College football scores, rankings, highlights in Week 1: Michigan, Oklahoma cruise ahead of massive clash

FINAL: No. 19 Texas A&M 42, UTSA 14

UTSA staged a challenge by pulling within 21-17 on a 75-yard touchdown run from Robert Henry to open the second half. But Texas A&M got itself together and dominated the rest of the second half until UTSA scored a garbage time touchdown. Marcel Reed led the Aggies by totaling over 300 total yards and four passing touchdowns. A&M’s defense was the key in the second half, though, as the Aggies forced six straight three-and-outs after Henry’s long touchdown scamper.

Aggies in trouble

Early 3Q: Texas A&M 21, UTSA 17

UTSA boasts a ton of offensive continuity, including a productive veteran running back in Robert Henry. He torched Texas A&M for a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and is up to 170 yards rushing with a pair of scores. The Roadrunners forced a quick Texas A&M punt and officially have the Aggies under some second-half stress at Kyle Field.

HALF: Michigan 24, New Mexico 10

Michigan started hot with a pair touchdown drives to begin Bryce Underwood’s tenure as the starting quarterback. But New Mexico woke up and gave the Wolverines fits to draw within 17-10. It looked like the Lobos were going to get off the field again before Underwood ripped a strike to Channing Goodwin for a gain of 39 on third-and-14. That sparked a 75-yard touchdown drive to put the Wolverines up 24-10 at halftime. Underwood went 5 for 5 on that drive to close the first half 12 of 17 passing for 144 yards.

HALF: North Dakota 21, Kansas State 17

Kansas State is struggling in a trap spot against North Dakota. Just a week after opening the season in Ireland, the Wildcats are back at home and seemingly trying to shake off jet lag and the vibes of their Week 0 loss to Iowa State. The Fighting Hawks are a strong FCS program and marched 75+ yards for three touchdowns in the first half. Avery Johnson is 14 of 20 passing for 212 yards passing and two touchdowns to lead K-State, but he’s not getting much help from his defense.

2Q: USC 28, Missouri State 10

USC’s defense has been a mixed bag early against Missouri State. The Trojans let Missouri State march 48 yards on the game’s opening drive for a field goal and just surrendered a 33-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down play. But USC has has also scored on a 39-yard Bishop Fitzgerald interception return for a touchdown and been lethal offensively. A 64-yard Lake McRee touchdown reception from Jayden Maiava is the biggest offensive highlight thus far for the Trojans.

HALF: Florida 38, LIU 0

Florida receiver Vernell Brown III just made an incredible one-handed catch for a 41-yard gain to help set up a Florida touchdown just before the half. Put that one in the running for catch of the year in college football. The play capped a great first half for star sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway, who completed 15 of 18 passes for 120 yards with three touchdowns. Jadan Baugh is also making his mark on the ground with eight carries for 96 yards and a touchdown. But where the Gators have arguably shined the brightest is on defense, as they allowed just one first down in the opening half.

Mid 1Q: No. 19 Texas A&M 7, UTSA 0 

It’s hard to ask for a more explosive first touchdown of the season than what Texas A&M just got from punt returner KC Concepcion. Concepcion, a wide receiver transfer from NC State, fielded a a 42-yard boot from UTSA punter Caile Hogan and used his speed to gash the middle of UTSA’s punt coverage team. He was able to race 80 yards untouched into the end zone to open Texas A&M’s 2025 scoring bill. 

Concepcion is expected to be a dynamic option in a revamped Texas A&M offense. The Aggies spent considerable resources collecting new weapons for quarterback Marcel Reed via the transfer portal. In addition to Concepcion, the Aggies also added Mississippi State wide receiver transfer Mario Craver and Texas tight end transfer Amari Niblack. 

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood is set to join prestigious company on Saturday by starting in his team’s season-opener against New Mexico. Underwood, who finished as the No. 1-ranked quarterback prospect in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports, will become just the third signal caller since 2013 to accomplish the feat.

Bryce Underwood named Michigan QB: Prized recruit is fourth true freshman to start for Wolverines in Week 1

David Cobb

One of the top games on the Week 1 slate is about to start. Will LSU earn a huge win on the road, or will Clemson ride the late-season momentum it picked up at the tail end of the 2024 season? Here is our preview of the marquee clash.

LSU vs. Clemson prediction, pick, odds, spread: Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik battle in marquee opener

John Talty

FINAL: No. 7 Oregon 59, Montana State 13

Dante Moore had to wait his turn to become Oregon’s starting quarterback. The former UCLA signal caller and highly touted prospect from the 2023 recruiting cycle sat behind veteran Dillon Gabriel last season and won the starting job in fall camp. In his first start since the 2023 season, Moore was sharp. He completed 18 of 23 attempts for 213 yards and three touchdowns.

Moore is somewhat of a mystery box. He showed flashes of his five-star billing at UCLA but was inconsistent. It was one of the reasons why he was benched midseason. Moore living up to the hype would be a huge development for the Ducks’ high-powered offense. He has the weapons around him to thrive in this system.

Alonza Barnett lll will be James Madison’s starting quarterback against Weber State on Saturday, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported.  Barnett, who threw for 2,598 yards and 26 touchdowns last season for the Dukes, won the starting job over transfer signal caller Matthew Sluka. 

The former UNLV quarterback had one of the highest-profile fallouts in the new era of college athletics. Sluka transferred from Holy Cross to UNLV last offseason but left the Rebels’ program midseason due to “certain representations” that were made to him when choosing his college destination. It appears that for the time being, Sluka will serve as the backup quarterback.

FINAL: No. 20 Indiana 27, Old Dominion 14

It wasn’t the prettiest debut for Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but Indiana did more than enough to come away with a comfortable win over Old Dominion. It was a mixed bag through the air for Mendoza, who missed a few connections on deep balls for a variety of reasons, and he finished the day with 193 yards on 18-of-31 passing.

The one part of Indiana’s game that was working from start to finish was the rushing attack. Maryland transfer Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black led the way in that department as those two combined for 203 yards and a touchdown on the ground. As a team, Indiana ran for 309 yards, which marked the first time Indiana surpassed 300 rushing yards against an FBS opponent since 2016.

The offense also got a little help from special teams when Jonathan Brady housed a punt return for a 91-yard touchdown.

HALF: No. 6 Georgia 24, Marshall 0

USC transfer wide receiver Zachariah Branch looks like he’s going to be exactly what the doctor ordered for a Georgia offense in need of explosive playmakers. Branch was known for his speed and big-play ability while at USC, and transferred to Georgia this past offseason. In the first half against Marshall, Branch hauled in two catches for 48 yards, both of which came in the first quarter.

Branch was targeted four times and caught both of his passes on third down. The Bulldogs needed another playmaker on offense after their receiving corps was a hot topic last season. If the first 30 minutes are any indication, it’s that Branch already looks like a go-to target for quarterback Gunner Stockton. Branch also served as Georgia’s punt returner in the first half — which is something he did often while at USC.

No. 22 Iowa State is riding high after dismantling rival Kansas State in the opener, and the Cyclones are already off to another hot start against FCS South Dakota. ISU leads South Dakota 27-7 after kicker Kyle Konrardy nailed an unreal 63-yard field goal as time expired. 

The kick shatters the existing Iowa State record of 58 yards and ties for the 13th-longest field goal in college football history. Konrardy, a sophomore, is now 3-of-4 on field goals of 50+ yards in his Iowa State career. 

Outside of the kicking game, Iowa State is having a sensational performance in their second game. Quarterback Rocco Becht has completed 17-of-18 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, with a pair of touchdown strikes to tight end Ben Brahmer. Five different players have multiple receptions. 

Oregon coach Dan Lanning never made an official announcement about who his starting QB would be for Week 1 against Montana State. The logical assumption throughout the offseason is that Dante Moore, the former UCLA quarterback who transferred into the program last offseason, would be the guy. 

Moore showed flashes on tape of being a future star during his time at UCLA. He won the starting job over veteran signal caller Ethan Garbers after a standout Week 1 performance against Coastal Carolina. Moore threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns against San Diego State the following week, which only intensified the hype. 

Overall, his freshman year at UCLA was a mixed bag. The weapons around Moore at Oregon will be better than what he had at UCLA. However, it’s unclear whether or not star wide receiver Evan Stewart will be catching passes from him this season. Stewart, who is Oregon’s top returning wide receiver, suffered a knee injury earlier this spring and his status for 2025 is up in the air. Stewart served as a reliable security blanket for Gabriel last year, so getting him back in any capacity would be a major help for the redshirt sophomore.

The Ducks added Malik Benson (formerly of Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide) via the transfer portal and return Justius Lowe and Gary Bryant Jr.. The name that could become a star right away in the Ducks’ receiving room could be five-star Dakorien Moore — the No. 9 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

With Moore’s role defined heading into this season, it will be up to him to deliver on the hype. There aren’t many players at the position with more upside than Moore. After waiting his turn to become Oregon’s starter, it is now up to him to deliver on the hype.

No. 2 Penn State will open the 2025 season at home against Nevada on CBS. The Nittany Lions are coming off a berth in the CFP, and expectations for James Franklin and company have never been higher. 

Penn State vs. Nevada prediction, pick, odds, spread: Drew Allar, Nittany Lions begin national title quest

Tom Fornelli

The longest losing streak in FBS has finally come to an end, as Kent State pulled off a thrilling 21-17 win over Merrimack College on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Flashes led 14-3 early in the third quarter, but watched as Merrimack scored 14 straight to take a 17-14 lead in the fourth. 

That lead only lasted a few seconds as on the ensuing kickoff, Da’Realyst Clark took it to the house to give Kent State the lead.

Beyond having an all-time great name, Clark gave Kent State the lead for good with that kick return as it held on for a 21-17 win (Merrimack did cover +6.5) to snap its losing streak and finally get something in the win column. The next hurdle will be trying to win an FBS game for the first time since Sean Lewis was the coach back in 2022.

But for now there is some joy in Kent, Ohio, on a Saturday for the first time in two years. 

Tulane entered Saturday as one of the favorites for the Group of Six College Football Playoff bid, especially after Boise State’s dismal loss at South Florida (and Army got upset by Tarleton State). After one half of football against Northwestern, the Green Wave have only offered more reason to believe they will be a College Football Playoff threat all season. Former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has the Wave offense rolling, while the defense has given SMU transfer Preston Stone fits on the other side of the ball. 

Stone threw three interceptions in the first half in New Orleans, and Retzlaff and the Tulane offense have steadily worked the ball on the Wildcats defense. Retzlaff broke off a 69-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter to blow the score open at 20-3. He’s got 104 yards on the ground to go with 112 yards and a touchdown passing.

That’s where the score stands at halftime, and if things continue on this path, Tulane will have a chance to crack the AP top 25 this week and will be the playoff favorite among Group of Six teams. 

2Q: Mississippi State 10, Southern Miss 10

Mississippi State scored a touchdown in the first minute down in Hattiesburg, but Southern Miss has settled in and tied things up in the in-state battle thanks to a wild tip-drill touchdown in the second quarter. Braylon Braxton threw a (perhaps ill-advised) pass to Micah Davis that got tipped up in the air by a Mississippi State defender and hauled in by Davis as he fell backwards into the end zone. 

It was a tough start to the Jeff Lebby era in Starkville in 2024, and the Bulldogs really need to get off to a good start to the 2025 season. They have not been able to separate from the Golden Eagles early, though, and look like they might be in for a full 60-minute battle down in Hattiesburg. 

West Virginia will start quarterback Nicco Marchiol in the season opener against Robert Morris, according to ESPN. Marchiol beat out four other quarterbacks for the starting job, most notably Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson. However, Marchiol was the only player in the competition to start games for the Mountaineers last season. 

Marchiol, a junior from Chandler, Arizona, has been a longtime contributor in the program. He completed 66% of his passes for 434 yards and five touchdowns in primarily reserve duty. Marchiol is less of a runner than Henderson, and coach Rich Rodriguez has historically erred towards dual-threat players. However, he was ultimately impressive enough in camp that the won the game. 

The Mountaineers return only one primary starter — running back Jahiem White — in the first year of the Rodriguez era. 

End 1Q: No. 24 Tennessee 17, Syracuse 0

Syracuse looked to turn some momentum in its game against No. 24 Tennessee when the Orange recovered a Vol fumble on their own 25-yard line. In an effort to capitalize on Tennessee’s mistake, Syracuse tried to run a play-action shot down the field after regaining possession. But Tennessee defensive lineman Nathan Robinson plowed through the interior of Syracuse’s offensive line and punched the ball from quarterback Steve Angeli’s hands for a strip sack. 

Cornerback Colton Hood was quick to recover the bouncing ball and ran 22 yards, untouched, for a defensive touchdown. Hood’s recovery gave the Vols an early three-possession lead as the first quarter came to a close. 

Here’s to you, Lee Corso.

The sprightly statesman of ESPN’s “College GameDay” made the final headgear pick of his storied broadcast career Saturday ahead of the Week 1 showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State, donning the Brutus Buckeye head one final time.

It was an appropriate send-off for Corso, who debuted on ESPN’s popular pre-game show in 1987 while it was an in-studio production and first started his iconic segment in 1996 when he famously put on the Brutus headgear after picking Ohio State to beat Penn State. Corso, 90, has since made 430 headgear selections in all and picked Ohio State 45 times — the most for any school. Corso is 31-14 when siding with the Buckeyes and 6-13 when going against them. 

Lee Corso’s last show: Beloved member of ‘College GameDay’ dons Ohio State headgear one final time in send-off

Brad Crawford

AUSTIN, Texas — The parking attendants at the University of Texas may be the only group indifferent to the growing mythology of Arch Manning.

Nearly 52,000 students attend the state’s flagship university, which has a perimeter of four miles around its main campus downtown. There are fewer than 17,000 parking spots to serve them. They’re monitored relentlessly. 

Manning makes the mile or two drive from his North Campus residence almost daily. Athletes do have parking options, but Manning is occasionally haphazard about where his car ends up. Class, practice and service organization meetings add up. As do the fines.

Read more about Manning here:

The Unavoidable Fame of Arch Manning: Life in Austin’s fishbowl as Texas’ starting quarterback

Chris Hummer

An infusion of fresh blood is on the way to college football’s quarterback ranks in 2025, as former highly touted prospects such as Arch Manning (Texas), Julian Sayin(Ohio State) and Ty Simpson (Alabama) are set to take over starting jobs at high-profile programs. Others such as Dylan Raiola (Nebraska), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), Demond Williams (Washington) and DJ Lagway (Florida) are part of a strong class of potential breakout stars.

Then, there is the transfer class, which is particularly compelling in the ACC. Carson Beck (Miami), Darian Mensah (Duke), Miller Moss (Louisville) and Thomas Castellanos (Florida State) will have a big say in how that conference plays out.

Cam Ward of Miami, has departed for the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick, and three of the four quarterbacks who started in the CFP semifinals have moved on the professional ranks well. Big-name QBs like Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) and Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) are also leaving big shoes to fill.

College Football QB Power Rankings: Cade Klubnik, Drew Allar top expanded preseason list of 50 signal callers

David Cobb

Julian Sayin could not have found a tougher opponent for his starting debut. The Ohio State quarterback opens his tenure as QB1 Saturday against No. 1 Texas and its imposing defense in one of the biggest games of the entire college footballseason. Sayin boasts impeccable raw talent as a former five-star recruit, though, and he was on the roster to witness Ohio State’s run to the 2024 national championship. Because of that, the quarterback of last year’s squad, Will Howard, says he is ready for the moment.

Howard reached out to Sayin when he won the starting job, and the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie stays in touch with the entire room at his old school. Having that kind of resource at his disposal could be key for Sayin as he steps into the limelight in a pressure-packed role.

“There’s a lot of eyes, there’s a lot of pressure, but you can’t treat it like that,” Howard said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on the eve of Saturday’s season opener. “You gotta just treat it like it’s another game. Obviously this being his first collegiate start, collegiate game, it’s a big one, but I know that he has it in him. He got to watch us go on that whole run last year, and he was a part of it, so he got to see the big games. I’m excited to see him go out there and take this step with him actually doing it, because he’s a dude, man. He’s a stud.”

Julian Sayin ready for big moment in Ohio State starting debut vs. Texas, Will Howard says: ‘He has it in him’

Carter Bahns

The college football offseason feels so long that, when games finally arrive, it’s hard not to dive into deeper waters than you should. You want to consume all of it because you missed it so much.

I know, I’m right there with you.

But betting the first games of the season can be tricky, and it feels even more difficult this year, considering the amount of overhaul among rosters across the country. It’s not just the transfer portal that’s led to players moving around; the COVID eligibility players are finally cycling out, which has opened up roster spots that hadn’t been available for a while.

The Six Pack: Picks for Ohio State vs. Texas, LSU vs. Clemson and Tom Fornelli’s lock for Week 1 action

Tom Fornelli

Week 1 of the college football season kicked off Thursday, and it delivered plenty of drama, highlights and insights, capped by a thrilling finish in Nebraska’s 20-17 win over Cincinnati (in front of power couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, nonetheless). It was just part of an ugly but unbeaten night for the Big Ten, which had four teams in action.

Rutgers topped Ohio 34-31, Minnesota beat Buffalo 23-10 and Wisconsin edged Miami (Ohio) 17-0. But the headliner was Nebraska, which is expected to take a step toward national relevance in coach Matt Rhule’s third season following the program’s first bowl bid since 2016.

That step forward nearly became a big step back as Cincinnati launched a potential game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, Huskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. intercepted Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby with 39 seconds remaining to preserve the victory for Nebraska.

College football winners, losers: Nebraska survives as Big Ten ekes out four ugly Thursday victories

David Cobb

College football is back. After an intriguing slate of Thursday and Friday games, the first full Saturday of the 2025 season is almost upon us. After several years following dramatic changes and upheavals, college football is at least somewhat stable as the calendar turns to fall. 

All of the Power Four conferences remain unchanged from the 2024 season. The College Football Playoff still sits at 12 teams, though further expansion is on the horizon. Sure, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness bring their own flavor of chaos every offseason, and revenue sharing has further complicated roster management, but coaches have had some time to adjust over the past few years. 

This all means that a lot of the focus in 2025 should be on football itself. There’s a lot to look forward to in Week 1. 

College football schedule, games 2025: What to watch in Week 1, TV channels, streaming, Saturday kickoff times

Will Backus

Dante Moore will begin the 2025 season as Oregon Ducks starting quarterback in the team’s opener on Saturday against Montana State, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. The former highly touted quarterback, who started his career at UCLA Bruins and transferred to Oregon following the 2023 season, was the heavy favorite to win the starting job over Austin Novosad and Luke Moga after spending last year as Dillon Gabriel’s backup.

After an up-and-down freshman year at UCLA, which saw him initially win the starting job and then get benched following a loss against Oregon State Beavers midway through the season, Moore entered the transfer portal and landed at Oregon. Because the Ducks added Gabriel — one of the most experienced quarterbacks in FBS history — there was no logical path for Moore to get on the field in an expanded role.

In the first three games of his college career against Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, San Diego State Aztecs and North Carolina Central Eagles, Moore completed 32 of 51 attempts for 615 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished the 2023 season with 1,610 yards passing and 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Last season, he appeared in four games and attempted just eight passes.

Oregon finished the 2024 season with one of the most high-octane offenses in the country, en route to a Big Ten title and a berth in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks finished 17th in points per game (34.9) and 22nd in total offense (437.4).

Oregon names Dante Moore starting QB: Latest transfer signal caller for Ducks looking to reach full potential

Cameron Salerno

Being worthy of the “DB U” moniker was a major point of pride within the LSU football program for years.

From the mohawked Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu to Patrick Peterson and Jamal Adams, LSU produced standout defensive backs who flourished at both the college and NFL levels. There were other great programs like Alabama and Ohio State that produced more than their fair share of talented defensive backs, but LSU closely held on to that unofficial title.

And then the standard started to slip. LSU produced top-three pick Derek Stingley in 2022, but the defensive secondary hasn’t had that same swagger or prowess in recent years. The Tigers couldn’t crack the top 75 in pass defense in either 2023 or 2024. The defense suffered with it, not finishing in the top 50 in rushing defense, scoring defense or total defense. 

College football storylines, Week 1: ‘DBU’ back at LSU? Miami QB Carson Beck aims to match preseason hype

John Talty