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No. 3 Ohio State 14, No. 1 Texas 7
Ohio State’s defense set the tone, bottling up Arch Manning for most of the afternoon and cashing in on a third-quarter interception. CJ Donaldson Jr. punched in a 1-yard TD before Julian Sayin (making his first start) hit Carnell Tate for a 40-yard strike to make it 14–0. Manning finally sparked Texas with a 32-yard TD to Parker Livingstone with 3:28 left, but the Buckeyes got the late stop near midfield. Manning finished 17-of-30 for 170 yards (1 TD, 1 INT); Sayin was 13-of-20 for 126 and the key score.
No. 2 Penn State 46, Nevada 11
Nicholas Singleton ran for two TDs and a swarming PSU defense (led by Dani Dennis-Sutton’s 2.5 TFLs and two forced fumbles) overwhelmed the Wolf Pack. Drew Allar was sharp (22-of-26, 217 yards, TD) as Penn State owned yardage (438–203) and first downs (25–13). Chubba Purdy paced Nevada with 55 rushing yards and 97 through the air.
No. 9 LSU 17, No. 4 Clemson 10
Garrett Nussmeier (28-of-38, 230 yards) delivered an 8-yard go-ahead TD to Trey’Dez Green early in the fourth and LSU’s defense did the rest. Clemson’s final drive stalled at the LSU 15 when Cade Klubnik’s fourth-and-4 pass fell incomplete. Total yards favored LSU 354–261.
No. 5 Georgia 45, Marshall 7
Gunner Stockton accounted for four TDs (two passing, two rushing) and 263 total yards as Georgia rolled. The Bulldogs outgained Marshall 488–207 and led 45–0 before the Herd broke through late. Dwight Phillips Jr. added a rushing score; Georgia moved the chains 27 times to Marshall’s seven.
No. 7 Oregon 59, Montana State 13
In his first start in nearly two years, Dante Moore looked the part: 213 yards, three TDs, and a 78% completion rate, including a perfect 6-for-6 drive after halftime. Oregon dominated total yardage 506–244 and cruised behind a balanced onslaught.
Florida State 31, No. 8 Alabama 17
Statement win in Tallahassee. Tommy Castellanos ran for 78 yards and a TD and managed the game (9-of-14, 152 yards) while FSU piled up 230 rushing yards and four ground scores. Ty Simpson threw for 254 and two TDs, but three failed fourth-down tries in FSU territory undercut Bama’s rally.
No. 11 Arizona State 38, Northern Arizona 19
Sam Leavitt (257 yards, 2 pass TDs; 73 rush yards, 2 rush TDs) overcame a flag-filled night (12 penalties) to put the Sun Devils in control. Jordyn Tyson was a problem—12 catches, 141 yards, two scores. NAU hung around behind Ty Pennington (204 yards) before ASU pulled away.
No. 14 Michigan 34, New Mexico 17
True freshman Bryce Underwood was composed (21-of-31, 251 yards, TD) while Justice Haynes hammered away (159 yards, three TDs). The Wolverines won the yardage battle 452–267 and kept New Mexico at arm’s length despite two TD grabs from Dorian Thomas.
No. 15 Florida 55, Long Island 0
DJ Lagway needed only 18 throws (15 completions, three TDs) as Florida smothered LIU, 451–86 in total offense. The Gators forced multiple fumbles—DB Bryce Thornton even scored—and Jadan Baugh ripped 104 yards and a TD on nine carries.
No. 16 SMU 42, East Texas A&M 13
Kevin Jennings (22-of-30, 260 yards) tallied three total TDs and hit Romello Brinson for a 63-yard score. The Mustangs’ defense joined the party with two pick-sixes (Alexander Kilgore, Ahmaad Moses), stretching SMU’s streak to seven straight wins in openers.
No. 17 Kansas State 38, North Dakota 35
Escape in Manhattan. Avery Johnson (318 yards, three TDs) found Joe Jackson for the 6-yard winner with :42 left. UND QB Jerry Kaminski kept the FCS visitors in it (231 pass yards, three total TDs), but K-State’s late drive averted the upset.
No. 18 Oklahoma 35, Illinois State 3
John Mateer set an OU opening-day passing mark with 392 yards (30-of-37) plus four total TDs as the Sooners outgained ISU 495–151. The Redbirds mustered just 34 passing yards after QB Tommy Rittenhouse left in the third quarter.
No. 19 Texas A&M 42, UTSA 24
Marcel Reed (289 yards, four TDs) spread it around, with KC Concepcion scoring twice (80-yard punt return, 31-yard catch). UTSA’s Robert Henry Jr. kept it close early (177 rushing yards, two TDs), but the Aggies’ depth carried the second half.
No. 20 Indiana 27, Old Dominion 14
Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza managed it (193 pass yards; 5-yard rush TD) and Roman Hemby churned out 110 on the ground as IU leaned on 309 rushing yards and 41:28 of possession. ODU QB Colton Joseph electrified with TD runs of 75 and 78, but three INTs stalled the upset bid.
No. 21 Ole Miss 63, Georgia State 7
Debut delight for Austin Simmons (341 yards, three TDs) while Kewan Lacy (108 yards, three TDs) headlined a ground game that helped the Rebels rack up 695 yards. Georgia State managed just 260 total and one late score.
No. 22 Iowa State 55, South Dakota 7
Rocco Becht authored a near-perfect day (19-of-20, 278 yards, three TDs), setting school records for single-game completion rate and TD passes in 20 straight games. Kyle Konrardy drilled a school-record 63-yard FG; the Cyclones dominated every phase.
No. 23 Texas Tech 67, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7
Behren Morton threw four TDs before exiting with a lower-leg hit; a weather delay and shortened second half couldn’t slow Tech’s 608-yard night. UAPB avoided the shutout late, but this was all Red Raiders from the jump.
No. 24 Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26
First-timer Joey Aguilar (247 yards, three TDs) mixed in enough explosives while the Vols averaged 6.2 yards per carry to pull away in Atlanta. Syracuse’s Yasin Willis punched in three short TDs, but UT’s balance proved decisive.
