Everywhere you looked in college football Saturday, things just seemed off.
No. 9 Texas A&M down 21 to Kentucky? No. 10 Alabama down 15 to Florida State? No. 20 Missouri down 10 to Troy? No. 19 Michigan down 7 to UTEP late in the first half? No. 25 Virginia down 17 to West Virginia late in the game?
No. 4 Indiana up only 14-0 on Western Kentucky at the half? No. 12 USC up only 7 on Rutgers in the fourth quarter? New Mexico driving to tie No. 24 Oklahoma late? FCS No. 1 Montana State down 14 to Central Connecticut? Division III No. 1 North Central down 7 to North Park? Mount Union about to lose a second game?? NAIA No. 1 Grand View’s 71-game regular-season winning streak in danger??
Underdogs landed a lot of early punches Saturday, and while only a few of them closed the deal -- Kentucky indeed finished off Texas A&M, West Virginia scored a nice statement win over Virginia, Mount Union fell to 1-2 and mighty Grand View fell to Benedictine -- it made for a pretty disorienting Saturday of ball. And it made the FBS’ 35 remaining unbeaten teams awfully happy to simply be unbeaten.
Three weeks in, nearly every team in the country has given us a few different impressions. Some have looked great, then terrible. Some have looked awful, then good. Some teams bounce back and forth every quarter. A few have looked mostly excellent, but haven’t played anyone with a pulse yet.
As is customary, it’s time to rank the remaining unbeatens, and I’m doing it based on pure trust. Whom would I trust to beat whom at this point? We’ll use metrics as our guide, as always, but my gut is getting a say here as well. Let’s rank unbeatens!
Ranking the 35 remaining unbeaten teams
1. Georgia (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: second and third, respectively
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 22.3%
What the Bulldogs did in Week 3: def. Arkansas 45-17
It feels strange starting this list with a team that hasn’t even been slightly tested yet. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs have beaten teams ranked 70th (Arkansas) and 122nd (Western Kentucky) in SP+, plus the FCS’ Tennessee State, by a combined 178-40 and have taken by far the fewest snaps in the country in non-garbage time (when the game is within 43 points in the first quarter, 37 in the second, 27 in the third or 21 in the fourth).
However, this is Georgia, just about the most known quantity in the country. We know what the Dawgs typically have to offer, only this year they’re offering big plays too. A lack of explosiveness has been their biggest issue for a few years now, but 12.0% of their plays have gained 20-plus yards, second nationally. Craig Dandridge and Sacovie White-Helton are averaging 19.8 yards per catch, and Nate Frazier is averaging 8.4 yards per carry. Will those numbers go down when the competition ramps up? Of course! But even if the Dawgs have merely good explosiveness, that immediately makes them one of the two or three best teams in the country.
2. Notre Dame (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: third and fourth
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 35.0%
What the Fighting Irish did in Week 3: def. Michigan State 27-10
The Fighting Irish were my national title pick heading into the season, but I had the same major question of them as I had for Georgia: Will they make enough big plays and score enough easy points? Answers weren’t incredibly favorable to start, but against what I’m guessing will be a very stubborn and frustrating Michigan State team, CJ Carr found Micah Gilbert for completions of 28, 39 and 61 yards. Very encouraging. I’m more worried than I expected about the run game, but my trust level for the Irish is still quite high.
3. Indiana (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: fourth and fifth
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 15.2%
What the Hoosiers did in Week 3: def. Western Kentucky 38-0
Against a WKU team that had gotten mauled by not only Georgia but also Nevada (which has since lost to Montana State and Middle Tennessee), Indiana nearly face-planted out of the gate, scoring on just one of its first four drives and leading just 14-0 at halftime. But the Hoosiers sharpened up their stride and pulled away. Their schedule has been the lightest in the country, but ranking second in both points and points allowed per drive probably means something.
4. Texas (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: sixth and second
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 8.3%
What the Longhorns did in Week 3: def. UTSA 30-6
The Longhorns proved their extreme resilience with their comeback win over Ohio State in Week 2, but their defense was wobbly early against Texas State in Week 1, and their offense never really shifted into gear against UTSA on Saturday. (Arch Manning’s Total QBR against the Roadrunners: 24.2.) That won’t matter as long as they continue to show up when it counts, but with eight of their last nine games coming against teams ranked 30th or higher in SP+ -- including Tennessee in Knoxville this coming Saturday -- pretty much every drive counts now. We’ll see how the Horns navigate this incredible schedule.
5. Miami (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: seventh and sixth
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 18.1%
What the Hurricanes did in Week 3: def. Wake Forest 33-20
Mario Cristobal’s squad hasn’t played a top-60 opponent yet and toyed with the idea of blowing a big lead against Wake Forest on Friday night; the Demon Deacons turned a 31-7 deficit to 31-20 and had the ball with a chance to cut it further in the fourth quarter. Was that a sign of potential flaws? Or were the Hurricanes just bored? Darian Mensah’s streak of 35 consecutive completions -- which ended in the second half against Wake -- was ridiculous.
6. Ole Miss (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 20th and 13th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.4%
What the Rebels did in Week 3: def. No. 7 LSU 32-24
The Rebels beat LSU in Saturday night’s Lane Kiffin Bowl and now have wins over two potential College Football Playoff contenders in LSU and Louisville. Why don’t the metrics like them very much? Defense, primarily. They are 95th in points allowed per possession and have allowed 20-plus yards on 8.0% of snaps (123rd). They’ve obviously played two potentially spectacular offenses, but they’re asking a lot of Trinidad Chambliss to bail them out. Of course, he might be capable of doing that every game the rest of the way.
7. Alabama (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 11th and seventh
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 4.4%
What the Crimson Tide did in Week 3: def. Florida State 50-36
The good news: Kalen DeBoer’s young team keeps passing resiliency tests. The bad news: They keep giving themselves tests to pass. After falling behind 14-7 against Kentucky in Week 2, they fell behind Florida State 21-6 at home before uncorking a 37-7 run to take control. All’s well that ends well, but starting well is pretty nice too, especially with six consecutive games against the SP+ top 30 to come.
8. Tennessee (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 10th and 10th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 6.4%
What the Volunteers did in Week 3: def. Kennesaw State 42-9
The Vols handled a pretty soft nonconference slate with aplomb and came out of it with elite numbers in run offense, pass defense and overall red zone dominance. (Red zone touchdown rate: Vols 90.9%, opponents 28.6%.) But the competition ramps up quickly for Faizon Brandon & Co.: Texas visits this Saturday.
9. Utah (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 19th and 15th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 10.4%
What the Utes did in Week 3: def. Utah State 33-0
Utah pummeled Arkansas by even more than Georgia did, and the Utes beat two cupcakes by a combined 99-14. They’re breaking out two-QB formations, they’re both running and passing efficiently, and they’re defending the pass ruthlessly. Morgan Scalley’s tenure couldn’t have started any better, but we’ll learn something new with their first road trip, against Iowa State, this coming week.
10. BYU (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 17th and 19th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 6.6%
What the Cougars did in Week 3: def. Colorado State 41-23
The Cougars kindly let Colorado State score a bit in garbage time, but BYU aced another test Saturday in Fort Collins. Bear Bachmeier threw for 227 yards in just 16 passes, and LJ Martin and Journee Tonga combined for 267 yards in 25 carries. A tricky road trip to TCU awaits in Week 5, but all eyes are on Week 7, when Notre Dame comes to town.
11. Florida (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 15th and 16th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 2.3%
What the Gators did in Week 3: def. Auburn 44-39
The defense hasn’t proved itself just yet; against an Auburn offense that looked wobbly against Baylor in Week 1, the Gators allowed 39 points and 5.7 yards per play. But the offense remains terrifying: Jadan Baugh rushed for another 162 yards and three scores Saturday, and Florida ranks first nationally in points per possession.
12. Penn State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 12th and 11th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 11.8%
What the Nittany Lions did in Week 3: def. Buffalo 55-13
We have to grade on quite the curve -- PSU hasn’t played anyone ranked better than 95th in SP+ yet -- but the Nittany Lions have allowed nine total points before garbage time, and Rocco Becht’s combination of 70% completion rate and 16.7 yards per completion is pretty tasty. They should handle Wisconsin this week before the bigger challenges begin.
13. USC (4-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: eighth and 18th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 4.6%
What the Trojans did in Week 3: def. Rutgers 42-35
I’ve fallen enough for USC in the past -- who hasn’t? -- that I feel I’m grading the Trojans more harshly than I should. They’re eighth in SP+ thanks to the way they manhandled cupcake opponents, but even after a cross-country flight, allowing a seemingly hapless Rutgers team to gain 460 yards and hang around for 60 full minutes is a pretty scary red flag.
14. Iowa (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 18th and 28th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 3.8%
What the Hawkeyes did in Week 3: def. Northern Iowa 55-0
Iowa had a lot more than usual to replace on defense, and there was reason to wonder if the Hawkeyes would suffer at least a temporary blip on that side of the ball. Maybe that’s what will unfold when real offenses show up on the schedule, but through three games they’ve allowed 13 total points and rank first in yards allowed per play (3.2). They’re running the ball like crazy too.
15. Texas Tech (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 13th and 17th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 18.3%
What the Red Raiders did in Week 3: def. No. 22 Houston 28-26
Only five teams have underachieved against SP+ projections at least three times by an average of at least 14 points. Arkansas (1-2), Bowling Green (0-3) and Wyoming (1-2) are three; the other two are unbeaten Washington, which has been obliterated by early injuries, and Texas Tech, which has not. It’s good that the Red Raiders survived a solid test against Houston on Friday night, but this Tech team isn’t coming anywhere close to last year’s standard through three games.
16. Mississippi State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 30th and 22nd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.7%
What the Bulldogs did in Week 3: def. South Carolina 41-34
It’s better to just unleash hell from the start, as Mississippi State did against Minnesota in Week 2. But the Bulldogs were forced to show resilience against South Carolina on Saturday, and I’d say they got an A+.
First 21 minutes: South Carolina 16, MSU 0
Next 31 minutes: MSU 41, South Carolina 7
It’s hard to trust the Bulldogs’ defense, but after facing two top-40 defenses, per SP+, they are sixth nationally in points per drive.
17. Kansas State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 24th and 30th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 7.5%
What the Wildcats did in Week 3: def. Tulane 31-20
Collin Klein’s Wildcats couldn’t really land the knockout blow against Tulane, and they haven’t faced anyone higher than 88th in SP+, but they rank in the top 15 in both points and points allowed per drive, and Avery Johnson is a solid 14th in Total QBR.
18. Nebraska (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 23rd and 21st
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.0%
What the Cornhuskers did in Week 3: def. North Dakota 34-7
North Dakota might have been the Huskers’ best opponent to date, and back-to-back mid-October games against Indiana and Oregon loom, but Anthony Colandrea is making plays, and freshman Jamal Rule is averaging 109.7 rushing yards per game and 8.7 yards per carry.
19. Missouri (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 22nd and 32nd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 2.1%
What the Tigers did in Week 3: def. Troy 27-17
Against Troy on Saturday evening, Missouri was simply off, giving up a couple of long touchdowns, committing loads of costly penalties and failing to build any rhythm for a passing game that torched Kansas the week before. Signs of trouble ahead? Just got caught looking ahead to SEC play? We’ll find out with this Saturday’s trip to Mississippi State.
20. Virginia Tech (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 28th and 29th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 3.5%
What the Hokies did in Week 3: def. Maryland 35-26
The offense is moving the chains and dominating in the red zone. The defense is obliterating the run. The Hokies are giving up bigger big plays than they’re creating, but SP+ gives them a 56% chance of finishing at least 9-3. That would be a hell of a Year 1 for James Franklin.
21. Northwestern (2-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 44th and 33rd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.1%
What the Wildcats did in Week 3: def. Colorado 41-7
It’s early, and their schedule remains absurd -- they’ll play four top-12 opponents (per SP+) in eight games starting this Friday (at Indiana) -- but the Wildcats have aced two tests. After pulling away from a strong South Dakota State squad, they downright humiliated a confident Colorado team.
22. Pittsburgh (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 37th and 25th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 2.2%
What the Panthers did in Week 3: def. Syracuse 27-13
Pitt scored 59 points in its season opener against Miami (Ohio). The Panthers have scored 39 points combined in two games since. Weather played a role in that, but I can’t figure out that attack at all. That the defense has been strong in all weather conditions, however, is undoubtedly good.
23. UCLA (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 40th and 40th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.4%
What the Bruins did in Week 3: def. Purdue 52-38
The Bruins’ defense probably isn’t good enough for a run at a CFP berth or anything, but this is an extremely watchable team with a brilliant run game and an aggressive pass defense. Can they remain unbeaten with this week’s cross-country trip to Maryland?
24. North Dakota State (4-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 35th and 65th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 34.8%
What the Bison did in Week 3: def. Sacramento State 31-10
What, like it’s hard? NDSU was projected 75th in SP+ to start its first FBS campaign and has already cut that number in half. The Bison took it easy on fellow newcomers Sacramento State on Saturday, but they’ve outscored four opponents 140-49 and already have a Mountain West road win (Air Force).
25. Michigan (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 21st and 20th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.0%
What the Wolverines did in Week 3: def. UTEP 52-17
To the Wolverines’ credit, they did eventually turn it on against UTEP. Bryce Underwood had his best passing game in quite a while, and if the Wolverines’ 35-point second-half eruption is a sign of things to come, then they’re clearly underrated here. But the stink of the Western Michigan game, plus the first half against UTEP, still lingers.
26. Duke (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 46th and 35th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 1.1%
What the Blue Devils did in Week 3: def. Stanford 35-7
I still don’t trust the offense, which is basically “Give it to Nate Sheppard, and if that doesn’t work then give it to Sheppard again.” But it’s working well enough with a sound defense. Plus, the Blue Devils are projected favorites in their next three games.
27. James Madison (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 50th and 59th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 27.6%
What the Dukes did in Week 3: def. San Diego State 26-13
JMU has charged from 72nd to 50th in SP+ after a drubbing of Wagner and a nice win at San Diego State. The run game is relentless, and the defense swarms near the line of scrimmage. The Dukes are projected favorites by at least 8.9 points in every remaining regular-season game.
28. Cincinnati (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 42nd and 46th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.7%
What the Bearcats did in Week 3: def. Miami (Ohio) 35-31
Having to come back from 21 points down against a Miami (Ohio) team that got destroyed by Pitt a couple of weeks earlier wasn’t incredibly encouraging, but it’s better than losing! The offense might be Scott Satterfield’s best, but Saturday’s defensive performance was troublesome.
29. Washington (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 27th and 47th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.7%
What the Huskies did in Week 3: def. Eastern Washington 48-16
Maybe no FBS team has been hit as hard by injury as Washington in the early going. That has obviously contributed to the Huskies’ early underachievement vs. projections and to a wholly mediocre start for quarterback Demond Williams Jr. That the schedule is backloaded helps, but then again, they’re only two weeks from a trip to USC.
30. Vanderbilt (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 39th and 43rd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.3%
What the Commodores did in Week 3: def. NC State 35-31
Of the 35 teams on this list, no one but Michigan came closer to not being on it than Vanderbilt, which needed a last-play miracle to beat NC State on Saturday.
JUST GO DOWN, CJ BAILEY.
Vandy showed epic resilience in coming back from 17 down, but the Commodores are also 90th in points per possession and 61st in points allowed, and they haven’t played an SP+ top-50 opponent yet.
31. West Virginia (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 61st and 49th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.6%
What the Mountaineers did in Week 3: def. Virginia 38-27
I have no idea what to make of this team. The Mountaineers were underwhelming against Coastal Carolina in Week 1 but have overachieved against SP+ projections by 20-plus points back-to-back. Michael Hawkins Jr. is as good as I hoped in a Rich Rodriguez offense. If they beat Oklahoma State at home this week, I’ll trust them.
32. Tulsa (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 73rd and 72nd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 4.1%
What the Golden Hurricane did in Week 3: def. East Texas A&M 42-0
The Golden Hurricane have already beaten Oklahoma State and will face demoralized Arkansas this coming week in Fayetteville. Tulsa quarterback Baylor Hayes is expected to be healthy too (he missed Saturday’s game). I’d say this will be a popular upset pick, but would it be an upset?
33. South Florida (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 66th and 63rd
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 13.7%
What the Bulls did in Week 3: def. Delaware State 59-17
The offense (against Florida International) and defense (against Delaware State) have both looked iffy once, but the Bulls are 3-0 for the first time in eight years, and they’re at least slight projected favorites in every remaining regular-season game.
34. UMass (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 131st and 116th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 0.4%
What the Minutemen did in Week 3: def. Stonehill 36-14
Hell yeah, Minutemen. In 14 previous FBS seasons, UMass had won at least three games only five times. The Minutemen have never topped 4-8. SP+ hasn’t caught up to their new level yet, but it’s already giving them a 71% chance of bowling. How cool is that?
35. Appalachian State (3-0)
SP+ and FPI rankings: 94th and 87th
Odds of reaching 12-0, per SP+: 2.2%
What the Mountaineers did in Week 3: def. Charlotte 26-21
After two strong performances, App State was disappointing in a tight win over Charlotte. But the Mountaineers got it done, and after back-to-back losing seasons, they should at least end up in the eight-win range thanks to brilliant third-down defense and a lovely passing game led by quarterback Malachi Singleton.
This week in SP+
The SP+ rankings have been updated for the week. Let’s take a look at the teams that saw the biggest change in their overall ratings. (Note: We’re looking at ratings, not rankings.)
Moving up
Here are the five teams that saw their ratings rise the most after playing an FBS opponent this week:
• North Dakota State: up 6.4 adjusted points per game (ranking rose from 57th to 35th)
• Liberty: up 4.1 points (102nd to 82nd)
• Jacksonville State: up 3.9 points (98th to 83rd)
• Wisconsin: up 3.1 points (66th to 56th)
• Middle Tennessee: up 2.5 points (132nd to 125th)
The fourth-game effect began to kick in this week (once a team has played four games, its season stats can stand on their own a bit more, and the weight of preseason projections in the SP+ rating drops considerably). So when you see North Dakota State rising that much, know that it’s only partially about the Bison’s Saturday night win over Sacramento State. It might have been their least impressive performance of the season, but now they’re getting a lot more credit for their earlier performances too. (This is also why USC’s rating jumped despite a mediocre performance against Rutgers.) After next week, when most teams have played four games, we’ll see some pretty serious movement in the ratings.
Moving down
Here are the five teams whose ratings fell the most:
• Texas A&M: down 5.8 adjusted points per game (ranking fell from seventh to 14th)
• Colorado: down 4.9 points (59th to 72nd)
• Bowling Green: down 4.6 points (128th to 134th)
• South Carolina: down 4.0 points (17th to 26th)
• LSU: down 3.8 points (eighth to ninth)
Upsets happen, but woof, Texas A&M. Kentucky dominated the Aggies, averaging 7.6 yards per play to A&M’s 5.0 and easily controlling basically every statistical category that feeds into SP+. Based on the stats the game produced, SP+ saw this as something closer to a 25-point UK win than the actual 31-21 victory.
My 20 favorite games of the weekend
1. No. 8 Ole Miss 32, No. 7 LSU 24. It didn’t have the “We’ve never seen this before” ending that the No. 2 game here did, but wow, what a delightful college football game. The scorned home team burst out of the gate, ran out of gas, then collected itself and won anyway. High-quality play and a great late-game chess match. A hell of a party in Oxford.
2. Vanderbilt 35, NC State 31. Number of plays in which Vanderbilt led in this game: zero.
3. Division II: No. 19 Benedict 34, Fort Valley State 33. OK, we have to talk about this one. A projected 14-point favorite, Benedict scored to take a 27-15 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but the scoreboard operator forgot to give the Tigers credit for the extra point, so the scoreboard said 26-15, then 26-21 after a Fort Valley touchdown, then 27-26 Fort Valley after it scored again with nine seconds left.
Thinking they had the game won, the Wildcats fell on the ball to avoid disaster on the PAT attempt. But officials met and finally corrected the score, making it 27-27, then gave FVSU another try at what would be a game-winning PAT ... and it hit the upright. And then the Wildcats missed another PAT after scoring to start overtime. Jett Peddy immediately hit Reece Dobard for a 25-yard Benedict touchdown, and Logan Karwacki’s PAT gave the Tigers one of the most unique wins I’ve ever heard of.
I swear this is all true.
4. Toledo 49, Temple 48 (OT). Ho hum, just your typical “Trail by 14 with 65 seconds left, score, recover an onside kick, score again to force overtime, then stop a 2-point conversion to seal the win” Saturday in Toledo. Nothing special.
5. No. 13 Texas Tech 28, No. 22 Houston 26. After just about the worst start imaginable, Tech came back to win by about a foot.
6. Division III: Western New England 42, Worcester State 40. For the second straight week, Division III gave us too many wild results to count. Heidelberg upset No. 8 Mount Union, moving the D-III powers to a shocking 1-2 for the season. No. 20 Endicott beat No. 16 Mary Hardin-Baylor on a blocked PAT. And Carleton completed a Hail Mary to end the first half and threw a game-winning TD in the closing seconds of the second to beat Macalester and win the incredibly named Book of Knowledge trophy.
We have to go to Worcester, Massachusetts, for my favorite D-III game of the weekend, however. That’s where, after five second-half lead changes, Corey Kilroy uncorked a 58-yard Hail Mary, and Kevin Acosta reeled it in for a WNE win.
7. Cincinnati 35, Miami (Ohio) 31. This one’s going to hurt in Oxford -- Oxford, Ohio, that is -- for a while. Miami returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and surged to a 28-7 halftime lead, but the RedHawks missed a pair of second-half field goals and suffered two turnovers. That left the door cracked, and Cole Tabb’s 53-yard run with 1:29 left allowed the Bearcats to somehow hold on to the Victory Bell.
8. FCS: No. 7 Lehigh 24, Dartmouth 20. With starting quarterback Hayden Johnson sidelined by injury, Lehigh found itself trailing heading into the fourth quarter. But star running back Luke Yoder (165 yards from scrimmage) scored with 8:41 left, and the Mountain Hawks’ defense took it from there. They stopped a fourth-down attempt with 2:27 left, then DJ Brown made an incredible one-handed interception at the Lehigh 5 with 13 seconds remaining.
9. Division II: No. 25 Michigan Tech 33, Upper Iowa 32. A projected 7-point road underdog, Upper Iowa outgained Michigan Tech by 116 yards, nearly doubled the Huskies’ first downs (27-15) and took the lead on four separate occasions. But Tech’s field goal block unit had the greatest game ever, and that made the difference. Chase Koch blocked a PAT with 3:24 left, which allowed Avery Kucharski’s late 50-yard FG to tie the game. Then Koch blocked a 51-yard field goal attempt at the buzzer. And then, after Upper Iowa scored to start OT, John Hagelstein blocked that PAT, allowing Kucharski to win the game after an Alex Bueno TD.
10. NAIA: No. 9 Benedictine 21, No. 1 Grand View 17. This one made the Smaller School Showcase section of my Friday preview, and it lived up to expectations. Top-ranked Grand View led 17-7 midway through the third quarter, but Benedictine cut the deficit to three, then took a shocking lead when Peyton Goode muffed a punt at the Grand View 1 and Anthony Lonergan recovered it for a touchdown. Grand View had a couple of opportunities to keep its 31-game winning streak -- and 73-game regular-season winning streak -- alive, but the Vikings missed a 32-yard field goal attempt, then turned the ball over on downs in the final two minutes.
The week was just too good to list only 10 games. Here are 10 more:
11. Division III: Carleton 48, Macalester 45
12. Division III: Heidelberg 37, No. 8 Mount Union 34
13. Division II: Sioux Falls 40, Mary 34 (OT)
14. Marshall 30, Missouri State 24
15. Division III: No. 20 Endicott 38, No. 16 UMHB 37
16. FCS: Northern Colorado 23, Northeastern State 17 (OT)
17. Division II: UNC Pembroke 41, No. 9 Valdosta State 41
18. No. 24 Oklahoma 14, New Mexico 6
19. FCS: Davidson 27, VMI 24 (OT)
20. FCS: Montana State 35, Central Connecticut 30
