Hey Team 👋

When I saw the Saturday and Sunday slates last week, I knew we had a wild weekend of football ahead of us. But nothing could have prepared me for just how wild this weekend was. After a crazy college football Saturday, packed with close calls and upsets, I didn’t think it could get any better. The NFL proved me wrong. So, let’s recap some of the weekend’s biggest moments.

Letter Rip!

< CFB >

College Football Week 3

This weekend in college football, the theme was last-second heartbreak (or celebration). And that’s the beauty of it all. The top 10 has been turned upside down following key matchups, major upsets and in-conference showdowns that came down to the wire. 

Georgia Tech Upsets #12 Clemson

Georgia Tech had plenty of preseason hype but never quite cracked the rankings – until now. The Yellow Jackets pulled off the upset over the No. 12 team with a last-second field goal, causing Clemson to tumble out of the top 25.

Georgia Tech took an early 10-0 lead over Clemson, but the Tigers clawed back, entering the second half trailing by only three points. The second half turned into a slugfest, with Clemson looking poised to escape yet again. But Aidan Birr had other plans. Birr drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired to stun Clemson and push the Yellow Jackets to 3-0, shaking up the ACC picture. 

For Clemson, it’s been a brutal start. They opened the season with a loss to LSU, barely survived against Troy and now find themselves unranked after dropping their second game in three weeks.

USF Hype Meets Reality

After beating #25 Boise State and shocking #13 Florida, there was plenty of hype surrounding the Bulls. Did we overlook their talent in the preseason? Well, not exactly. No. 5 Miami dominated USF 49-12 in an offensive explosion. 

Carson Beck threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns against the Bulls, while running back Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns of his own. So, it turns out the USF hype was just hype. But it was still fun watching them deliver some early season spoilers to ranked teams. 

The SEC Showdown

This one had fireworks from the opening whistle, and the stage set the tone. From College Gameday at 9 a.m. in Knoxville to the final seconds of overtime, Tennessee and Georgia delivered an instant SEC classic.

The Vols came out swinging, dropping 21 points in the first quarter while holding the Bulldogs to just one score. For a moment, it looked like Tennessee might run away with it. But Georgia clawed back, finally tying the game late in the fourth quarter, thanks to a successful two-point conversion. 

Tennessee had one more chance to put it away in regulation, but Max Gilbert pushed a 43-yard field goal attempt wide right to give the Dawgs a second chance. In overtime, Gilbert redeemed himself with a field goal to put the Vols back in front – only for Georgia to deliver the walk-off heartbreaker just moments later, escaping 44-41 and keeping their SEC crown intact.

Texas A&M Delivers the Heartbreaker 

Speaking of heartbreakers, Texas A&M delivered one of their own over the weekend – this time, to Notre Dame. Texas A&M entered the season relatively quietly, but they’ve been anything but quiet since. The Aggies stunned No. 8 Notre Dame with a last-second touchdown to win 41-40 in South Bend.

Unfortunately for the Fighting Irish, it was heartbreak all over again. After falling to Miami in a nail-biter in Week 1, the Irish once again came up just short in a marquee matchup. Still, there are reasons for optimism: Notre Dame has gone toe-to-toe with ranked opponents all season, even if the results haven’t fallen their way. That resilience kept them in the poll: Although the Irish dropped 16 spots, they still sit at No. 24.

AP Top 25 Poll

1. Ohio State (🟰)

2. Penn State (🟰)

3. LSU (🟰)

4. Miami (⬆️1)

5. Georgia (⬆️1)

6. Oregon (⬇️2)

7. Florida State (⬆️3)

8. Texas (⬇️1)

9. Illinois (🟰)

10. Texas A&M (⬆️6)

11. Oklahoma (⬆️2)

12. Iowa State (⬆️2)

13. Ole Miss (⬆️4)

14. Alabama (⬆️5)

15. Tennessee (🟰)

16. Utah (⬆️4)

17. Texas Tech (⬆️4)

18. Georgia Tech (previously unranked)

19. Indiana (⬆️3)

20. Vanderbilt (previously unranked)

21. Michigan (⬆️2)

22. Auburn (⬆️2)

23. Missouri (⬆️2)

24. Notre Dame (⬇️16)

25. USC (previously unranked)

< NFL >

NFL Week 2

The Lions Offense is Officially Back

The Lions erased any Week 1 doubts with an offensive explosion on Sunday, torching the Bears 52-21 in a statement win. Dan Campbell’s unit looked every bit like the high-powered attack from last season, firing on all cylinders from the opening drive. 

Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery both found the endzone, proving (once again) that Detroit’s running game is as dangerous as advertised. But it was Jared Goff who stole the spotlight, delivering five passing touchdowns and silencing any speculation about his ability to finish drives through the air. Speaking of touchdowns, Amon Ra St. Brown reminded everyone of his star status with nine catches for 115 yards and three receiving touchdowns. When Detroit’s offense is cooking like this, there aren’t many defenses in the league that will be able to keep up. 

Brandon Aubrey Saves the Day

If you would have told me last season that a Giants-Cowboys matchup would be the most electric game of the weekend, I would’ve laughed. But here we are. It turns out all the Giants needed was Russell Wilson feeding their star receiver, and all the Cowboys needed was a healthy Dak Prescott and more receiving depth. 

This NFC East battle was exactly that – a battle until the very end. We saw seven second-half lead changes and an overtime thriller between two teams hungry for a win. For the Giants, it was all about the connection between Russell Wilson and Malik Nabers. Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns, while Nabers shredded Dallas’ secondary with nine catches for 167 yards and two scores. On the other side, a healthy Dak Prescott leaned on his receiving corps, spreading the ball to four different players with five-plus catches. Plus, George Pickens showed out in Dallas with his first touchdown as a Cowboy. But in the end, Brandon Aubrey stole the show, drilling a 64-yard field goal before delivering the game winner in overtime.

Jake Browning Steps Up

Bengals fans and Joe Burrow fantasy owners everywhere held their breath when Burrow went down on Sunday. On Monday, they winced again, hearing Burrow will be sidelined for at least three months following toe surgery. On the bright side, Jake Browning was able to hold down the fort versus Jacksonville.

It wasn’t perfect: Browning threw three interceptions. But he found just enough magic to beat the Jaguars and move the Bengals to 2-0. As a backup QB, having Ja’Marr Chase certainly helps – and Browning capitalized on that. Chase hauled in a whopping 14 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown, silencing Week 1 doubts. If Browning can find a way to limit the turnovers and keep feeding Chase, the Bengals have a chance to stay in the mix even without their star QB.

Mac Jones Delivers

Another year, another round of injuries for the 49ers. Brock Purdy did not play on Sunday due to a turf toe injury, but Mac Jones stepped in to lead San Francisco to a win. While Burrow’s turf toe outlook is bleak, Purdy’s prognosis is much more favorable, with reports suggesting he may be ready to play as soon as next week. Regardless, Jones showed us he’s more than capable of leading this offense in Purdy’s absence.

Jones threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the wealth among Christian McCaffrey, Jauan Jennings and Luke Farrell. Speaking of injuries, Farrell filled in for the injured George Kittle who is expected to miss 3-5 weeks with a hamstring injury. Luckily, like the Bengals, the Niners have their own star to keep them afloat. CMC totaled 107 yards and a receiving score to remind everyone why he’s one of the league’s most dangerous weapons. Jones and Farrell inspire confidence that even while battling injuries, San Francisco should be able to weather the storm until reinforcements return.

Super Bowl LIX Rematch

Injuries didn’t slow the 49ers last weekend, but they caught up to Kansas City. The Chiefs dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2014, falling to the Eagles in a Super Bowl LIX rematch. Philadelphia, meanwhile, looked every bit the defending champions, thanks to a defense that stole the show.

Patrick Mahomes did what he could, leading Kansas City in rushing with 66 yards and a touchdown. But through the air, the struggles were clear. With receivers failing to separate, Mahomes managed just 187 passing yards and one score, capped by a crushing interception in the fourth quarter on a throw intended for Travis Kelce. Isiah Pacheco offered little relief, totaling only 22 yards on 10 carries.

The Eagles weren’t flawless offensively, but their ground game was enough. Saquon Barkley powered his way to 88 yards and a touchdown, while Jalen Hurts added a rushing score of his own. Through the air, Hurts managed just over 100 passing yards and no touchdowns, but there were signs of progress from Week 1. He connected with A.J. Brown five times and Devonta Smith four, showing improved rhythm with his top weapons.