Week 3 College Football Highlights: Ranked Teams Fall, Dark Horses Rise
- Gareth Evans
- Sep 18, 2025
- 5 min read
Three weeks into the college football season and an air of uncertainty around the end of season playoff picture lingers. Six teams in the AP Top 25 have already lost to unranked teams. Teams earmarked for success in the preseason have stumbled and much hyped players have struggled to meet the lofty expectations built around them.
Where some teams and players have fallen out of the spotlight, others have barged their way into it. Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, both now unbeaten at 3-0, firmly deserve their spots in the most recent AP Top 25 poll. Notre Dame, the runners up in last season's title game, are off to an ignominious start at 0-2, while the University of Miami, out of the national limelight for over 20 years, sit at No.4 in the rankings, with impressive wins over Notre Dame and emerging giant killers South Florida under their belt.
From an SEC shootout, to a classic encounter between two storied teams and a host of upsets, Week 3 was one to savour.
No.6 Georgia 44, No.15 Tennessee 41
"A full blown shootout" yelled ABC commentator Chris Fowler late into this enthralling SEC encounter. The two conference powerhouses traded blows in front of a raucous crowd at Neyland Stadium with the knockout delivered by a 1-yard Josh McCray touchdown run in overtime.
Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar started brightly, completing his first 14 passes, running in a touchdown and leading Tennessee to a 21-7 win. He found 6'5" receiver Chris Brazzell II with three touchdown passes. The rangy receiver caught 6 passes for 177 receiving yards and could emerge as a star this season. Aguilar threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns. It's hard to believe his arrival in Knoxville seemed something of an afterthought after the noisy departure of his predecessor, the ultimately disappointing Nico Iamaleava.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton "grew up tonight" according to Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart. Stockton threw for 304 yards, two touchdowns and ran in a third. He stepped up under immense pressure, finding London Humphreys on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter when Georgia were trailing 38-30. A two-point conversion tied the game for the third time.
Having missed a 43-yard field goal that could have clinched an upset win for Tennessee towards the end of the fourth quarter, kicker Max Gilbert put the Volunteers ahead with a 42-yard attempt in overtime. before Georgia running back McCray bulldozed over the line to clinch a huge conference win for the visitors.
A bad day for football in South Carolina
No.12 Clemson 21, Georgia Tech 24
On a sunny afternoon in Atlanta, the sun may have set on Clemson's playoff hopes. With ACC rivals Miami winning big against upstart South Florida and Florida State unbeaten, this was a game one-loss Clemson needed to make a statement win against another conference rival, a highly underrated, physical Georgia Tech team.
The Tigers have been notoriously slow starters this season, trailing 16-0 to Troy in Week 2 and they trailed by 13 against the Yellow Jackets early in the second quarter. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik's play has been erratic and his inconsistency was mirrored by the Tigers' offense. Bryant Wesco's 73-yard touchdown reception from Klubnik tied the game at 14-14 but Georgia Tech finished the stronger.
It may be the all white uniforms, but the Yellow Jackets seemed to be more imposing, bullying their visitors with a bruising run game. Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King embodies his team's physicality, running for 103 yards and a touchdown, while completing 20 of 28 passes for 211 yards. King's touchdown was followed up by a two-point conversion on a "Philly Special" which tied the game before Aidan Birr's 55-yard field goal curled inside the right upright in the dying seconds to give Georgia Tech, now 3-0, real momentum in the ACC and condemn Clemson to a surprise second loss of the season just three games in.
Vanderbilt 31, No.11 South Carolina 7
The early loss of dual threat quarterback LaNorris Sellers was an early setback from which No.11 South Carolina never recovered. This was a damaging conference loss for the Gamecocks, who tumble out of the AP Top 25, replaced by their conquerors Vanderbilt, who enter at No.20 and could be a dark horse in the SEC. At 3-0, they face non-conference opponents Georgia State and Utah State before a run of seven conference games starting in October which they could enter with a 5-0 record.
South Carolina face No.23 Missouri this weekend and then Kentucky before a trip to LSU which will be a must-win game if they are to retain any hope of a playoff berth.
A good week for the SEC
No.16 Texas A&M 41, No.8 Notre Dame 40
A classic encounter in South Bend saw Texas A&M continue their solid start to the season and inflict a damaging second defeat of the season on the Fighting Irish, who are yet to win this season.
The Aggies look like a different team with Marcel Reed at quarterback, dangerous on offense with imposing deep threats in receivers Mario Craver and KC Concepcion. |Carver caught seven passes for 207 yards, the pick being an 86-yard touchdown. In Le'Veon Moss, they have a powerful back who ran in three first-half touchdowns which set up the Aggies' passing game beautifully.
A thrilling encounter was settled by tight end Nate Boerkircher's 11-yard touchdown reception with 13 seconds left. Notre Dame's missed extra point earlier in the game proived costly as Aggies kicker Randy Bond slotted his extra point attempt to seal a dramatic victory, Texas A&M's first on the road against a Top 25 opponent in 11 years.
Florida 10, No.3 LSU 20
Five touchdowns from Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and a string of penalties dented the Gators' hopes of turning their season around on the road in Baton Rouge against a strangely sluggish LSU.
Florida, and their young quarterback are clearly talented but appeared to trip themselves up in key moments. Lagway's first three interceptions all came on third down plays and he continually threw into double and one occasion, triple coverage. A holding penalty on Gators offensive lineman Knijeah Harris denied Florida a spectacular downfield touchdown.
LSU racked up 322 yards of offense and remain the dominant team in the SEC, sitting at No.3 in the AP poll. They take on Southeastern Louisiana this weekend while Florida, now 1-2, will try and revive their season on the road at No.4 Miami.
Wisconsin 14, No.19 Alabama 38
Alabama are showing signs of a much needed gain in momentum. The return of emerging superstar receiver Ryan Williams from injury has made a real impact. Injured in the Crimson Tide's opening loss against Florida State, he missed last week's 73-0 blowout of the University of Louisiana-Monroe, but sparkled in his comeback, hauling in five passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, the pick being a 75-yard flea flicker that put Alabama four scores up.
Tide quarterback Ty Simpson impressed. The junior completed 24 of 29 passes for 382 yards and four touchdowns. His throws looked sharp and accurate and he looked comfortable as the new fulcrum of the Alabama offense.
Alabama has a week off before they take on Georgia on Sept. 28th. Wisconsin, falling to 2-1, host Maryland on Saturday.
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