Recapping the action from Week 1 of college football (2025)

College football's Week 1 offers fans a busy slate of games, including all top 25 teams from the preseason AP Poll.

Follow along right here for scores, stats and TV information for all top 25 games in Week 1. Check out a live scoreboard here.

College football top 25 schedule, scores for Week 1

Thursday, Aug. 31

• No. 14 Utah 24, Florida 11

Saturday, Sept. 2

• No. 1 Georgia 48 vs. UT Martin 7
• No. 2 Michigan 30, East Carolina 3
• No. 3 Ohio State, 23Indiana 3
• No. 4 Alabama 56 vs. Middle Tennessee 7
• No. 6 USC 66 vs. Nevada 14
• No. 7 Penn State 38 vs. West Virginia 15
• No. 10 Washington 56, Boise State 19
• No. 11 Texas 37, Rice 10
• No. 12 Tennessee 49, Virginia 13(Nashville, Tenn.)
• No. 13 Notre Dame 56, Tennessee State 3
• No. 15 Oregon 81, Portland State 7
• No. 16 Kansas State 89 vs. Southeast Missouri State 71
• Colorado 48,No. 17 TCU 45
• No. 19 Wisconsin 38 vs. Buffalo 17
• No. 20 Oklahoma 73,Arkansas State 0
• No. 21 North Carolina 31 vs. South Carolina (Charlotte, N.C.) 17
• No. 22 Ole Miss 73, Mercer 7
• No. 24 Tulane 37 vs. South Alabama 17
• No. 25 Iowa 24, Utah State 14

Sunday, Sept. 3

• No. 18 Oregon State 42, San Jose State 17
• No. 8 Florida State 45,No. 5 LSU24(Orlando, Fla.)

Monday, Sept. 4

• Duke 28,No. 9 Clemson 7

📺 Click or tap here for the full college football TV schedule for Week 1

It's a known fact around Duke that Wallace Wade Stadium has trouble maintaining student section numbers past halftime. But in yesterday's contest against ACC power Clemson, enough Dukies remained in their seats to fill the field following a 28-7 upset.

Goodnight from Durham! pic.twitter.com/KyJOfT5oay

— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 5, 2023

Let's set the scene: heading into the Labor Day matchup, Duke had lost 28 straight games against teams in the AP Top 10. Duke's roster also had two four/five star players as opposed to Clemson's 56. Needless to say, national expectations on Duke's end were low.

Second-year head coach Mike Elko had already transformed Duke's defense during his last campaign, taking the program that went 3-9 in 2021 and giving up about 40 points per game to only surrendering 22.08 PPG in 2022. And on Monday, the Blue Devils gave up just one touchdown and ran over the 2022 ACC champions.

Clemson's woes started with its red zone offense, as the Tigers only converted one of its four chances when in scoring position. Matters only worsened for the Tigers as both of their field goal attempts got blocked in the first and third quarters. Then came the turnovers; two fumbles — one at a first-and-goal on the Duke 1 yard line, which resulted in a Blue Devil touchdown — and an interception plagued the Tigers, who appeared rattled throughout the entire game. The Blue Devil cornerback Chandler Rivers, safety Jeremiah Lewis and linebacker Tre Freeman all posed a threat to Clemson's struggling offense, each individually totaling a team-high 11 tackles.

Statistically speaking, Clemson's offense played about just as well as it normally does — the Tigers rushed for 213 yards (hugely at the hand of star RB Will Shipley) and earned 209 yards in the air. Head coach Dabo Swinney even mentioned that Clemson's performance was consistent with the Tigers' 108-0 all-time record when putting up those numbers before Monday's contest. But there were some shifts in leadership; Cade Klubnik registered his first regular season start as signal caller and Garrett Riley first wore the headset as the Tigers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after leaving TCU in 2022. On the field, the Tiger offense was disorganized and communication errors hurt them throughout the entire stretch, reminiscent of its 2022 pitfalls with former quarterback DJUiagalelei.

And who could forget about Duke quarterback Riley Leonard and his speed? Leonard led his team in rushing, turning on the jets to gain 98 yards, including 44 during massive run in which Leonard broke past three defenders to score. The junior finished the game 17-33 passing and connected with seven different receivers on Monday.

🤷 MAMA THERE GOES THAT MAN❕@Rileyleonard13_ pic.twitter.com/0XI9chHf07

— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 5, 2023

The two-touchdown underdogs topped Clemson for the first time since 2004. The Blue Devils' last win over a top-10 team was against Clemson, who was ranked No. 7 at the time, in September 1989 during Steve Spurrier's final season with Duke.

Duke said they a FOOTBALL SCHOOL NOW

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 5, 2023

No. 9 Clemson at Duke | 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The final game of Week 1 features two ACC foes as No. 9 Clemson travels to Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, to take on Duke.

No. 9 Clemson looks to build off of another 11-win season in which the Tigers went 11-3 in 2022 en route to capturing the ACC title despite having a quarterback controversy between quarterbacks DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnick. Uiagalelei is now the starting quarterback at Oregon State, while Klubnick returns to the Tigers as QB1 for his sophomore campaign.

Duke is coming off of an impressive 2022 season as well, posting an impressive 9-4 record in Mike Elko’s first season as the Blue Devils’ Head Coach. Last season marked the first time since 2014 that Duke won nine games in a season. They look to keep up the success they had a season ago at home, where the Blue Devils went a stellar 5-1, with their only loss coming in a 38-35 heartbreaker against North Carolina.

Clemson leads the all-time matchup against Duke 37-16-1 with wins in each of the last five matchups between the two teams.

Before trotting into the locker room tunnel, LSU coach Brian Kelly underscored the need for improvement on fourth down tries after watching a pair of golden opportunities dissipate deep in FSU territory.

It was a salient and echoing message, ultimately heard clearest by FSU boss Mike Norvell from the opposing sideline — racked with a 4th-and-2 decision near midfield, Norvell opted to roll the dice with the game deadlocked at 17 in the third quarter.

Norvell's faith in star quarterback Jordan Travis paid off ten-fold, with Travis finding a crossingLawrance Toafili beneath a convoy of blockers and sparking a game-changing run for the Seminoles.

Toafili was desperately flung down a few feet from the goal line before Travis found the endzone next snap with on a read option, beginning a 21-0 over the next ten minutes of game time and transforming a nip-and-tuck affair into utter carnage.

Florida State would ultimately win 45-24, an emphatic first step toward the college football playoff and its first win over a ranked opponent in nearly three years.

“I told them before today they were built for a stage like this," Norvell said. "That second half was a glimpse of what I think this team can do, I don’t think we played our best game.”

The Seminoles actually looked poised to suffer an early setback, with Heisman candidate Jayden Daniels gliding down the field off of the opening kickoff. The Tigers found themselves at the two-yard line with a fresh set of downs, but could get no further against a suddenly stiffened FSU front.

A desperate Daniels was finally dragged down 15 yards back on fourth-and-goal, giving Travis enough room to spark a quick fire touchdown drive. Overcoming a disconcerting 1st and 25 along with early pressure from LSU rushers, Travis capped off the drive by finding Keon Coleman on a slant and letting his wideout speed past the LSU secondary — Coleman shone brightest in a star-studded FSU receiving room, tallying three touchdowns and 122 yards.

LSU responded promptly with a 75-yard drive, half of which came courtesy of an impressive Kyren Lacy tightroping act, which led into a sloppy second quarter headlined by interceptions, muffed punts and FSU penalties. The Tigers entered into the locker room up 17-14 thanks to a last-second field goal from Damian Ramos.

Travis, who ultimately finished 23/31 through the air for nearly 350 yards, found himself with much more time in the pocket in the second half. The Seminoles would manage to score on every drive out of the locker room, beginning with a field goal to level the game at 17 six minutes into the stanza.

An LSU punt set up Florida State's crucial fourth down conversion, giving the 'Noles their first lead since the first quarter. Their second-half dominance amounted to a 28-0 advantage late in the fourth quarter before Daniels managed a consolation touchdown to close the game.

"I’m glad everyone got to see a glimpse of this team," Norvell said. "Now we’ve got to work to get better."

Both Florida State and LSU will return to action in Week 2, with LSU battling in-state rivals Grambling State while FSU matches up with Southern Mississippi.

In a new tint of his familiar orange, D.J. Uiagalelei took full advantage of a fresh start in Corvallis Sunday afternoon, routing San Jose State 42-16 in his debut under center for No .18 Oregon State.

The former Clemson gunslinger often served as a scapegoat for incensed fans in Death Valley after a pair of relatively disappointing seasons for the Tigers, but he looked razor sharp against a Spartans outfit some expected to battle the Beavers close.

Uiagalelei's improved accuracy was on display from the very beginning Saturday, completing all three passes on OSU's opening drive — he also ran three times, including a one-yard score to put the Bears up 7-0.

Oregon State's stout defense, which finished among the nation's 20 best units in 2022, continued its fine form in 2023. SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and the Spartan attack, which excelled against USC in week zero with 28 points, managed barely 100 yards and just three points by halftime.

Finishing a masterful 20/25 with nearly 300 passing yards, Uiagalelei would tack on another two touchdowns as the half wound down, one through the air and another with his legs, to ensure the rout was well underway as the Beavers headed to the locker room.

This Beaver dominance only grew after the break, scoring three touchdowns on five second half drives to wrap up a resounding victory over the Spartans.

Rutgers 24, Northwestern 7

Rutgers bid to eclipse six wins for the first time since 2014 relies largely on the prized arm of sophomore quarterback Gavin Wimsatt.

Year one with the Kentucky native under center, defined by poor accuracy and glaring growing pains, amounted to one of the worst offenses in FBS football, but year two looks greatly improved through a dominant 24-7 win in Piscataway Sunday afternoon.

Kirk Ciarrocca, who reunited with Greg Schiano as offensive coordinator this offseason after a year with the Gophers, displayed immediate faith in Wimsatt. Rutgers attempted 11 passes on their opening drive, culminating an inch-perfect throw that wideout Ian Strong snagged while tightroping the back of the endzone, to put RU up 7-0 early.

The first touchdown of the 2023 season for Rutgers. Heck of a throw from Gavin Wimsatt, heck of a catch from Ian Strong: pic.twitter.com/DKFgEqSdT9

— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) September 3, 2023

The Scarlet Knights surged back down the field again the next possession, with Wimsatt capping off a lengthy 10-play, 80-yard drive with his legs this time. The 6-foot, 3-inch gunslinger barreled over an oncoming NW linebacker and surged into the endzone from four yards out — Wimsatt would ultimately finish 17/29 with the aforementioned touchdown and, crucially, zero interceptions.

RU would slow its offensive pace, particularly after a 15-yard rushing score from Kyle Monongai, and lean on Schiano’s patently dominant defense. The Scarlet Knights stifled a promising Northwestern drive midway through the second quarter, blowing up an attempted pick route on a crucial 4th and 5, and would not allow the Wildcats to cross midfield the entire afternoon.

With the Scarlet Knights closing in on their first shutout ever in Big Ten Conference play, returner Rashad Rochelle muffed a fairly routine boot into the mits of a pursuing Northwestern special teams player. The Wildcats capitalized on their fortuitous field position, as a play action bootleg produced a wide open receiver on third and goal to shatter the Rutgers shutout seconds before the final whistle.

What a difference a year makes. With each team coming off alosing season, Florida State and LSU played a Week 1 contest in New Orleans in 2022,looking like fallen powers as they came in unranked. On Sunday, the two squads reconvene as top-10 foes with genuine aspirations at conference titles and national championships.

Everything starts under center Sunday with LSU's Jayden Daniels and Florida State's Jordan Travis. Daniels transferred in ahead of the 2022 season after three years in Tempe and embodied the dual-threat approach, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards, rushing for 885 yards and helping LSU overcome a setback to the Seminoles to win nine of its next 10 games. In Tallahassee, Travis' 3,250 yards last season continued the program's linear ascent in the Mike Norvell era, eclipsing 10 wins for the first time since 2016.

LSU will look to its vaunted front seven to keep Travis uncomfortable as FSU's menacing receiving corps — the 'Noles' first-string receivers average out at 6-foot-4 — pose a potential matchup problem for a new-look LSU secondary. Similarly, expect the Tiger offense to key in on winning the trenches and fully utilizing the leading QB rusher in FBS from 2022.

Tune into the game in Orlando at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. You can find the live stats here.

Eliminate the distractions. Quiet the noise.

This isn’t about revenge. It’s about going 1-0. pic.twitter.com/D3I1tyEhum

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) September 2, 2023

No. 3 Ohio State 23, Indiana 3

Indiana hung with the Buckeyes through the first half Saturday as Kyle McCord stumbled early in the massive shoes left by C.J. Stroud. After leading OSU into the end zone on his opening drive, McCord and the typically high-powered Buckeye offense managed just a field goal in their next four drives and headed into the locker room leading 10-3.

Ohio State's defense only stiffened out of the locker room, yielding just 81 more yards to the Hoosiers, and McCord strung together a triad of lengthy second-half drives to extend the Buckeye lead and salt the game away.

No. 19 Wisconsin 38, Buffalo 17

Wisconsin's exchange of Graham Mertz for Tanner Mordecai at quarterback, despite generating great enthusiasm in Madison this offseason, looked a bit dubious early on Saturday. The Badgers' opening six drives included four punts and an interception that set Buffalo up in great field position with a chance to take a second quarter lead.

The Bison would miss the ensuing field goal, however, and Wisconsin embarked on a pair of lengthy, back-breaking touchdown drives to close the third quarter and put Buffalo in the rear-view window.

Teams around the country took to the field against overmatched opposition in Week 1 to tune up for the season, and a few of the sport's best teams used the occasion to show off their offensive firepower

No. 15 Oregon 81, Portland State 7

Oregon revealed their high-octane intent from their opening possession, converting a two-point try just four minutes into the game after their first touchdown. The Ducks would find the endzone on their first eight possessions, finally relenting midway through the third quarter en route to an 81-point output

Biggest win since:October 7, 1916 (97-0 vs. Williamette)

No. 20 Oklahoma 73, Arkansas State 0

Brett Venables was poached from Clemson to coach the Sooners primarily for his defensive acumen, but the former Clemson DC proved he can pour it on Saturday. Headlined by a spectacular 82-yard punt return from Gavin Freeman, the Sooners found the end zone four times in the opening quarter and coasted past the Red Wolves in style.

Biggest win since:September 11, 2021 (76-0 vs. Western Carolina)

No. 22 Ole Miss 73, Mercer 7

It looks like Jaxson Dart missed Tre Harris! After the duo hooked up for nearly 1,000 yards in the 2022 season, Dart found Harris for the first three touchdowns of the game Saturday to open up an early 21-7 lead. Ole Miss' passing game would continue to dominant, with Harris tacking on another TD grab and the Rebels managing six total touchdown passes on the afternoon.

Biggest win since:September 5, 2015 (76-3 vs. UT-Martin)

Colorado 45, No. 17 TCU 42

Deion Sanders silenced the skepticism around his program — don't worry, he kept receipts — and proved his Colorado program is ready to compete in year 1 with a thrilling 45-42 victory over defending runner-ups TCU.

With 51 transfers entering the program this offseason, it was fitting that a pair of newcomers stole the show in Fort Worth Saturday. Sanders' son and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was nearly impeccable in his FBS debut, completing 38 of his 47 passes for 521 yards, while Travis Hunter hauled in 114 yards and grabbed an interception playing as both a wideout and a corner.

It was a 45-yard Shedeur touchdown pass, his fourth of the day, to Dylan Edwards that gave the Buffs a decisive 45-42 victory and their first victory against ranked opposition in nearly four years.

No. 12 Tennessee 49, Virginia 13

A relatively slow start in Nashville for Joe Milton piqued the interest of fans across the college football world, quick to chide the new starter as inaccurate and ill-suited for the role. These concerns were muted after an improved second quarter and stamped out entirely after a dominant second half as the Vols rolled over the Hoos 49-13

Fresno State 39, Purdue 35

Fresno State fell behind within the first five minutes, lurking closely behind their Big Ten opposition all afternoon before taking their first lead on a dominant 14-play, 85-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. After an incredible interception through contact from Dillon Thieneman and a 44-yard pass from Hudson Card, Purdue punched it in from 10 yards out to retake the lead. However, Fresno QB Mikey Keene, in his first game with the program, fired his fourth touchdown pass inside the final minute of the game to clinch an upset win for the Bulldogs.

No. 2 Michigan 30, East Carolina 3

Even without head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines' methodical approach was ever-present in Michigan's dominant win over ECU Saturday. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy tossed 280 yards with just four incompletions, running back Blake Corum added a touchdown while totaling over seven yards per carry and the Wolverines coasted after a dominant 23-point halftime lead.

No. 25 Iowa 24, Utah State 14

The Hawkeyes offense looked reformed straight from the opening whistle, as transfer quarterback Cade McNamara capped off a high-powered opening drive with a 36-yard pitch-and-catch with Seth Anderson for six. McNamara would throw for another touchdown the next drive, and Iowa's early lead would endure throw the next three quarters to earn a season-opening win.

After a 2022 campaign with four starting quarterbacks and just two wins against FBS competition, Northern Illinois would've taken a win against just about anyone to start the season Saturday; but I'm sure a thrilling 27-24 overtime win against the ACC's Boston College would be near the top of their list.

GAME. OVER. 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️@NIU_Football | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/EX2wPsI3RA

— #MACtion (@MACSports) September 2, 2023

The Huskies defense stifled BC early, limiting the Eagles to fewer than 100 yards and five punts during the first quarter. In a low-scoring opening half, NIU would finally nab a lead a couple minutes before the break, as quarterback Justin Lynch would find Antonio Brown for a seven-yard score.

NIU looked set to win the game in regulation, opening up a 21-7 edge early in the fourth quarter, but BC QB Thomas would scamper in from a yard out before hooking up with Jaden Williams on a diving 30-yard connection to force OT.

Quarterback Rocky Lombardi secured the victory in overtime, pushing the pile forward for a one-yard score.

Between a 1-11 campaign in 2022, 51 transfers cycling through the program and an outspoken new coach in Deion Sanders, Colorado spent the summer battling constant questions and skepticism.

So as No. 17 TCU continued to punch back in a nip-and-tuck second half and the 100-degree Texan heat lingered over Amon G. Carter Stadium, Colorado closed the afternoon with compelling answers and a decisive fourth-down stop, beating the Horned Frogs 48-45.

"We told you we were coming," Sanders said. "You thought we was joking. And guess what? We keep receipts."

It was two of Colorado's highest-profile transfers that made headlines Saturday afternoon, as quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for more than 500 yards while Travis Hunter hauled in 113 receiving yards and nabbed an interception playing over 100 snaps at both wideout and corner.

Shedeur opened the ballgame with an unmistakeable statement of intent, going 7-9 on the Buffs' opening drive and linking up with Dylan Edwards for a four-yard touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead.

TCU battled back with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, benefitting from a short field after a CU fumble to tie the game at 14, but a walk-off field goal saw Colorado take a three-point lead into the locker room.

Colorado and TCU would each tack on a touchdown with in the first 90 seconds after the break, a frenetic omen for a see-sawing second half. Following a Buffaloes punt, TCU looked poised to retake the lead after quarterback Chandler Morris led a 95-yard drive and rolled out towards an open receiver along the goal line.

A diving interception from Hunter, however, miraculously preserved the CU lead and regained his team possession.

TRAVIS HUNTER WILD PICK 🤯

This guy is UNREAL. 🔥

(via @CFBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/LJaRafHqsX

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 2, 2023

There were no Hunter heroics to be had on TCU's next drive, as an end zone punt set the Frogs up in excellent field position and a pair of 20-yard passes from Morris restored TCU's advantage at 28-24.

Colorado and TCU's dominant offenses turned up to top gear from then on, as the next five drives would all result in touchdowns. This chaotic sequence culminated in Shedeur finding Edwards on a crossing route, from where the 4th and 2 conversion quickly turned into much more as Edwards scampered down the sidelines for a 45-yard score.

Remarkably, it was the Colorado defense that dealt the decisive blow, as Myles Slusher made an excellent open field tackle on 4th and 9 to secure a 45-42 victory for the Buffs.

Thanks in large part to an 85-yard return from TCU's Major Everhart, the Horned Frogs would only need a few seconds of game time to regain their lead.

The full-time wide receiver fielded the kick-off five yards from the end zone, darted toward the left sideline and tightroped the white chalk all the way down to the 10 yard line. A pair of rushes from Trey Sanders finished the job, giving TCU a 45-42 lead with seven minutes remaining

THIS GAME IS WILD

What a return by @TCUFootball ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/F0QlnldqfQ

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023

In the 100+ degree Texas heat, Travis Hunter has, remarkably, played more than 100 snaps between cornerback and wide receiver Saturday, sprinkling in a few patently spectacular plays.

The Jackson St. transfer bailed out the Buffs on 3rd and 16, coming down with a jump ball near midfield with a defender draped all over him. Another Hunter grab dragged Colorado into the red zone before a Jimmy Horn Jr. touchdown gave CU the lead back at 38-35.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

What a pass and what a catch by Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tzpOQFw8ce

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023

Stay tuned for a thrilling finish from Fort Worth!

The last thing TCU quarterback Chandler Morris saw before hitting the turf was an open receiver and a beckoning end zone. By the time Morris rose to his feet, it was to see Colorado star Travis Hunter mincing along the sidelines after saving a touchdown with a spectacular diving interception.

Colorado still leads the defending national runner-up 24-21 on the road nearing the end of the third quarter.

TRAVIS HUNTER IS UNREAL 🤯

(via @CFBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/ubdwnU8dXH

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 2, 2023