College football Week 1 highlights: Catch up on all the scores, best plays and biggest wins

2024-12-19 09:44:56 Finance

Deion Sanders is here. So are his Colorado Buffaloes.

Colorado's upset of No. 16 TCU — a team that played in the national championship game in January — was unquestionably the story of an otherwise chalky Week 1. (No. 24 Texas Tech was the only other team to lose Saturday.)

“Do you believe now?” Sanders asked reporters after the Buffaloes' 45-42 win, which was paced by his son, Shedeur, who threw for a school record 510 yards and former top overall recruit Travis Hunter, who showed his brilliant two-way ability throughout.

The Buffaloes are big winners of Week 1 and will look to move to 2-0 next week in a home game vs. former Big 12 rival Nebraska. TCU, which is clearly not the same team as the magical 2022 group, now has to pick up the pieces after Week 1's most surprising loss.

As for the rest of Saturday's action...

College football Week 1 highlights

Travis Hunter, Colorado. It's hard to pick just one highlight for Hunter since he really did it all in the Buffaloes' upset victory. Playing 129 snaps, per PFF, Hunter caught 11 passes for 119 yards and had an athletic, diving interception.

Jalen Milroe, Alabama. Milroe got the first crack at replacing Bryce Young under center for the Crimson Tide and made the most of it. He had three touchdowns through the air and two on the ground, the first a brilliant scramble to salvage a bad snap.

Joey Hobert, Texas State. Hobert's one-handed snag was one of the top catches of the day. He led Texas State with six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Bobcats upset Baylor 42-31.

Clayton Isbell, Coastal Carolina. Though his Chanticleers fell to UCLA, Isbell had the game of his life. In his first game with Coastal Carolina he hauled in three interceptions, two from Ethan Garbers and one from highly-touted freshman Dante Moore.

College football Week 1 scores

No. 1 Georgia 48, UT Martin 7
No. 2 Michigan 30, East Carolina 3
No. 3 Alabama 56, Middle Tennessee 7
No. 4 Ohio State 23, Indiana 3
No. 6 USC 66, Nevada 14
No. 7 Penn State 38, West Virginia 15
No. 10 Tennessee 49, Virginia 13
No. 11 Washington 56, Boise State 19
No. 12 Texas 37, Rice 10
No. 13 Notre Dame 56, Tennessee State 3
No. 14 Utah 24, Florida 11
No. 15 Oregon 81, Portland State 7
Colorado 45, No. 16 TCU 42
No. 17 Kansas State 45, Southeast Missouri State 0
No. 19 Oklahoma State 73, Arkansas State 0
No. 20 North Carolina 31, South Carolina 17
No. 21 Wisconsin 38, Buffalo 17
No. 22 Mississippi 73, Mercer 7
No. 23 Tulane 37, South Alabama 17
Wyoming 35, No. 24 Texas Tech 33 (2OT)
No. 25 Texas A&M 52, New Mexico 10

College football Week 1 winners and losers

Colorado's 45-42 win against No. 16 TCU is one of the most eye-opening results from a season opener in recent Football Bowl Subdivision history.

Hyped and criticized in nearly equal measure amid a transformative offseason makeover, Deion Sanders delivered a victory that justifies his decision to bring in more than 60 new scholarship players and immediately overhaul what had been one of the worst rosters in the Power Five.

On the other hand, the narrow loss for TCU sucks some of the life out of last year's Cinderella run from the bottom half of the Big 12 preseason rankings to the national championship game against Georgia. Almost a three-touchdown favorite, the Horned Frogs were stymied by mistakes, turnovers and an inability to capitalize on opportunities in the red zone.

Colorado and TCU lead the list of Saturday's biggest winners and losers.

— Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

College football Week 2 schedule

Monday, Sept. 4

Clemson at Duke, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 7

Murray State at Louisville, ACC, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 8

Indiana State at Indiana, Big Ten, 7 p.m.

Illinois at Kansas, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 9

Vanderbilt at Wake Forest, ACC, 11 a.m.

Ball State at Georgia, SEC, noon

Nebraska at Colorado, Fox, noon

Delaware State at Army, CBSSN, noon

Holy Cross at Boston College, ACC, noon

James Madison at Virginia, ESPNU, noon

Notre Dame at North Carolina State, ABC, noon

Purdue at Virginia Tech, ESPN2, noon

Troy at Kansas State, FS1, noon

Youngstown State at Ohio State, Big Ten, noon

Charleston Southern at Clemson, ACC, 2:15 p.m.

Iowa at Iowa State, Fox, 3:30 p.m.

Richmond at Michigan State, Big Ten, 3:30 p.m.

Mississippi at Tulane, ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.

Texas A&M at Miami (Fla.), ABC, 3:30 p.m.

Texas-El Paso at Northwestern, Big Ten, 3:30 p.m.

UNLV at Michigan, CBS, 3:30 p.m.

Wagner at Navy, CBSSN, 3:30 p.m.

Kent State at Arkansas, SEC, 4 p.m.

Marshall at East Carolina, ESPNU, 4 p.m.

Tulsa at Washington, Pac-12, 5 p.m.

Appalachian State at North Carolina, SEC, 5:15 p.m.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, CW, 6:30 p.m.

Central Florida at Boise State, FS1, 7 p.m.

Houston at Rice, NFL Network, 7 p.m.

Oregon at Texas Tech, Fox, 7 p.m.

Texas at Alabama, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Arizona at Mississippi State, SEC, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Maryland, NBC, 7:30 p.m.

Eastern Michigan at Minnesota, Big Ten, 7:30 p.m.

McNeese State at Florida, ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.

UCLA at San Diego State, CBS, 7:30 p.m.

Temple at Rutgers, Big Ten, 7:30 p.m.

Wisconsin at Washington State, ABC, 7:30 p.m.

Air Force at Sam Houston, CBSSN, 8 p.m.

Southern Mississippi at Florida State, ACC, 8:30 p.m.

UC Davis at Oregon State, Pac-12, 9 p.m.

Auburn at California, ESPN, 10:30 p.m.

Oklahoma State at Arizona State, FS1, 10:30 p.m.

Stanford at Southern California, Fox, 10:30 p.m.

All-time bad beat in Penn State-West Virginia

Even before the final whistle blew in Penn State's 38-15 win over West Virginia on Saturday, victory was all but assured for the Nittany Lions: They had the ball and a 31-15 lead, while the Mountaineers had no timeouts and under two minutes left to mount a miracle comeback.

Still, the Nittany Lions kept pushing, eventually finishing their final drive of the night with a 5-yard touchdown run from quarterback Beau Pribula with just six seconds remaining: an emphatic finishing touch on the Week 1 victory.

But what was a heartwarming and euphoric moment for Pribula — who had just scored the first touchdown of his college career in front of 110,000 fans in his home state — was something else entirely for anyone who bet on the game.

The touchdown extended Penn State’s lead from 16 to 23 points, putting the Nittany Lions over the 21-point spread set by BetMGM. Not only that, but that final touchdown pushed the combined point total of the Nittany Lions and Mountaineers over BetMGM's over/under of 50.5 points.

— Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Network

Wyoming upsets No. 24 Texas Tech

The final ranked team in action Saturday went down in dramatic fashion. Wyoming erased a 17-point first quarter deficit and defeated No. 24 Texas Tech 35-33 in double overtime thanks to a dramatic two-play sequence at the finish.

QB Jalen Milroe solidifies spot atop Alabama football depth chart

That the Alabama football team would come away with a relatively easy victory over Middle Tennessee State on Saturday night was all but a foregone conclusion. That new starting quarterback Jalen Milroe would shine brightly enough to leave no doubt who will start for the Crimson Tide against Texas next week was not.

That's precisely what the redshirt sophomore did, however, over two-plus quarters of action in Alabama's 56-7 win over the Blue Raiders at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

He tops the depth chart.

And for now, that's not to be questioned.

— Chase Goodbread, Tuscaloosa News, USA TODAY Network

Penn State pulls away from West Virginia

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. − The best thing about Penn State football's prime time season-opener was the guy everyone has been waiting for.

Sure enough, first-time starting quarterback Drew Allar was about everything fans and analysts expected since he signed as an elite recruit more than two years ago.

And yet, maybe just as importantly, he seemed to solidify his No. 1 target, in the process of Penn State's 38-15 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers in an (almost) white-out Beaver Stadium.

Junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith hauled in three big pass plays in the first half, picking up from dramatic receiving splashes at the end of last season. His 72-yard catch-and-run touchdown opened the scoring and set the stage for the Nittany Lions' slow-starting but big-play night.

— Frank Bodani, York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY Network

USC QB Caleb Williams dazzles again

Take a bow, Caleb Williams. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is already up to nine touchdowns on the season after he threw for five more Saturday in No. 6 USC's 66-14 win over Nevada. Williams was an effecient 18-for-24 and finished with 319 yards. He added another 42 yards on the ground.

Georgia football begins title defense with easy win

The No. 1 Bulldogs began the season by cruising past UT Martin, 48-7. Georgia outgained UT Martin 559-260.

New starting quarterback Carson Beck went 21-for-31 for 294 yards with a touchdown.

Penn State football in low-scoring battle with West Virginia

The No. 7 Nittany Lions hold a 14-7 lead over the Mountaineers at the half. Penn State has over 140 more yards, but is just 1-for-4 on third down. West Virginia is even worse: just 1-for-6. The Mountaineers are 1-for-2 on fourth down.

Arkansas State coach Butch Jones gets pick-me-up from player

Butch Jones went viral Saturday after getting a pick-me-up from one of his Arkansas State players during a 73-0 loss at Oklahoma.

Jones, the former Tennessee coach, was crouched on one knee and visibly disappointed during the second half when safety Justin Parks gave him a few pats on the back in Norman, Oklahoma.

The encouragement came after the Red Wolves were tagged with one of their 14 penalties against the Sooners.

— Chris Thomas, Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network

Squirrel invades field during Penn State football game

In the first quarter of Penn State’s season opener against West Virginia, it wasn’t a running back or wide receiver that broke loose for a huge gain.

No, it was a four-legged intruder.

Shortly after a Penn State punt with 3:31 remaining in the first quarter, and with the Nittany Lions holding a 7-0 lead, a squirrel scampered across the turf at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

— Craig Meyer, York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY Network

USC's Caleb Williams making early Heisman case

Caleb Williams cannot be stopped. The No. 6 Trojans lead Nevada 35-7 at halftime and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner is lighting it up. He already had four touchdowns and 258 yards at the half on an efficient 14 completions.

New QB Jalen Milroe scores electric TD for Alabama football

It did not take new Alabama QB Jalen Milroe long to make his mark. Milroe got the Crimson Tide on the board vs. Middle Tennessee after he corralled a bad snap and then weaved his wave through the Blue Raiders' defense.

Georgia football leads UT Martin 17-0 at halftime

The two-time defending champs aren't dominating quite like they did in their last appearance in the national title game — they led TCU 38-7 at the break in an eventual 65-7 win — but the Bulldogs appear to be in little danger vs. the Skyhawks of the FCS. New starting quarterback Carson Beck is 14-for-21 for 134 yards. As a team, Georgia is outgaining UT Martin 242-89.

Jalen Milroe officially gets start for Alabama football

Jalen Milroe walked onto the field for No. 3 Alabama as the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback. Milroe, a redshirt sophomore who started a game last year in place of an injured Bryce Young, beat out Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner — for now. It will not be a surprise if one or both other QBs sees time against Middle Tennessee.

Washington closes out rout of Boise State

Michael Penix Jr. threw for 450 yards and five touchdowns as No. 11 Washington downed Boise State 56-19.

'We keep receipts': Deion Sanders, Colorado shock No. 16 TCU in opener

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Deion Sanders’ grand experiment at Colorado finally got its first test Saturday after nine months of hype. And the results look astonishing, some might even say shocking, as the Buffaloes beat TCU, 45-42, in Sanders’ first game as Colorado’s head coach.

Sanders’ son, Shedeur, completed 38 of 47 passes for 510 yards and four touchdowns, including three to freshman Dylan Edwards.

The Buffs finished 1-11 last year and entered the game as 20.5-point underdogs against a team that finished No. 2 in the nation last year and is ranked 16th. But this was the big moment for “Coach Prime,” who expected dominance and predicted success after engineering an unprecedented roster overhaul since his hiring in December.

“We keep receipts," Sanders said postgame.

The game showed the nation the endurance and athletic ability of Colorado cornerback-receiver Travis Hunter, who played more than 100 snaps in the game as he switched between offense and defense. In the second half, he helped make a touchdown-saving tackle on a 74-yard run by TCU then turned around a few plays later and intercepted a TCU pass at the 3-yard line.

He played 65 snaps in the first half and finished with 11 catches for 119 yards. — Brent Schrotenboer

What college football games are on right now?

Tennessee-Martin at No. 1 Georgia, ESPN+, 6 p.m.
Nevada vs. No. 6 Southern California, Pac-12 Network, 6:30 p.m.
Southeastern Missouri State at No. 17 Kansas State, 7 p.m.
New Mexico at No. 25 Texas A&M, ESPN, 7 p.m.
West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State, NBC, 7:30 p.m.
No. 20 North Carolina vs. South Carolina (Charlotte, N.C.), ABC, 7:30 p.m.
No. 24 Texas Tech at Wyoming, CBS, 7:30 p.m.
Middle Tennessee at No. 3 Alabama, SEC Network, 7:30 p.m.
South Alabama at No. 23 Tulane, ESPNU, 8 p.m.

Ohio State manages Big Ten defeat of Indiana

A win is a win, but it wasn’t pretty for Ohio State in its 23-3 defeat of Indiana. Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord played nearly all of the offensive snaps, and had some bright spots, but it wasn’t an outstanding performance that’s typically been seen in recent years. McCord went 20-for-34 with 239 yards and one interception. Marvin Harrison Jr. only had two catches for 18 yards, and had a touchdown catch taken away after he stepped out of bounds prior to hauling in the ball. Ohio State fans may not be happy with Saturday’s performance, but it still extended its winning streak over Indiana to 29-games, the longest active winning streak over one team in FBS.

Oregon breaks 80 in easy opening win

The award for most points scored for the first week of the college football season belongs to Oregon, as they thrashed Portland State in a 81-7 win. The Oregon offense scored on its first 11 of its drives of the game, 10 of which were touchdowns. Quarterback Bo Nix was done by halftime, but he torched the Viking defense, going 23-for-27 with 287 passing yards and three touchdowns. Receivers Troy Franklin and Gary Bryant Jr. each had 100-yard receiving games. Oregon had 729 total yards compared to Portland State’s 200. Oregon was one of three teams to hit the 70-point threshold, with Oklahoma and Ole Miss both scoring 73 in their opening week wins.

Washington starting to pull away from Boise State

Boise State was hanging on for as long as they could, but No. 10 Washington has begun to pull away from the Broncos with a 28-12 lead at the break. Michael Penix Jr. and company were sluggish to start the game, but they started dominating the Bronco defense in the second quarter with 21 straight unanswered points in under seven minutes. Penix Jr. has 264 passing yards with four touchdown passes.

Ohio State struggling at halftime

The Kyle McCord era in Columbus is off to a shaky start as No. 4 Ohio State leads Big Ten-foe Indiana, 10-3, at the half. The Ohio State defense has been stout, giving up only 89 yards, but its offense has yet to find a rhythm. McCord has 94 passing yards through the first half and one interception. Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding knocked in a 40-yard field goal just before halftime to give the Buckeyes a touchdown lead.

Oregon hits half a hundred by halfitme

No. 15 Oregon is having no trouble with Portland State, as Bo Nix and company have continued to showcase their high-powered offense with a 50-7 lead at halftime. The Ducks scored a touchdown on all seven first half possessions, and they have at least 200 yards in the air and on the ground. Nix has thrown for 227 yards and two touchdowns on 20-for-24 passing.

Michigan, Tennessee, Oklahoma rack up dominant wins

J.J. McCarthy hit Roman Wilson for three touchdown passes and Michigan, who is without head coach Jim Harbaugh because of a self-imposed suspension, coasted past East Carolina 30-3. McCarthy threw for 280 yards, Blake Corum ran for 73 yards and a score and Wilson caught six passes for 78 yards.

Dillon Gabriel threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma rolled up 642 yards of total offense in an obliteration of Arkansas State 73-0. The Sooners led 45-0 at halftime and played their backups the entire second half. Ten receivers caught a pass and nine backs ran the ball at least once.

Tennessee also had an easy time in its opener, beating Virginia 49-13 in Nashville. Joe Milton threw for 201 yards and also relied on a strong running game that gained 279 yards. — Scooby Axson

Northern Illinois upsets Boston College in overtime

Another upset was completed Saturday, this time with Northern Illinois winning on the road against Boston College in overtime.

The Huskies were in control from the start, taking a 14-0 lead in the second quarter and later leading 21-7 in the fourth quarter. Boston College scrapped back into it and tied the score with under two minutes left to send the game into overtime.

The Eagles started overtime with the ball and the offense went three-and-out, kicking a field goal. Northern Illinois wasted no time with the ball, getting to the 1-yard line three plays in, and quarterback Rocky Lombardi was able to push through the goal line to cap off a 27-24 win. — Jordan Mendoza

Big Ten or B1G TURD?

The Big Ten begins an exciting new era of football in 2023, its first year of a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar deal with CBS, Fox and NBC. But, for one unfortunate moment in Saturday's Michigan-East Carolina game, the conference accidentally branded its own product as, ahem, a "big turd."

Multiple fans from across the college football landscape were quick to point out the unfortunate signage on the Peacock-exclusive broadcast of the Wolverines' season opener. Of course, the sign actually reads, "B1G SATURDAY," but the positioning of announcers Chris Simms and Mike Tirico blocked out all but "B1G TURD."

Social media, bastion of kindness that it is, was quick to latch on to the innocent mistake before relentlessly mocking the unintended signage. — Zac Al-Kateeb, USA TODAY NETWORK

Fresno State, Northern Illinois pocket million-dollar paydays for road wins

Two Group of Five teams playing in the noon window emerged victorious after receiving seven figures for their respective openers. Fresno State rallied past Purdue 39-35 to spoil Ryan Walters’ debut as Boilermakers coach. The Bulldogs also pocketed $1.35 million. Northern Illinois took down Boston College 24-21 in overtime after being guaranteed $1.1 million for the game. It’s the second time in three seasons the Huskies have won on the road against an ACC team. They were paid $1 million in a victory at Georgia Tech in 2021. — Erick Smith

Fresno State knocks off Purdue on the road

Let the upsets of the 2023 college football season begin.

The Fresno State Bulldogs were able to pull off another victory over a Power 5 team, going on the road and defeating Purdue 39-35. The Bulldogs scored the game-winning touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Mikey Keene to Erik Brooks with 59 seconds left, and the defense was able to stop the Boilermaker offense near the 50-yard-line to preserve the win.

Saturday’s game was the second straight win over a Power 5 team for the defending Mountain West champions, beating Washington State in the LA Bowl to end last season. It was also Fresno State’s first win over a Big Ten team since beating Illinois in 2010, and their 10th win in a row dating back to last season.

Keene had a big day throwing the ball, passing for 366 yards and four touchdowns.

Dillon Thieneman INT sets up Purdue for fourth-quarter lead

After failing to convert on a fourth down near the goalline, the Boilermakers got a big, acrobatic interception from Dillon Thieneman to prevent Fresno State from controlling the clock. It only took two plays for the Purdue offense to go 55 yards into the end zone and retake a three-point lead with four minutes left in the game.

Travis Hunter makes diving interception

Travis Hunter is proving why he was the top overall recruit in 2022.

TCU was driving toward taking the lead in the third quarter when Hunter made a diving interception off of Chandler Morris to thwart the scoring opportunity for the Horned Frogs. He also got his head coach hyped on the sideline.

The Buffaloes wound up punting on the drive, and the Horned Frogs got in the endzone on the following drive to take a 28-24 lead late in the third quarter.

Fresno State gains fourth-quarter lead over Purdue

Fresno State has solidified itself as a Power 5 killer, and the Bulldogs aren't shying away from Purdue.

Even though the Boilermakers have had several big plays, including a kickoff returned for a touchdown, Fresno State running back Malik Sherrod was able to punch it into the end zone to start the fourth quarter and give the Bulldogs a 32-28 lead. Fresno State is looking for its second straight win over a Power 5 team after beating Washington State in the LA Bowl to end last season.

Colorado has halftime lead over No. 16 TCU

The first game of the Deion Sanders era is underway for the Colorado Buffaloes. They’re already on track to even their number of wins from last season as they lead the TCU Horned Frogs 17-14 at the half.

CU struck first with quarterback Shedeur Sanders — Deion's son — finding Dylan Edwards for a 4-yard touchdown.

Two-way star Travis Hunter has seven catches for 42 yards and missed two catches — one Sanders overthrew and one was a near touchdown where he didn’t have control of the ball before going out of bounds.

“He get those two deep balls, the Heisman is at his crib chillin right now,” Coach Prime said before taking his team into the tunnel.

TCU running back Trey Sanders has both touchdowns for the Horned Frogs, who only have 196 yards of total offense. — Victoria Hernandez

Oklahoma pouring it on against Arkansas State

No team started Saturday with a better first half than Oklahoma, as the Sooners have been in complete dominance against Arkansas State with a 45-0 lead heading into halftime.

The Sooners have 437 total yards in the first half to the Red Wolves' 103. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has 308 passing yards as his team has scored on every drive they've had in the first 30 minutes, including a punt return for a touchdown. — Jordan Mendoza

Michigan in control at halftime against East Carolina

J.J McCarthy went 16-18 for 181 yards and two touchdowns to Roman Wilson as the Wolverines took a 23-0 lead against the Pirates. Blake Corum added 56 yards on the ground and scored on a short two-yard run.

Virginia shooting survivor leads team out of the tunnel; kicker honors fallen teammate

Saturday was a big milestone in the comeback of Mike Hollins.

The Virginia running back was playing in his first game since he was injured in a November shooting on campus that resulted in the death of three Cavaliers players − Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry.

Prior to Virginia's matchup with Tennessee in Nashville, Hollins led the team onto the field in a powerful moment for the Cavaliers.

Tributes to the fallen players were also apparent Saturday afternoon. Kicker Will Bettridge is wearing No. 41, which was Perry's number. They were high school teammates and Perry's family agreed it was a proper way to carry on his legacy. Bettridge kicked a field goal in the second quarter to give Virginia its only points in the first half, as it trails Tennessee 21-3 at halftime. — Jordan Mendoza

Read more about Virginia's return to the football field here.

Virginia's punter is a 34-year-old former Marine

It's become more common to have older college football players, but Virginia has a unique one.

Punter Matt Ganyard is a walk-on for the Cavaliers and got his undergraduate degree in 2011. He was then in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a Cobra Attack Helicopter pilot. Now the team's punter and kickoff specialist, he's in the second year of his master's program. — Jordan Mendoza

Michigan scores early against East Carolina

Michigan, without head coach Jim Harbaugh, got on the board first against the Pirates after an eight-play, 57-yard drive, capped by J.J. McCarthy hitting Roman Wilson on a 14-yard scoring strike. — Scooby Axson

Colorado strikes first in coach Deion Sanders' opening game

The Deion Sanders era got off to a rockin’ start, as the Buffaloes got on the board first with a Shedeur Sanders four-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Edwards. Sanders went 7-of-9 for 41 yards during the 13-play, 73-yard drive. — Scooby Axson

Coach Deion Sanders leads Colorado onto field after surgeries

FORT WORTH, Texas – Deion Sanders already achieved one personal victory Saturday at TCU. Will he get another with his new team after kickoff?

The flamboyant new Colorado coach led his Buffaloes onto the field here at Amon G. Carter Stadium just like he hoped he would after underdoing two sets of surgeries in June and July to fix issues in his legs, including blood clots and hammertoes on his left foot.

That was his goal after all of that – to run onto the field in the season opener before kickoff. He did it – slowly and with a limp, which was a big improvement from recent months of pain, hospital stays and healing. It also wasn’t immediately clear if he needed a pain-killing injection to help him do this, as he had recently considered.

Once one of the fastest players in football, Sanders, 56, has been severely slowed by what he describes as hereditary clotting issues in his legs. It caused him to miss three games as Jackson State’s head coach in 2021, when he had two toes amputated on his left foot after developing femoral arterial blood clots and compartment syndrome. Circulation issues flared up again this year, leading to the loss of feeling in the same foot before his surgeries. —Brent Schrotenboer

Read Jarrett Bell’s full feature on Sanders and Colorado here.

Oklahoma scores second touchdown on punt return

The Sooners are off the a blazing start against Arkansas State with two scores less than three minutes in.

After scoring on its opening drive on five plays, the defense forced Arkansas State to punt on its opening drive. Gavin Freeman then returned the punt 82 yards to make it 14-0. — Jordan Mendoza

College football picks Week 1

Here are our college football Week 1 expert picks:

Here are our picks and projections for every major conference.

Big college football games this weekend

The time has arrived, college football fans. Sure, we had a little teaser with the abbreviated slate known as Week 0, but now that it’s September, everybody else in the sport’s top division is getting their season underway as well.

The Week 1 schedule is actually fairly light on high-profile matchups. But with a full television lineup, which is happily extended a couple of days thanks to the holiday weekend, there should be something worthy of attention going on all the way through Monday night. Some of these won’t have much time-slot competition, but keep that remote handy as always when sitting down to enjoy your Saturday. Here’s a quick rundown of the weekend’s top games. — Eddie Timanus

Michigan quarterback wears shirt in support of Jim Harbaugh

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy wore a "Free Harbaugh" shirt during warmups for Michigan's game against East Carolina.

Jim Harbaugh won't coach Michigan's season opener, but his players are making it known they want their coach back.

Harbaugh will miss the first three games of the season due to a self-imposed suspension, as he likely faces punishment from the NCAA over possible recruiting violations and misleading NCAA investigators. The Wolverines will have a rotating group of assistant coaches leading the team to start the season.

College Gameday - Week 1

ESPN’s College Gameday is in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday for the battle of the Carolinas. The South Carolina Gamecocks and North Carolina Tar Heels will face off at Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. It is the first College Gameday visit for a South Carolina-North Carolina game. The Tar Heels haven't appeared on College Gameday since 2010, while the Gamecocks most recently appeared in 2014. — Scooby Axson

College football conferences musical chairs

Confused by all the conference changes coming in major college sports within the next year? It's been difficult to follow all the moving pieces during the past weeks and months.

We knew last summer that more lucrative TV deals would soon lure UCLA and Southern California to the Big Ten for the 2024 season. Likewise, Texas and Oklahoma announced plans to move to the SEC. But little did we know how many other programs also would soon be moving.

What's transpired in the Pac-12, Big 12 and Big Ten in recent weeks has grabbed most of the college realignment headlines, but big changes are coming to both the Power Five and the Group of Five by this time next year. A few we'll see in just a few days. This season, the Big 12 will welcome three teams from the American Athletic Conference: Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston.

In the past four decades, teams moved, conferences grew and a few collapsed. That doesn't sound much different than today's situation – other than the rapid pace at which these changes are unfolding. Here’s everything you need to know. — Jim Sergent

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Here are some of the best signs from College Gameday.

College football predictions

Georgia, Michigan, Clemson, Southern California and Texas are the forecasted conference champions in USA TODAY Sports' 2023 record projections for the Power Five leagues. The Bulldogs will chase college football history with a new cast of starters, led by quarterback Carson Beck. They'll once again face stiff competition from Alabama, which looks to take back the SEC West after finishing second in the division last season to LSU.

Michigan will have to fend off Ohio State and Penn State in what is easily the most competitive division in the Bowl Subdivision. Clemson's biggest challenge will come from Florida State. In the Pac-12, USC has the offense to run the table but might be undone by an unpredictable defense. And while Texas has the pieces to compete for the College Football Playoff, the Longhorns will have to take the Big 12 back from defending champion Kansas State and national runner-up TCU.

College football Week 1 odds

The top college football betting apps favor No. 16 TCU in their opening matchup with Deion Sanders and Colorado. The Horned Frogs are 20.5-point favorites over the unranked Buffaloes, according to the BetMGM college football odds. One of the best mobile sports betting apps, BetMGM is among those offering the top NCAA football betting promos in 2023.

Later in the afternoon, 12-ranked Texas is expected to win big (-35.5) over visiting Rice. Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers boasts some of the best betting odds to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy.

One of the more interesting games in the nighttime slate will be a cross-border battle between No. 20 North Carolina and South Carolina. The Tar Heels are 2.5-point road favorites, but the Gamecocks could have a sleeping dragon in former top QB recruit Spencer Rattler.

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