plays on the ground and attempted six passes, completing three for 19 yards. Tulane's Kadin Semonza went 14-of-26 for 158 yards with one TD and one interception. Army committed zero turnovers.

This week: vs FAU (No. 7), Saturday (11:00 AM CT) — ARMY -2.5

19. Toledo (4-2, MAC) — Mike Jacobs, Year 1 (prev: 9, -10)

Lost to Buffalo 23-8 for the week's biggest upset. John Alan Richter went 22-of-35 for 203 yards with no touchdowns. Toledo converted 3-of-14 third downs, committed three turnovers and was flagged 15 times for 137 penalty yards. Buffalo's Messiah Burch sealed the game with an 87-yard TD run with 4:30 remaining. Attendance: 24,767.

This week: at Eastern Michigan, Saturday (2:30 PM CT) — TOL -5.5

20. Air Force (4-1, MW) — Troy Calhoun, Year 20 (prev: NR, NEW)

Beat Northern Illinois 28-7 on 439 rushing yards without completing a pass. Kemper Hodges went 0-for-1 through the air. Evan Medders rushed for 114 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. Owen Allen added 100 yards and two TDs on 13 carries. Air Force ran 67 plays on the ground. NIU totaled 253 yards. Air Force enters the rankings at No. 20.

This week: vs UNLV (No. 13), Saturday (2:30 PM CT) — UNLV -1.5

21. USF (4-2, American) — Brian Hartline, Year 1 (prev: 12, -9)

Lost to UTSA 31-24. Michael Van Buren Jr. went 16-of-29 for 177 yards and two TDs. D.J. Crowther rushed for 83 yards on 20 carries. USF totaled 288 yards to UTSA's 486 and committed zero turnovers but could not overcome the yardage deficit. The Bulls have lost two straight after a 4-0 start.

This week: vs Kent State, Saturday (6:00 PM CT) — USF -19.5

22. App State (3-2, Sun Belt) — Dowell Loggains, Year 2 (prev: 16, -6)

Lost to Old Dominion 10-3 at home. Malachi Singleton went 5-of-23 for 72 yards with one interception. Backup Henry Hasselbeck went 2-of-4 for minus-6 yards with one interception. App State totaled 158 yards and converted 1-of-13 third downs. ODU's Devin Roche rushed for 101 yards on 23 carries. Maurki James scored the go-ahead TD on a 2-yard run with 9:30 remaining. Attendance: 27,011 — a sellout at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

This week: at Coastal Carolina, Friday (7:00 PM CT) — APP -1.5

23. Louisiana Tech (3-2, Sun Belt) — Sonny Cumbie, Year 5 (prev: NR, NEW)

Beat Louisiana 32-31 in the Bulldogs' first Sun Belt Conference victory. Blake Baker went 32-of-42 for 319 yards and three TDs with no interceptions and added a 12-yard rushing TD. Eli Finley caught nine passes for 114 yards and two TDs, including the game-winning 7-yard reception with 46 seconds remaining. Louisiana led 31-19 with over 11 minutes left before La Tech scored twice. La Tech has won nine straight against the Ragin' Cajuns. Attendance: 20,035.

This week: at UL Monroe, Saturday (7:00 PM CT) — LT -14.5

24. Louisiana (4-2, Sun Belt) — Michael Desormeaux, Year 5 (prev: 13, -11)

Lost to Louisiana Tech 32-31 for the week's biggest drop. Lunch Winfield went 14-of-24 for 239 yards with one TD and two interceptions. Louisiana led 31-19 with over 11 minutes remaining before La Tech's Blake Baker engineered two scoring drives, capping the comeback with a 7-yard TD pass to Eli Finley with 46 seconds left. Louisiana has lost nine straight to La Tech.

This week: vs Troy (No. 15), Saturday (4:00 PM CT, ESPN+) — ULL -4.5

25. Ohio (4-2, MAC) — John Hauser, Year 1 (prev: NR, NEW)

Beat Central Michigan 31-14. Nick Poulos went 11-of-18 for 158 yards and three TDs. Duncan Brune rushed for 91 yards on 16 carries and a TD. Ohio led 31-0 at halftime — CMU managed 78 total first-half yards. Ohio extended the second-longest active home winning streak in FBS to 16 games, behind only Indiana's 19.

This week: at Sacramento State, Saturday (9:00 PM CT) — OHIO -14.5