College football wasted no time delivering drama in Week 0, as Saturday’s slate of games gave fans several statement wins, thrillers, and a few surprises along the way. Iowa State edged Kansas State in Dublin in an early Big XII showdown that delivered late-game heroics, while Dan Mullen’s debut at UNLV nearly turned disastrous before the Rebels escaped Idaho State. Kansas opened its brand-new stadium with a convincing win over Fresno State in Lawrence, Western Kentucky’s rebuilt roster showed firepower in a shootout victory against Sam Houston, and Hawaii capped the night with a dramatic last-second win over Stanford in Honolulu. From nail-biting finishes to standout individual performances, the first Saturday of the 2025 season set the stage for a wild fall ahead. With that in mind, let’s break down and recap each game, highlighting the key moments, standout performers, and what’s next for every team after an eventful opening Saturday:

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#22 Iowa State 24, #17 Kansas State

The first college football game of the season took place in Dublin, Ireland, and it delivered exactly the kind of drama college football fans live for, as #22 Iowa State edged #17 Kansas State in a Farmageddon edition of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The game was quite low scoring for a while as rain turned the game into an all-out slugfest, with players slipping all over the field, the ball slipping out of players’ hands on dropped passes and fumbles, and a churning clock with run plays resulting in slow-paced offenses out of both teams. We then saw things swing back and forth in the second half, with Kansas State roaring back in the fourth quarter after trailing by as much as ten, highlighted by Avery Johnson’s 65-yard touchdown pass to Jerand Bradley with under three minutes left to make it a three-point game. However, Iowa State’s resilience shone through after quarterback Rocco Becht orchestrated a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, capping it with a clutch fourth-down conversion by running back Carson Hansen that allowed the Cyclones to run out the clock and seal the victory in thrilling fashion.

For Iowa State, the story was Rocco Becht’s dual-threat brilliance. He was 14 for 28 with 183 yards and two touchdowns through the air while also adding a 7-yard rushing score to add onto a solid rushing attack that was mainly led by running back Carson Hansen, who added 71 yards on the ground as well. Wideout Brett Eskildsen made his presence felt with 46 receiving yards and a critical third-quarter touchdown while Dominic Overby scored one of his own for college football’s first score of 2025, but it was mainly about the solid play of the tight ends, Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle, who combined for five receptions and 72 yards. On the defensive side, while Iowa State’s front seven only came up with one sack, they pressured Avery Johnson consistently, while the secondary forced key incompletions late in the game, but it was Marcus Neal Jr. who starred in key moments to preserve the narrow lead and prove that the Cyclones’ defense could rise to the occasion in high-stakes moments.

On the other hand, unlike what we usually see from their playcalling, Kansas State slightly more on Avery Johnson’s arm instead of his legs to stay in the contest. Johnson threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns, including the long connection to Bradley late in the fourth quarter. Losing starting running back Dylan Edwards after muffing a punt on his first touch stung pretty badly, so they turned their attention to Joe Jackson, who contributed 51 rushing yards, while Johnson added 21 yards of his own as well as a touchdown on eight carries, helping maintain balance in the Wildcats’ attack. Defensively, K-State had moments of dominance, including a couple of sacks from edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi, a couple of key tackles and pass deflections from Donovan McIntosh, and a forced fumble from safety Qua Moss, showcasing a defense capable of forcing turnovers but occasionally struggling to close out in crunch time.

Looking ahead, Iowa State has already made an early statement in Big XII play, and it’s not even Week 1 yet. They’ll get a little bit of a breather next week as they travel back to Ames to face South Dakota in a tune-up game to prepare for another home matchup one week later for their in-state rivalry game against Iowa, and if they continue to show more complete performances like they had on Saturday in Dublin, they’re going to be a threat once again to make their second consecutive appearance in Arlington for the Big XII title game in December.

As for Kansas State, a team that looked like they were going to be one of the favorites to win the conference has already found themselves in a deep hole, and in order to turn things around and give themselves a shot at a Big XII title, there’ll be a good shot they have to run the table in conference play. They’ll host North Dakota next week, and they’ll have to wait another month if they want to start grinding their way back up the conference standings again.

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UNLV 38, Idaho State 31

It wasn’t the smoothest debut for new UNLV head coach Dan Mullen, especially considering the fact that he’s still trying to figure out his quarterback situation even after their first game of the season, but his team did just enough to survive Idaho State in a surprising shootout thriller at Allegiant Stadium. Jai’Den Thomas provided the spark all game long, and he scored all three of his touchdowns within the first three quarters, but that didn’t hold the Bengals back as they took a 31-24 lead with just under 14 minutes to go after touchdowns by Ian Duarte late in the third quarter and Dason Brooks early in the fourth. However, the Rebels responded quickly as Anthony Colandrea connected with Daejon Reynolds on a 9-yard score to tie the game just over two minutes later, and then Michigan transfer Alex Orji then added an 11-yard scramble for the go-ahead touchdown on a gutsy fourth-and-one call to take the lead with under nine minutes left. Ultimately, UNLV’s defense finally held it down late, and when Idaho State had one last chance to tie, Quandarius Keyes broke up a fourth-down pass to seal the Rebels’ narrow victory.

For UNLV, the stars of the night were easy to identify. Thomas was unstoppable on the ground, erupting for 147 yards and three touchdowns on just ten carries, including back-to-back scoring runs of 39 and 70 yards in the second quarter to erase a 10-0 deficit. Colandrea, making his UNLV debut after transferring from Virginia, proved effective both through the air and on the ground, throwing for 195 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 93 yards. Orji’s timely touchdown run capped off a versatile quarterback rotation, while linebacker Marsel McDuffie, who’s one of the team’s only returning starters on that side of the ball, anchored the defense with steady play, as the Rebels forced four interceptions to offset their struggles in other areas.

Idaho State, meanwhile, nearly pulled off a stunning upset thanks to the play of quarterback Jordan Cooke, who completed 30 of 50 passes for 380 yards and a touchdown, though his four interceptions ultimately swung the game away from Idaho State. Running back Dason Brooks was also electric, keeping the offense balanced and finishing with 132 yards on the ground with a 27-yard touchdown late in the first half to give Idaho State a 17-14 lead at the break. Cooke’s top targets were consistently productive as well, especially Ian Duarte, who caught six passes for 105 yards and a score through the air, and Michael Shulikov, who added 72 yards on three receptions with a receiving touchdown and even a passing touchdown of his own, keeping the Rebel defense off balance, but a costly intentional grounding penalty and the late fourth-down incompletion were too much to overcome.

The Rebels won’t complain about a 1-0 start, but Mullen and his staff know plenty of work lies ahead. UNLV’s defense looked opportunistic with plenty of forced turnovers, yet it also gave up over 450 yards of total offense and 31 points to an FCS opponent. The offense showed flashes of explosiveness with Thomas in the backfield and Colandrea making plays outside the pocket, but consistency and finishing drives will be key moving forward. With tougher nonconference matchups looming before the grind of Mountain West play, starting with a road contest at Sam Houston on Friday before a massive home contest against UCLA in a couple of weeks, the Rebels will need to tighten up quickly if they want to build on last year’s 11-win season and prove Mullen can keep the momentum rolling in Las Vegas.

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Kansas 31, Fresno State 7

Saturday night in Lawrence had the perfect mix of celebration and statement as Kansas capped off their first game in their brand-new stadium with a convincing victory over Fresno State. Jalon Daniels wasted no time making the night memorable, tossing a 21-yard touchdown to transfer receiver Cam Pickett on the opening drive. Fresno State briefly answered with an Elijah Gilliam touchdown run, but the Jayhawks controlled the rest of the game, stringing together 17 unanswered points before halftime. Daniels added another score to Pickett and later found Keaton Kubecka in the third quarter to slam the door, while Kansas’ defense bottled up the Bulldogs with constant pressure and sure tackling.

Daniels set the tone for Kansas’ offense, throwing for 176 yards on a 90% completion rate and three passing touchdowns while also rushing for 47 more yards, and another player who set the tone for the Jayhawk passing attack was Cam Pickett, who transferred in from Ball State and looked like an instant fit in his debut with six catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns. New starting running back Daniel Hishaw, who now replaces former star Devin Neal, was another player who churned along his team-high rushing yards with 69, but he seemed to be outplayed by Iowa transfer Leshon Williams, who also provided a spark by breaking free for a long touchdown run and adding 57 yards on just 6 carries, resulting in over nine yards per carry as the Jayhawks piled up nearly 400 total yards of offense. On defense, several players starred, starting off with South Carolina transfer Bangally Kamara, who tallied two tackles for loss with one of those resulting in a sack. The secondary also seemed just fine in their first game without Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson in the defensive backfield as well, coming down with two picks from safety tandem Lyrik Rawls and Devin Dye, who also added half of a sack along the way, and showing how balanced their defense can be after dominating against both the pass and run.

For Fresno State, it was a tough opener under new head coach Matt Entz, who made his coaching debut with the Bulldogs Saturday night following his one season with USC and five seasons as the North Dakota State head coach, and while quarterback E.J. Warner got off to a quick start with 81 of his 179 passing yards coming in the first quarter, the pressure from the Jayhawk defense resulted in just 98 yards through the air in his last three quarters with three turnovers as well, including two interceptions and one lost fumble. Gilliam’s 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the Bulldogs’ lone highlight, as the run game never found rhythm, finishing with just 37 total yards on the ground. Defensively, there weren’t many highlights there either with the only sack caused by defensive lineman Finn Claypool, and while Jadon Pearson looked strong after being all over the field with ten solo tackles, he needed a lot more help as he and his teammates were on the field too long to slow down Daniels and company.

Looking ahead, Kansas has an opportunity to build early-season momentum when they host Wagner on Friday night before they renew their Border War rivalry in two weeks with Missouri. With Daniels looking sharp, Pickett emerging as a weapon, and a defensive front that already looks improved under new coordinator DK McDonald, the Jayhawks have every reason to feel encouraged about bouncing back from last year’s 5-7 campaign.

Fresno State, meanwhile, returns home to face Georgia Southern in its opener, and Entz will be looking for his team to regroup quickly, especially out of the skill players and the offensive line, after being dominated at the point of attack against Kansas. Warner has the talent to lead the Bulldogs to a strong season, but consistency and protecting the football will be key if Fresno State wants to steady itself and chase teams like Boise State and UNLV for another Mountain West title.

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Western Kentucky 41, Sam Houston 24

Western Kentucky fans couldn’t have asked for a better opening night to kick off the 2025 college football season, as the Hilltoppers stormed past Sam Houston with a statement victory in Bowling Green and every reason to be seen as one of the Conference USA’s premier teams. The game had its fair share of swings as Sam Houston briefly took a 24-20 lead early in the third quarter after Alton McCaskill’s short touchdown run and Jamair Diaz’s 43-yard scoop-and-score. But WKU quickly punched back with a pair of long scoring drives engineered by quarterback Maverick McIvor, who connected with K.D. Hutchinson on a 9-yard touchdown and then Marvis Parrish on a 22-yard strike just minutes apart. By the time McIvor capped an 81-yard drive with his own 4-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth, the Hilltoppers had fully wrestled control, sealing a win that set the tone for their season.

Much of Western Kentucky’s success came through the arm and legs of Maverick McIvor, the Abilene Christian transfer celebrating his 25th birthday weekend in style. The Hilltoppers, with their new gunslinger, were finally comfortable to revert back to their Air Raid scheme with McIvor finishing the night 33-of-51 for 401 passing yards and three touchdowns while also adding a rushing score, orchestrating an offense that piled up 506 total yards. His favorite target was Matthew Henry, who torched the Bearkats’ secondary for seven catches, 148 yards, and a long touchdown that broke the game open early, and Moussa Barry had plenty of production as well, even without finding the end zone, as he tallied six receptions of his own for 90 yards. Both Marvis Parrish and KD Hutchinson also stepped up with timely scores in the second half, giving WKU’s passing attack plenty of balance and McIvor plenty of weapons that he can depend on throughout the season. Defensively, several players had their fair share of tackles, and even though the pass rush only came up with two sacks, Jayden Gray managed to get one of them with an extra tackle for loss in his stat line as well, giving the Hilltoppers at least one player who can find his way into the backfield. They still need to figure out how to stop the run, however, as Sam Houston’s quarterback and lead running back combined for 163 combined yards on the ground, but they were very successful at preventing third-down conversions as the Bearkats converted only just two of their 14 attempts.

Sam Houston, on the other hand, went back home disappointed, but they still had flashes of promise in new head coach Phil Longo’s debut. He has a dual-threat he can rely on at quarterback in Hunter Watson, completing 19-of-30 passes for 209 yards while also rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown to keep the Bearkats competitive early. McCaskill, the Arizona State transfer who had also made stops at Houston and Colorado, provided a physical presence in the backfield, finding the end zone on a short run to open the third quarter and adding 72 yards of how own on just 11 carries, and even though Indiana transfer Elijah Green only managed 10 yards running the ball, he led the team in receiving yards with 61 on seven catches. On the defensive side, Diaz’s scoop-and-score was arguably the highlight of the night, giving Sam Houston a brief surge of momentum, even though linebacker Alonzo Edwards led the way with seven total tackles and two of those for loss also contributed with eight tackles, but missed tackles and fatigue against WKU’s Air Raid and tempo eventually caught up to the unit, leaving the Bearkats searching for more consistency as they regroup for the future.

Looking ahead, Western Kentucky will try to build off this fast start when they host North Alabama on Saturday. The Hilltoppers showed they can move the ball in bunches despite breaking in so many new faces, and with McIvor’s instant chemistry with his receivers and more confidence in both sides of the ball to make plays, look out for the Hilltoppers as they’ll once again be strong contenders for this year’s Conference USA title.

As for Sam Houston, they return home Friday night to face UNLV in what should be another tough test. However, with the way the Rebels looked against Idaho State on Saturday, I wouldn’t rule out the Bearkats’ chances. Watson’s versatility and McCaskill’s power running give them offensive weapons to lean on and a more open playbook, but with how high-powered some of the offenses they’ll be going up against are, their defense is going to have its hands full and will need a massive step-up if they want to avoid an 0-2 start in the Phil Longo era in Huntsville.

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Hawaii 23, Stanford 20

Hawaii fans got the ending they dreamed of under the lights in Honolulu, as Kansei Matsuzawa drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Rainbow Warriors over Stanford in a dramatic season opener. The night started rocky for Hawaii, as Stanford jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter after a strip-sack led to a defensive touchdown and a field goal from Emmet Kenney. But Micah Alejado settled in, throwing a 19-yard strike to former Cardinal Jackson Harris just before halftime to put Hawaii up 14-13 at the break. The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle, with Stanford reclaiming the lead behind a grueling 20-play drive capped by Micah Ford’s short touchdown run, only for Alejado to limp back onto the field, engineer a clutch two-minute drill in the final moments, and set up Matsuzawa, the senior from Japan who self-trained himself through YouTube videos, for the game-winner.

The Rainbow Warriors leaned on their young quarterback, and Alejado showed plenty of grit as he, despite taking a hard sack in the third quarter, he finished 27-of-39 for 210 yards, two touchdown passes, and 36 yards on the ground while keeping Hawaii steady in crunch time. Pofele Ashlock was his most reliable target, hauling in nine catches for 69 yards and a score, while Harris’ touchdown that he added onto his six catches and 59 yards against his former team provided one of the night’s emotional highlights. Matsuzawa’s three field goals proved to be the difference, and his calm demeanor in the final seconds made him the unlikely hero. Defensively, although Stanford’s offense looked very stale for the most part, that doesn’t take away how unusually well their secondary held up, with safety Peter Manuma being the star tackler from the defensive backfield with six solo tackles and a sack and Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen showing his pass coverage at the other safety spot with an interception and two pass deflections. The unit may have given up long, grinding drives, especially out of the front seven, who struggled to defend the run all game long, but it also forced mistakes when it mattered most.

Stanford, meanwhile, showed fight of its own but came up short in a game that slipped through its fingers late. Quarterback Ben Gulbranson, the Oregon State transfer, struggled in his first career start against a defense that doesn’t defend particularly well against the pass, going 15-for-30 for 109 yards and throwing an interception in the process as well, and their leading pass-catcher, tight end Chico Holt, had 36 yards only on one catch. That meant that they had to lean heavily on their rushing attack as running back Micah Ford was the workhorse, pounding out 113 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries while helping the Cardinal dominate time of possession. Their pass defense couldn’t stop the rhythm that Alejado was in, but they also didn’t allow very many big plays in the process, which they might have to live off of if their offense can’t deliver points. Their front seven was once again the strength of their defense, with Clay Patterson setting the tone early in a big way with one of his two sacks being a strip-sack that turned into a touchdown for Wilfredo Aybar and linebacker Matt Rose adding 12 solo tackles, two TFLs, and a big sack on Alejado that nearly knocked him out of the game. The only other sack came from fellow linebacker Hunter Barth, but too many costly penalties, including three personal fouls on Hawaii’s go-ahead drive before halftime, ultimately proved costly for interim head coach Frank Reich’s squad.

Looking ahead, Hawaii will look to ride this momentum into Tucson when they visit Arizona on Saturday, and if Alejado can stay healthy and Matsuzawa keeps showing poise, the Rainbow Warriors could suddenly be a sneaky tough out against the rest of their non-conference schedule and their Mountain West opponents, especially if their defense can find a solid balance.

Stanford, on the other hand, will have a bye this weekend that they’ll use to regroup before traveling to BYU in two weeks. The Cardinal showed they can run the football and control the clock, but they’ll need Gulbranson, or even a younger talent like Elijah Brown, to create more rhythm in the passing game if they want to bounce back. With a schedule that only gets tougher from here, the clock is already ticking for Frank Reich and his staff to fix those mistakes.

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With a blockbuster Week 1 coming up quickly, make sure to keep an eye out over the next few days as I’ll preview some of the weekend’s biggest matchups!