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First off, welcome back college football!
After seven long and agonizing months away, your buddy’s favorite sport returned to bring peace back into this world. Truly, the shenanigans that just occurred throughout week zero were simply incredible.
From USC’s questionable attendance to Beau Pribula and Virginia beating down NC State, week zero was in a way, hilarious. Yours truly has his thoughts on what may be his only free Saturday this fall. Enjoy!
College Football, meet Trent Mosley:
Lincoln Riley’s time in the “City of Angels” has been strange. Even with him developing a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in Caleb Williams a few seasons ago, somehow, Riley has still not brought the Trojans to the College Football Playoff (CFP). As a blue blood in the sport, the fact that they still have not made the playoff since its inception is ridiculous.
For the 2026 season, expectations are high for USC. With another talented QB in Jayden Maiava, this by all means has to be the season the Trojans make the CFP. The journey to the CFP started nicely on Saturday with a 42-26 victory over San José State.
While Maiava was incredible (25/29, 286 passing yards, 3 total touchdowns), one player stunned everyone with his debut performance.
Freshman receiver Trent Mosley balled out in first performance for the “Cardinal and Gold.” Securing 118 receiving yards and a touchdown, it was a standout performance for a player who could become something great at USC.
Mosley will look to develop into something special as he and his fellow recruiting class members try to alter the perception of the program. USC's newest recruiting class was ranked number one by 247Sports and features other remarkable players such as New Jersey native Luke Wafle, and Mark Bowman to name a few.
Now Coach Riley, please don’t fumble this class like Jimbo Fisher did with Texas A&M’s 2022 recruiting class.
North Dakota State’s Game Was Called by WHO???:
NDSU’s first win as an FBS member was sensational. Opening their brand new era with a 33-7 win over former FCS buddy Jacksonville State, it's a memory that Bison fans will cherish forever.
So, who announced this wonderful game on CBSSN you may ask? Um, well. Do I have to say his name?
Yes, Brian Kelly was in the booth calling this one with play-by-play Rich Waltz and Adam Breneman. I unfortunately don’t have CBSSN so I couldn’t listen to Kelly but from what I read, the reactions were mixed.
Look, Kelly is a controversial figure in the eyes of many different fanbases and he has been memed out of proportion, especially during his coaching career. This is most likely a temporary stop because he will probably coach somewhere again and gain a new accent in the process.
Congrats to NDSU though. That’s more important.
Why is Florida State Real?:
So the Seminoles are 1-0. Surely they handled New Mexico State nicely, right? What do you mean it was only a 34-17 win?
For FSU fans, the end of the Mike Norvell era may be in sight because even in a win, the team looked uninspired. QB Ashton Daniels struggled, their new offensive line was inconsistent, and their defense let a Conference USA team embarrass them in a way.
With two ranked opponents in SMU and Alabama on the horizon, it just feels like Florida State is destined to start 1-2. Plus, with a brutal four-game stretch in October featuring Virginia, Louisville, Miami and Clemson, Norvell may simply be cooked.
Gotta Love FCS Action:
As a massive supporter of the FCS, there were many fun moments throughout this side of college football this past week.
For starters, Marist played at New Haven Friday night and the Chargers defended their beautiful blue and gold turf field by winning 22-21. Had I not been working a closing shift for my retail job, I would have somehow made the trip up to watch this wonderful contest.
Out on Staten Island Saturday, the Wagner Seahawks lost 28-7 to Robert Morris. While brutal, the Seahawks were able to score on a pick-six thanks to defensive back Julio Tatis. I bring up Tatis because I called one of his games during his time at Parsippany Hills when he played against Warren Hills in 2023.
When I saw his interception on my Instagram feed, I was very impressed.
Lehigh vs Holy Cross was another interesting game as the Mountain Hawks took down the Crusaders 35-10.
However, Holy Cross’ QB intrigued me and there is a reason for why he did. His name is David Lynch. Yes, that is the guy’s name.
Instead of questioning his performance, I was questioning if he had ever watched Twin Peaks or not. Does he know who filmmaker David Lynch is? Does he know that Gravity Falls was inspired by Twin Peaks?
Side note, I feel like Oregon’s football program should have been mentioned on Gravity Falls at least once. Imagine the opportunity Marcus Mariota could have had with voicing a character on the show.
Finishing in “Big Sky Country,” Southern Utah and Montana battled it out in Missoula on Saturday night. Luckily for the Grizzlies, they avoided a potential upset and captured a 28-21 win.
Two players deserve recognition from this game and those players are: Southern Utah's QB Will Burns and Montana’s star running back Eli Gillman.
Watching Burns operated the option so well was a sight to behold. Finishing with a ridiculous 119 rushing yards, Burn’s legs nearly helped the Thunderbirds to a major victory. His arm also got some work in with 251 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.
But, there’s a reason why Gillman is essentially a Grizzlies great. Montana needed his two touchdowns, especially his 85-yard receiving score early in the game. If there is one player that will be credited nicely for potentially leading Montana to an FCS national title in January, it’s probably Gillman.
To finish, please enjoy this incredible catch from the high school ranks. I expect DePaul Catholic’s Kyron Dubose to have more offers soon.