College football scores, rankings, highlights in Week 2: LSU wins as CFP hopeful Arizona State falls

The Tigers took care of business, while the Sun Devils got tripped up in nonconference play

It's always the most unassuming college football slates that end up being the most chaotic. On paper, Week 2 of the 2025 season looked rather mundane, but it didn't take long for shocking results to emerge. 

No. 17 SMU became the first top 25 team of the day to lose to an unranked team when it fell 48-45 in double overtime against Baylor. The Mustangs were not the last ranked team to suffer such a fate. 

In fact, three ranked teams lost to unranked opponents. That includes No. 13 Florida, which suffered the most shocking upset of the weekend when it fell 18-15 to South Florida. The Bulls have opened their 2025 campaign with two straight wins against top 25 opponents. 

No. 18 Oklahoma outlasted No. 15 Michigan for a 24-13 win in Saturday's only game featuring ranked opponents. Sooners quarterback John Mateer planted his flag in the Heisman Trophy race by tallying 344 total yards and three touchdowns while almost singlehandedly torching Michigan's defense. 

Around the same time that Oklahoma wrapped up its win against Michigan, Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen uncorked a 58-yard touchdown to wide receiver Brenen Thompson that sealed the Bulldogs' triumph against No. 12 Arizona State. That throw delivered Mississippi State's first home non-conference win against a ranked opponent since 1991. 

Below is a full recap of a wild Saturday of football: 

College football scores, schedule: Week 2

No. 16 Iowa State 16, Iowa 13 -- Recap
No. 11 Illinois 45, Duke 19 -- Recap
No. 7 Texas 38, San Jose State 7 -- Recap
No. 6 Oregon 69, Oklahoma State 3 -- Recap
No. 1 Ohio State 70, Grambling 0 -- Recap
No. 20 Ole Miss 30, Kentucky 23 -- Recap
South Florida 18, No. 13 Florida 16 -- Recap
No. 5 Miami 45, Bethune-Cookman 3 -- Recap
No. 3 LSU 23, Louisiana Tech 7 -- Recap
Mississippi State 24, No. 12 Arizona State 20 -- Recap
No. 18 Oklahoma 24, No. 15 Michigan 13  -- Recap, takeaways
Check out the entire Week 2 scoreboard

Check these out ...

• College football winners, losers in Week 2: Florida's Billy Napier under fire, Arch Manning finds favorite WR
• Ryan Williams out: Alabama star misses game vs. ULM will in concussion protocol
• FSU honors Ethan Pritchard: Noles teammates pay tribute to LB injured in shooting
• Arch rebounds: Manning shakes early hiccups, explodes in Texas rout of San Jose State
• LOOK: Syracuse coach Fran Brown makes team run sprints after Orange's overtime win over UConn
• Oklahoma State crushed: Mike Gundy shaped Oklahoma State's modern identity -- now it's time for a new one
• Dakorien Moore has arrived: Why Oregon's five-star freshman WR changes everything for Ducks
• Deion Sanders details Colorado QB dilemma after Ryan Staub shines: What's next for Kaidon Salter, Julian Lewis
• Injuries at quarterback: Starting QBs Austin Simmons and Zach Calzada exit Kentucky vs. Ole Miss
• South Florida stuns No. 13 Florida: USF pulls shocker with walk-off field goal
• No. 8 Clemson thwarts Troy's upset scare: Tigers rally at halftime to survive
• WATCH: Missouri fan throws away chance at $25,000 in field goal challenge by kicking ball at Kansas sideline
• Bad beat?: Lane Kiffin apologizes to Ole Miss bettors after Kentucky hits late field goal to cover spread
• WATCH: Former USC coach Clay Helton heavily booed in his return to LA Coliseum
• By the numbers: Why Oklahoma State's loss to Oregon was somehow worse than the lopsided score for Mike Gundy
• In good hands: Austin Simmons proves he's ready to follow Jaxson Dart as Lane Kiffin's next great Ole Miss QB
• Bill Belichick gets first win as college coach: UNC rebounds from opener with win over Charlotte

[Sep 6, 2025 at 10:45 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

Gamecocks' Swain nears punt return TD record

2Q: South Carolina 14, South Carolina State 3

South Carolina defensive back Vicari Swain, the hero of the 10th-ranked Gamecocks' season-opening win over Virginia Tech after his decisive punt return touchdown, has added two more to his nation-leading total during Saturday night's matchup with South Carolina State. 

Both of South Carolina's first-half scores came via Swain's superpowers on special teams, a pair of punt return scores in the second quarter that has tied the single-season program record just six quarters into the campaign. Swain has now returned the last three punts he has handled for touchdowns this season.

Beamer Ball is alive and well this season in Columbia.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 10:33 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

FINAL: ARMY 24, KANSAS STATE 21

Kansas State is in a rough spot after falling to Army in Manhattan. The Wildcats were unable to conjure late-game magic like they did last week against FCS North Dakota, as quarterback Avery Johnson threw a tipped interception to Black Knights defensive back Collin Matteson with less than two minutes remaining.

Kansas State drops to 1-2 for the first time since 2009, the first year of Bill Snyder's second tenure. The Wildcats haven't gotten many breaks on the 2025 schedule. After a Week 0 loss to Big 12 rival Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, they turned around quickly to face North Dakota before taking on Army -- which stumbled to a loss against FCS Tarleton State in Week 1 -- and its relentless triple-option offense, known for disciplined timing, misdirection, and a punishing ground game that continues to frustrate opponents.

Considered one of the Big 12 favorites entering the preseason, Kansas State seems to be the latest in a growing theme of the "Dublin losers' curse," following in the footsteps of Florida State in 2024 and Nebraska in 2022.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

USF stuns Florida in Gainesville

FINAL: USF 18, No. 13 Florida 16

Alex Golesh and the USF Bulls have beaten Florida at the horn in the Swamp on Nico Grammatica's 20-yard field goal as time expired.

Previously 0-3 all-time against Florida, USF will be ranked in Sunday's AP Top 25 after coming up with its second straight momentum-changing victory this season following last week's win over then-ranked Boise State.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava made his highly anticipated debut with the Bruins over the weekend after a tumultuous exit from Tennessee back in the spring. Iamaleava struggled during his team's 43-10 loss to Utah, completing just 11 of his 22 attempts for 136 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

Iamaleava and the Bruins will look to bounce back on Saturday when UCLA travels to face UNLV on CBS Sports Network. UNLV, in its first season under coach Dan Mullen, is off to a 2-0 start with wins over Idaho State and Sam Houston. Mullen's team is full of transfers and one player on the new-look Rebels, defensive back Aamaris Brown, wasn't too impressed with what he saw from Iamaleava, the No. 1 player in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings. 

"Honestly, nothing really sticks out to me about him [on tape]," Brown said Monday."You know in the past there's been talk about 'five-star this, five-star that.' I have been around plenty of five-star and four-star [players], it don't scare me. I have played competition higher than them, including Alabama and all that. ... Going against a guy like Nico, there's no surprise, no excitement or nothing like that."  

UNLV DB gives blunt assessment of UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava: 'Nothing really sticks out to me about him'

Cameron Salerno

[Sep 6, 2025 at 7:29 pm ET · Chris Hummer]

When No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 15 Michigan clash this Saturday in Norman, the Sooners will be led by a transfer quarterback. They paid millions for John Mateer, and in many ways, his addition from Washington State represents the current philosophy of quarterback management on the Power Four level when there's even an ounce of concern about the internal options -- go get a transfer. 

Of the 67 Power Four quarterbacks to start for their team in Week 0 of Week 1, 43 of them (64.2%) were transfers.

But the QB on the other side of Saturday's matchup, Bryce Underwood, might signal the cyclical return of a different trend.

Money, politics among reasons teams have turned to true freshmen QBs in 2025 -- with another wave on the way

Chris Hummer

[Sep 6, 2025 at 7:24 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: No. 20 Ole Miss 30, Kentucky 23

No. 20 Ole Miss opened SEC play with an impressive 30-23 win on the road over Kentucky on Saturday, but it didn't come without a scare. Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons needed help getting off the field after he was taken down short of the sticks on a third-down scramble. The good news is that the ESPN broadcast mentioned he wanted to return to the game.

Simmons finished 13 of 24 for 235 yards and threw two interceptions, but did run eight times for 44 yards and a touchdown. Because Simmons didn't return, Trinidad Chambliss finished the game at quarterback for Ole Miss.

This game was decided when Ole Miss stopped Kentucky on fourth-and-7 with 4:10 remaining. The Rebels were able to chew time off the clock and ice it with a field goal after going down 10-0 during the opening minute of the second quarter. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 6:54 pm ET · David Cobb]

Late 4Q: Ole Miss 27, Kentucky 20

Kentucky's defense is keeping the Wildcats in touch late in the second half, and now the Rebels have a potential injury concern to worry about with their starting quarterback. Austin Simmons needed help getting off the field after he was taken down short of the sticks on a third-down scramble. The redshirt sophomore has been solid for Ole Miss since a horrendous start, and the backup is a Division II transfer who just joined the program prior to preseason practice.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 6:20 pm ET · David Cobb]

Late 3Q: Ole Miss 20, Kentucky 20

Kentucky used a 44-yard connection between Zach Calzada and Ja'Mori Maclin to set up an 8-yard Seth McGowan touchdown run to tie things up. That pass doubled the previous longest play of the day for a UK offense that had been sputtering. Now the pressure is back on the Rebels, who are in a dogfight as the fourth quarter approaches. That Kentucky scoring drive has brought some life back to Kroger Field after the Rebels had controlled most of the second and third quarters.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 6:05 pm ET · Will Backus]

Early 2Q: Troy 16, No. 8 Clemson 0 

Something wicked may be brewing in Clemson. The boobirds are out after Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik threw a pick-six to put his team in a three-score hole. Backed up against Clemson's goal line, Klubnik attempted to get the ball out quickly for a short gain. Instead, his pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and caught by Troy's TJ Thompson, who fell into the end zone for the defensive touchdown. 

Even before the disastrous interception, Klubnik was struggling. He has completed just nine of his 15 passes for 82 yards. By comparison, Troy quarterback Goose Crowder has 144 yards and produced the game's only touchdown with his arm through Troy's first five drives. Clemson has yet to have a drive last longer than 3:49 and only one of its drives has gone past four plays. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 5:26 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Behold, the funniest touchdown of Week 2 in college football. 

A botched snap on a punt rarely goes well for a team, but this was an especially disastrous result for the Beavers. Kicking the ball off the ground is an illegal touching penalty, but that of course got declined by Fresno State because they benefitted from it in the form of a touchdown. With that TD, the Bulldogs took a 20-15 lead into halftime over the Beavers. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 5:15 pm ET · David Cobb]

Late 2Q: Ole Miss 14, Kentucky 13

Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons has responded impeccably from consecutive interceptions to close the first quarter, leading two touchdown drives of 70+ yards. The 19-year old lefty has looked like a new player in the second quarter, doing damage with his arm and legs after the shaky start. The Kentucky offense has found some life, too, and a good game has broken out in the first SEC matchup of the 2025 season.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 5:11 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin came out red-hot against Grambling, helping the Buckeyes build a 35-0 halftime lead. After a quiet debut against a stout Texas defense last week, the sophomore showed why the Buckeyes are so high on him. Sayin completed each of his first 16 throws and went into the locker room having hit 18 of 19 passes for 306 yards and four touchdowns. His lone blemish came midway into the second quarter, when Grambling defensive back Tyrell Raby intercepted him at the goal line for what could have been a fifth touchdown pass with 8:01 left.

Jeremiah Smith was unsurprisingly Sayin's favorite target, hauling in two of those touchdown strikes, including an 87-yard sprint deep down the sideline. At halftime, Smith had five catches for 119 yards, already marking his sixth 100-yard receiving game as just a sophomore.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 4:59 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

HALF: Colorado 17, Delaware 7

We have reached halftime from Boulder. The Buffaloes are taking a 17-7 lead into the locker room after each team traded touchdowns during the final minute of the opening half.

Colorado coach Sanders said earlier in the week that freshman quarterback Julian Lewis would play in some capacity. Lewis played two series during the second quarter and finished 2 of 4 for 8 yards. Colorado also played backup quarterback Ryan Staub on the final drive of the second quarter. He completed two passes, including a 21-yard touchdown to DeKalon Taylor.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 4:27 pm ET · David Cobb]

Late 1Q: Kentucky 7, No. 21 Ole Miss 0

In his first road start, 19-year old Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons made a bad decision on a first-and-10 play, and Kentucky made him pay. Safety Ty Bryant baited Simmons into throwing a corner route and immediately broke on the football for an interception, running it back to the Rebels' 31-yard line. From there, the UK offensive line finally got enough of a push to get the Wildcats moving for the first time. Seth McGowan finished it off with a 9-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. On Ole Miss' subsequent possession, Bryant made another interception.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 4:15 pm ET · Will Backus]

Final: Baylor 48, No. 17 SMU 45 

Baylor bounced back in a big way Saturday an earned its first ranked win of the season by going on the road and downing SMU in a two-overtime thriller. The Bears erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime and scored their 21st unanswered point in the first overtime period. SMU was able to answer, but the Mustangs missed a 38-yard field goal in the second overtime window. That allowed Baylor to run the ball a few times to set up a 27-yard game winner from kicker Connor Hawkins. 

Baylor's passing attack turned a corner in the second half. Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson turned it on as he completed 13 of his 24 pass attempts for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including a key 21-yard strike to wide receiver Kobe Prentice that tied the game up with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Baylor outgained SMU 317 yards to 177 in the second half and overtime. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 4:15 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Georgia Tech will be without its star quarterback on Saturday when it faces Gardner-Webb. Haynes King, who is fresh off an incredible performance against Colorado last week, won't play due to a nagging lower-body injury, ESPN reported. Aaron Philo, who appeared in four games last season for the Yellow Jackets, will make his first career start. He passed for 565 yards and a touchdown in 2024.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 3:58 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

The early slate for Week 2 didn't feature any ranked-on-ranked matchups, but there was still plenty of intrigue and some fantastic football. Here we'll take a look at our biggest takeaways from around the country in the early window of games on Saturday: 

1. No. 11 Illinois looks legit 

It took some time, but Illinois eventually broke through in Durham and pulled away for a 45-19 victory over Duke. The Blue Devils hung around for more than a half -- and at times looked like the better team -- but costly errors and timely playmaking kept the Illini in control before they wore Duke down late.

Quarterback Luke Altmyer was sharp, with Hank Beatty emerging again as his go-to target. Though Illinois' offense sputtered early and the ground game didn't get going until the second half, the Illini showed they can win in multiple ways. Defensively, they yielded yards to Darian Mensah and company but executed a bend-don't-break strategy, forcing field goals and turnovers when it mattered and capitalizing on Duke's sloppiness.

This was billed as a road litmus test for Illinois. It wasn't easy early, but the Illini ultimately passed with authority.

2. Arch Manning will be alright 

Manning and the No. 7 Texas offense started sluggishly in Austin against San Jose State, but the quarterback eventually found his rhythm -- particularly with receiver Parker Livingstone -- offering a dose of optimism after the tough opener at Ohio State. Manning threw for 295 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while adding 23 yards and a score on the ground.

It wasn't perfect, as he still needs to be more consistent and keep the offense on schedule, but the talent was obvious. Manning made several jaw-dropping throws, even considering the opponent. Texas remains a work in progress if it hopes to contend for the playoff, but Manning appeared to shake off the jitters. Building confidence and comfort will be crucial moving forward.

3. No. 2 Penn State's offense...not off to an encouraging start

No. 8 Penn State posted a 34-0 win over FIU on Saturday, but the Beaver Stadium crowd wasn't impressed. Scattered boos rang out as Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions offense again looked out of sync against an opponent they were expected to overwhelm.

Allar completed 19 of 33 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns, but many of the same issues that plagued him last season -- inconsistency and missed opportunities -- resurfaced. Penn State eventually leaned on star backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, who combined for 220 yards and two touchdowns, to put the game away.

The Lions get one more tuneup with Villanova before a bye and a Week 5 showdown with No. 6 Oregon. To win that game, they'll need Allar to take a step forward. For now, though, the offense remains a source of restlessness in Happy Valley.

4. Iowa's offense is still Iowa's offense

It doesn't seem to matter who's at quarterback or calling plays -- as long as Kirk Ferentz is on the sideline, Iowa's offense looks the same.

The Hawkeyes' defense played well enough to win Saturday against rival Iowa State, but Mark Gronowski and the offense failed to deliver. The much-hyped promise of a more open passing attack has already fizzled, with Gronowski managing just 83 yards through the air. Iowa finished with 214 yards of offense, while the Cyclones weren't much better at 238, yet kept the Cy-Hawk Trophy in Ames.

The more things change, the more they stay the same for Iowa.

5. Cut the check, take the loss

There were some beatdowns early, as FCS opponents (and Kent State) took it on the chin from ranked foes. Minnesota bludgeoned Northwestern State 66-0 (scoring all 66 in the first 35 minutes of action), No. 14 Florida State ran it up 77-3 on East Texas A&M and No. 24 Texas Tech put up a 62-14 win on Kent State. Buy games are buy games for a reason, and there was no mercy from any of those trio on Saturday (at least until late). 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 3:25 pm ET · Will Backus]

FINAL: No. 16 Iowa State 16, Iowa 13 

Kicker Kyle Konrardy might just be Iowa State's early season MVP thus far. One week after he set a program record with a 63-yard field goal in Iowa State's Week 1 win against South Dakota, Konrardy nailed a clutch 54-yard boot to give the Cyclones a second consecutive win against Iowa. It was the third make for Konrardy, who is singlehandedly responsible for nine of his team's 16 points. He also had an impressive 44-yard kick in the first quarter. 

The Cyclones had to use a little magic to get into field goal range. Earlier in the drive, before Konrardy's kick, Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht tried to rope a pass to wide receiver Xavier Townsend. The attempt sailed high, but Townsend was able to bat the ball to tight end Gabe Burkle, who made a nice adjustment to bring the catch in and convert on third-and-4. 

Iowa took over with just under two minutes to play, but the Hawkeyes were unable to move the ball after quarterback Mark Gronowski took two sacks for a total of 11 yards. Gronowski was unable to convert on a long fourth-and-16 and Iowa State kneeled the clock out. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 3:25 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

What happened to Oklahoma State? How one of college football's coolest brands slipped to a Saturday long shot

Shehan Jeyarajah

A little more than a decade ago, Oklahoma State and Oregon were two of the defining up-and-coming brands in college football, synonymous with electric offenses and myriad uniform combinations. The Ducks played for the 2010 national title, while the Cowboys were a heartbreak away from doing the same in 2011. Both had billionaire backers -- the late T. Boone Pickens at Oklahoma State, Phil Knight at Oregon. 

But heading into their first-ever regular-season matchup Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+), the two programs couldn't be more different. Oregon is a 28.5-point home favorite, a gap that reflects not just talent but philosophy. 

No. 6 Oregon has embraced aggression in the NIL era, elevating its roster to No. 5 nationally in the 247Sports Talent Composite. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, has stumbled in its adjustment.

[Sep 6, 2025 at 2:48 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

After forcing another fumble to thwart a Duke drive into Illinois territory, the Illini extended their lead to 28-13 as Bret Bielema dug deep in the playbook for a direct snap to Hank Beatty, who ran it in for six after a fake reverse to Luke Altmyer got the Duke defense out of sorts. 

That touchdown continues a breakout start to the season for Beatty, as he has 108 yards receiving on the day and adds a 25-yard touchdown run. Duke did find an answer with a touchdown on their next possession to cut the deficit to nine, but failed to convert a two-point conversion and trail 28-19 with four minutes to play in the third quarter in Durham. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

HALF: No. 16 Iowa State 13, Iowa 10

Prior to the final drive of the first half, Iowa State was holding Iowa to a total of 39 yards. The only points came on an unfortunate bounce causing a muffed punt, which still only converted into a field goal. However, on the last drive, a few Iowa State mistakes cost them dearly as Iowa drove 73 yards down the field in 17 plays to pull the game within one score. 

The biggest mistakes came in the red zone. Facing third-and-8, Iowa State seemed to sack opposing quarterback Mark Gronowski. Instead, they were called for both defensive holding and unsportsmanlike conduct to give Iowa the ball at the 1-yard line. 

Iowa State hasn't beaten Iowa in Ames since 2011, a six-game losing streak. They've outplayed the Hawkeyes today -- but Iowa just sticks around. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 1:56 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

One of the best games of Week 2 on paper has been a tense battle in Durham between No. 11 Illinois and Duke, with the Illini leading by one at the half. 

Illinois has been unable to get anything going on the ground, finishing the half with -3 rushing yards (including sacks), but Luke Altmyer has been able to find some success through the air when he's had time to throw with 137 yards passing and one touchdown. The Illini haven't been able to find consistent success offensively, but have taken advantage of their two best scoring opportunities by converting those into touchdowns. 

On the other side, Duke has looked like the better team, but squandered early opportunities by settling for field goals early and having a fumble in the red zone in the second quarter to end a drive prematurely. However, they finally took the seal off the end zone on the final drive of the half, as Darian Mensah found Andrel Antony in the back of the end zone for six to cut the deficit to one. 

Mensah has 187 yards passing and that touchdown for Duke in the first half, as the Blue Devils are out-gaining the Illini 240 to 132 in total yards of offense in the first half. Duke will be hoping that final possession is a sign of things to come in the second half of what looks like it could be one of the best games of the early window. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 1:50 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

HALF: No. 17 SMU 24, Baylor 21

SMU scored a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game, and the matchup has featured fireworks since then. Baylor and SMU have both thrown for more than 230 yards, and SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings is a perfect 10-of-10 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Baylor gets the ball out of halftime with a chance to take the lead; the Mustangs could use a stop to retake control of the game. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET · Chris Hummer]

Arch Manning and the No. 7 Texas offense sputtered for two drives to open its Week 2 matchup with San Jose State. Then Parker Livingstone broke the Longhorns out of their funk with a 83-yard touchdown catch on third down. The next drive Livingstone followed things up with a three-yard touchdown catch from Manning to help Texas take a 14-0 lead. 

The Longhorns have scored three touchdowns thus far in 2025. All three have been passes from Manning to Livingstone. 

You're forgiven if you aren't familiar with Livingstone. He's a redshirt freshman and former three-star recruit. But the buzz around him this offseason has been significant. A 6-foot-4, 191-pound field stretcher with track speed, Livingstone is someone those around the program have pointed to as a breakout candidate since the spring. 

Oh yeah, did I mention he's Manning's roommate? We may have a Colt McCoy-Jordan Shipley connection on our hands again, folks.   

[Sep 6, 2025 at 12:51 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

A slow start again had fans a bit frustrated early in Austin, but Arch Manning finally gave the Longhorn faithful a reason to erupt in the home opener when he hit Parker Livingstone down the left sideline for an 83-yard touchdown pass to put Texas up 7-0 on San Jose State. It's the longest TD pass for Manning in his young career, and the longest for Texas since 2009.

That seemed to wake the entire Texas team up, as the defense got a pick on the ensuing Spartans possession and set Manning and the offense up in plus territory. Manning and Livingstone linked up again near the goal line for their second touchdown of the day to push the lead to 14-0 and finally produce some positive vibes for the Texas offense. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 12:48 pm ET · Will Backus]

No. 14 Florida State honored linebacker Ethan Pritchard ahead of its Week 2 game against East Texas A&M as the freshman remains hospitalized after being shot in the head. Seminoles defensive back Earl Little Jr. brought Pritchard's jersey to midfield for the pregame coin toss. 

The team also wore shirts honoring Pritchard during warmups, and players are sporting sweat bands with Pritchard's No. 35 on them. 

Read more below

Florida State's Mike Norvell overcome with emotion after team honors hospitalized LB Ethan Pritchard

Will Backus

[Sep 6, 2025 at 12:15 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

SMU has a 7-0 lead early in Dallas after Kevin Jennings got incredibly lucky to connect with Romello Brinson for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. Jennings underthrew the ball, allowing Baylor's DB to undercut the route and get two hands on it; however, we were quickly reminded why he is a corner and not receiver. The ball bounced off his hands and up into the air, where Brinson grabbed it, made the safety miss in the open field and took it to the house for a wild early TD. 

[Sep 6, 2025 at 11:45 am ET · Carter Bahns]

Expectations for Arch Manning were sky-high entering his first season as the Texasstarting quarterback, but like most first-time starters in Week 1, the former top-ranked recruit battled through some significant growing pains. The preseason Heisman Trophy favorite suddenly has heaps of ground to make up after he ceded frontrunner status to LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.

Those stars from the top-10 matchups were far from the only Heisman hopefuls to make statements, for better or worse, in college football's loaded opening week. The race for the sport's highest individual honor could not be more wide open with so much season left to be played, but every game counts, and each data point has long-term implications in the process of determining who hoists the trophy in December.

The upcoming Week 2 slate is significantly lighter on marquee matchups, but that does not mean the next batch of games is unimportant in defining the road to glory. The strongest Heisman contenders go above and beyond regardless of their opponent, and quite a few of this year's hopefuls have an opportunity this week to pad their stats against inferior foes.

2025 Heisman Trophy odds, Week 2 outlook: Garrett Nussmeier leads race early, John Mateer faces tall task

Carter Bahns

[Sep 6, 2025 at 11:42 am ET · Will Backus]

No. 7 Texas will be without leading rusher Quintrevion Wisner as it takes on San Jose State Saturday afternoon. Wisner, who was Texas' most effective offensive option in its season opener against No. 1 Ohio State when he rushed for 80 yards on 16 carries, is being held out as a precautionary measure. The expectation is that backup CJ Baxter will not get much work, either, though he is dressed out for warm ups. 

That means the Longhorns should get a healthy dose of sophomore Jerrick Gibson, the No. 3 running back in the Class of 2024 who played in 15 games last season and carried the ball 78 times for 377 yards and four touchdowns. Texas also has redshirt freshman Christian Clark and true freshman James Simon to handle some of the workload.  

[Sep 6, 2025 at 11:30 am ET · John Talty]

On a beautiful North Carolina campus, an ACC school is heavily investing in trying to elevate its football program.

No, we aren't talking about UNC's grand Bill Belichick experiment. Go 10 miles down Tobacco Road and you'll find a Duke football program coming off a surprising 9-4 record a year ago and dreaming of something more in the future. 

A program that didn't even have a 100-yard practice field when David Cutcliffe took over in 2008, Duke is now all-in on football in a way it never has before. 

Read more:

Why Duke went all in on football: Blue Devils invest heavily for program to compete at highest level

John Talty