Texas jumps up to No. 2 for the first time since 2009; Texas A&M wins its first game of the season; and Houston scares Oklahoma.
Texas distinguished out from the rest of the Lone Star State with a big win on the road in Ann Arbour, while Texas A&M restored confidence with an easy win at home. As for Big 12 teams like the University of Houston, Baylor, and Texas Tech—yikes. TCU was the only team in the conference from Texas to win a game, and it did so against the Long Island Sharks.
UTSA and Rice both won this week, while Sam Houston State suffered a defeat in Orlando.
No. 2 Texas (2-0)
The Longhorns defeated the incumbent national champion Michigan Wolverines 31-12 at the Big House in Ann Arbour this weekend, securing the No. 2 ranking in the AP Poll for the first time since 2009. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is the only FBS quarterback in the NCAA to have thrown three touchdown passes without an interception against multiple AP top-10 opponents since the start of last season. This includes 349 yards and three touchdowns versus Alabama last September.
Next game: vs. UTSA, 6 p.m., Saturday, September 14. ESPN Texas A&M (1–1)
On Saturday, the Aggies defeated McNeese State 52-10, blowing past their legendary previous head coach, R.C. Slocum’s alma school. What jumped out was the Aggies’ running game, which featured six different ball carriers for 333 rushing yards. Texas A&M’s four rushing touchdowns were its most since four in a 52-3 win over Prairie View in 2021, while the team’s 333 total rushing yards were the most since 503 yards in an 80-59 victory over Northwestern State in 2018. On the other hand, Notre Dame’s loss just got worse, as the Fighting Irish were trounced by Northern Illinois 16-14 at home this weekend. Notre Dame fell 13 spots to No. 18, while NIU moved into the top 25 at No. 25. The Aggies garnered 68 points in the AP Poll, ranking third behind Illinois and Boise State. TCU is 2-0 and will play against Florida on Saturday, September 14 at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
The Horned Frogs defeated the Long Island University Sharks 45-0 on Saturday. It should be noted that the Long Island Sharks have only had a Division I FCS football program since 2019, when they merged their Post and Brooklyn campuses. The Sharks’ 127 yards of total offence were the least permitted by
TCU has not allowed Grambling State to gain more than 80 yards since 2012, when it defeated them 56-0.
Texas State (2-0)
We apologise for missing out Texas State in last week’s review, but the Bobcats are now 2-0 after defeating the UTSA roadrunners 49-10 in the I-35 rivalry. It’s the first time the Bobcats have started the season 2-0 since 2013. Jordan McCloud, the Bobcats’ quarterback, transferred from James Madison, where he was voted Sunbelt Player of the Year, and has been named to several quarterback award watch lists this season. McCloud completed 18 out of 27 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns.
The next game for Houston (0-2) is against Arizona State on Thursday, September 12 at 6:30 p.m., on ESPN.
Unfortunately, the Cougars will have to wait another week for their first win under new head coach Willie Fritz, starting the season 0-2 for the first time since 2012. Houston gave No. 15 Oklahoma a scare in Saturday’s 16-12 defeat. Defensive back Jeremiah Wilson intercepted Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold’s first interception of the season, but the Cougars’ offensive struggles doomed them in the second half, as the Sooners thwarted any potential comeback with a safety in the fourth quarter. Rice (1-1)
On Saturday, the Owls defeated Texas Southern 69-7, their first win of the season. Their 69 points were the third highest in school history, surpassing their previous high of 77 against North Texas on Sept. 27, 2008. Senior Dean
Conners rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns, bringing his career total to 1,064. The next game for Baylor (1-1) is at Houston on Saturday, September 14 at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
The Bears lost 23-12 on the road to No. 12 Utah in their opening Big 12 game of the season. It seems appropriate to spotlight Palmer Williams, who had a career-high punt of 79 yards this weekend. His 62.7-yard average on six punts set a school record for yards per punt in a single game. Texas Tech (1-1)
Perhaps we should have seen this coming after the Red Raiders nearly beat Abilene Christian last week, but Washington State defeated Texas Tech 37-16 on the west coast this weekend. It doesn’t help that Texas Tech reported prior of the game that Joseph Adedire, its second seasoned linebacker, had suffered a season-ending injury. The first was Dylan Spencer. Sam Houston (1–1)
The Bearkats lost 45-14 to UCF on the road in Orlando, allowing more than 550 yards of offence.
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