No. 1 Ohio State wasted no time turning its season opener into a statement, rolling past Ball State 56-3 in Columbus behind a huge day from Jeremiah Smith and a sharp debut from Julian Sayin.
Smith was everywhere for the Buckeyes, catching eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Sayin matched the moment with efficiency and production, throwing for 320 yards and three scores while completing 21 of 25 passes. He also added a rushing touchdown as Ohio State built an early lead and never let go.
The Buckeyes piled up three scoring drives of 90 yards or more and another that went 83, all while holding Ball State to just 165 total yards. Devin McCuin added six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, giving Ohio State another reliable target as the offense kept humming.
Ball State’s lone points came from Brody Boehm, who drilled a 54-yard field goal with 1:17 left in the first half. Keldric Luster finished 18 of 33 for 89 yards and an interception for the Cardinals.
No. 6 Indiana also opened with authority, beating North Texas 52-16 as Josh Hoover settled in quickly in his first game as the successor to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Hoover threw a touchdown on his first pass attempt and finished with another big passing line, while Charlie Becker hauled in two touchdown catches.
Hoover, a transfer from TCU, turned in his ninth career game with at least four touchdown passes. Indiana’s 17-game winning streak, the longest in FBS, stayed intact, and the Hoosiers also stretched their home winning streak to 16 games.
One of the game’s biggest moments came after Hoover had his nose bloodied on a 15-yard facemask penalty by North Texas’ Udoka Ezeani. Three plays later, Becker made a diving catch to push Indiana ahead 21-3.
No. 13 Alabama opened with a lopsided 48-10 win over East Carolina, scoring on its first five possessions and controlling the game from the start. The Crimson Tide piled up 480 total yards in the first career start for sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell.
Russell connected with Ryan Coleman-Williams five times for 130 yards, though the pair also dealt with a couple of drops and a lost fumble. Russell finished with 249 passing yards and added 86 rushing yards and a touchdown as Alabama went into halftime up 38-7.
No. 23 Houston had to sweat a little longer, but the Cougars held off Oregon State 33-20 after Conner Weigman broke the tie with a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:01 remaining.
Weigman went 20 of 30 for 305 yards and an interception, while Houston totaled 533 yards of offense. Amare Thomas led the passing game with eight catches for 133 yards and a score, and Makhi Hughes chipped in 98 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Oregon State stayed alive behind Braden Atkinson, who completed 29 of 48 passes for 376 yards and a touchdown. He spread the ball around to nine different receivers, with freshman Jesse Legree grabbing five passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.
In Other News...
Oregon States Loss Raised A Bigger Concern Than The Final Score
Houstons 33-20 win over Oregon State at TDECU Stadium looked like a straightforward early-season result on the scoreboard, but Willie Fritz spent his postgame time talking about the details that tend to decide whether a team can really sustain success. The head coach pointed to the running game, some uneven tackling, and a few key moments that swung field position and momentum, including a sack by Javion White and a late big play from Amare Thomas.
For a team still sorting out what it is defensively and where the offense can be more consistent, those are the kinds of issues that matter beyond one loss. Fritz also mentioned individual performances and areas that need to improve, which is usually the sign of a coach trying to separate fixable mistakes from broader concerns. In other words, the final score was only part of the story, and not necessarily the biggest part. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Left Houston With One Worry Fans Will Feel Fast
Oregon State left TDECU Stadium with a loss to No. 23 Houston, 33-20, but the larger concern for the Beavers came after the game when JaMarcus Shephard started sorting through the aftermath. The coach reviewed a performance that had some encouraging elements, including turnovers and leadership from Braden Atkinson, while also pointing to the areas that kept the Beavers from turning a competitive night into a better result.
The immediate follow-up now sits on the injury front, where Oregon State has to wait for clarity on a couple of players after a physical night in Houston. At the same time, Shephard was blunt about the football itself, saying the Beavers have work to do in tackling and on third- and fourth-down execution if they want to make the most of the positives they did bring home. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Found New Firepower But One Opener Concern Lingers
Oregon States opener offered a look at some immediate offensive upside, even in a loss to No. 23 Houston. True freshman Jesse Legree wasted little time announcing himself in his collegiate debut, flashing the kind of playmaking that can change a passing game, while quarterback Braden Atkinson settled into his first start with plenty of volume and a steady enough hand to keep the Beavers moving through the air.
The problem for Oregon State was that the new firepower did not fully translate into a win, and that is where the lingering concern comes in. The Beavers still had defensive highlights from Sailasa Vadrawale III, who came away with an interception and a fumble recovery, but the opener also left enough questions about how quickly all the pieces can come together when the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]