Best of Week 3: The SEC's top Dawg, a new ACC contender and a game-changing win for Texas A&M

If you come at the king, as they say, you best not miss.

On a Saturday that threatened to completely upend college football's power dynamics, Tennessee took its shot at defending SEC champion Georgia, but its kick sailed wide right as time expired. In Atlanta, Georgia Tech's field goal team sprinted onto the field as the final seconds ticked off the clock and used a 55-yard kick to send Clemson tumbling from the ACC's throne.

It was proof that the SEC still runs through Georgia. It was a revelation that the ACC might, too.

In Knoxville, Tennessee led by 14 early but could never quite put Georgia away. Joey Aguilar threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns, and he chewed up just enough yardage on a final drive to give Max Gilbert a shot at the game winner. Instead, a false start flag pushed the kick back 5 yards, and Gilbert's boot never came close to the uprights. Georgia's unrelenting attack proved too much in overtime, and Josh McCray rumbled into the end zone for a 44-41 win that offered a reminder these Bulldogs still bite.

Georgia ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns, punishing Tennessee's defensive front throughout. Gunner Stockton threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns, including a score-tying dagger with 2:32 remaining to London Humphreys, the latest UGA player to be named after a member of an uppity fraternity hell-bent on getting the guys from Kegger House kicked off campus in an '80s comedy. The performance had the feel of a coming-of-age moment for Stockton. After waiting his turn behind Carson Beck, Stockton was given the reins of the offense in last year's playoff loss to Notre Dame, and he had done little to convince fans he was the right man for the job in Georgia's first two games of 2025. Saturday was different. Following a sluggish first quarter, Stockton made one big throw after another with a nearly flawless second half before celebrating the win by, we assume, driving his F-150 out to his high school sweetheart's house, holding a stereo over his head, and blaring Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" album.

If Stockton proved his toughness against Tennessee, Haynes King only added to his legend against Clemson.

play

1:13

Georgia Tech kicks game-winning FG to spark wild celebrations

Georgia Tech races its kicker onto the field, and Aidan Birr nails a 55-yard field goal to take down Clemson.

Georgia Tech opened with a 13-0 lead in the first half in Atlanta, but just as Georgia had done against the Vols, Clemson refused to go down without a fight. The Tigers roared back, took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter, coughed it up, then tied the score at 21 with 3:26 to play in the fourth. That's when King took over.

On the final game-winning drive, King converted a pair of third downs with his legs, ping-ponging off defenders and taking on tacklers repeatedly, enduring the type of physical punishment typically reserved for a "Saw" movie. The effort set up a fire drill for the kicking team in the final seconds, as Georgia Tech was without a timeout. Aidan Birr sprinted onto the field and delivered the most significant shot by a man named Birr yet to have a musical written about it by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

King finished with 211 passing yards, 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, and he was beaten up enough that he has already met the deductible on his health insurance by Week 3.

The win was Georgia Tech's seventh against a ranked ACC foe under coach Brent Key, and it established the Yellow Jackets as a contender in the ACC, alongside the league's other powers: Miami, which knocked off No. 18 USF with ease 49-12 on Saturday, and Florida State, which was off this week.

The bigger question is what the loss means for Clemson. Dabo Swinney's crew is now a 50-yard touchdown run in the final 90 seconds against Pitt and a walk-off 57-yard field goal against SMU away from having lost seven of its past eight games against Power 4 foes -- though if that field goal were missed it would have just pushed that game to overtime. Suddenly, the idea that Clemson's decade-long run as the class of the ACC might be over isn't simply the ramblings of Tyler from Spartanburg. Had Georgia lost Saturday, it would've been less a king dethroned than Napoleon regathering his forces while serving out an exile on Elba.

Clemson's fall from the throne, however, has an air of finality to it, as if Swinney hadn't simply been exiled from atop the ACC, but had packed up his bags and moved to Boca Raton, where he'll wear his socks too high, play a lot of pickleball and complain about early-bird special portion sizes at Denny's. Clemson is a team without an offensive identity, with a QB who often looks flustered in critical situations, and faces, for the fifth year in a row, an uphill battle against a narrative that Swinney's magic has worn off.

If Tennessee's fate doesn't seem so bleak, the outcome Saturday had to feel every bit as existentially fraught. The Vols had every opportunity to alter their fate, and instead, the losing streak to Georgia reached a decade. Even seeing Nico Iamaleava's UCLA team fall to 0-3 with a loss to New Mexico isn't enough to ease that pain. That it didn't have to be this way is a practical truth, but for everyone in the stands at Neyland Stadium, it might as well have been a blowout. It all was a reminder that a little hope is as dangerous as a second round of Fireball at The Hill.

If Saturday wasn't a complete reshuffling of the deck in the SEC and ACC, though, it was a reminder that all power is fleeting, that every team's grasp of the ring loosens, and that eventually, the next big thing simply becomes "the thing."

Georgia Tech stormed the castle.

Georgia held the line for another week.

There will be more battles ahead, and we'll be lucky if they're half as good as what we saw Saturday.

More:
Texas A&M wins thriller
Trends | Under the radar
Heisman five | Game-day takeaways

Aggies upend Irish

Coach Marcus Freeman had a clear message to his defense after Saturday's rollicking, frenetic and ultimately debilitating 41-40 loss to Texas A&M: "Not good enough."

Notre Dame surrendered 488 yards of offense to the Aggies, including a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown drive in the final 2:53 that won the game for A&M and sent the Irish to 0-2 on the season.

It was a wild, back-and-forth game that had four lead changes and two ties in the second half alone, and the game ultimately turned on a botched PAT try that was mishandled by holder Tyler Buchner, who, ironically, was Notre Dame's starting QB the last time it started 0-2 in 2022.

Marcel Reed, meanwhile, led Texas A&M to its biggest road win in more than a decade by throwing for 360 yards, including the game winner to Nate Boerkircher with 13 seconds to play.

Reed, alongside Baylor's Sawyer Robertson, TCU's Josh Hoover and Texas Tech's Behren Morton, are all off to exceptional starts, and there's not a single other QB in the state of Texas whose early production is also worth mentioning here. Nope. Can't think of anyone.

Week 3 vibe check

Each week, big plays, big upsets and big wins shape the narrative in college football, but dozens of smaller stories can have just as significant an impact in the long run. We try to keep tabs on the more subtle shifts in the sport here.

Trending down: Losing interestingly

Florida losing football games is hardly news anymore but Saturday's 20-10 defeat at the hands of LSU was more disappointing because no one did anything particularly stupid in the process of losing. Of course, Florida's downward spiral began five years ago against LSU when Marco Wilson threw a shoe, and it reached a new depth last week against USF when Brendan Bett spit on a Bulls' O-lineman. Saturday's defeat offered none of that -- no DJ Lagway giving Brian Kelly a wedgie, no Billy Napier forgetting to call a late timeout, because he was eating a bowl of spaghetti on the sideline, not even a missed field goal because the kicker tried using a 9 iron instead of his foot. Frankly, it's like Florida's not even trying to be bad anymore.

Trending up: Spite songs

Oklahoma couldn't bring its band to Philadelphia for its game against Temple, ostensibly because that many oboes couldn't fit into the Sooner Schooner without risking the whole thing sinking while attempting to ford the Schuylkill River, so the fine folks at St. Joseph's University stepped up to help out.

It wasn't an entirely benevolent gesture, however. The St. Joe's band just wanted to troll its Big Five rival, Temple.

It wasn't the only school to throw a little salt in the wound by employing an "enemy of my enemy is my friend" philosophy on Saturday either. After Georgia Tech knocked off Clemson, the stadium blared "Sandstorm," the song famously employed by Tigers rival South Carolina. Not to be outdone, UMass blasted the entirety of Creed's "Human Clay" in the locker room before the game in hopes the players would just quit and go home before having to play Iowa.

Trending down: Scheduling up

Indiana closed out another gauntlet of a nonconference schedule on Friday, narrowly escaping Indiana State 73-0. The Hoosiers are now 6-0 in nonconference regular-season games under Curt Cignetti, who urges you not to Google any of those opponents. Just be sure they're all really good.

Trending up: Burnt ends

A sizable portion of the field at Wake Forest was covered in smoke during the first half Thursday night after a BBQ food truck caught fire just outside the stadium because, we assume, someone finally realized vinegar-based sauce is trash, and it all needed to go.

A food truck has caught fire at the NC State-Wake Forest game pic.twitter.com/KqdFMhSiYc

In the second half, it was NC State on fire, as the Wolfpack erased a seven-point halftime deficit for a 34-24 win. NC State is now 3-0 and perfectly poised for another of its patented 9-4 and fourth in "others receiving votes" seasons in 2025.

Trending down: Sleeves

Biff Poggi, the former Charlotte coach and what happens when you let your grandfather shop at Hot Topic, was patrolling a sideline as an FBS head coach again Saturday, filling in at Michigan for the suspended Sherrone Moore (though we can't rule out that he was on Central Michigan's sideline in a CMU hat, glasses and a fake mustache). Turned out, the Wolverines didn't miss a beat, dismissing Central Michigan 63-3 behind three touchdowns from QB Bryce Underwood. Poggi's role, however, may have been minimal.

Frankly, if Michigan doesn't have Poggi's Labrador coach the team against Nebraska next week, Moore should be suspended another three games.

Trending up: Renewing rivalries

Delaware and UConn renewed a rivalry Saturday that had been dormant since the last time people unironically listened to Limp Bizkit, and the Blue Hens made up for lost time, knocking off the Huskies 44-41 in overtime behind Nick Minicucci's 13-yard walk-off touchdown run. The game marked the first time Delaware, a first-year member of Conference USA, hosted an FBS team since 1989, and it was the first meeting between the two former Atlantic 10 members since 1998. The win will surely be remembered as one of the watershed sporting events in the state's history right alongside the 2003 FCS national championship and the time Mike Brey won six straight games of beer pong in a random Dewey Beach backyard while on his way to The Starboard.

Trending up: Ball confusion

Of all the things that have been thrown around Lane Kiffin over the years -- clipboards, golf balls, insults -- Saturday's game against Arkansas offered a new one.

pic.twitter.com/Xj9ds8fCAy

We assume this was John Calipari's fault, but it had little impact on the outcome, as Ole Miss survived a tight game without starting QB Austin Simmons, 41-35. Afterward, Kiffin also used the basketball to beat Bobby Petrino in a rousing game of S-A-B-A-N.

Trending up: A Beamer in Blacksburg

Virginia Tech was demolished at home by Old Dominion, 45-26, on Saturday in what feels like it might be the last straw for Brent Pry as head coach with the Hokies falling to 0-3.

Meanwhile, with LaNorris Sellers injured midway through Saturday's game, South Carolina was beat by Vanderbilt at home, 31-7.

Could that combo be the first steps to Virginia Tech bringing Shane Beamer home?

Beamer was interested in the job when his father, Frank, retired after the 2015 season, but the Hokies never seriously considered him. Virginia Tech tried to lure him before hiring Pry in 2022, but he wasn't interested. Now, perhaps the timing is right if Beamer sees an easier path to the playoff in the ACC and the Hokies are willing to shell out any amount of cash for a little goodwill from a frustrated fan base.

On the other hand, Beamer is in a good place at South Carolina for the near term, and Virginia Tech may actually be converting Lane Stadium into a Spirit Halloween Store by the end of the week, too.

Under-the-radar game of the week

Two FCS powers collided Saturday, with Montana erasing a nine-point deficit in the final five minutes to beat North Dakota 24-23.

Montana QB Keali'i' Ah Yat delivered a 28-yard touchdown pass with 1:35 to play that proved the difference in the game.

play

0:27

Keali'i Ah Yat airs it out for 28-yard touchdown pass

Keali'i Ah Yat airs it out for 28-yard touchdown pass

The win establishes the Grizzlies as an FCS championship contender, and it also settles a longtime debate between Montana and North Dakota about who has to house-sit for Canada during hockey season.

Under-the-radar play of the week

Samford knew it faced an uphill battle in a game against Baylor, so the Bulldogs emptied the vault and went to the one play no one could stop late in the first quarter Saturday.

The touchdown -- um, pass? -- from C.J. Evans to Torrey Ward pulled Samford to within seven at the time, and earned plaudits from Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who called it "the finest bit of passing offense I've seen in all my years."

Sadly, the throw didn't inspire Samford to more offensive fireworks, as Baylor rolled to a 42-7 lead.

Heisman five

play

0:34

John Mateer takes it 51-yards to the house for OU

John Mateer takes it 51-yards to the end zone for the Sooners vs. the Owls.

You have to hand it to Arch Manning. Even amid all the hype and publicity he has already gotten, he wants to ratchet things up even further by attempting to become the first ever Heisman winner who once completed 5-of-16 throws for 69 yards and a pick in the first half against UTEP. Don't worry, those Texas fans weren't saying "boo." They were saying "Booooo-k your ticket to New York for the Heisman."

1. Oklahoma QB John Mateer

Mateer had 325 total yards and a pair of touchdowns in Oklahoma's 42-3 win, and afterward housed three Jim's cheesesteaks, repaired the Liberty Bell and added the words "Texas sucks" to the Declaration of Independence before skipping town.

2. Utah QB Devon Dampier

Dampier racked up 316 total yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 31-6 win over Wyoming. The Utes were 9-of-15 on third down in the game and 1-of-1 on fourth. For the season now, Utah is 32-of-46 on third, 3-of-3 on fourth and has kicked two field goals. Add it all up, and with Dampier leading the offense so far, the Utes have gotten a first down or points on 80% on down sets that reach third down.

3. Miami QB Carson Beck

In two games vs. ranked opponents this year (Notre Dame, USF), Beck has racked up 545 passing yards and six total touchdowns, enough success that police say they're going to finally follow up on some leads about his missing Lamborghini.

4. Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed

The Aggies are 3-0 thanks to Reed's heroics against Notre Dame. Reed threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns -- the latter coming on fourth-and-goal with 13 seconds to play -- to beat the Irish. After the game, Jimbo Fisher noted that if he had a QB who could do that, he would be $75 million poorer right now.

5. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy

Missouri is 3-0 after a dominant 52-10 win over Louisiana, and the Tigers probably deserve a good bit more hype as a potential playoff contender. But if Missouri's flying under the radar, its running back shouldn't be. Hardy carried 22 times for 250 yards and three scores Saturday, his third straight game to start the season with over 100 yards on the ground. A year ago, while at Louisiana-Monroe, Hardy ran for 172 yards and a score against the Cajuns, bringing his career total vs. Louisiana to 422 yards rushing. Rarely is that much damage done to Louisiana by one person who isn't on spring break.

Game-day notes

Sandwiched between scoring drives of 76 and 75 yards, Clemson's offense totaled negative-7 yards on back-to-back three-and-outs after halftime Saturday. Those four series tell the story of the 12th-ranked Tigers' stale, trick-or-treat offensive showing in a 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech, one that could tank Clemson's College Football Playoff hopes. Concerns around the Cade Klubnik/Garrett Riley-led offense were already there headed into Week 3 with the Tigers entering Saturday ranked 120th in total offense and 129th in rushing yards nationally, while Klubnik sat 60th in yards per play among Power 4 quarterbacks through two games. Veteran running back Adam Randall (16 carries, 86 yards) injected some energy into the Tigers' rushing attack, but Klubnik's turnovers on Clemson's opening series of each half -- including a red zone interception after halftime -- were costly, and Riley's offense ultimately pieced together only three drives of five or more plays across nine total offensive series. The loss, which dropped the Tigers' playoff odds to 5%, per ESPN Research, is a potential backbreaker for a once-promising season. Klubnik, Riley and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney will have questions to answer about the offense that has now scored the program's fewest points through three games since 1999.

Georgia Tech, meanwhile, has announced itself as a legitimate playoff contender, helped in part by a favorable schedule the rest of the way. Haynes King's barreling, third-quarter touchdown run at the end of a 13-play, 90-yard scoring, followed by a bold "Philly Special" playcall on the subsequent 2-point conversion from offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, flashed the blend of toughness and creativity that can make the Yellow Jackets so dangerous (and so fun). Coach Brent Key is now 12-6 in one-score games at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were far from perfect Saturday, but they project as favorites in the majority of their games before a Nov. 28 meeting with Georgia. The question has to be asked: Could King, Key and Georgia Tech make a run at a spot in the 12-team playoff field this fall? -- Eli Lederman

For the past two weeks, Georgia's defense heard about how well it was playing, especially after carrying the offense in last week's closer-than-expected victory over FCS program Austin Peay.

But in Saturday's 44-41 victory in overtime at No. 15 Tennessee, the No. 6 Bulldogs looked lost at times on defense.

The high-flying Volunteers scored touchdowns on their first three possessions. Quarterback Joey Aguilar connected on his first 14 pass attempts for 213 yards and two scores.

"They grew up," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "I mean, look, defense, for two weeks has heard about how good they are. They got punched in the face."

On Aguilar's 72-yard touchdown to Chris Brazzell II in the first quarter, cornerback Ellis Robinson IV was beaten on a 50-50 ball when he mis-timed his jump. Brazell was wide open on a 14-yard touchdown that gave the Volunteers a 21-7 lead.

Late in the third quarter, cornerback Daniel Harris was in position to make a play on a deep pass, but he was beaten on Brazzell's 56-yard touchdown catch.

"In the past, we've played them well, we didn't give up big plays," Smart said. "Today, we didn't do that, and it's not all on the corners. We didn't have a guy in the middle of the field. We misjudged the ball. I mean, they're correctable things, which is a good thing, and we really weren't beat. We just misplayed it."

Georgia's defense made some adjustments, and the Volunteers didn't score on five straight possessions, which allowed the Bulldogs to erase the two-touchdown deficit and take the lead.

Georgia will get a week off to make corrections before hosting No. 19 Alabama on Sept. 27. The Bulldogs have to generate more pressure on the quarterback, and inexperienced defensive backs like Robinson and Kyron Jones are going to have to continue to grow.

"We have to improve, and that's the goal," Smart said. "We want to be on an elevating trajectory, not flat." -- Mark Schlabach

While other high-profile action played out elsewhere, Ole Miss and Arkansas treated the country to eight combined first-half touchdowns in the Rebels' 41-35 win Saturday night. Per ESPN Research, the game marked only the fourth SEC contest in the last 20 years in which both teams scored at least four touchdowns before halftime.

Ferris State transfer quarterback Trinidad Chambliss powered Ole Miss' offensive outpouring. Starting in place of the injured Austin Simmons, Chambliss went 21-for-29 with 353 passing yards and joined Archie Manning, Chad Kelly and Jordan Ta'amu as the fourth passer in program history to record 350 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Simmons doesn't look like he'll be out much longer, and even entered to throw a touchdown before halftime. But Chambliss' dominant debut is evidence that the Rebels have a genuine insurance policy behind Simmons in the near and/or long term in 2025.

The good news for Arkansas: the Razorbacks have eclipsed 500 yards of offense in each of their three games and will have a chance to impact the 12-team playoff field this fall. The bad news: that's primarily because seven of their final nine games are against teams currently ranked inside the AP top 25, starting with Notre Dame on Sept. 27. That slate might not bode especially well for the Hogs' own postseason aspirations, but Arkansas has a playmaking quarterback in Taylen Green and an offense capable of putting a dent in the hopes of a playoff contender sometime between now and late November, just as they showed in an impressive performance on the road at Ole Miss in Week 3. -- Lederman