Alabama Defeats Utah State 55-0 in Week 1; Here Are 20 Other Blowout Victories From College Football’s Opening Week

Alabama Opens the College Football Season With 55-0 Win Against Utah State; Here Are 20 Other Blowout Victories From Opening Week

We all knew Alabama was the team to beat this year, so it’s no surprise to see them stomp their way to one of the largest blowout victories of Week 1. The Crimson Tide defeated unranked Utah State 55-0, despite failing to score in the fourth quarter – they had a 41-0 lead at halftime. 

Alabama was led by Bryce Young, who threw for 195 yards and five touchdowns – while also rushing for 100 yards and one touchdown. They had three different receivers finish with five catches and three different receivers score two touchdowns. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 93 yards.

Meanwhile, their defense held Utah State to just 57 yards passing and 79 yards rushing – a total of 136 yards. Jaylen Moody led the team with six tackles and while they didn’t record a sack or interception, they did have five tackles for a loss as a team – including one TFL from Moody. 

RELATED: Who Are the Highest-Paid College Football Coaches? 

Opening Week Was Packed With Blowout Victories

Alabama Defeats Utah State 55-0 in Week 1; Here Are 20 Other Blowout Victories From College Football’s Opening Week
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Alabama headlined a handful of college football teams that were expected to finish Week 1 with blowout victories – and did. The Crimson Tide proved that they continue to be in a league of their own, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only team you should keep an eye on this season. 

The 2022 college football regular season technically kicked off on August 27th with what many refer to as ‘Week 0’ – there were 11 games played on this day. On September 1st, the other FBS teams began their season and between both weeks, there were a lot of blowout victories.

For those that were late to starting following the new season or for those that want a refresher of what happened opening week – don’t worry, we have you covered. We’re going to get you caught up with 20 of the biggest blowout victories from college football’s Week 0 and Week 1.

20. Kansas Defeats Tennessee Tech 56-10

The Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in a 56-10 blowout at home on September 2, 2022. The Jayhawks scored a touchdown in each quarter, including three in the first quarter and two in the second and fourth quarters. They were firing on all cylinders. 

A majority of their work came through the run game – scoring six of their touchdowns on the ground with five different players. HB Devin Neal led the way with 108 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while QB Jalon Daniels finished an efficient 15/18 with 189 yards and one TD. 

19. Duke Defeats Temple 30-0

The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Temple Owls in a 30-0 shutout at home on September 2, 2022. The Blue Devils scored at least 3 points in each quarter and held a 24-0 lead at halftime before hitting two field goals in the second half. It was the perfect way to start the season. 

Riley Leonard finished the game 24/30 with 328 yards and two touchdowns through the air – adding another 64 yards on the ground. Jalon Calhoun and Jordan Moore each snagged six receptions, while Moore and Sahmir Hagans each recorded a touchdown in the blowout win. 

18. UAB Defeats Alabama A&M 59-0

Speaking of impressive shutout wins, the UAB Blazers defeated the Alabama A&M Bulldogs in a 59-0 shutout at home on September 1, 2022. While they didn’t score in the fourth quarter, they did score four touchdowns in the first quarter and another three touchdowns in the third quarter. 

Dylan Hopkins finished 13/18 with 191 yards and one touchdown through the air – adding another TD on the ground. Jermaine Brown Jr. and Lee Witherspoon combined for 167 rushing yards and three touchdowns. They also had three sacks from three different players.

17. UCF Defeats South Carolina State 56-10

The UCF Knights defeated the South Carolina State Bulldogs in a 56-10 blowout at home on September 1, 2022. They opened the game with three unanswered touchdowns in the first quarter and had a 28-3 lead at halftime before outscoring the Bulldogs 28-7 in the second half.

The Knights were led by John Rhys Plumlee, who threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns – adding another 100 yards and one touchdown on the ground. HB Isaiah Bowser chipped in with 74 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while the defense finished with two sacks. 

16. Tennessee Defeats Ball State 59-10

The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Ball State Cardinals in a 59-10 blowout at home on September 1, 2022. They had a 38-0 lead at halftime and extended it to 45-0 before allowing the Cardinals to score for the first time. They outscored Ball State 14-3 to end the game. 

The Volunteers were led by QB Hendon Hooker, who threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the win – adding another two touchdowns on the ground. Running backs Dylan Sampson, Jabari Small, and Jaylen Wright combined for 179 rushing yards and one touchdown each. 

15. Vanderbilt Defeats Hawai’i 63-10

The Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors in a 63-10 blowout on the road on August 27th, 2022. What’s crazy is that Hawai’i led the game 7-0 until Vandy scored two touchdowns in the final minute of the first quarter. They later scored five TDs in the third quarter. 

Mike Wright threw for 146 yards and two TDs (both to Will Sheppard), adding 163 yards and two TDs on the ground. Re’Mahn Davis, Rocko Griffin, Chase Gillespie, and Cooper Lutz combined for 220 rushing yards and three TDs. They finished with 404 rushing yards as a team.

14. North Carolina Defeats Florida A&M 56-24

The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers in a 56-24 blowout at home on August 27th, 2022. The game was rather close at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Tar Heels scored three unanswered touchdowns to run away with it – it was an exciting finish!

Drake Maye was the star of the night, throwing for 294 yards and five touchdowns, adding 55 yards on the ground. His lead back, Omarion Hampton, had 101 yards and two TDs, while Josh Downs had nine catches for 78 yards and two TDs. Storm Duck tallied an interception. 

13. Florida State Defeats Duquesne 47-7

The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Duquesne Dukes in a 47-7 blowout at home on August 27th, 2022. The Seminoles held a 26-0 lead at halftime and extended it to 33-0 before allowing the Dukes to score their first TD. They outscored the Dukes 14-0 to end the game. 

While the Seminoles failed to score a touchdown through the air – Jordan Travis had 207 yards – they did tally six touchdowns on the ground. In fact, they had three different players rush for at least 100 yards and saw five different players rush for a TD – it was an absolute slugfest.

12. UNLV Defeats Idaho State 52-21

The UNLV Rebels defeated the Idaho State Bengals in a 52-21 blowout at home on August 27th, 2022. They had a modest 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but had five unanswered TDs in the second quarter. They were then outscored by the Bengals 14-7 in the second half. 

Doug Brumfield was the star of the night, finishing with 356 yards and four TDs through the air – all his TDs came in the second quarter. Ricky White had two of those TD grabs to go along with eight catches and 182 yards. The defense finished with five sacks and one interception.

11. No. 25 BYU Defeats South Florida 50-21

The No. 25 BYU Cougars defeated the South Florida Bulls in a 50-21 road win on September 3rd, 2022. They opened the game with four unanswered TDs in the first quarter and a 38-7 lead at halftime. They were outscored in the second half, but managed to register a safety. 

Jaren Hall was 25/32 for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Christopher Brooks and Puka Nacua combined for 211 rushing yards and three TDs – including a 75-yard TD run by Nacua to start the game. Max Tooley returned an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter. 

10. No. 9 Oklahoma Defeats UTEP 45-13

The No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners defeated the UTEP Miners in a 45-13 blowout at home on September 3rd, 2022. They had a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and 28-10 lead at halftime. They extended the lead to 42-10 in the third before exchanging field goals in the fourth.

Dillon Gabriel finished 15/23 for 233 yards and two TDs through the air, adding 20 yards and one TD on the ground. Eric Gray had 102 rushing yards, while Marcus Major had two rushing TDs and Brayden Willis had two receiving TDs. Reggie Grimes tallied 2.5 sacks on defense.

9. No. 22 Wake Forest Defeats VMI 44-10

The No. 22 Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the VMI Keydets in a 44-10 blowout at home on September 1st, 2022. They had a 23-0 lead before giving up a field goal at the end of the first half. They then outscored the Keydets 21-7 in the second half en route to a victory. 

Mitch Griffis finished 21/29 for 288 yards and three touchdowns (to three different receivers) through the air, while Christian Turner finished with 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Kendron Wayman recorded 1.5 sacks in the win, while Rondell Bothroyd added another. 

8. No. 4 Clemson Defeats Georgia Tech 41-10

The No. 4 Clemson Tigers defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a 41-10 blowout on the road on September 5th, 2022. Both teams failed to score in the first quarter, but Clemson had a 14-3 lead at halftime and scored 27 unanswered points after giving up a TD in the third quarter.

Clemson didn’t put up a ton of yards, but they got the job done. DJ Uiagalelei had 210 yards and two TDs (one passing, one rushing), while Will Shipley finished with 42 yards rushing and two TDs. Andrew Mukuba registered an interception and K.J. Henry had a sack for the Tigers.

7. No. 18 Wisconsin Defeats Illinois State 38-0

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Illinois State Redbirds in a 38-0 shutout at home on September 3rd, 2022. They scored at least one TD in each quarter and 21 of their 38 points in the second half. Their first TD came off a 100-yard interception return by John Torchio.

Graham Mertz was near-perfect, finishing the game 14/16 with 219 yards and one touchdown through the air. Braelon Allen stole the show with 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while the defense showed up to play with four sacks – two of which came from Nick Herbig

6. No. 16 Miami Defeats Bethune-Cookman 70-13

The No. 16 Miami Hurricanes defeated the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in an impressive 70-13 blowout at home on September 3rd, 2022. The Wildcats were up 3-0 to start the game, but the Hurricanes scored a total of 10 touchdowns the rest of the game – at least two in each quarter.

QB Tyler Van Dyke went 13/16 for 193 yards and two TDs, but Miami scored seven of its TDs on the ground. Henry Parrish Jr. had 108 yards rushing and three TDs and Thaddius Franklin Jr. had 78 yards rushing and two TDs. Gilbert Frierson returned an interception for a TD.

5. No. 14 USC Defeats Rice 66-14

The No. 14 USC Trojans defeated the Rice Owls in a stunning 66-14 blowout at home on September 3rd, 2022. The Owls scored both of their touchdowns in the first half, but trailed 31-14 at halftime. USC went on to score five unanswered touchdowns in the second half. 

Caleb Williams had an impressive day, throwing 19/22 for 249 yards and two TDs – adding 68 yards on the ground. Austin Jones had 48 yards rushing and two TDs, while Jordan Addison had two reception TDs. USC also had four interceptions – three of which were returned for TDs.

4. No. 10 Baylor Defeats Albany 69-10

The No. 10 Baylor Bears defeated the Albany Great Danes in an impressive 69-10 blowout at home on September 3rd, 2022. They entered halftime with a 35-7 lead and kept that same energy in the second half, outscoring the Great Danes 34-3 to start the season on a good note.

Blake Shapen was accurate, finishing 17/20 for 214 yards and two TDs – adding another TD on the ground. They scored six more rushing TDs, including two from Richard Reese and one from Monaray Baldwin – who also had a reception TD. The defense finished with two sacks. 

3. No. 8 Michigan Defeats Colorado State 51-7

The No. 8 Michigan Wolverines defeated the Colorado State Rams in a 51-7 blowout at home on September 3rd, 2022. They had a 44-0 lead at the start of the fourth quarter before finally giving up their shutout with just nine minutes left to play. They made up for it with one last TD.

Cade McNamara threw for 136 yards and one TD, but their run game stole the show. Blake Corum had 76 yards rushing, Donovan Edwards had 64 yards rushing, and J.J. McCarthy had 50 yards rushing – they each finished with a touchdown. DJ Turner had a fumble return TD.

2. No. 6 Texas A&M Defeats Sam Houston 31-0

The No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Sam Houston Bearkats in a lopsided 31-0 shutout at home on September 3rd, 2022. They scored a touchdown in each quarter, including two passing touchdowns over 60 yards and another one over 40 yards. The big plays just kept happening. 

Haynes King threw for 364 yards and three TDs in the win, but he also added two interceptions – showing room for improvement. Devon Achane added the lone rushing TD, while Ainias Smith had six catches for 164 yards and two TDs. Jardin Gilbert registered an interception. 

1. No. 3 Georgia Defeats No. 11 Oregon 49-3

The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs defeated the No. 11 Oregon Ducks in a stunning 49-3 blowout at home on September 3rd, 2022. They took a 28-3 lead into halftime, just to come out and score another 21 unanswered points in the second half. The Bulldogs were getting everyone involved. 

In the passing game, Stetson Bennett threw for 368 yards and two TDs, while Carson Beck threw for another TD. In the run game, four different players scored rushing touchdowns. Christopher Smith and Malaki Starks each had interceptions, though the team had 0 sacks.

Expect Plenty More Blowout Victories This Year!

Alabama Defeats Utah State 55-0 in Week 1; Here Are 20 Other Blowout Victories From College Football’s Opening Week
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Week 0 and Week 1 gave us exactly what we needed out of college football’s opening week – plenty of blowout victories and high-scoring action. For fans that have been without football for nearly seven months, it was a breath of fresh air and the start of a long, tumultuous season. 

With that said, we’re already gearing up for Week 3 of action after an exciting Week 2 – Syracuse, Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Clemson, Oklahoma, Utah, Michigan State, Miami, NC State, Ole Miss, Minnesota, Penn State, and Cincinnati each registered blowout victories. 

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As it stands after two weeks of action (three weeks for some), the current top five consists of Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, and Clemson – in that order. Oklahoma, USC, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, and Arkansas round out the top ten. Of course, that’ll likely change.

SO MANY UPSETS: All the College Football Upsets From Week 2 and Some of the Most Historical

We’ve already covered all the blowout victories that occurred in Week 1, but let’s take a look at all the shocking and stunning college football upsets that happened in Week 2. Apparently, it was the week of the underdog as we saw a flurry of Top-25 teams lose to unranked opponents.

Week 2 kicked off on September 9th, 2022 with two Friday games – the Boise State Broncos defeated the New Mexico Lobos 31-14 and the Louisville Cardinals defeated UCF Knights 20-14. The Broncos’ win was expected by many, entering the game as 17-point favorites. 

It was the Louisville Cardinals that gave us the first of what would be many college football upsets in Week 2. They entered the game as 5.5-point underdogs to the Knights and were even down 14-7 at halftime, but managed to score 13 unanswered points in the second half to win. 

RELATED: 20 Blowout Victories From College Football’s Opening Week

All the College Football Upsets From Week 2

SO MANY UPSETS: All the College Football Upsets From Week 2 and Some of the Most Historical
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The Cardinals did on Friday what plenty of other teams managed to do on Saturday – overcome the odds and pull away with an upset. It was an exciting week of action that proved anything can happen on the football field. Odds, spreads, expectations – nothing is guaranteed in football. 

Even No. 1 Alabama faced some resistance from unranked Texas – the Crimson Tide were down 17-19, but scored a game-winning field goal with just 10 seconds left in the game to win. No. 16 Arkansas also faced resistance from South Carolina, but pulled away with a 44-30 win.

By the end of Saturday, there were four Top-25 teams that lost to unranked opponents and another three Top-25 teams that lost to teams ranked lower than them. To help recap what transpired in Week 2, let’s take a look at some of the most prominent college football upsets. 

10. Eastern Kentucky Defeats Bowling Green 59-57

Eastern Kentucky defeated Bowling Green in a 59-57 thriller on the road on September 10, 2022. The game went to seven overtimes as both teams kept making the two-point conversion. All in all, the game featured 14 combined touchdowns and seven OT two-point conversions.

Bowling Green’s Matt McDonald threw for 283 yards and five touchdowns – two of which to CJ Lewis. On the other hand, Parker McKinney led Eastern Kentucky with 324 yards passing and three TDs – two of which to Jayden Higgins. It was an exciting matchup, to say the least. 

9. Kansas Defeats West Virginia 55-42

Kansas defeated West Virginia in a 55-42 overtime thriller on the road on September 10, 2022. The two teams got busy in the first half, with the Jayhawks holding a 28-21 lead at halftime. 10 late points by West Virginia sent the game into OT, where Kansas scored two unanswered TDs.

The Jayhawks were led by Jalon Daniels, who threw for 219 yards and three touchdowns – adding 85 yards on the ground. Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Devin Neal each finished with two rushing touchdowns, while Cobee Bryant returned an interception for a touchdown. 

8. Georgia Southern Defeats Nebraska 45-42

Georgia Southern defeated Nebraska in a 45-42 last-minute road thriller on September 10, 2022. The two were knotted 28-28 at halftime as both offenses looked hot early. Nebraska took a four-point lead with three minutes left, but Georgia Southern scored a TD with 36 seconds left. 

Although the passing wasn’t great for either team, their run games were highly successful. Georgia Southern had five rushing touchdowns, with two players having multi-TD games. Nebraska added five rushing touchdowns of their own, including three from Casey Thompson

7. Texas Tech Defeats No. 25 Houston 33-30

Texas Tech defeated No. 25 Houston in a 33-30 double-overtime home thriller on September 10, 2022. They had a 17-3 lead at halftime, but allowed Houston to come back and tie the game 20-20 at the end of regulation. A Texas Tech TD in the second overtime nixed the Houston FG. 

Donovan Smith threw for 350 yards and two TDs for Texas Tech, but threw three interceptions in the process. The star for Houston was wide receiver Nathaniel Dell, who finished with seven catches for 120 yards and one TD. Derek Parish added an impressive 4.5 sacks for Houston.

6. Washington State Defeats No. 19 Wisconsin 17-14

Washington State defeated No. 19 Wisconsin in a 17-14 thriller on the road on September 10, 2022. Neither team scored in the first quarter, but Wisconsin climbed to a 14-7 lead at halftime. The Cougars scored 10 unanswered points in the third and shut Wisconsin out in the fourth.

It wasn’t a necessarily pretty day for Washington State, but it was enough for the upset. Cameron Ward threw for 200 yards and one TD, but threw two interceptions in the process. Nakia Watson added 33 rushing yards and one TD, Christian Mejia recorded an interception.

5. No. 24 Tennessee Defeats No. 17 Pittsburgh 34-27

No. 24 Tennessee defeated No. 17 Pittsburgh in a 34-27 overtime road thriller on September 10, 2022. Pitt had a 17-7 lead early in the second, but Tennessee scored 17 points to close out the half. Pitt tied it 27-27 to send the game into OT, but Tennessee scored a game-winning TD. 

Hendon Hooker finished the game 27/42 for 325 yards and two touchdowns for the Volunteers. Jabari Small added two rushing touchdowns, Trevon Flowers recorded an interception, and the Tennessee defense finished with four sacks. Pittsburgh finished with 141 rushing yards. 

4. No. 20 Kentucky Defeats No. 12 Florida 26-16

No. 20 Kentucky defeated No. 12 Florida in a 26-16 comeback win on the road on September 10, 2022. Florida was winning 16-7 late in the first half, but Kentucky scored a TD right before halftime. They then scored 13 unanswered points in the second half to complete the upset. 

Will Levis threw for 202 yards and one touchdown, while adding another TD on the ground. His key receiver was Dane Key, who had three catches for 83 yards and one TD. Florida’s defense had two interceptions, one of which was returned for a TD by Keidron Smith in the second half.

3. No. 21 BYU Defeats No. 9 Baylor 26-20

No. 21 BYU defeated No. 9 Baylor in a 26-20 double-overtime thriller at home on September 10, 2022. Both teams were trading shots all game long with the score tied 20-20 at the end of regulation. A three-yard TD run by Lopini Katoa in the second overtime gave BYU the upset.

Jaren Hall went 23/39, throwing for 261 yards and one TD. His favorite wide receiver, Chase Roberts, finished with eight catches for 122 yards and one TD – he also threw a TD pass to Hall as the two exchanged favors. The BYU defense also came up big, finishing with four sacks. 

2. Appalachian State Defeats No. 6 Texas A&M 17-14 

The Appalachian State Mountaineers defeated the No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies in a 17-14 away thriller on September 10, 2022. The Aggies’ offense only scored one TD in the loss – their other TD was a kickoff return. The Mountaineer’s game-winning field goal came in the fourth quarter. 

The Mountaineers played a clean game with QB Chase Brice throwing 15/30 for 134 yards and one TD. Camerun Peoples had 112 yards rushing, while Ahmani Marshall had the other Appalachian State TD. Jalen McLeod set the tone on defense, finishing with two sacks himself.

1. Marshall Defeats No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21

The Marshall Thundering Herd defeated the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a 26-21 upset thriller on September 10, 2022. The Herd had a 9-7 lead at halftime after neither team scored in the first. They extended the lead to 26-15 with four minutes left, stopping a late surge by the Irish.

Henry Colombi threw for 145 yards and one TD for the Thundering Herd, but it was Khalan Laborn that stole the show with 163 yards rushing and one TD. The defense came up big with three interceptions, one of which was returned for a TD by Steven Gilmore in the fourth quarter.

Most Historical College Football Upsets of All-Time

The 2022 regular season has already delivered with a number of impressive and stunning college football upsets that have us drooling for more. There’s nothing we love more than an underdog story and we have a feeling there’s going to be a lot more of that in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we can take a look back at some of the most shocking college football upsets of all-time – such as when unranked Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Oklahoma in 1957. Oklahoma was riding a 47-game winning streak, the longest of all-time, but Notre Dame played spoiler

Throughout the history of college football upsets, some of the most shocking have come when the winning team is a heavy underdog in the point-spread – we’re talking more than 30-point underdogs. Let’s take a look at 10 of the biggest college football upsets over the 35 years. 

10. Appalachian State Defeats No. 5 Michigan 34-32

The Appalachian State Mountaineers defeated the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines in a 34-32 upset on the road on September 1, 2007. The Mountaineers started out as 31-point underdogs, but overcame those odds to win by two – thanks to a game-winning field goal with 26 seconds left.

Armanti Edwards had a day, throwing a 68-yard TD and 20-yard TD to Dexter Jackson, a nine-yard TD to Hans Batichon, and even a six-yard rushing TD himself. Michigan started to make a comeback in the second half, but two field goals by Julian Rauch sealed the victory. 

9. Liberty Defeats Baylor 48-45

The Liberty Flames defeated the Baylor Bears in a 48-45 upset on the road on September 2, 2017. The Flames opened the day as 30.5-point underdogs, but that didn’t matter as they snagged a three-point victory thanks to a late TD from Stephen Calvert to Spencer Jones.

Calvert threw three TD passes in the game, two of which came in the second half – he also had a rushing touchdown to start the fourth quarter. Alex Probert hit four field goals – from 27, 41, 33, and 31 yards. Chris Turner set the tone on defense with an interception return for a TD.

8. Central Michigan Defeats Western Michigan 21-17

The Central Michigan Chippewas defeated the Western Michigan Broncos in a 21-17 upset at home on November 11, 2000. The Chippewas started the game as 35.5-point underdogs, but shocked the world with a four-point win. It was the second-to-last game of the regular season. 

The story of the game was quarterback play. CMU’s Derrick Vickers had 228 yards and two touchdowns, while WMU’s Jeff Welsh failed to throw a touchdown – he did, however, throw three interceptions. Ira Gooch had two catches for 108 yards and a TD for Central Michigan.

7. Idaho State Defeats Nevada 30-28

The Idaho State Bengals defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack in a 30-28 upset on the road on September 16, 2007. The Bengals started the game as 34.5-point underdogs, but made a statement against the Wolf Pack – building up an impressive 30-7 lead in the third quarter.

Nevada started to make a comeback and scored three unanswered touchdowns to end the game, but it wasn’t enough as the Bengals held out for the win. Tanner Gueller finished with two TDs for the Bengals – a 15-yarder to Hagen Graves and a 50-yarder to Michael Dean.

6. Oregon State Defeats Washington 21-20

The Oregon State Beavers defeated the Washington Huskies in a 21-20 upset on the road on October 19, 1985 – despite opening the game as 35-point underdogs. At the time, it was the largest overcome point spread in college football history – a record that has since been passed. 

It was a close game throughout, with the Huskies holding a 17-14 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Washington hit a field goal with eight minutes left, but the Beavers blocked a punt and recovered it for a TD with under two minutes left – an exciting finish to an exciting game.

5. Texas State Defeats Houston 30-13

The Texas State Bobcats defeated the Houston Cougars in a 30-13 upset on September 1, 2012 – despite opening as 36.5-point underdogs. The score was 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, but 13 unanswered points in the second quarter helped propel the Bobcats to a win.

Shaun Rutherford finished 19/25 for 196 yards and one TD for the Bobcats, but it was the Marcus Curry show – finishing with 131 yards rushing, two rushing TDs, and one receiving TD. Craig Mager had the lone interception and the rest of the Bobcats’ defense had two sacks. 

4. Temple Defeats No. 14 Virginia Tech 28-24

The Temple Owls defeated the No. 14 Virginia Tech Hokies in a 28-24 upset on the road on October 17, 1998 – they were 36-point underdogs. The Owls were down 17-7 at halftime, but came back to take a 21-17 lead into the fourth. A TD run with six minutes left secured the win. 

Devin Scott finished the game with 155 yards and two TD through the air, also scoring the game-winning rushing TD in the fourth quarter. He threw a 67-yard TD with 33 seconds left in the first half and an 80-yard TD with nine minutes left in the third quarter – he was having fun.

3. Syracuse Defeats No. 18 Louisville 38-35

The Syracuse Orange defeated the No. 18 Louisville Cardinals in a stunning 38-35 upset on the road on September 22, 2007 – they were 36.5-point underdogs. The Orange took a 21-7 lead into halftime and a 31-14 lead into the third quarter. They were outscored 21-7 in the fourth quarter, but squeaked away with a win.

Andrew Robinson finished an impressive 17/26 for 423 yards, four TDs, and no interceptions for Syracuse – Brian Brohm also threw four TDs for Louisville. The Orange’s leading receiver was Taj Smith, who finished with 173 yards off four catches, snagging two TDs in the process. 

2. Stanford Defeats No. 2 USC 24-23

The unranked Stanford Cardinal defeated the No. 2 USC Trojans in a shocking 24-23 upset on the road on October 6, 2007 – they were 38.5-point underdogs. Stanford was down 23-14 in the fourth, but hit a field goal with six minutes left and a game-winning touchdown with 50 seconds left. 

The story of the game was Stanford’s defense, which ended the game with four interceptions on USC’s John David Booty. One of those interceptions – by Austin Yancy – was returned for a TD early in the third quarter. Pannel Egboh and Clinton Snyder each finished with 1.5 sacks. 

1. Howard Defeats UNLV 43-40

The Howard Bison defeated the UNLV Rebels in a 43-40 upset on the road on September 2, 2017. The Bison were 45-point underdogs, making this the largest overcome point spread in college football history. The teams were trading shots all game long, but Howard struck last.

Caylin Newton had himself a great first half, rushing for a 52-yard TD and throwing a one-yard pass TD to Kyle Anthony. Devin Rollins had a 75-yard fumble return TD, Anthony Philyaw had two rushing TDs in the second half, and Newton had one more rushing TD to win the game. 

Many More College Football Upsets Await!

SO MANY UPSETS: All the College Football Upsets From Week 2 and Some of the Most Historical
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I know we’re only preparing for Week 3 and there are still 10+ more weeks to go, but it feels like we’ve already watched a whole season with all the college football upsets and blowout victories we’ve seen the past two weeks. The 2022 regular season hasn’t disappointed up to this point.

Will Notre Dame and No. 24 Texas A&M bounce back after losing to unranked opponents? Can No. 12 BYU back up their incredible win against No. 9 Baylor with another impressive win against No. 25 Oregon? Is it possible we see Alabama, Georgia, or Clemson lose this week?

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To be honest, with the way the first two weeks have gone, I’m not counting anything out until the final whistle blows. After all, no one expected last week to go the way it did and the playing field has leveled greatly to start the season. We’ll see if that trend continues into the week ahead.

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