Author: Rocky Atkinson
Published: 2025-10-09

ROCKETMAN SPORTS NFL POWER RATINGS Week 6

We will be looking to fade some of the top teams here and play on some of the bottom teams.

Detroit 31.47

Houston 28.87

Indianapolis 28.51

Kansas City 27.15

Denver 26.58

Washington 25.62

Buffalo 24.94

Philadelphia 24.93

Seattle 23.99

Minnesota 23.70

New England 23.70

Green Bay 23.32

Jacksonville 22.68

LA Rams 21.89

Tampa Bay 21.47

San Francisco 20.35

LA Chargers 19.71

Pittsburgh 19.32

Chicago 18.15

Dallas 18.01

Atlanta 17.53

Baltimore 16.95

Arizona 16.90

Carolina 15.18

Cleveland 15.11

NY Giants 13.03

Miami 12.88

New Orleans 12.78

Las Vegas 12.11

Cincinnati 11.72

NY Jets 10.89

Tennessee 10.54

 

Get FREE NFL PICKS here:  Top Quality NFL Picks from Winning Cappers

or Guaranteed Cappers - Expert Sports Picks

Get Premium NFL Picks here:  Top Quality NFL Picks from Winning Cappers

or Guaranteed Cappers - Expert Sports Picks

Top NFL Handicapper leaderboards:  Guaranteed Cappers - Expert Sports Picks

or Winning Cappers Verified Handicapper Results

Author: Rocky Atkinson
Published: 2025-10-02

ROCKETMAN SPORTS NFL POWER RATINGS Week 5

We will be looking to fade some of the top teams here and play on some of the bottom teams.

Detroit 31.47

Kansas City 28.15

Buffalo 25.94

Philadelphia 25.93

Denver 25.58

Seattle 24.99

Baltimore 23.95

Minnesota 23.7

Indianapolis 23.51

Green Bay 23.32

LA Rams 22.89

LA Chargers 22.71

New England 22.7

Washington 22.62

Houston 21.87

Jacksonville 21.68

Tampa Bay 20.47

Pittsburgh 19.32

Arizona 18.90

Chicago 18.15

Atlanta 17.53

Las Vegas 17.11

NY Giants 16.03

Dallas 16.01

Carolina 15.18

Cleveland 15.11

NY Jets 12.89

Miami 12.88

Cincinnati 11.72

New Orleans 9.78

Tennessee 8.54

 

Get FREE NFL PICKS here:  Top Quality NFL Picks from Winning Cappers

or Guaranteed Cappers - Expert Sports Picks

Get Premium NFL Picks here:  Top Quality NFL Picks from Winning Cappers

or Guaranteed Cappers - Expert Sports Picks

Author: Matt Fargo
Published: 2025-10-01

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.

Old Dominion 21, Liberty 7

The first half could not have gone worse for Liberty as a promising 54-yard kickoff return to open the game resulted in a missed field goal and the other five possessions not counting the end of the half drive consisted of three punts, a fumble and an interception while gaining 36 yards total. Old Dominion had turnovers in two of its first three possessions but then scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives and that is all it needed. The Monarchs won the yards 489-210 and 6.9 to 3.8 yppl.

Kennesaw State 24, Middle Tennessee 16

Middle Tennessee fumbled on the second play of the game, the Owls scored three plays later, forced a punt and went 87 yards for another touchdown and eventually built a 21-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Blue Raiders got it to 21-16 early in the fourth quarter and after a Kennesaw St. field goal, Middle Tennessee had two chances but was stopped on fourth down twice. Middle Tennessee ran 28 more plays and outgained the Owls 460-334 but was outgained 6.5 to 5.8 yppl.

WKU 27, Missouri State 22

Missouri St. struck first with a field goal after the opening kickoff and after falling behind 10-3, the Bears scored on three of four possessions between the second and third quarters to take a 16-10 lead. Western Kentucky then scored 17 points on three straight possessions totaling 219 yards and was able to run out the clock after another Bears touchdown that cut it to five points. The Hilltoppers outgained Missouri St. 476-414 but were guilty of nine penalties for 94 yards.

Memphis 55, Florida Atlantic 26

It was back and forth for a while with Florida Atlantic taking the lead late in the second quarter before Memphis took a one point advantage into halftime. It was a five-point game after three quarters and the Tigers then went off with a 31-7 fourth quarter. They were helped by three missed fourth down conversions from the Owls. Memphis outgained Florida Atlantic 487-397 despite running 15 fewer plays and had a 7.5 to 5.0 yppl advantage. The Owls finished with 10 penalties.

Southern Miss 42, Jacksonville State 25

After a punt on its opening possession, Southern Mississippi forced a fumble on the Gamecocks first play of the game and then went 25 yards on four plays and scored on its next possession to take a 14-0 lead that eventually turned into a 28-3 advantage late in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles were outscored 22-14 the rest of the way but were never threatened. Jacksonville St. scored a couple late meaningless touchdowns that gave them the yardage edge 390-377 while going -3 in turnovers.

Iowa State 39, Arizona 14

The Cyclones were never in danger as they jumped ahead 22-0 taking advantage of a missed field goal and an interception, the latter that led to a short field. Iowa St. scored touchdowns on its first two second half possessions and the offense let up following that after a 36-7 lead. Arizona was only outgained 399-360 and 5.8 to 5.0 yppl but went just 5-16 on third and fourth down and found the redzone only three times, converting twice while Iowa St. was 6-7 inside the redzone.

Virginia Tech 23, NC State 21

It was a pair of punts to open the game before Virginia Tech struck first with a field goal and then the Wolfpack took the lead on the next possession. The Hokies tacked on the only 10 points of the second quarter and had the lead until early in the fourth quarter until NC State went 75 yards to take the lead by one. The Hokies kicked a 49-yard field goal to get it back and forced a punt and a fourth down stop to end the game. Virginia Tech outgained the Wolfpack 406-299 and 6.2 to 4.5 yppl.

Boise State 47, Appalachian State 14

Boise St. jumped ahead 21-0 as it went 75 yards in 10 plays on its opening possession for a touchdown, returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown and then put together an 80-yard drive for another score and never looked back. The Broncos ended the scoring with a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown which put a close on a 4-0 turnover edge. Boise St. had the ball for over 16 more minutes while outgaining the Mountaineers 473-184 and holding them to nine first downs.

Washington State 20, Colorado State 3

Colorado St. got the opening kickoff and put together a 33-yard drive that resulted in a 50-yard field goal and that was it for the offense because of miscues. The Rams got inside the Cougars 30-yard line four times but fumbled, turned it over on downs and missed two field goals. Washington St. scored on four of its first five possessions and was shut out in the second half but it did not matter. Colorado St. outgained the Cougars 347-334 and 5.7 to 5.1 yppl but those mistakes did them in.

Oregon 30, Penn State 24

It was all about defense in the first half as Penn St. and Oregon traded second quarter field goals and then it was the Ducks that put together two drives of 75 and 80 yards to take a 17-3 lead. Penn St. came right back and got a touchdown on the first possession after the second Oregon score then forced a punt and went 62 yards in 15 plays to tie the game with 15 seconds left. They traded overtime scores and then Oregon picked off Penn St. after it scored a second overtime touchdown.

Alabama 24, Georgia 21

Alabama opened up a 7-0 lead that it increased to 14-0 in the second quarter and it was never tied or trailed in the game. The Tide had a 10-point lead at halftime and the Bulldogs cut it to three points midway through the third quarter and while they got three more possessions, they could not cash in with a missed fourth down conversion at the Alabama 11-yard line being the difference. Georgia was outgained by 40 yards but ran 24 fewer plays and won the yppl 6.7 to 5.2.

Missouri 42, UMass 6

Missouri forced a three and out on the first Massachusetts possession and put together a 68-yard drive for a touchdown and after another three and out, the Tigers were intercepted which the Minutemen took advantage of on a 21-yard touchdown drive. Then it was game over as Missouri closed with a 35-0 run and it was dominant throughout as the Tigers outgained Massachusetts 521-124 and 6.2 to 2.3 yppl. They controlled over 17 minutes of the clock and committed just one penalty.

Stanford 30, San Jose State 29

Stanford took the opening kickoff and put together an 81-yard drive on 11 plays in 7:12 to take a 7-0 lead and it was back and forth through halftime. San Jose St. took a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter and led by eight points before the Cardinal cut it to five points and forced a punt which they responded with an 80-yard, 12-play possession to take the lead with 19 seconds remaining. The Spartans outgained Stanford 524-481 and 7.3 to 7.0 yppl but two missed field goals took away 125 yards.

South Carolina 35, Kentucky 13

Kentucky went 65 yards on its opening possession to take a 7-0 lead and the Gamecocks responded with a 75-yard drive to tie the game. The Wildcats grabbed the lead back on a 76-yard drive but had to settle for a 27-yard field goal and then the South Carolina defense took over. The Gamecocks scored on a 41-yard fumble return and two plays later scored on a 45-yard interception return. The Gamecocks outgained Kentucky 341-232 while going 8-15 on third down and were +4 in turnovers.

Louisiana 54, Marshall 51

Marshall had a 34-17 lead midway through the third quarter which included an interception returned for a touchdown but Louisiana scored 17 unanswered points to tie it. The teams traded touchdowns in the final minute to force overtime where the Thundering Herd had to settle for a field goal and let the Cajuns score the final touchdown. Marshall outgained Louisiana 503-461 but with just a 6.4 to 6.2 yppl advantage and committed 12 penalties for 102 yards while the Cajuns had one penalty.

Louisiana Tech 30, UTEP 11

Louisiana Tech had a 10-0 lead through three quarters and UTEP was able to get it down to a one possession game with a field goal early in the fourth quarter. The Miners then recovered a fumble at the Louisiana Tech 38-yard line but tossed an interception two plays later that was returned for a touchdown. The Bulldogs closed the scoring with another pick six and in the end they were actually outgained 273-232 and 3.7 to 3.4 yppl but benefitted from five total interceptions from their defense.

BYU 24, Colorado 21

Colorado took an early 14-0 lead as it scored on its first two possessions that accumulated 137 yards. BYU then ran off 17 straight points to take the lead late in the fourth quarter but the Buffaloes responded on their next possession as they went 75 yards on six plays to retake the lead. The Cougars came right back and got the three-point advantage back early in the fourth quarter and held Colorado to nine yards on its final three possessions. BYU outgained Colorado 387-291 and 6.0 to 5.5 yppl.

Author: Matt Fargo
Published: 2025-09-30

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.

ULM 28, Arkansas State 16

Arkansas St. opened the game by intercepting a pass three plays in and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown then added on a field goal for a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. After the pick and five straight punts, UL Monroe finally got the offense going with a pair of touchdowns and never gave up the lead. The Red Wolves could only get two more field goals as the offense missed a field goal and turned it over three times. The Warhawks won the yardage 384-297 on 16 fewer plays.

Texas A&M 16, Auburn 10

Texas A&M outgained the Tigers 414-177 and 6.0 to 3.1 yppl but the Aggies offense stalled numerous times and were forced to five field goal attempts, missing two of those while also throwing a redzone interception. Additionally, Texas A&M was 3-14 on third down so it relied on the defense which came up huge. Auburn was held to 52 yards rushing on 24 carries (2.2 ypc) which limited the Tigers to only nine first downs, partially due to them going 0-15 on third and fourth down.

Toledo 45, Akron 3

Toledo returned the opening kickoff 52 yards down to the Akron 28-yard line and scored on its first play from scrimmage and the rout was on. The Rockets added a touchdown on their next possession and eventually took a 35-3 lead into halftime and eventually called off the dogs. Toledo outgained the Zips 545-145 and 8.9 to 2.4 yppl while making 28 first downs and allowing only 11. Akron went 2-15 on third down, crossed midfield only three times while punting nine times.

Navy 21, Rice 13

Navy took its opening possession 75 yards on 14 plays, forced a three and out and went 80 yards in three plays to take an early 14-0 lead. Rice had five first half possessions while running only 22 plays and gaining just 52 yards, forcing to punt four times and failing on fourth down. The Midshipmen outgained Rice 455-234 and 7.5 to 3.9 yppl with one downfall being 10 penalties for 85 yards. The Owls were just 4-15 on third down but 4-5 on fourth down aiding in scoring on their last three drives.

Utah 48, West Virginia 14

The Utah offense was very efficient as it crossed midfield on all nine of its possessions, scoring on eight of those with a second quarter interception being the lone blemish. The Utes defense was just as good as they held the Mountaineers scoreless in the first half, allowing 105 yards. Overall, Utah outgained West Virginia 532-346 but did run 16 more plays and allowed 261 yards rushing on 48 carries (5.4 ypc) so that was not ideal but did allow only four fourth down conversions.

California 28, Boston College 24

Boston College took the opening kickoff 84 yards on 12 plays for a touchdown and then picked off a California pass two plays later and scored another touchdown two plays after that. The Golden Bears fought back to eventually take a 21-17 lead and then went 88 yards for a 28-24 lead with 1:30 left. The Eagles were driving for the winning touchdown but threw an interception at the California goal line. Boston College won the yardage by three yards but 6.5 to 5.2 yppl as it ran 13 fewer plays.

UConn 20, Buffalo 17

After a scoreless first quarter Connecticut and Buffalo traded second quarter touchdowns with the Huskies regaining a seven-point lead that they would not give up until the Bulls scored the tying touchdown with 59 seconds remaining. The Huskies went 49 yards in 10 plays and kicked the game winning 44-yard field goal. Offense was not on display with Buffalo outgaining the Huskies 329-320 and the game featured 13 punts with the teams going a combined 9-28 on third down.

Baylor 45, Oklahoma State 27

The Bears never trailed but it was just a one possession game at the end of the third quarter before Baylor added a field goal and then went 89 yards in 10 plays for the final margin. The Cowboys were able to move the ball pretty consistently with 448 yards yet struggled in the second half but the defense was the real issue as they allowed 612 yards on 8.3 yppl including 393 yards through the air on 11.2 yards per attempt. The teams committed a combined 16 penalties for 160 yards.

Ole Miss 24, LSU 19

LSU forced two three and outs to open the game and following the second one, the Tigers went 67 yards to take a 7-0 lead and then the offense shut down. The Rebels made it 7-3 following an 18-play, 83-yard drive then the defense forced four punts and picked off a pass in the next five LSU possessions while the offense closed the first half with a pair of touchdowns and did not trail again. Mississippi outgained the Tigers 480-254 but ran 28 more plays and committed 14 penalties.

Ohio State 24, Washington 6

Washington struck first at the start of the second quarter with a field goal and got another three points late in the third quarter to make it a one possession game at 14-6 but the Buckeyes put up 10 points in two consecutive fourth quarter possessions. The Buckeyes outgained Washington 357-234 and 5.8 to 4.4 yppl and of those 234 yards, 134 came on the two field drives so the Huskies were shut down most of the day. Washington was just 2-14 on third and fourth down.

Indiana 20, Iowa 15

Indiana took a 7-0 lead as it intercepted an Iowa pass two plays into the game and scored two plays after from 24 yards out. The Hawkeyes rebounded with a field goal and a touchdown before the Hoosiers tied the game at 10-10 right before halftime. The teams traded fourth quarter field goals before Indiana scored on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 1:28 remaining. The Hoosiers outgained Iowa 337-284 and 5.4 to 4.1 yppl with the teams combining for only 2.8 ypc on the ground.

San Diego State 6, NIU 3

Each team went 63 yards on their opening possession and kicked field goals to make it 3-3 and then the offenses forgot how to perform. It was a game of punts and turnovers from there on out until the final possession of the game with the Aztecs kicking the game winning 23-yard field goal as time expired. Northern Illinois did not make it past the San Diego St. 44-yard line after the initial field goal and was held to 169 yards. The Aztecs had 266 yards, 134 on their first three possessions.

Northwestern 17, UCLA 14

Northwestern jumped out to a 17-0 lead and had to hold on with the offense being able to do nothing. UCLA rallied to make it a three-point game with 6:19 remaining then went three and out and was unable to move the ball after getting it back once again with 1:29 left from its own 20-yard line. The Wildcats had three punts and a missed field goal in the second half while outgaining the Bruins by only three yards overall and getting outgained 5.5 to 5.2 yppl but had just two penalties.

New Mexico 38, New Mexico State 20

New Mexico St. did not trail for the entire first half and took a 17-7 lead after returning a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown before the Lobos took over by going on a 31-3 run to close the game. The New Mexico offense was inconsistent early as in its first eight possessions, it had two touchdowns and a field goal but three 3 and outs, a fumble and a failed fourth down attempt before scoring on three straight possessions after that. The Lobos outgained the Aggies 476-304 and 6.9 to 4.5 yppl.

Hawaii 44, Air Force 35

Hawaii opened the game going 75 yards, Air Force responded by going 74 yards and the Warriors again went 75 yards to take a 14-7 lead and then stopped the Falcons on fourth down at the seven-yard line and never lost the lead. It was a 24-14 lead after three quarters until a 41-point fourth quarter where Air Force did make it a one possession game twice. Hawaii had the ball for 15 more minutes which led to a 78-47 edge in plays and a 535-494 edge in yards but was outgained 10.5 to 6.9 yppl.

Tulane 31, Tulsa 14

Tulane started the scoring with an opening drive touchdown and the teams traded touchdowns late into the second quarter before the Green Wave tacked on a field goal before halftime. Tulane put the game away with a third quarter touchdown as the defense clamped down in the second half, forcing five punts, picking off a pass and stopping Tulsa on fourth down. Tulane outgained the Golden Hurricane 437-337 and 5.8 to 4.6 yppl but was hurt by committing 12 penalties for 104 yards.

Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34

This was a back and forth game throughout with Mississippi St. taking a 34-27 lead before Tennessee went 75 yards on 13 plays in 6:04 to tie the game with under two minutes remaining. The Bulldogs then went three and out while the Volunteers could not get past midfield and scored first in overtime before stopping Mississippi St. at the four-yard line. Tennessee won the yards 466-378 while running 14 fewer plays and it outgained the Bulldogs 6.5 to 4.4 yppl. Mississippi St. was just 8-19 on third down.

Author: Matt Fargo
Published: 2025-09-29

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.

East Carolina 28, Army 6

East Carolina scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions amassing 216 yards in the first quarter and was never threatened. The Pirates outgained Army 431-290 and the Black Knights were hurt by turning it over on downs and fumbling inside the East Carolina 30-yard line on their second and third possessions. The Pirates did struggle after that first quarter as they went through a stretch of four straight possessions that resulted in an interception, a fumble and a pair of fourth down misses.

Virginia 46, Florida State 38

Virginia punted on its first two possessions but then jumped ahead 14-0 after forcing a pair of turnovers and converting both into touchdowns. The Seminoles responded with three straight touchdowns, the second and third following Cavaliers interceptions. It was back and forth the rest of the way before Virginia prevailed in double overtime, stopping Florida St. with a fourth down interception. The Seminoles outgained Virginia 514-440 but had four turnovers and a missed field goal.

Arizona State 27, TCU 24

TCU jumped out to a 17-0 lead with scores on its next three possessions as it took advantage of a missed field goal and a turnover on downs. The Sun Devils responded with a pair of touchdowns and while they got inside the Horned Frogs 26-yard line on their next four possessions, they came away with only three points as there was a fumble, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs. The game winning field goal came after a TCU fumble at the 15-yard line.

Houston 27, Oregon State 24

Houston spotted Oregon St. a 14-0 lead and also trailed 24-10 last in the fourth quarter but scored with 5:59 remaining, forced a three and out and went 64 yards in 51 seconds to force overtime. The Cougars stopped Oregon St. on fourth down before kicking the game winning field goal. The Beavers outgained Houston 390-352 but they ran 16 more plays and were outgained 5.3 to 4.8 yppl. The defense did hold the Cougars to 82 yards rushing on 30 carries (2.7 ypc).

Kansas State 34, UCF 20

After a scoreless first quarter, Kansas St. struck first with a field goal then picked off a pass and went 26 yards to go up 10-0 and never trailed in the game. The Wildcats opened a 21-point lead late in the third quarter and coasted the rest of the way. Kansas St. outgained the Knights 434-402 but ran 11 fewer plays and was outgained 6.8 to 6.2 yppl. Central Florida committed three turnovers while going 3-14 on third and fourth down while Kansas St. committed only two penalties.

Ohio 35, Bowling Green 20

Ohio picked off a pass four plays into the game and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown but Bowling Green responded with a 75-yard drive to tie the game. The Bobcats then went 75 yards on their next possession and never relinquished the lead. Ohio outgained the Falcons 439-350 and 6.9 to 5.4 yppl and it was a balanced offensive attack with 231 yards rushing and 208 yards passing. Bowling Green finished with four turnovers that led to 14 Ohio points.

North Texas 36, South Alabama 22

South Alabama took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards on 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead but North Texas scored 21 unanswered points. The Jaguars did cut it to six points midway through the fourth quarter but the Mean Green sealed it with a late touchdown. North Texas won the yardage battle 429-396 on 15 fewer plays and outgained the Jaguars 6.6 to 5.0 yppl but was just 4-13 on third down. South Alabama hurt itself with eight penalties for 80 yards while turning it over on downs twice.

Illinois 34, USC 32

Illinois forced a fumble at its own 30-yard line and then went 70 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead and did not trail until 1:55 remaining when USC went 80 yards to take a 32-31 lead. The Illini then went 51 yards in eight plays and kicked the game winning 41-yard field goal as time expired. Illinois outgained the Trojans 502-490 on 15 fewer plays and it won the yppl 8.1 to 6.4. All eight total touchdown drives were 66 yards or more and each team punted only once.

Minnesota 31, Rutgers 28

Rutgers had a field goal blocked on its opening possession but forced a pair of punts and found the endzone both times to take a 14-0 lead. Minnesota was able to tie up as it went 81 yards on three plays and then picked off a pass three plays later and needed only an eight-yard drive to tie it up. The Scarlet Knights missed a 56-yard field goal to tie it up with 17 seconds left. Rutgers won the yardage battle 387-359 but ran 17 more plays and was outgained 6.1 to 5.1 yppl.

Louisville 34, Pitt 27

The Pittsburgh offense started the scoring to take a 10-0 lead and then the defense returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown for a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Louisville was able to tie it up before the Panthers took a 10-point lead into halftime before it was all Cardinals defense in the second half with three interceptions and two stops on fourth down in the last five Pittsburgh possessions. The Cardinals won the time of possession by nearly 20 minutes.

Duke 38, Syracuse 3

Duke and Syracuse traded first quarter field goals until the Blue Devils dominated the rest of the way. Duke outgained the Orange 503-314 and 7.7 to 4.9 yppl as it was very balanced on offense with 235 yards rushing and 268 yards passing. Syracuse got into Duke territory on three of its first four possessions but committed two turnovers and came away with just that one field goal. The Orange lost the turnover battle 3-0 and crossed midfield only twice in their final seven possessions.

Georgia Tech 30, Wake Forest 29

Georgia Tech started the scoring with a field goal before Wake Forest ran off 20 straight points but the game was tied at 20-20 and then again at 23-23 when the Yellow Jackets tied it up with two seconds remaining. Georgia Tech took a touchdown lead in overtime and Wake Forest scored on its first play with a 25-yard run but failed on its two-point conversion attempt. Wake Forest outgained the Yellow Jackets by 32 yards on 14 fewer plays and had the yppl advantage 6.2 to 4.8.

Cincinnati 37, Kansas 34

This was never more than a one possession game either way and while Kansas took the early 7-0 lead, it did not take the lead again until 1:45 remaining in the game when it went 85 yards in 6:17 to take a 34-30 lead. The Bearcats then went 75 yards on 10 plays in 1:16 for the game winning touchdown. Cincinnati won the offensive battle 603-597 but the Jayhawks ran 26 fewer plays and outgained Cincinnati 10.9 to 7.4 yppl as they completed 15.9 yards per pass attempt.

Notre Dame 56, Arkansas 13

The home blowout loss cost head coach Sam Pittman his job as a 14-10 lead for Notre Dame early in the second quarter turned into a 42-13 lead at halftime. The Irish racked up 641 yards of offense on 72 plays (8.9 yppl) and it scored a touchdown on eight of their first nine possessions with a turnover on downs being the only blemish. The Razorbacks had the ball only three times in the second half as they turned it over on downs twice and threw an interception.

Vanderbilt 55, Utah State 35

It was a game for a while as Utah St. took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter following consecutive 75-yard drives and then the Commodores took over with a 41-7 run up to the end of the third quarter. The Aggies got a pair of meaningless touchdowns that accounted for 147 of their 393 total yards. Vanderbilt put up 543 yards on 8.4 yppl and after a three and out on its opening drive, it scored on each of its eight possessions before taking the foot off the gas.

Central Michigan 24, Eastern Michigan 13

Central Michigan took a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and while Eastern Michigan made it a one possession game early in the third quarter, the Chippewas dominated the time of possession the rest of the way. The Eagles had only three possessions after that third quarter score and had the ball for just over seven minutes. Central Michigan outgained the Eagles 445-298 on 13 more plays and it put up 305 yards rushing on 51 carries (6.0 ypc) but went just 4-13 on third down.

James Madison 35, Georgia Southern 10

It was all James Madison early as it jumped out to a 21-3 lead at halftime before tacking on two third quarter touchdowns to pull away. The Dukes outgained Georgia Southern 479-192 and 6.4 to 3.8 yppl with 75 of the Eagles yards coming on their late touchdown while finishing with only 10 first downs. James Madison had the ball for nearly 12 more minutes and it finished 8-13 on third down while the defense forced eight punts that included three and outs on six of those.

Author: Matt Fargo
Published: 2025-09-23

Marshall 42, Middle Tennessee 28

After a punt and an interception in the first five plays of the game, Marshall and Middle Tennessee erupted for five straight touchdowns with the Thundering Herd taking a 21-14 lead into the second quarter. The Blue Raiders then ran off 14 straight points to take the lead but Marshall took over with a 21-0 fourth quarter. The Blue Raiders were outgained by 73 yards but ran 23 fewer plays and outgained Marshall 7.8 to 6.3 yppl but had 12 penalties for 111 yards and were 3-11 on third and fourth down.

Louisiana Tech 30, Southern Miss 20

Southern Mississippi went three and out to open the game and Louisiana Tech scored two plays later for a 7-0 lead. The Golden Eagles responded with a four-play touchdown drive and after trading field goals, the Bulldogs regained their touchdown lead and then returned an interception for a touchdown and tacked on another score to take a 20-point lead at halftime. Southern Mississippi outgained the Bulldogs 514-339 but ran 23 more plays while four drives of 206 yards resulted in no points.

BYU 34, East Carolina 13

The defenses were the story in the first half as BYU had a 6-3 lead late in the second quarter and the Cougars then intercepted a pass deep in East Carolina territory and returned it for a touchdown. BYU scored the first touchdown of the second half and the Pirates could only respond with a field goal while the Cougars pulled away with another touchdown. BYU won the yardage by only 14 yards but that was on 17 fewer plays and it outgained the Pirates 7.0 to 5.2 yppl and won the turnover battle 2-0.

Washington 59, Washington State 24

The Apple Cup was a game for a while and then the Huskies took over and did not let up. Washington went ahead 14-0 on its first two possessions, the first off the opening kickoff and the second off an interception but the Cougars hung tough and pulled to within a touchdown at the end of the third quarter before the Huskies did not call of the dogs, winning the fourth quarter 28-0. Washington outgained the Cougars 471-304 on 12 fewer plays and scored on all eight possessions and once on defense.

Indiana 63, Illinois 10

Indiana blocked a punt for a touchdown to open the scoring and while Illinois responded with a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, the Hoosiers took over after that. They scored on their next possession and then added three second quarter touchdowns to take a 35-10 lead into halftime and then scored on four straight possessions in the second half. Indiana outgained the Illini 579-161 while holding them to 2 yards rushing on 20 carries (0.2 ypc) and nine first downs. Illinois was 1-10 on third down.

Miami (FL) 26, Florida 7

Miami took a 13-0 lead into halftime but Florida put together a long drive late in the third quarter to make it a one possession game yet the Hurricanes sealed it with an 80-yard, 11-play drive that took 7:12 in the fourth quarter. The Gators final four possessions resulted in 29 total yards while turning it over on downs three times. Miami held the Gators to 141 yard and seven first downs and did not allow a third down conversion in 13 attempts but its offense was not great with 344 yards on 4.5 yppl.

Vanderbilt 70, Georgia State 21

Vanderbilt spotted the Panthers a field goal to open the scoring and then scored the next 21 points in the first quarter. Georgia St. was able to go 75 yards to score a touchdown and the Commodores repeated by scoring the next 21 points in the second quarter. Vanderbilt neither punted nor committed a turnover while turning it over on downs twice as its only non-scoring possessions. They outgained the Panthers 635-290 and 8.9 to 4.3 yppl while the game was marred with 25 penalties for 208 yards.

Virginia 48, Stanford 20

Stanford went three and out to open the game and Virginia went 65 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead but the Cardinal did respond with their own touchdown to tie the game. It took Virginia one play to retake the lead on a 75-yard touchdown pass, the start of three straight scores to open up a 28-7 lead and it never relinquished the double-digit lead. The Cavaliers outgained Stanford 590-321 and 8.0 to 5.3 yppl and they held the Cardinal to 35 yards rushing on 31 carries (1.1 ypc).

Arizona State 27, Baylor 24

No lead was more than a possession for either team throughout the whole game although Baylor only had one lead which did not come until the fourth quarter and it was just a one point lead. The Sun Devils and Bears then traded touchdowns late in the quarter until Arizona St. went 49 yards and hit the game winning 43-yard field goal as time expired. The Sun Devils outgained Baylor 400-357 but ran 18 more plays and the Bears had the yppl edge at 5.8 to 5.0 but they lost the turnover battle 3-0.

Texas 55, Sam Houston 0

The final score tells the story as it was never a game with Texas scoring a touchdown on six of its first eight possessions while adding a pair of field goals in there before taking the foot off the gas with a pair of late punts on its final two possessions. Sam Houston punted on nine of 11 possessions not counting the final end of game drive and the furthest it got was the Texas 42-yard line before an interception. When it was all said and done, Texas outgained the Bearkats 607-113 and 8.8 to 2.2 yppl.

ULM 31, UTEP 25

UL Monroe struck first with a touchdown concluding a three-play, 96-yard drive but the Miners responded with a 73-yard touchdown pass on their first play after getting the kickoff. The Warhawks then scored the next 24 points to pull away but UTEP tried to make a game of it as it put up 18 points on three drives of 78, 67 and 77 yards but threw two interceptions on its last two possessions. UL Monroe outrushed UTEP 250-33 but was outpassed 409-149 in a very unbalanced game from both sides.

UTSA 17, Colorado State 16

A suspect coaching decision cost Colorado St. a chance for at least overtime as it tied the game with 29 second remaining but with a UTSA penalty on the extra point, the Rams took the point off the board to go for two points and missed it. The Roadrunners opened the scoring on a 76-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter and never lost the lead. Colorado St. outgained the Roadrunners 407-345 but ran 15 more plays and was outgained 5.8 to 5.4 yppl while committing 11 penalties for 115 yards.

Colorado 37, Wyoming 20

After a pair of Wyoming punts sandwiched around a Colorado punt, the Buffaloes got on the scoreboard first, going 85 yards on 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead. The Cowboys responded with a solid drive down to the 10-yard line but had to settle for a field goal and Colorado then ran off 21 straight points to pull away. They had a sloppy end to the second half as they had a three and out, a fumble at the Wyoming one yard line and a blocked field goal attempt. Colorado outgained Wyoming 8.4 to 5.2 yppl.

San Diego State 34, California 0

The score shows a shutout but California was able to move the ball but lacked execution. The Golden Bears turned it over on downs at the Aztecs two-yard line on their first possession and it continued as they missed a field goal, coughed up a fumble, threw a pair of interceptions in a four-play stretch, one returned for a touchdown and turned it over on downs again. California was outgained by only 32 yards although it ran 21 more plays and was outgained 6.3 to 4.0 in yppl and was -3 in turnovers.

USC 45, Michigan State 31

Michigan St. kept this one close early as it was a 17-10 game late in the second quarter before USC went 88 yards and took a 14-point lead into halftime and then scored on their first second half possession. The Spartans got one touchdown back then recovered a fumble on the Trojans next play and cut it to seven points but the Trojans pulled away after that. USC outgained Michigan St. 523-337 while rushing for 289 yards on 40 carries (7.2 ypc) but was guilty of 11 penalties for 82 yards.

Fresno State 23, Hawaii 21

Hawaii opened up a 9-0 lead late in the second quarter with the offense generating only 69 yards as the defense got a safety and then returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown. The third quarter was not much better with 85 yards in three possessions but the Warriors got two field goals and still had a lead but Fresno St. took an eight-point lead following a pick six. Hawaii scored with 10 seconds left but missed the two-point conversion. The teams were separated by only seven total yards.

Author: Matt Fargo
Published: 2025-09-22

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.

Florida State 66, Kent State 10

This was not expected to be a game and it certainly turned out that way. Florida St. racked up 775 yards of offense and 11.5 yppl and failed to convert only one third down in 10 attempts. The Seminoles scored on 10 of 12 possessions, throwing an interception to open the second half and turning it over on fourth down on their last drive. Kent St. scored its lone touchdown on a 75-yard pass and had only 131 yards besides that with 54 yards coming in garbage time on its field goal drive.

James Madison 31, Liberty 13

Liberty took a 10-3 lead in the second quarter and after a 10-10 halftime, the Flames retook the lead at 13-10 and then James Madison took over with a 21-0 run to close the game. In the second half, the Dukes scored on three of four possessions on long drives while the defense forced a three and out three times and made a fourth down stop. James Madison outgained the Flames 440-233 and 6.6 to 3.7 yppl while going 5-6 in the redzone and holding Liberty to 3-14 on third down.

Troy 21, Buffalo 17

Buffalo kicked a field goal on its first play of the fourth quarter to take a 17-0 lead and then the momentum went the other way. Troy went 75 yards after the kickoff for a touchdown, forced a punt and then went 66 yards to pull within three points. After two more forced three and outs, the Trojans went down and scored the game winner with 48 second left before stopping the Bulls on fourth down. Troy outgained Buffalo 365-278 but ran 21 more plays and both teams were dead even with 4.5 yppl.

Michigan 30, Nebraska 27

Michigan opened up a 10-0 lead on Huskers miscues and never trailed in the game although Nebraska was able to tie it on two different occasions. The first quarter could not have gone worse for the Huskers as they turned it over on downs at the Michigan five-yard line, missed a 43-yard field goal, threw an interception deep in their own territory and punted after losing nine yards. The Wolverines outgained Nebraska 391-351 on 16 fewer plays and outgained the Huskers 7.0 to 4.9 yppl.

Oklahoma 24, Auburn 17

Oklahoma forced a three and out to open the game and opened the scoring with a field goal and while Auburn tied the game twice at 3-3 and 10-10, the Tigers did not take their first lead until midway through the fourth quarter after a 75-yard touchdown drive. The Sooners responded with their own 75-yard drive to retake the lead and got a safety with a minute left for the seven-point win. They outgained Auburn by 16 yards and neither team could run, combining for 99 yards on 61 carries (1.6 ypc).

UConn 31, Ball State 25

After losing their last two games in overtime, Connecticut took the early lead and never gave it up while extending the lead to two touchdowns twice in the fourth quarter before Ball St. put up a meaningless touchdown with 11 seconds left. Despite never leading, the Cardinals outgained Connecticut 404-400 and 6.5 to 6.0 yppl but the Huskies were a perfect 5-5 on fourth down while sacking Ball St. four times and the Cardinals crossed midfield only twice the first three and a half quarters.

Eastern Michigan 34, Louisiana 31

This game was back and forth throughout with Eastern Michigan taking a 21-17 lead right before halftime. Louisiana got it back on a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter and that was its last lead with the Eagles eventually kicking the game winning field goal with three seconds left. While Louisiana had the pick six, it tossed two costly interceptions in the fourth quarter, one in Eastern Michigan territory and the other on their own side in a span of three plays.

Duke 45, NC State 33

NC State took a 7-0 lead three plays into the game on a 75-yard touchdown pass and after Duke tied it, the Wolfpack went on two more long touchdown drives to take a 20-7 lead. The Blue Devils then took over with a 21-0 run on three straight possessions, the middle one set up by an interception deep in NC State territory and the Wolfpack never got the lead back. NC State outgained Duke 535-418 but lost the turnover battle 4-0, went 1-4 on fourth down and had a chip shot field goal blocked.

Mississippi State 38, NIU 10

Northern Illinois struck first with a 30-yard field goal and then took a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter and then Mississippi St. took over. The Bulldogs scored 31 unanswered points as the defense forced three punts, picked off a pass and stopped the Huskies on fourth down twice. They outgained Northern Illinois 452-267 including 292 yards rushing on 49 carries (6.0 ypc) but ran 17 more plays while going 4-4 on fourth down and holding the Huskies to 1-11 on third and fourth down.

Georgia Tech 45, Temple 24

There was no letdown for the Yellow Jackets as they jumped out to a 21-0 lead until Temple went 75 yards in 11 plays to cut it to 14 points and then recovered a fumble two plays into the second half and scored a touchdown two plays later to make it a one score game before Georgia Tech pulled away again. The Yellow Jackets outgained Temple 468-328 despite running 33 fewer plays as they averaged 9.8 yppl to the Owls 4.0 yppl as Temple won the time of possession by 15 minutes.

Kennesaw State 28, Arkansas State 21

Arkansas St. came out flat following its close game with Iowa St. as Kennesaw St. jumped out to a 21-0 lead before the Red Wolves tried to rally but fell short. The Owls scored touchdowns on their first three possessions but did their best to implode as they turned it over on downs at the Arkansas St. 21-yard line and then fumbled it away on three straight possessions to make it a game. Kennesaw St. outgained the Red Wolves 497-318 while gaining 30 first downs to the Red Wolves 18.

Kansas 41, West Virginia 10

It was a West Virginia letdown from the Backyard Brawl as the Mountaineers went three and out to open the game and allowed Kansas to go 50 yards in four plays to take a 7-0 lead. It did not get better as West Virginia punted on its next five possessions before finally connecting on a field goal but then it was 27 unanswered points for the Jayhawks including returning the second half kickoff for a touchdown. They outgained the Mountaineers 5.8 to 4.2 yppl and held them to 3-17 on third and fourth down.

Delaware 38, FIU 16

Delaware spotted the Panthers a 7-3 lead before running off three straight touchdowns, the first coming off an interception and scoring five plays later and the third on a 68-yard punt return. The Blue Hens were actually outgained by five yards with yppl dead even at 5.4 but they were more efficient by going 11-15 on third down. Delaware had only two second half possessions but made the most of them as they went 160 yards in 27 plays that took over 14 minutes off the clock.

Boise State 49, Air Force 37

Boise St. went three and out in its opening possession and Air Force then went 75 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead but the Broncos got it right back on its next possession and then scored the next two touchdowns to take a 14-point lead. The Falcons tied it back up after halftime but Boise St. responded right back and never lost the lead again. The Broncos outgained Air Force 592-511 despite running 17 fewer plays as they averaged 10.2 yppl compared to 6.8 for the Falcons.

Coastal Carolina 38, South Alabama 20

South Alabama struck first with Coastal Carolina countering right back and the Jaguars getting the touchdown lead back before halftime. The Chanticleers forced a punt to open the second half that went just 11 yards and tied the game three plays later. They then intercepted a pass on the next play and took the lead for good five plays after that. South Alabama outgained Coastal Carolina 420-294 but ran 24 more plays and both teams were at 5.2 yppl while the Jaguars were -3 in turnovers.

Missouri 29, South Carolina 20

After a scoreless first quarter, the teams alternated leads in the second quarter with South Carolina taking a 14-12 lead into halftime. Missouri regained the lead late in the third quarter with the Gamecocks again taking a two-point lead into the fourth quarter but the Tigers won the fourth quarter 10-0 as the defense allowed only nine yards in three possessions. Missouri outgained the Gamecocks 456-293 but that was with 25 more plays as the yppl were closer at 6.1 to 5.9 in favor of the Tigers.

WKU 31, Nevada 16

This was another back and forth game through three quarters with Nevada taking a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Western Kentucky forced a pair of punts in the first two Nevada possessions and went 85 and 87 yards to take a 24-13 lead. The Wolf Pack made it a one possession game with 29 seconds left and the Hilltoppers then returned the onsides kick for a touchdown. Nevada won the yardage by 11 yards but that was with six more plays with yppl being 5.5 to 5.2 in favor of the Hilltoppers.

Author: Matt Fargo
Published: 2025-09-21

Inside The College Football Boxscores Week 4 - Part 1

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.

Rice 28, Charlotte 17

Charlotte had four scoring drives in the first half but all resulted in field goal attempts with three of those being made. The 49ers had a 9-7 lead but Rice went 75 yards in just over one minute to take a 14-point lead at halftime and then pulled away with a pair of touchdowns in the second half before Charlotte tacked on a late meaningless touchdown. Rice only outgained Charlotte 353-334 but ran 18 fewer plays and outgained them 6.1 to 4.4 yppl while the Owls had six sacks to the 49ers zero.

Tulsa 19, Oklahoma State 12

Oklahoma St. struck first with a field goal on the first possession of the game but then Tulsa ran off 19 unanswered points heading into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys cut the lead to 10 points early in the fourth quarter and while they then forced three straight punts after that, they could only manage a field goal out of it. Oklahoma St. was outgained by only 24 yards and the yppl was dead even at 5.4 but the Cowboys were 5-19 on third and fourth down while Tulsa was 10-22.

Iowa 38, Rutgers 28

Iowa returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown but Rutgers went 75 yards in six plays to tie the game, forced a punt and then went 63 yards to take a touchdown lead. The Hawkeyes took the lead for good following an 80-yard drive late in the fourth quarter and then picked off a pass to set up their final touchdown. Rutgers outgained Iowa 400-346 but ran 14 more plays and went 4-6 inside the redzone. The Hawkeyes held the Scarlet Knights to 70 yards rushing on 30 carries (2.3 ypc).

Syracuse 34, Clemson 21

The Orange took their opening possession 75 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead and recovered an onsides kick that led to a field goal for a 10-0 lead before Clemson even touched the ball. They never gave up that lead as they were up 24-14 at halftime and following a weather delay, Syracuse added on 10 more points to pull away. Clemson outgained the Orange 503-433 but lost the turnover battle 2-0 including a fumble deep in their own territory while going 1-4 on fourth down.

Louisville 40, Bowling Green 17

Bowling Green took the 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter and then Louisville took over with 33 consecutive points, scoring on seven of its next nine possessions. The problem was four of those were field goals as the Cardinals finished 4-11 on third down. They outgained the Falcons 439-321 and while they had success through the air, they were on the wrong side of the running game as they rushed for 126 yards on 29 carries (4.3 ypc) while the Falcons ran for 190 yards on 29 carries (6.6 ypc).

North Texas 45, Army 38

It looked like the rout was on as North Texas took a 28-7 lead as it turned three Army turnovers into 21 points on three drives that accumulated just 72 total yards. Army was able to chip away at the lead the remainder of the game and it got it down to three points late in the fourth quarter and recovered a fumble but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal and eventually lost in overtime. The yards and yppl were right in line with each other as the but those early turnovers were the difference.

Texas Tech 34, Utah 10

Texas Tech forced a three and out to open the game and went 85 yards in seven plays to jump ahead 7-0 and the defense did not let up, forcing three turnovers, a turnover on downs and two punts over the next six possessions before Utah kicked a field goal right before halftime. The Red Raiders broke it open as they scored touchdowns on all three fourth quarter possessions and overall, outgained the Utes 484-263 and 6.7 to 3.8 yppl but were guilty with 14 penalties for 122 yards.

TCU 35, SMU 24

TCU struck first midway through the first quarter with a 67-yard touchdown drive and did not relinquish the lead until the fourth quarter when the Mustangs went 65 yards in nine plays for a touchdown to take a 28-24 lead but the Horned Frogs scored three plays later on a 70-yard touchdown pass and added on another late score. TCU outgained the Mustangs 517-384 while going 12-21 on third and fourth down but let SMU hang around with poor second and third quarter production.

UNLV 41, Miami (Ohio) 38

Miami Ohio backers will not forget this game for a long time (raising my hand) as the RedHawks jumped ahead 14-0 and had two other 14-point leads including a 38-24 lead early in the fourth quarter and then the wheels fell off. UNLV got to within seven, forced a three and out and tied the game four minutes later. The RedHawks were in scoring position but fumbled and the Rebels went 78 yards in 2:08 for the winning field goal. Miami outgained UNLV 7.5 to 6.0 yppl but ran 33 fewer plays.

Maryland 27, Wisconsin 10

The Terrapins punted on their first possession but picked off a Wisconsin pass six plays later and returned it to the four-yard line and scored two plays after that. They went up 20-0 as the Badgers could get nothing going as eight first half possessions resulted in that interception, a missed field goal, a turnover on downs and five punts, those final seven drives netting just 100 yards. Maryland won the yards by just 30 but ran 20 fewer plays and outgained Wisconsin 5.7 to 3.8 yppl.

Memphis 32, Arkansas 31

Arkansas scored three plays into the game on a 62-yard touchdown pass but Memphis got three of those points back and then turned an interception into a touchdown drive to take the lead. The Razorbacks then scored 21 unanswered points before the Tigers went on a 22-3 run and forced a fumble with 1:18 left on their own seven-yard line to secure the win. Arkansas snuck out the total yardage battle 500-489 but Memphis outrushed the Razorbacks 290-175 (7.1-5.5 ypc).

Tennessee 56, UAB 24

It was all Tennessee as the Volunteers jumped out to a 42-7 halftime lead as they scored on six of seven possessions and they took the pedal off the gas after scoring early in the third quarter and then recovering a fumble for another touchdown. Tennessee racked up 510 yards, 406 in the first half, with a balanced attack of 235 yards rushing and 275 yards passing. UAB gained 184 of its 394 total yards on three possessions in garbage time and committed 13 penalties for 110 yards.

Oregon 41, Oregon State 7

The Ducks went 75 yards on the opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead but turned it over on downs on its next possession and Oregon St. went on a 64-yard, 13 play drive that took 7:40 to tie the game and then it was all Oregon. Following that drive, the Beavers had only 75 yards the rest of the game and failed to cross midfield. Oregon put up 585 yards (280 rushing and 305 passing), all but 53 yards in the first three quarters and had close to a 14-minute advantage in time of possession.

UCF 34, North Carolina 9

Central Florida has now won 16 consecutive games under head coach Scott Frost as it was all Knights in this one. They took the opening possession 75 yards in 13 plays in 6:37 for a touchdown and never looked back. They intercepted a North Carolina pass four plays later and turned it into a field goal and they ended up scoring in six of their eight overall possessions. North Carolina went 80 yards in its lone touchdown drive when the score was 27-3 and amassed only 217 total yards for the game.

Notre Dame 56, Purdue 30

Notre Dame forced a three and out on the first Purdue possession and then struck on a 66-yard touchdown pass on its first offensive play. The Irish scored touchdowns on their first four possessions but Purdue stayed within reach as they kicked a field goal, recovered a fumble and kicked another field goal to make it 28-16 but Notre Dame returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. The Irish outgained Purdue 535-379 (254 rushing, 281 passing) while averaging 8.5 yppl.

Ole Miss 45, Tulane 10

The Rebels took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead and did not let up, scoring on 10 of 12 possessions. Mississippi allowed a 59-yard drive midway through the second quarter which resulted in a field goal and while Tulane crossed midfield on its first three second half possessions, it was stopped on fourth down in all three. The Rebels outgained Tulane 548-282 and 7.9 to 4.1 yppl with 65 of the Green Wave total yards coming on a touchdown drive in garbage time.

Western Michigan 14, Toledo 13

After a scoreless first quarter, Toledo recovered a muffed punt at the Western Michigan 12-yard line with one minute left before halftime but had to settle for a field goal. The Rockets eventually took a 13-0 lead before Western Michigan finally scored a touchdown late in the third quarter and following a Toledo punt, it went 48 yards in 48 seconds with 52 seconds remaining for the winning score. The offenses were nonexistent as Western Michigan won the yards 291-280 and yppl 4.2 to 3.9.

Author: Matt Fargo
Published: 2025-09-18

Fargo looks past the top line scores and goes deep into the box scores to get a better picture of what really happened for all of the FBS games the past weekend.

Iowa 47, UMass 7

Iowa scored its most points since it put up 51 points against Maryland in 2021 as it put up 20 points in the first quarter and never looked back. After three and outs on its first three possessions, UMass blocked a punt and got it down to the Iowa 21-yard line and scored four plays later and that was it as the Hawkeyes put up 27 unanswered points after that. They outgained the Minutemen 435-119 while going 10-16 on third down with the defense not allowing a third down conversion in 12 tries.

Texas A&M 41, Notre Dame 40

It was another tough loss for Notre Dame as a muffed snap on an extra point proved costly. Notre Dame struck first with a blocked punt for a touchdown but Texas A&M responded with an 86-yard touchdown pass. The first half closed with two Aggies scores as they took their first lead and after Notre Dame got the lead late in the fourth quarter but missed the point after, Texas A&M got the game winner with 13 seconds left. The Aggies won the yards 488-429 but 13 penalties for 86 yards set them back some.

Kentucky 48, Eastern Michigan 23

Kentucky jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead and while Eastern Michigan added a pair of field goals after, the Wildcats sandwiched those with two more touchdowns for a 28-6 lead but the Eagles made it a game with 10 points before halftime. The Wildcats then scored 20 straight points before a garbage touchdown from Eastern Michigan. The Wildcats outgained the Eagles by only 31 yards but Eastern Michigan was just 5-18 on third and fourth down and settled for too many field goal attempts.

LSU 20, Florida 10

The defenses dominated the entire game with LSU leading 13-10 at halftime and both stop units did not allow a point in the second half as it was the Tigers defense that sealed the game with a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Gators outgained LSU 366-316 but they ran 28 more plays and a total of five interceptions killed any offensive momentum as their last seven drives ended with four interceptions and three punts. LSU won the yppl 6.1 to 4.8.

Louisiana Tech 49, New Mexico State 14

It was all Louisiana Tech early as it opened up a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter but New Mexico St. made a game of it with a pair of touchdowns before the Bulldogs hit a late field goal to take a 13-point lead into halftime. After no scoring in the third quarter, the Bulldogs scored on a 20-yard fumble recovery, part of a 22-0 fourth quarter. Louisiana Tech outrushed the Aggies 353-27 (5.4-1.6 ypc) as it ran 35 more plays thanks to an 11-minute edge in time of possession.

East Carolina 38, Coastal Carolina 0

The Pirates pitched a shutout as they gave up 239 total yards and allowed Coastal Carolina in the redzone only once as they forced five turnovers, five punts and a missed field goal. The East Carolina offense struggled early as it got inside the Chanticleers redzone four times in the first half but came away with only 10 points. The Pirates backed it up with four second half touchdowns and overall they finished with 497 total yards but that was on 86 plays for just 5.8 yppl so it was not great.

Vanderbilt 31, South Carolina 7

Vanderbilt came out strong as it went 73 yards in nine plays on its opening possession but South Carolina responded with a 75-yard drive to tie the game but it was all Commodores after that. The Gamecocks lost quarterback LaNorris Sellers in the second quarter and while the offense kept up, they committed four turnovers that wiped out 132 yards while turning over on downs twice. Vanderbilt got outgained by South Carolina by five yards, 328-323 while yppl were dead even at 5.2.

Navy 42, Tulsa 23

Navy started sloppily as it ran 12 plays in its first three possessions, all of which resulted in turnovers and two of those allowed Tulsa to jump out to a 14-0 lead. The Midshipmen were able to right the ship as they tied the game and eventually took a lead into halftime, part of a 28-0 run that put the game away. Navy scored touchdowns in six of seven drives following those turnovers and overall they outgained the Golden Hurricane 461-329 as it rushed for 367 yards on 63 carries (5.8 ypc).

Tulane 34, Duke 27

Tulane took a 24-3 lead late in the second quarter as it scored on four of its first five possessions but Duke made a game of it as it went on a 75-yard touchdown drive before halftime and recovered a fumble three plays into the second half and scored another touchdown to make it an eight-point game before the Green Wave pulled away. The Blue Devils outgained Tulane 452-426 but ran 12 more plays and was outgained 6.8 to 6.0 in yppl and 124 of the Duke yards came on its last two drives.

Utah 31, Wyoming 6

Despite holding just a 3-0 lead at halftime, Utah dominated as it had 257 yards but missed three field goals and fumbled at the Wyoming three-yard line. The Utes turned things around as they scored a touchdown on all four second half possessions. Utah outgained the Cowboys 541-229 as it had an 11-minute edge in time of possession which led to running 29 more plays. In the Cowboys first eight possessions, they punted six times and turned it over twice with the touchdown coming in garbage time.

UAB 31, Akron 28

It was a first half shootout as it was back and forth until UAB eventually pulled ahead by 11 points at the break. Akron was able to pull within three points as it scored early in the fourth quarter, the only points from either side in the second half. The Zips had the ball with 1:44 remaining at their own 20 but threw three incomplete passes and was sacked on fourth down. It was pretty even along with the score as Akron outgained UAB 441-421 and had a slight edge in yppl 5.7 to 5.5.

Utah State 49, Air Force 30

Utah St. recovered a fumble on the Falcons first drive and converted that into a 27-yard touchdown drive and the Aggies led the entire way. Air Force cut the lead to 14-10 at halftime but trailed by double digits the remainder of the game after Utah St. went 75 yards for a touchdown on its opening second half possession. The Aggies outgained Air Force by just 28 yards but ran 28 fewer plays and outgained the Falcons 8.4 to 5.3 in yppl and took advantage of three turnovers that led to 14 points.

Arizona State 34, Texas State 15

Arizona St. and Texas St. traded first quarter field goals and then the Sun Devils ran off 24 unanswered points between the second and third quarters to pull away. The Bobcats got hardly anything going early as they had 137 yards in their first seven possessions while putting up 166 yards in their final three possessions when the game was already decided. Arizona St. won the yardage 433-303 and outgained Texas St. 6.5 to 3.9 in yppl while winning the turnover battle 2-0.

Stanford 30, Boston College 20

Stanford opened with a pair of field goals but Boston College seized control with 17 unanswered points. The Cardinal cut the lead back to four points following a 69-yard touchdown pass and then picked off a Boston College pass two plays later and returned it for a touchdown. The Stanford defense forced four second half punts and recovered a fumble in their own endzone when the Eagles were going for the tie. Boston College outgained Stanford by 10 yards but were -3 in turnover margin.

California 27, Minnesota 14

There were seven combined punts in the first eight possessions between California and Minnesota with the Golden Bears able to break through with a late first quarter touchdown. Minnesota took its first lead late in the third quarter before California scored the final 17 points of the game. The Golden Bears outgained Minnesota by only five yards but it was a bad second half for the Golden Gophers as in their five possessions, they tossed an interception, missed a field goal and turned it over on downs twice.