College football is back and bigger than ever. Although we haven’t gotten to Week 1 yet, Week 0 brought plenty of action across the whole slate that any starved football fan could ask for.
Points and close games were abundant, with three of the four FBS games being decided by less than one score.
Georgia Tech finds gold in Dublin
The headliner for the week was nothing short of memorable, as the Yellow Jackets squeaked out a 24-21 win in Dublin, Ireland. A nail-biter until the end, kicker Aidan Birr knocked down a 44-yard field goal as time expired to pull off the upset.
At kickoff, the Seminoles opened as a 10.5-point favorite. On the first drive, the Seminoles looked sharp on offense, scoring the first touchdown this season. A 14-point half by the Yellow Jackets knotted the score at 14 heading into the half. The Seminoles punched in a touchdown on their last possession to tie the game at two.
Georgia Tech took control on the last possession of the game. The Yellow Jacket quarterback, Haynes King, marched down the field to the Seminoles’ 26-yard line, and Birr split the uprights for the win.
Although this may look like a big upset on paper, after the win on Saturday, it’s very possible that the Yellow Jackets could be a strong contender to represent the ACC in the playoffs later this season.
SMU avoids upset with a strong fourth quarter
With an opening spread of 27.5 points, the SMU Mustangs almost fell victim to a trap game to start the year, barely edging out the Nevada Wolf Pack 29-24.
Down 11 points heading into the fourth quarter, it took the Mustangs up until the final two minutes to come back, scoring 16 unanswered points to shock the Wolf Pack.
The fourth quarter comeback started with 10 minutes left in the game. Backed up on their own 10-yard line, quarterback Preston Stone found RJ Maryland for a 49-yard connection. Mustang running back Brashard Smith took over the rest of the drive, taking the ball the rest of the way to the end zone. SMU attempted and converted the 2-point conversion, cutting the deficit to three.
Disaster quickly struck the Wolf Pack again as returner Ashton Hayes called for a fair catch in the end zone, muffed the ball, then recovered it on the 1-yard line. Two plays later, defensive tackle Anthony Booker Jr. forced a safety to make it a 24-23 game.
Stone orchestrated an 83-yard drive to the end zone, finishing with a 35-yard strike to Maryland to seal it for the Mustangs. Nevada had a last chance, but could not make anything of it, turning the ball over on downs to finalize the score.
SMU snuck out of the game, winning 29-24 in its inaugural game in the ACC after conference realignment in the offseason.
Bobcats run wild in win
The last notable game of Week 0 came via the Montana State Bobcats claiming a 35-31 win over the New Mexico Lobos.
The Lobos led 17-0 in the second quarter, and it looked like they were en route to steamroll the Bobcats. Right out of halftime, the Lobos capitalized on their second scoop and score of the game, cutting the lead to 31-14.
It was all the Bobcats from then on. Rushing for a combined 362 yards, they diced New Mexico on the ground. The biggest play of the game came when Bobcat running back Adam Jones punched in a score on a 93-yard scamper.
Scottre Humphrey cashed the final score with a 4-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left in the game, completing the comeback for the Bobcats.
Week 1 kicks off on Thursday, with a headliner featuring Deion Sanders’ Colorado squad suiting up at home against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.
