Three top-10 teams fell in a wild Week 1 of college football, causing some major shake-ups in the AP Top 25 poll.
Duke routs N.C. Central, receives no top 25 votes
Duke came out firing in its season opener, crushing N.C. Central 49-6 behind a dominant first-half performance. The Blue Devils set the tone early with a 50-yard touchdown run from Jela Duncan on their second play from scrimmage and never looked back, scoring 49 unanswered points in the first half. Redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Jones impressed with his command of the offense in his first career start. Jones passed for 189 yards and two touchdowns in limited action before resting for most of the second half. Duke’s defense also put on a strong showing, limiting N.C. Central to just 112 total yards and forcing two turnovers. The Blue Devils will look to kick off ACC play with a win Saturday when Wake Forest comes to town.
Cougars State Their Case
Houston was seen as a dark horse playoff pick entering the season by many, and that talk will only intensify following its resounding victory against Oklahoma. Quarterback Greg Ward led the Cougars by throwing for 321 yards and two touchdowns in the 33-23 victory. The turning point of the game was when Brandon Wilson returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown to give Houston a 26-17 lead, acrobatically hurdling a teammate in the process. Houston is being considered in talks of Big 12 expansion, and the Cougars made a statement on the field by defeating the presumptive conference favorite.
Oklahoma's status as a preseason contender for the national championship took a major hit with the loss. Star quarterback Baker Mayfield led the Sooners with 323 yards through the air and two touchdown passes, but was also sacked five times and fumbled once. Oklahoma was expected to have a strong running game with the one-two punch of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, but the two were held to a combined 71 yards by the stout Houston defense. The Sooners should not be counted out by any means, but they need to right the ship quickly as No. 4 Ohio State and No. 15 TCU loom on the horizon. Oklahoma dropped 11 spots in the rankings to No. 14 as a result of the loss, and the Cougars rose from No. 15 to No. 6.
LSU Lambeau Woes
In the most stunning upset of the day, Wisconsin defeated No. 5 LSU 16-14 in a game played at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Tigers were expected to be an SEC and national championship challenger, but instead were plagued by the same offensive issues that have dogged them for years. The game was a defensive struggle, with both teams forcing multiple turnovers and neither offense able to get much going. The Badgers pitched a shutout into the third quarter, building a 13-0 lead before LSU rallied.
Led by Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette’s 138 yards rushing and a Tre’Davious White interception return for a touchdown, the Tigers rallied to take a 14-13 lead in the third quarter before Rafael Gaglianone made a 47-yard field goal with 3:47 left in the game to put Wisconsin back in front. LSU mounted one last drive, but quarterback Brandon Harris threw an interception in Wisconsin territory to seal the Tigers' fate. LSU dropped to No. 21 in the rankings and now faces an uphill climb to get back into the playoff race. The Badgers entered the poll at No. 10 and showed they can contend for the Big Ten West Division championship.
Longhorns Grab Signature Win
In the most thrilling game of the weekend, Texas defeated No. 10 Notre Dame 50-47 in double overtime. This matchup of college football royalty was filled with offensive fireworks. The Longhorns’ two quarterbacks, Shane Buechele and Tyrone Swoopes, combined for 280 yards passing and 86 yards rushing to account for five touchdowns. Texas was also paced by running back D’Onta Foreman, who ran for 131 yards and a touchdown.
The game was a wild, back-and-forth affair, with the Longhorns seizing a 31-14 lead before the Fighting Irish came storming back to lead 35-31. Then came one of the crazier plays in recent memory in college football. Texas scored a go-ahead touchdown with 3:29 left in the game, but Notre Dame blocked the extra point and returned it to the end zone for two points to tie the score at 37. The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, but Swoopes—a physical runner at 244 pounds—rushed for the winning touchdown in the second overtime after the Fighting Irish settled for a field goal.
Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer led his team with 5 touchdown passes in a valiant effort, but could not make enough plays down the stretch to win. The Longhorns could now be a surprise contender in the Big 12 and rose into the AP poll at No. 11, but the Fighting Irish will have to refocus and probably need to go undefeated the rest of the way to have a chance at making the playoff. Notre Dame dropped to No. 18 in this week's AP poll.
Seminoles Rally to Snatch Win
In a wild contest to wrap up the weekend's action Monday night, No. 4 Florida State pulled off the biggest comeback in program history against No. 11 Ole Miss, turning a 28-6 second-quarter deficit into a 45-34 victory. Redshirt freshman quarterback Deondre Francois threw for 419 yards and two touchdowns to lead the rally. The Seminole defense also played a key role, forcing four turnovers and snatching an interception with about two minutes left to seal the win. Florida State kicker Ricky Aguayo—the brother of former Seminole kicker Roberto Aguayo—also made six critical field goals to boost the team.
The Rebels' fast start was propelled by star quarterback Chad Kelly’s three touchdown passes in the first half, but Ole Miss faded after halftime, as its offense struggled and its defense was worn down. After the slow start, Florida State lived up to expectations that it could be a playoff contender this season, outlasting a strong SEC opponent with its depth and talent. The Seminoles rose to No. 3 in the AP poll after Oklahoma's loss, and the Rebels dropped to No. 19.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.