Winners, Losers from College Football Games Today: Standouts, Disappointments from CFB Week 3
· Yahoo Sports
We got an entertaining slate of action in College Football Week 3, from a stunning upset at Kyle Field to some jaw-dropping performances across the country. As the slate of games starts to draw to a close, it’s now time to take a look at the standouts and disappointments from Saturday.
Let’s dive into our winners and losers from the college football games today.
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Winner: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a pass in front of Ball State Cardinals defensive back Willizhuan Yates (4) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Sept. 5, 2026.Jeremiah Smith is now the Ohio State Buckeyes’ all-time leader in receiving yards and he achieved it in just 32 games. The All-American wideout might not have put up eye-popping numbers in Saturday’s win over Kent State, but it deserves recognition when you overtake the likes of Emeka Egbuka, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Cris Carter. Smith (30 receiving touchdowns) will also break the Buckeyes’ career receiving touchdowns record (Olave, 35). The receptions record (205) will be his, too.
Loser: Bill Belichick, North Carolina Tar Heels HC
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesDays after his son resigned as defensive coordinator amid another scandal involving the football program, Bill Belichick found himself in position for his first monumental win as the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach. Against a struggling Clemson Tigers team, North Carolina led 17-3 at Memorial Stadium late in the second quarter. Belichick was two quarters away from redemption. Then, the Tar Heels defense imploded.
Clemson outscored North Carolina 25-3 from the 5-minute mark in the second quarter to the final whistle. During that stretch, the Tigers had an 88-yard scoring drive before halftime and touchdown drives of 92, 68 and 44 yards to come back and then seal the game. It is a humbling loss for the Tar Heels, and now they return home to face Notre Dame, a matchup that could get ugly very quickly.
Winner: Aiden Flora, RB, Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State running back Aiden Flora (21) carries the ball during the Cy-Hawk football game Sept. 12, 2026 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.Coming into Week 3, Iowa State Cyclones running back Aiden Flora had 134 rushing yards on 26 carries this season and 245 scrimmage yards in his collegiate career. In the first half alone, the Iowa native turned 9 carries into 179 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, also tacking on a reception to put up 190 scrimmage yards on just 10 first-half touches. It’s an outstanding performance for a young man who joined the Cyclones as a walk-on in 2024 and is now a co-captain making performances like this look like he’s back in high school.
Loser: C.J. Bailey and Dave Doeren NC State Wolfpack
Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn ImagesThe NC State Wolfpack led 31-28 at Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon with 6 seconds left in the game. On 4th-and-7, head coach Dave Doeren and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper put the football in the hands of quarterback C.J. Bailey at the Wolfpack 5-yard line, having him take the snap out of the shotgun to try and run out the clock and seal the win.
Instead, Bailey did the one thing that couldn’t happen. After running around for 3 seconds in the end zone, he got the football knocked out of his hands as he was taken down for the sack, with the Commodores recovering for the game-winning touchdown. Bailey certainly deserves blame for the loss, but we also can’t forget the utter implosion from NC State in the first half when it had a 17-0 lead and then allowed Vanderbilt to cover 45 yards on four plays, aided by a questionable DPI, for a touchdown right before the half. These are the kinds of poorly coached games that get a staff fired.
Winner: Torrance Burgess Jr, RB, Texas State Bobcats
Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY SportsIt almost feels wrong that the Texas State Bobcats couldn’t find a way to get Torrance Burgess Jr. into the end zone on Saturday. The Texas native had the game of his life at home against North Texas, ripping off a 76-yard run as the big highlight on a day when he put up 220 scrimmage yards on 27 touches. Burgess’ runs frequently set Texas State up in the red zone, allowing quarterback Brad Jackson and running back Davian Jackson to combine for 7 touchdowns in the Bobcats’ 49-35 shootout victory.
Loser: Mike Elko, Texas A&M Aggies HC
Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn ImagesA two-interception game from Marcel Reed certainly didn’t do the Texas A&M Aggies any favors on Saturday at Kyle Field. After all, the second interception effectively sealed the loss. However, Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Joe Sloan took Mike Elko to school in Week 3. The Wildcats offense put up 400 total yards, never turning the football over once. What’s particularly impressive is that outside of two drives–punt on first possession and kneel down before halftime–Kentucky’s offense either ended in points or a missed field goal against the Aggies’ defense until late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand.
Winner: Keyjuan Brown and Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville Cardinals
Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn ImagesWhat can Brown do for you? If you’re the Louisville Cardinals, carry you to victory over No. 16-ranked SMU. It had been a quiet start to the season for running backs Keyjuan Brown (68 yards on 8 carries) and Isaac Brown (97 yards on 29 carries), who had combined for 165 rushing yards and zero touchdowns through two games. In Week 3, both running backs ripped off fourth-quarter touchdown runs that turned a 31-28 deficit into a 41-31 lead. They also combined for 200 and 3 rushing touchdowns on 20 carries. Louisville’s offense had been carried by quarterback Lincoln Kierholz coming into Saturday and it now appears that Jeff Brohm has the well-balanced offense he’s been looking for.
Loser: USC Trojans’ Road Woes
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesComing into Week 3, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights looked like the worst Power 4 team in college football after ugly losses to UMass and Boston College. Leave it to the USC Trojans to suddenly make Rutgers look like a good program. USC’s defense did have a pick-six in this game that proved pivotal, but it also allowed over 400 total yards to the Scarlet Knights offense. Lincoln Riley’s offense can’t feel good about its effort either, considering it had a turnover on downs and two field goals on three of its trips into the red zone. Riley’s Trojans are just inexplicably mediocre on the road, and that is a bad characteristic to have when you have to face Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana at their respective homes later this year.
Winner: Keelon Russell, QB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn ImagesWhat a night for the young quarterback. The Alabama Crimson Tide defense certainly didn’t stand out on Saturday against Florida State, putting even more pressure on Keelon Russell to deliver in his first primetime game. The fans cheering him on in Tuscaloosa were treated to a show. Russell (23-of-30, 320 passing yards with 56 rushing yards and 4 total touchdowns) excelled in every situation and provided a desperately needed spark after Alabama trailed 14-3 entering the second quarter. After a rough showing at Kentucky, Russell demonstrated that he can quickly learn from mistakes and put this team on his back. While the win might have been a little too close for comfort, this kind of performance will inspire a ton of confidence in Russell moving forward.
Loser: John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma Sooners
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesWe were willing to write off John Mateer’s woes in the second half of last season because he was coming off a broken hand. It’s now pretty apparent that the Oklahoma Sooners, again, have a quarterback problem. A week after Mateer’s inability to make on-target throws cost the team a win against Michigan, he somehow let New Mexico hang around against the Sooners in Stillwater by throwing two interceptions in the first half. It doesn’t matter how good Oklahoma’s defense is in the next two weeks, Mateer simply isn’t stable enough as a passer to beat the likes of Georgia and Texas.
Winner: Michael Hawkins Jr, QB, West Virgina Mountaineers
Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn ImagesOn the same night where the Sooners’ quarterback issues nearly cost the, former backup Michael Hawkins Jr. demonstrated why he jumped at the chance to be the West Virginia Mountaineers starting quarterback. Hawkins Jr. came into Week 3 ranked ninth in ESPN QBR (86.8) and an eye-popping 199 rushing yards with 6 total touchdowns for the 2-0 Mountaineers. He added to those totals against No. 25-ranked Virginia, torching the Cavaliers for over 100 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in the first three quarters. Most importantly, Hawkins carried West Virginia ti its biggest win in years.
Loser: Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s Ground Game
Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn ImagesIt is time to be very concerned about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ground game, or the absence of one. Michigan State had only allowed 89 rushing yards per game entering Week 3, but it had only faced Toledo and Eastern Michigan. What’s so troubling is that Aneyas Williams is really doing nothing with his opportunities, highlighted by the fact he doesn’t have a run of 20-plus yards through three contests. Being unable to run the football effectively means more third-and-longs along with shorter drives, meaning the defense spends more time on the field. It’s weaknesses like that which can be the difference in making a playoff run or not.