College football scores, rankings, highlights in Week 9: Alabama, Texas avoid upsets; Vanderbilt keeps rolling

Elsewhere, Michigan took care of business against in-state rival Michigan State

Week 9 of the 2025 college football season saw 22 of the 25 teams ranked in the latest AP Top 25 poll in action. While some teams, such as No. 3 Texas A&M, cruised to a 49-25 win over No. 20 LSU, others needed last-minute heroics to survive and possibly keep their respective hopes at a spot in the College Football Playoff alive.

No. 10 Vanderbilt improved to 7-1 for the first time since 1941 after coming away with a 17-10 win over No. 15 Missouri. After star quarterback Diego Pavia scored a rushing touchdown in the final two minutes, Missouri had a chance to tie the game and send the game to overtime on its final drive. And although Missouri's Hail Mary attempt was complete with no time left on the clock, it was short of the goal line.

Also in the SEC, No. 22 Texas overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to pull off a stunning 45-38 overtime win over Mississippi State. Texas quarterback Arch Manning accounted for four total touchdowns in the victory, but left the game after the first play of overtime after appearing to hit his head on the turf.

No. 4 Alabama escaped with a 29-22 victory on the road over South Carolina after star wide receiver Germie Bernard scored a 25-yard rushing touchdown with 34 seconds remaining to win its seventh consecutive game after a loss to Florida State in Week 1.

No. 25 Michigan defeated its in-state rival Michigan State 31-20 behind a monster performance from star running back Justice Haynes. The Alabama transfer continued his impressive season by rushing for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

BYU remained unbeaten after defeating Iowa State 41-27. The No. 11-ranked Cougars improved to 8-0 and are still tied atop the Big 12 standings (5-0) with Cincinnati after overcoming a 14-point deficit in the first half.

Bill Belichick's North Carolina squad came oh so close to securing an upset win over No. 16 Virginia in overtime. The Tar Heels elected to go for a 2-point conversion instead of kicking to send the game to double-overtime, but couldn't convert. The Cavaliers improved to 7-1 and remained unbeaten against ACC competition in the 17-16 win.

CBS Sports was with you every step of the way to update you with the latest scores, highlights and storylines throughout Week 9.

College football scores, schedule: Week 9

No. 8 Ole Miss 34, No. 13 Oklahoma 26 -- Recap, takeaways
No. 2 Indiana 56, UCLA 6 -- Recap
No. 7 Georgia Tech 41, Syracuse 16 -- Recap
Memphis 34, No. 18 South Florida 31 -- Recap
Iowa 41, Minnesota 3 -- Recap
No. 10 Vanderbilt 17, No. 15 Missouri 10 -- Recap
No. 4 Alabama 29, South Carolina 22 -- Recap, takeaways
No. 22 Texas 45, Mississippi State 38 (OT) -- Recap
No. 3 Texas A&M 49, No. 20 LSU 25 -- Recap, takeaways
No. 9 Miami 42, Stanford 7 -- Recap
No. 25 Michigan 31, Michigan State 20 -- Recap

Check these out ...

• Tomorrow's Top 25 Today: Ole Miss jumps Oregon, BYU cracks top 10 in college football rankings
• Bowl projections: Vandy enters CFP bracket as SEC's fifth team, BYU flexes as Big 12 frontrunner
• Week 9 winners, losers: SEC delivers multiple thrillers, Bill Belichick masters losing
• Dante Moore leaves bloodied: Oregon QB exits Wisconsin game after hit to face
• Sark addresses reported NFL interest: 'It really pisses me off'
• Much to be desired: Texas' consecutive OT wins vs. SEC bottom feeders exposes major flaws
• Arch injured: Texas QB exits vs. Mississippi State in overtime after hitting head on turf
• Longhorns rally: Texas survives Mississippi State for biggest comeback win since 2007
• Making history: Vanderbilt off to best start since 1941 as win over Missouri keeps CFP dreams alive
• Safe for now: Hugh Freeze turns down temperature on hot seat, but Auburn issues remain
• Beau Pribula injured: Missouri QB expected to miss remainder of regular season 
  
• It's complicated: Ole Miss' win over OU good for Lane Kiffin, but bad for Florida coaching search
• Oklahoma's CFP outlook grim: Loss to Ole Miss kicks off Sooners' brutal stretch to end season
• Close but no cigar: Bill Belichick still seeks first ACC win as UNC falls inch short in OT
• Exit ramp at Texas? Steve Sarkisian's NFL interest isn't new, but timing raises questions

[Oct 25, 2025 at 11:37 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: Houston 24, No. 24 Arizona State 16

Houston pulled off a late-night Big 12 upset with a 24-16 win over No. 24 Arizona State. The Cougars had a very balanced offensive attack, with 201 passing yards from Conner Weigman and 167 total rushing yards. Weigman combined for three total touchdowns as Houston won its third consecutive game to move to 7-1. 

Reigning Big 12 champion Arizona State will have a tough time getting back to the conference title game after suffering its second loss. The Sun Devils are now 5-3 overall, with all three losses coming against Big 12 competition.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 11:20 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: No. 25 Michigan 31, Michigan State 20

No. 25 Michigan cruised to a 31-20 win over in-state rival Michigan State behind a big night on the ground. The Wolverines rushed for nearly 300 yards as a team and held Michigan State to just 122 rushing yards. Michigan star running back Justice Haynes led the way by finishing with 152 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Marshall ran for 110 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries in the victory. Michigan State has now lost five consecutive games.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 10:35 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: No. 9 Miami 42, Stanford 7

After Stanford jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Miami was able to pull away with 42 unanswered points. The Hurricanes were coming off their first loss of the season to Louisville and responded in a big way with a dominant second half. 

Miami racked up 199 rushing yards and five total touchdowns on the ground. Three of those rushing touchdowns were scored by Mark Fletcher Jr., who finished with 106 yards on 23 carries. Miami held Stanford to just 144 yards of total offense in the win.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 10:31 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

END 3Q: No. 3 Texas A&M 35, No. 20 LSU 18

That third quarter by Texas A&M was a statement performance. The Aggies went into halftime trailing LSU 18-14 before scoring 21 unanswered points to flip that four-point deficit to a 35-18 lead. 

Texas A&M star quarterback Marcel Reed has accounted for four total touchdowns thus far, and the Aggies have a chance to add more points during the opening minute of the fourth. The Aggies will begin the fourth at the LSU 2-yard line.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 9:49 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Oregon's offense hasn't looked quite like itself on Saturday in some rough weather in Eugene while facing the hapless Wisconsin Badgers. The Ducks lead 14-0 late in the third quarter, but are currently operating without star quarterback Dante Moore, who left the game earlier in the third after taking a clothesline that left him with a very bloody nose. 

It's a freak (but painful) incident where the defender's arm gets through his face mask to hit Moore across the bridge of the nose. He left the game with the trainers tending to him and spent 15 minutes in the injury tent before returning to the sideline with his helmet, but was not in for the next Oregon offensive drive and remained on the sidelines in a parka. 

[Oct 25, 2025 at 8:45 pm ET · Carter Bahns]

HALF: No. 6 Oregon 7, Wisconsin 0

They say it never rains in Autzen Stadium, but weather has been a significant factor in the first half of No. 6 Oregon's matchup with Wisconsin. The offenses have yet to kick into gear as they battle the elements in a stormy day in the Pacific Northwest, and the first points did not come until inside the two-minute timeout. That's when the Ducks drew first blood with a Jordon Davison 3-yard touchdown run.

Bumbling offense has been the theme for the Badgers this month. They have now gone scoreless for 10 consecutive quarters and have not logged a touchdown since the first quarter of their game against Michigan all the way back on Oct. 4. But for Oregon, the slow start is puzzling. This is a team that just last week posted a season-high 750 yards of total offense in a 56-10 rout of Rutgers.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 8:38 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

HALF: No. 9 Miami 7, Stanford 7

We have reached halftime from Coral Gables and No. 9 Miami is tied 7-7 with Stanford in what has been a sluggish start for the Hurricanes. Stanford jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter after a 12-play, 74-yard drive ended with a 9-yard touchdown from Ben Gulbranson to Caden High. Miami responded with a long drive of its own after Carson Beck found CJ Daniels for a 5-yard touchdown.

Stanford is coming off a win over Florida State, while Miami is looking to rebound after suffering its first loss of the season at home to Louisville last Friday. The Hurricanes cannot afford to slip up again. 

[Oct 25, 2025 at 8:22 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Texas quarterback Arch Manning exited his team's win over Mississippi State on Saturday following the first play of overtime after appearing to hit his head on the turf. Manning scrambled for a 13-yard gain on the play and was met by a defender when going down. Manning was shown walking off the field with trainers and going into the medical tent.

Following Manning's exit, Matthew Caldwell entered the game and threw what proved to be the winning touchdown pass -- a 10-yard strike to Emmett Mosley V. The Texas defense then got the stop it needed on the subsequent possession to get out of Starkville with a 45-38 win. 

Manning was banged up earlier in the game as well. He walked off the field and into the medical tent following a first-quarter touchdown run but was able to come back in the game on the following drive. The No. 22 Longhorns trailed by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter, but Manning helped lead his team back. 

Arch Manning injury: Texas quarterback exits vs. Mississippi State in overtime after hitting head on turf

Cameron Salerno

[Oct 25, 2025 at 8:11 pm ET · Carter Bahns]

FINAL (OT): No. 22 Texas 45, Mississippi State 38

Mississippi State looked destined for much of the day to pull off an upset and effectively eliminate Texas from College Football Playoff contention. A furious surge in the fourth quarter and a clutch overtime touchdown, however, pushed the Longhorns over the top as they escaped defeat in Starkville with a 45-38 win.

Texas trailed for more than half the game but rallied in the final minutes to force overtime. It was a 24-point fourth quarter for the Longhorns that featured two Arch Manning touchdown passes and the most thrilling play of them all -- a 79-yard punt return touchdown from Ryan Niblett to tie the game with 1:47 left in regulation.

Manning left the game briefly in regulation and departed from the field again in overtime after falling hard to the ground and appearing to hit his head on the turf. Backup quarterback Matthew Caldwell entered in relief and promptly delivered a touchdown strike to Emmett Mosley V to give the Longhorns their first lead since early in the second quarter. That was the decisive score for the visitors, who put the game away with a defensive stop on the ensuing possession.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Arizona State star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson will miss this week's game against Houston due to a hamstring injury suffered during a win over Texas Tech, coach Kenny Dillingham said. Dillingham did not provide a timeline for when Tyson could return to the lineup for the No. 24-ranked Sun Devils.

"I'm not ready to comment on that right now," Dillingham said. "This is something (where) I'm trying to protect him from himself. That dude is a competitor out there. Playing at the end of last game, making plays. So this is something where we are making a decision to protect him from him a little bit cause he's such a competitor."

Jordyn Tyson injury update: Arizona State star WR won't play against Houston due to hamstring injury

Cameron Salerno

Tyson, a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is off to a terrific start to the 2025 season. In seven games, Tyson caught 57 passes for 628 yards and eight touchdowns. In that win over Texas Tech -- where he played through the hamstring injury throughout the second half -- Tyson finished with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 7:52 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

END 4Q: No. 22 Texas 38, Mississippi State 38

We are heading to overtime in Starkville. This has been a wild game. Texas trailed by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter and now it will take overtime to decide this one.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 7:42 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

LATE 4Q: No. 22 Texas 38, Mississippi State 38

We are tied in Starkville after Texas punt returner Ryan Niblett made the play of the game. After the Texas defense got a stop, Niblett returned the ensuing punt 79 yards to tie the game at 38 with 1:47 remaining. The Longhorns trailed by as many as 17 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

Texas is seeking its largest comeback win since 2007. The Longhorns trailed by as many as 21 points in that game to Oklahoma State.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 7:24 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

FINAL: No. 4 Alabama 29, South Carolina 22

No. 4 Alabama stunned South Carolina in the final seconds, leaving thousands of students just beyond hedges in the end zone during an improbable 29-22 road win over the Gamecocks. Germie Bernard's 25-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds left clinched Alabama's seventh straight win and pushed its record to 5-0 in SEC play this season, this coming on the heels of four consecutive wins over ranked competition before battling the upset-minded Gamecocks.

The Crimson Tide trailed most of the second half before tying the game with 2:16 to play Ty Simpson's two-point conversion toss to Josh Cuevas following a scoring reception from Bernard. On South Carolina's ensuing possession with the score knotted at 22, Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson ripped the football from quarterback LaNorris Sellers' arms as he was being tackled by nose guard Tim Keenan with 1:39 to play. 

Sellers took a quarterback draw into the teeth of Alabama's defense before he was stripped at his own 38-yard line. The play was upheld after review and gave the Crimson Tide their second takeaway of the contest -- and arguably biggest of the Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama. That opened the door for Bernard's winning touchdown.

"They're going to keep playing, as long as they keep that mindset ... we're great in critical moments," DeBoer said. "I'm proud of Deontae, I'm proud of [Keenan] ... they're the heart and soul, they're captains and have been here forever. I'm proud of our coaching staff for keeping these guys in the right direction."

[Oct 25, 2025 at 7:08 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

FINAL: No. 10 Vanderbilt 17, No. 15 Missouri 10

It wasn't pretty, but No. 10 Vanderbilt defeated No. 15 Missouri 17-10 to pick up a key win for its overall résumé toward a potential berth in the College Football Playoff. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia scored a 1-yard touchdown with 1:49 remaining, and his team got a defensive stop on Missouri's ensuing drive -- a Hail Mary attempt by the Tigers came up just short -- to move to 7-1 overall. Vanderbilt racked up 135 rushing yards -- including 80 on one play by Makhilyn Young for a touchdown.

Missouri played a majority of the second half without starting quarterback Beau Pribula, who left in the third quarter with what appeared to be a significant leg injury. With Pribula sidelined, Matt Zollers entered the game for the Tigers. He began the season as the team's third-stringer, but a Week 1 injury to Sam Horn moved the true freshman up the depth chart. With Pribula's status unclear for the immediate future, Missouri could rely on Zollers down the stretch.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 7:07 pm ET · Carter Bahns]

FINAL: No. 11 BYU 41, Iowa State 27

BYU faced a two-possession deficit but outscored Iowa State 31-3 from the final minute of the first half onward to roll to its eighth consecutive win. The Cougars looked to be in trouble early, especially with star running back LJ Martin leaving with an injury, but quarterback Bear Bachmeier took over with the best performance of his true freshman season to lead BYU to an impressive road victory.

While it was by no means the BYU defense's best game of the year, the unit played an integral role in the win with two of the biggest plays of the day. Faletau Satuala intercepted Iowa State's Rocco Becht and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown to give the Cougars their biggest lead of the day at 41-27 early in the fourth quarter. Later in the quarter, Evan Johnson picked off Becht to end Iowa State's final possession and put the game on ice.

With the win, BYU improved to 8-0, remains in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 and controls its own destiny on the road to the College Football Playoff. Kalani Sitake's team was in this exact position a year ago but faded down the stretch and ultimately missed out on a spot in the bracket. Could this season be different?

Iowa State, meanwhile, is now 5-3 after opening the season with five straight victories. 

[Oct 25, 2025 at 7:00 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

Late 4Q: No. 4 Alabama 22, South Carolina 22

Ty Simpson's two-point conversion toss to Josh Cuevas with 2:16 left has knotted the score with the Gamecocks, capping a 14-play, 79-yard drive. Daniel Hill took the direct snap on Alabama's first two-point try of the season and handed the ball off to Simpson, who rolled right and found Cuevas in the end zone. Germie Bernard's 4-yard touchdown reception after lining up in the backfield on second-and-goal put the Crimson Tide in position.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 6:43 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

4Q: South Carolina 22, No. 4 Alabama 14

South Carolina pulled within two, 14-12, when LaNorris Sellers found Nyck Harbor on a 54-yard touchdown strike at the 10:59 mark of the third quarter. The Gamecocks then took a 15-14 lead on a 47-yard William Joyce field goal with 1:57 to play in the third while the defense continued to overwhelm the Crimson Tide. 

South Carolina was able to take advantage of a major Alabama mistake, too. A muffed punt gave the Gamecocks excellent field position, and they capitalized with a Sellers touchdown run. 

Facing third-and-1 at Alabama's 10-yard line, Sellers faked a handoff and ran off tackle for the score, outracing an Alabama defender to the pylon to extend South Carolina's lead to eight points with 10 minutes to play. 

[Oct 25, 2025 at 6:05 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

LATE 3Q: No. 10 Vanderbilt 10, No. 15 Missouri 3

One of the best games on the Week 9 college football slate hasn't produced much offense ... until now. Vanderbilt running back Makhilyn Young scored the first touchdown of the day with an 80-yard burst on his team's first play of the drive. The Commodores had gone seven possessions without a touchdown until Young scored. 

This game is huge for the College Football Playoff picture and Missouri is competing without starting quarterback Beau Pribula, who left in the third quarter with what appeared to be a significant leg injury. 

Beau Pribula injury update: Missouri QB's severe ankle sprain not expected to be season ending

Robby Kalland

With Pribula sidelined, Matt Zollers is in at quarterback for the Tigers. Zollers began the season as the team's third-stringer, but a Week 1 injury to Sam Horn moved the true freshman up the depth chart. Now he has been thrust into significant action for the first time. 

[Oct 25, 2025 at 5:58 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

HALF: Mississippi State 24, No. 22 Texas 14

Stop me if you have heard this before this season: Texas is struggling. After an impressive opening drive that resulted in a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Arch Manning, Texas allowed Mississippi State to score 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Bulldogs will take a 24-14 lead into the locker room.

Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby is 0-11 against SEC competition since taking over the program. The Bulldogs defeated Arizona State earlier this season at home, but a win over Texas would be a statement for Lebby. 

Texas is coming off an ugly win over Kentucky last weekend. A loss would almost certainly knock the Longhorns out of the College Football Playoff conversation.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 5:23 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

HALF: No. 4 Alabama 14, South Carolina 6

Behind an interception return for a score and a fourth-down touchdown pass from Ty Simpson, Alabama leads South Carolina on the road. The Crimson Tide managed just 41 total yards prior to their only scoring possession of the first half, which spanned 81 yards over nine plays on their final drive of the second quarter. 

Simpson found tight end Josh Cuevas on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line with 1:45 left in the half to push the Crimson Tide's lead to 14-6. South Carolina nearly doubled up Alabama in time of possession in the opening half and out-gained the Crimson Tide in total yards, but third down failures and a missed field goal ended multiple threats.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 5:17 pm ET · Carter Bahns]

HALF: Iowa State 24, No. 11 BYU 17

BYU is the only unbeaten team remaining in the Big 12, but that may not be the case at the end of the night if Iowa State has its say. The Cyclones built a lead as large as two touchdowns in the first half but surrendered a score in the final minute of the second quarter to trim the advantage in half to 24-17. 

It took all of nine seconds for ISU to strike first as Rocco Becht hit Brett Eskildsen for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

Explosive passing play aside, running back Carson Hansen has been the catalyst for Iowa State thus far with 87 yards and two touchdowns.

BYU, meanwhile, saw its top running back leave with an injury. LJ Martin, the Big 12's leading rusher, is done for the day after he departed in the first quarter and underwent X-rays in the locker room. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier figures to shoulder more of the load on the ground as a prolific ballcarrier in his own right, but the Cougars may have to air it out in the second half if they remain in catch-up mode.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 5:15 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

Halftime: Washington 21, No. 23 Illinois 17

The home team got off to a fast start at Husky Stadium as Washington jumped out to a quick 14-3 lead thanks to a pair of long touchdown drives in the first quarter. However, Illinois was able to pull itself off the mat and find the end zone twice in the second quarter, and it looks like this one will be a fun back-and-forth affair.

Demond Williams Jr. is off to a fast start for the Huskies with 197 total yards and a pair of passing touchdowns. That said, he isn't the only Husky with a touchdown toss in this game. With under a minute left before halftime, Washington ran a wide receiver pass with Denzel Boston finding Jonah Coleman in the end zone.

There were nine total possessions in the first half, and just one of them resulted in a punt. If that's an indication of what's to come, fans will want to make sure they have this on a screen when the action resumes.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 5:08 pm ET · Carter Bahns]

HALF: No. 10 Vanderbilt 3, No. 15 Missouri 3

Neither the Commodores nor the Tigers reached the end zone in the first half. Diego Pavia scrambled for what at the moment looked like a dazzling touchdown run, but a penalty negated the play and forced Vanderbilt to settle for three points and level the game at 3-3 ahead of the halftime break.

It has been a struggle for both teams to keep drives moving. They combined to go just 2-of-11 on third downs in the opening two quarters and punted seven times. That is out of the ordinary for two of the SEC's top offenses. Vanderbilt averaged 41.4 points per game entering the week, and Missouri logged 39 points per contest over the first seven games of the year.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 4:47 pm ET · Carter Bahns]

2Q: Iowa State 17, No. 11 BYU 10

BYU running back LJ Martin sustained an injury in the first quarter of the No. 11 Cougars' matchup against Iowa State and, per the Fox broadcast, is out for the remainder of the game. Martin entered the medical tent on the Cougars' sideline, and after evaluation, trainers took him to the locker room where he reportedly underwent x-rays.

Martin, the Big 12's leading rusher with 774 yards on 127 carries entering the game, scored a touchdown prior to his exit. He has been an integral part of BYU's 7-0 start to the season as one half of an electric rushing duo with quarterback Bear Bachmeier. His absence could hamper the Cougars' chances of coming back to defeat the Cyclones, and if he misses time beyond this week, BYU's outlook in the conference race will become murkier.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 4:36 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

EARLY 1Q: No. 22 Texas 7, Mississippi State 0

Texas got off to a hot start on its opening series against Mississippi State. Texas quarterback Arch Manning completed a pass to Ryan Wingo, and he did the rest to gain 60 yards. On the very next play, Manning called his own number and scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Longhorns an early 7-0 advantage. 

Manning went into the medical tent after that play, but came back in the game for the Longhorns' next drive.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 4:16 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

1Q: No. 4 Alabama 7, South Carolina 3

The Crimson Tide lead the Gamecocks late in the first quarter following a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown from Dashawn Jones. LaNorris Sellers tossed one to Rahsul Faison near the sideline on a routine check down, but the ball caromed off the running back's hands and into the paws of Jones. During last season's two-point loss to the Crimson Tide, the Gamecocks' four costly turnovers doomed their upset hopes. Alabama (6-1) hasn't lost this season since the opener at Florida State.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 4:02 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

FINAL: Memphis 34, No. 18 USF 31

Down by 14 points going into the fourth quarter, Memphis needed a rally if it was going to upset South Florida, and it got one. The Tigers scored on each of their final three drives for 17 consecutive points and their defense held the Bulls off the scoreboard down the stretch.

This win is pivotal for Memphis, which now holds a head-to-head edge in the American Conference standings. The winner of the American will have the inside track for the Group of Six's spot in the College Football Playoff, so every win is critical. 

Perhaps the biggest reason for Memphis' signature win was the play of quarterback Brendon Lewis, who outshined counterpart Byrum Brown on the other side. Lewis, whose status was unclear coming into the game after he was injured in last week's loss to UAB, completed 27 of his 44 attempts for 307 yards and a pair of touchdowns while adding 35 yards on the ground.

In the closing seconds of the game, the Bulls were driving and attempted a 52-yard field goal that would have leveled the score. However, Nico Gramatica's kick missed wide left, and the Tigers hung on for the win.

Memphis, now 7-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play will go on the road to Rice next week. The Bulls, now 6-2 (3-1 American) get a bye before facing UTSA.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 3:59 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

FINAL: Wake Forest 13, SMU 12

SMU's incredible run against conference opponents came to a heartbreaking end as Wake Forest defeated the Mustangs 13-12 on a wobbly 50-yard field goal that barely cleared the crossbar. The loss marks SMU's first regular season conference defeat since Nov. 17, 2022, snapping a 25-game streak spanning the American Conference and ACC.

Wake Forest, in just its first season under coach Jake Dickert, drove inside the 10-yard line for a potential go-ahead score with less than two minutes remaining, but running back Demond Claiborne fumbled. After forcing a quick three-and-out, the Demon Deacons regained possession with 12 seconds left and no timeouts. A 25-yard completed pass to Kamrean Johnson put Wake Forest in field-goal range to attempt the 50-yarder from Connor Calvert to win the game in dramatic fashion.

With the win, Wake Forest improved to 4-3 and matched its win total from last season. SMU dropped to 6-3.

[Oct 25, 2025 at 3:47 pm ET · Will Backus]

Final: No. 8 Ole Miss 34, No. 13 Oklahoma 26

Ole Miss withstood a late rally from Oklahoma and held on to improve to 7-1 on the year with a crucial SEC road win. The Sooners had two chances in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the game, but came up short on both occasions. 

On the first instance, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer passed up on an easy underneath throw that would have converted on fourth-and-5 and airmailed a deep ball, resulting in a turnover. Oklahoma's defense held firm on the other side of the two-minute timeout and forced Ole Miss to punt with just over one minute left to play. 

That still put Oklahoma in a tough situation, where it would have to drive 83 yards and hit on a two-point conversion without any timeouts. The Sooners got the ball to the Ole Miss 45-yard line, but a last-second Hail Mary attempt fell well short of the end zone and was batted down by the Rebel defense. 

It was a gritty road win for the Rebels, who allowed a 13-0 run in the third quarter to fall behind 26-25. They went on their own 9-0 run in the final frame, aided by an Oklahoma fumble on a punt and Oklahoma's struggles to convert in key situations. 

With this win, the path to the SEC Championship Game -- and the College Football Playoff -- is wide open for Ole Miss. The Rebels don't play a single ranked team over the last month of the regular season and three of their last four games come at home. 

Oklahoma, meanwhile, has to contend with a brutal slate if it wants to remain in the playoff hunt. This was the first of five-straight games against top-25 opponents for the Sooners. 

[Oct 25, 2025 at 3:42 pm ET · Austin Nivison]

FINAL: No. 7 Georgia Tech 41, Syracuse 16

The Haynes King Show started early, and it continued until Aaron Philo entered the game late in the fourth quarter for mop-up duty. King was sensational against the Orange, torching their defense through the air and on the ground.

King threw for 304 yards (while averaging 9.8 yards per attempt), rushed for 91 yards (while averaging 7.6 yards per attempt) and scored five total touchdowns. King is the first Georgia Tech player with three passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown since Jeff Sims did it in 2021.

One of the keys to King's success through the air was his ability to spread the ball around. Seven different Yellow Jackets had at least two receptions, and no one had more than 67 receiving yards.

Next week, Georgia Tech will get a conference road test against NC State as it looks to reach 9-0.