Week 2 of the 2024 college football season didn’t disappoint. Featuring an upset over a top-five team and a blowout in a ranked matchup, here’s a closer look at the action from the top games this weekend.
Longhorns roll over Wolverines at the Big House
In what many called the game of the week, No. 3 Texas crushed No. 10 Michigan, 31-12. Both teams looked to get a big win early to start building momentum, and after this complete demolition of the Wolverines, it’s safe to say that the Longhorns are rolling.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers had himself a game. Carving up the once highly-respected Michigan defense, Ewers passed for 246 yards with three touchdowns in the contest.
The Longhorn defense also showed out, holding Michigan out of the endzone until the final two minutes. Michigan didn’t do itself any favors on offense, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble that Texas capitalized on.
Despite losing 11 players to the NFL Draft, Texas proved to the college football world that it is still a National Championship front-runner.
Vols drop 50 on Wolfpack in blowout
No. 12 Tennessee waltzed into Charlotte and demolished the No. 22 ranked Wolfpack 51-10 in another highly-anticipated game last week.
The game started on a slow note, as the opening points of the contest came on Dylan Sampson’s 9-yard scamper into the endzone with just nine seconds before the second quarter.
The Wolfpack responded in the second quarter, using an interception to set themselves up in good field position to knock down a field goal to cut the deficit to four points.
That was the closest they would get to the Vols for the rest of the night.
Heading into halftime, the Vols were up 20-3, thanks to a Will Brooks 85-yard pick six. But the Vols never took their foot off the pedal, winning the game 51-10.
Tennessee quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, had an up-and-down performance with two interceptions, one of which was an 87-yard pick six. He still played well, passing for 211 yards with two touchdowns and adding a 31-yard score with his legs.
The Tennessee defense also dominated all night, holding the Wolfpack to 10 first downs and only 143 total yards.
After the win, Tennessee surged into the top 10 in the AP Poll, jumping from No. 12 to No. 7.
Northern Illinois upsets the Irish in South Bend
In likely the biggest upset of the year, the unranked Huskies defeated the No. 5 Irish 16-14 in their first victory over a ranked opponent since 2003.
Northern Illinois running back Antario Brown dazzled viewers. He tore up the Irish by toting and catching the rock. He finished the game with 225 all-purpose yards, including an 83-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter to start the game for the Huskies.
For Notre Dame, it is likely a wake-up call. The Irish offense needs to find something that works after a sub-par game last week as well against Texas A&M. Quarterback Riley Leonard had a forgettable game, gaining just 163 yards through the air with two picks and no touchdowns.
The offensive play calling needs improvement as well. After star running back Jeremiyah Love punched in a 34-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, he only received one more carry in the contest.
Notre Dame is in a rut here, but they don’t have another quality opponent until USC for the last game of the season. It is possible that this loss could hold them out of the expanded playoff since they don’t have an opportunity to redeem themselves.
Oregon walks it off in a nail-biter
The No. 7 Oregon Ducks beat the unranked Boise State Broncos 37-34 with a 25-yard field goal as time expired.
The Ducks struggled again after only beating Idaho by 10 points last week. Two lost fumbles on back-to-back possessions was not a good look for the Ducks’ ball security. One of these fumbles set the Broncos up 22 yards away from the endzone, which they turned into seven points in merely four plays.
Boise State didn’t play their best game either, as their special teams were anything but special. A 99-yard kick return touchdown and an 85-yard punt return touchdown did the underdogs no favors.
A bright spot for the Broncos was running back Ashton Jeanty who picked up 192 yards on the ground and tacked on three touchdowns. Jentry’s night was highlighted by his 70-yard dash to pay dirt, simply by outracing the Oregon defense.
After this near upset, Boise State remains unranked, sitting at No. 27 in voting. Meanwhile, this close win dropped Oregon two spots, slotting them at No. 9 heading into Week 3.
Week 3 will kick off on Thursday, as Arizona St. travels to play Texas State in an undefeated matchup.
