Week 3 of the College Football season saw a series of unexpected outcomes, particularly for the Florida and Florida State teams. Despite their lauded coaches and an abundance of blue-chip recruits, both teams are struggling, with Florida State currently on a 0-3 losing streak after losing to Memphis. In contrast, the Texas A&M team, which hadn’t won a road game in three years, dominated the Florida Gators in a 33-20 victory.
Quinn Ewer, starting quarterback for Texas, had to sit out due to an abdominal strain during the game against UTSA. However, redshirt freshman Arch Manning filled his shoes impressively in a 56-7 rout. Over in Georgia, despite a less-than-stellar performance against Kentucky, the Bulldogs managed a 13-12 win to continue their 41-game regular-season victory streak.
Alabama’s offense, led by Quarterback Jalen Milroe, continued to excel in the fourth quarter, leading to a 42-10 victory over Wisconsin. South Carolina had a near-miss opportunity against LSU, with the Gamecocks losing by a narrow margin of 36-33. Washington State enjoyed a cathartic 24-19 win over Washington, with quarterback John Mateer proving instrumental in their victory.
Notre Dame was quick to recover from their loss to Northern Illinois, handing Purdue an unprecedented 66-7 blowout in a game where the Irish led 42-0 at halftime. Missouri’s 27-21 win over Boston College, despite giving a 14-3 lead, proved the Tiger’s resilience. Meanwhile, Kansas State established themselves as a potential Big 12 title contender with a 31-7 rout of Arizona.
UNLV emerged as one of the season’s best stories, now marking their first 3-0 start since 1984 after defeating Kansas. Oklahoma prepared to face Tennessee in its first SEC game of the season, with their offensive style looking dissimilar to the pass-heavy approach under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley’s reign. First-year Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is staying true to his winning promise with a 42-13 crushing of UCLA.
Pittsburgh has been thriving on the edge, winning consecutively against Cincinnati and Virginia by narrow margins. Colorado’s defense is on the upswing, shutting down rival Colorado State with a 28-9 win. The competitive nature of the new 16-team Big 12 was evident in the exciting UCF vs TCU match, where UCF won 35-34. Finally, Toledo achieved a historic 41-17 victory over Mississippi State, marking a significant win for a MAC team over an SEC team.
