Week 3 gave us a game in the UK, a rough homecoming for Lane Kiffin and an unbelievable finish for Vanderbilt during a weekend of football that displayed the full range of the craziness that is college football.

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Houston 26 @ 28 Texas Tech

An unsuccessful two-point conversion is the only difference between two ranked Big 12 teams.

Houston QB Connor Weigman, a transfer from Texas A&M, found the endzone on his diving two-point conversion attempt to tie up Texas Tech, but it was adjudged that his knee touched the ground before the ball broke the plane of the goal line, scuppering the Cougars comeback.

Weigman produced an impressive performance with 282 yards and three touchdowns, including the 10-yard pass to Patrick Overmyer that put Houston in position to tie the game with under a minute left on the clock. Despite his QB’s strong performance, the disappointment was evident from Houston coach Willie Fritz, who admitted that ‘there’s no moral victories’

“We came here to win,” Fritz said. “And we didn’t win.”

On the other sideline, Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire was impressed with his team’s ability to grind out a result in a tough competition.

“It just shows the resilience of this team and the belief they have in each other. There was never a time that those guys got down. They just kept fighting,” McGuire said. “I just continue to believe that as the season goes, we’ll keep getting better and better again.”

Tommy Castellanos, who transferred to the Red Raiders just one week before their opening game, started at QB ahead of Will Hammond, but was pulled after his attempt to throw the ball away in the first quarter was picked off on the sideline by Will James. Castellanos did not see the field again until there were just under four minutes left in the half when he ran it in for a one-yard score. McGuire attempted to clarify Tech’s confusing situation under center after the game.

“Will Hammond is our starting quarterback, [but] we have packages for Tommy and those packages will continue to grow,” McGuire said. “We had two plays we’re going to run right there. If we don’t get pressure, then I think we have a huge play starting right off the bat. … The plan was two plays and Will come into the game.”

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Kentucky 31 @ 21 Texas A&M

Wildcats are not to be denied after taking three-score lead into final quarter.

Kentucky’s first year head coach, Will Stein, couldn’t have been happier following his team upsetting #9 ranked Texas A&M in his first road game in charge, claiming the Wildcats’ first win over a ranked opponent since beating Ole Miss in September 2024 to be ‘a giant result for us’.

Stein had seen his team throw away a 17-13 half-time lead over Alabama in a blowout second half last week, and wasn’t going to let his team collapse in the same way against A&M.

“We just basically put our foot down and said we’re not going to be denied,” Kentucky QB Kenny Minchey said. “We’re going to take it.”

Minchey’s two touchdown passes, and another couple added on the ground by C.J Baxter, saw the Wildcats enter the fourth quarter with a 28-7 lead, and the running back shared that this kind of offensive output is expected from the team.

“I don’t think it was a shocker to us because we all know what talent we have and what we’re capable of doing,” Baxter said. “But it helps definitely with confidence for sure.”

In the fourth quarter, Kentucky had to rely on the defense to hold back the Aggies’ onslaught and cling on to victory. Kentucky’s new defensive coordinator had some inside knowledge of his opponent, having spent the last two seasons at College Station.

“He kind of hid it, but I know it was personal,” Kentucky defensive back Jordan Castell said. “He did a good job of just staying calm, but I could tell that he really wanted this game and we all played hard for him.”

After an inconsistent performance from A&M QB Marcel Reed, who put up 236 yards and two touchdowns but was also intercepted twice in what he described as ‘a learning experience’, Aggies coach Mike Elko shared his frustrations.

“I did not do a good enough job of coaching this team and preparing this team,” Elko said. “I don’t take any positives from this game. I don’t want to take away anything from Kentucky — they came in here and whopped us.”

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West Virginia 38 @ 27 Virginia

Former Sooners QB Hawkins reaches new heights as Mountaineers ascend to contender status.

Mountaineers transfer quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr came up big in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl as he led West Virginia to victory over high-flying Virginia.

Hawkins, who transferred from Oklahoma, recorded 313 total yards and five touchdowns in the game played at Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers.

“It feels great,” Hawkins said. “Coming to a new programme and getting the guys behind you and playing as a whole is a big key. All of us were on the same page tonight. I learned a lot at Oklahoma. I just brought that along with me to West Virginia.”

West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez was full of praise for his signal caller.

“He’s a dynamic player and I think he’s going to keep getting better,” Rodriguez said. “I mean, it’s just his third game in the system. He knew exactly what was going on. So I think he grew a lot. I think our offense grew a lot today at certain moments, but Mike was, well he’s electric. He’s got a lot of really good football in front of him too.”

Virginia QB Beau Pribula had a solid game with 197 yards through the air and two touchdowns, but a missed field goal in the fourth quarter somewhat derailed the Cavaliers’ comeback charge with Haskins scoring on the ensuing drive, allowing the Mountaineers to hold on to the lead for good. The win puts West Virginia in the mix as a Big 12 title contender.

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Florida 44 @ 39 Auburn

Gators continue to enhance propsects behind Heisman candidate RB.

Florida running back Jadan Baugh enhanced his Heisman claim with another standout performance as he ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the Gators’ SEC conference opener in Auburn.

Florida, under new head coach Jon Sumrall, are off to a flying start and look like one of the more balanced teams offensively, splitting gains across the air and ground game with 252 and 245 yards respectively.

“I knew what we were going to do on offense tonight. I had no doubt,” Sumrall said. “I was probably more concerned about our defense, to be honest with you.”

Auburn coach Alex Golesh was displeased with his defense as they struggled to contain big plays from the Gators.

“Story of the game is that middle part of it,” Golesh said. “The defensive explosives, obviously the double pass was a dagger, the explosives given up. Don’t know how many that was, but it felt like it’s inopportune times, and then you’re fighting back and going back.”

Auburn QB Byrum Brown finished with solid figures of 271 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, but his coach bemoaned the teams slow start offensively.

“The first three drives were abysmal: three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out,” Golesh continued. “About as abysmal as you can get, and then just leave the defense out there for as long as we do.”

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Arizona State 24 @ 17 Kansas
Union Jack Classic – Wembley Stadium, London

Arizona State and Kansas’ trip to Wembley was characterised by offensive struggles and big plays on defense and special teams that eventually swung the result in favour of the Sun Devils.

After a first quarter in which neither side made much headway, the second began with two big plays. First, a hard hit by Adrian Wilson on Yasin Willis knocked the ball out of the hands of Owen Long and, while the turnover did not result in any points, the ensuing punt following an ASU drive stalled by a penalty, was returned 72 yards for a Jayhawks touchdown by Tate Nagy, much to the elation of the travelling Kansas contingent. Nagy later told Gridiron that it’s ‘pretty cool’ to be the first player to score a CFB touchdown at Wembley.

Despite the Jayhawks elation, a badly skewed punt by Kansas quickly allowed QB Cutter Boley to strike from the 25-yard line and give ASU the lead at the half, and the Sun Devils eased away after the break with two second half scores. The first came courtesy of a phenomenal 100-yard kick-off return by Jaren Hamilton, whose nickname is ‘Turbo’.

“When I caught it, I knew,” Hamilton said. “I said ‘if they kick this ball to me and then it doesn’t go out the back of the end zone, I’m going to run it back’. That’s what I plan to do every time I touch the ball.”

Later in the half, Hyrum Vaeono experienced every defensive lineman’s dream as a Kansas back coughed the ball into his waiting hands. Vaeono, a Lawrence, Kansas native who was never recruited by the Jayhawks, ran with a chip on his shoulder for 77 yards before stumbling at the one-yard line.

“It was like I was in literal dream,” Vaeono said. “I couldn’t hear nothing. I was just running as hard as I could.”

Kansas QB Isaiah Marshall, who had seen limited opportunities to pass in the first half as coach Lance Leipold chose to lean on the run, began to sling the ball in the second half, seeing some success until a fourth quarter interception derailed the Jayhawks’ comeback attempt and handed the unique UJC trophy to Arizona State.