We're now in October in the college football season. Here's a look at everything you need to know about the Week 6 games.
Vanderbilt stuns No. 1 Alabama, 40-35
The Vanderbilt Commodores have taken down the No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, 40-35, in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Vanderbilt picks up its first win against an AP top-five team in the program's history.
Kalen DeBoer has lost his first SEC road game just one week after the Tide were given the number one ranking. Alabama outscored Vanderbilt 172-13 in four matchups with the Commodores under Nick Saban.
Vanderbilt was 0-10 against AP No. 1 ranked teams and 0-60 versus top-five teams heading into this matchup in Nashville.
DOWN GOES THE FIELD GOAL POSTS!!!
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball)
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea had a clear game plan — keep the ball out of Alabama's hands. And the Commodores executed this plan to perfection. Vanderbilt more than doubled Alabama's time of possession, 42 minutes to 18 for the Tide.
However, many underdogs attempt this strategy. So what was different?
Turnovers. Heisman hopeful Jalen Milroe threw a first-quarter pick-six, putting the Commodores up 13-0. Then in the fourth quarter, the Tide were driving the field, down 33-28. Vanderbilt came off the edge, blindsiding Milroe in the pocket, punching the ball out and recovering the fumble.
OUR BALL 😤
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball)
This play set up the game-sealing touchdown, as Vanderbilt took four and a half minutes to drive 53 yards, extending the lead to 40-28 with under five minutes to play.
On the other side of the ball, the Vanderbilt offense, captained by transfer quarterback Diego Pavia, made clutch play after clutch play as the Commodores went 12-18 on third down tonight. Last week, then-No. 2 ranked Georgia was 3-15 on third down against the Tide defense.
Pavia was an incredibly efficient 16-20 passing tonight, tallying 252 yards and two touchdowns in the air. Milroe finished 18-24 with 310 yards, a touchdown and a pick.
Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1 SEC) will try to carry this momentum to Lexington next week as they take on Kentucky. As for Alabama (4-1, 1-1 SEC), it will look to bounce back against South Carolina at home before traveling to Knoxville to take on No. 4 Tennessee in two weeks.
Arkansas shocks No. 4 Tennessee with last-minute touchdown
Arkansas secured the second top 5 upset of the day, taking down No. 4 Tennessee 19-14 attributed to a last-minute touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. The Razorbacks hand the Volunteers their first loss of the season — the program's first defeat since Nov. 18 last year. Additionally, it was the first time multiple AP top 5 SEC teams have lost to unranked teams on the same day.
A team that averaged over 60 points in its first three contests, Saturday's low-scoring affair was the opposite of what the Volunteers had been used to.
The first half was a slugfest dominated by both defenses. Outside of Arkansas' field goal to start the contest, both teams combined for zero points and three turnovers on downs. The Razorbacks prioritized not giving the Volunteers' high-flying offense many opportunities with the ball, holding Tennessee's time of possession to under 10 minutes by halftime.
Each offense found some wiggle room in the second half with the Volunteers scoring on back-to-back drives to start the third quarter while Arkansas put up 10 points by the earliest parts of the fourth.
It wasn't until the final few minutes of the contest that the Razorbacks put the idea of an upset into full effect. With less than a minute and 30 seconds left, Malachi Singleton's quarterback-keeper paid off. Although Arkansas' run game struggled throughout the matchup, finishing with just 39 yards on the ground, Singleton's 11-yard rushing touchdown was enough to give the Razorbacks a 19-14 lead.
NO FEAR
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB)
Although Tennessee had multiple timeouts remaining, Arkansas' defense built upon its already successful day at the office, forcing its second, and final, turnover on downs to complete the upset.
Washington beats No. 10 Michigan in national championship rematch
Washington gained its revenge on No. 10 Michigan, stunning the Wolverines 27-17 in a rematch of last season's national championship.
Although the two programs squared off just 9 months ago, both teams looked completely different than their star-studded cast from last season. Alongside new head coaches and starting quarterbacks, Michigan returned just five starters, the second-least in the Big Ten, while the Huskies return just two — the least in the conference.
The Huskies put Northwest Stadium on Cloud Nine early, jumping out to a 14-0 lead on the reigning champions in the early second quarter.
Michigan punched back, though, thanks to running back Donovan Edwards. Edwards, who starred in last year’s meeting, put the Wolverines on the board with a 58-yard rushing touchdown followed by a field goal before the first half ended.
Additionally, Michigan benched starting quarterback Alex Orji in the second quarter for seventh-year quarterback Jack Tuttle.
A quiet third quarter, Michigan and Washington entered the final 10 minutes knotted up at 17. And that’s when the Huskies broke away.
Edge rusher Voi Tunuufi strip-sacked Tuttle to give the Huskies’ offense great field position at Michigan’s 32-yard line, eventually leading to a rushing touchdown. The party wasn't over just yet, as defensive back Kamren Fabiculanan intercepted Tuttle, putting the nail in the coffin.
The win gives Washington its second Big Ten win of the season, while Michigan falls to 4-2 — arguably ending their hopes at returning to the College Football Playoff.
WASHINGTON PICKS IT 🤩
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball)
What a great play by Kamren Fabiculanan for 🐺 on NBC 📺
Minnesota stuns No. 11 USC with late game-winner
Minnesota pulled off a thrilling upset, defeating No. 11 Southern California 24-17 with a last-minute touchdown, handing the Trojans their second loss of the season. The Golden Gophers capitalized on turnovers and strong rushing to secure the win.
USC opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Miller Moss to Duce Robinson, capping a 15-play drive. Minnesota responded with a 32-yard field goal by Dragan Kesich, keeping the game within reach.
Minnesota’s ground game was the difference, led by Darius Taylor’s 144 yards on 25 carries. Quarterback Max Brosmer, who was efficient with 169 passing yards, found the end zone three times on the ground, including the game-winning 1-yard plunge with under a minute to play.
Turnovers proved costly for USC, as Moss threw two interceptions, the last coming with just nine seconds remaining, sealing the win for the Golden Gophers. Though the Trojans outgained Minnesota through the air, their rushing defense struggled to contain Taylor’s powerful runs.
The loss drops USC to 3-2 on the season, while Minnesota improves to 3-3 with its first conference win.
T-No. 25 Texas A&M rolls over No. 9 Missouri
Texas A&M handled Missouri 41-10 in College Station.
The Aggies made a fourth down stop on the Tigers' opening drive before posting 34 consecutive points. It was a one-sided affair, with Texas A&M tallying 305 total yards in the first half compared to Missouri's 79 as the Aggies led 24-0 at the break.
Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) continued to rub salt in the wound after the break, running for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half to extend the lead to 31-0.
LE'VEON MOSS OFF TO THE RACES 🔥
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter)
A 75-YARD TD TO START THE HALF 👏
Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC) could not find any answers for Texas A&M's defensive line, as the Tigers averaged a mere 2.3 yards per rush. In addition, the Aggies piled on six sacks and eight tackles for loss. The Tigers were playing behind the sticks for what appeared the entire game.
Texas A&M received a huge spark from the return of redshirt sophomore quarterback Connor Weigman, who went 18 for 22 for 276 yards. His return opened up an Aggies offense that had not eclipsed 200 yards passing in the three previous games during Weigman's absence.
As for the run game, Aggie running back Le'Veon Moss had a day, rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a ridiculous 11.5 yards per attempt. Missouri had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in its last 10 games.
Tigers quarterback Brady Cook struggled, going 13 for 31 and only 186 passing yards. However, Missouri's offensive line was not doing the veteran quarterback any favors.
Texas A&M picked up its first ranked win of the season and remains undefeated in SEC play. The Aggies will get a bye week before traveling to Starkville in two weeks to take on Mississippi State.
Missouri will drop out of the top 10 following this loss. The Tigers will look for a bounce-back game against UMass next weekend.
No. 3 Ohio State rolls past Iowa, 35-7
Ohio State showcased its dominance on both sides of the ball in a 35-7 victory over Iowa at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes jumped out to an early lead, with quarterback Will Howard finding Emeka Egbuka for a 14-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Ohio State’s offense stalled for much of the second quarter, including two turnovers, but Iowa failed to capitalize, missing a 51-yard field goal to keep the score 7-0 at halftime.
The Buckeyes came out strong in the second half, with Howard connecting on a 53-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith, setting up a one-handed, 4-yard touchdown grab. Ohio State’s defense then forced back-to-back Iowa turnovers, one of which led to a Howard rushing score, giving the Buckeyes a 21-0 lead. Egbuka added his third touchdown of the day in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Iowa’s offense struggled throughout, posting just 257 total yards and turning the ball over three times. Running back Kaleb Johnson broke free for a 28-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late for the Hawkeyes. The Buckeyes improved to 5-0 on the season, while Iowa dropped to 3-2, with Ohio State now preparing for a key matchup against Oregon next week.
SMU stuns No. 22 Louisville in thrilling ACC showdown
Riding the wave of two dominant wins over TCU and Florida State, SMU continued its hot streak with an upset of No. 22 Louisville, securing a 34-27 road victory.
The game got off to a thrilling start, as both teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter. SMU edged ahead with a 14-10 lead by the end of the quarter, showcasing the offensive power early. In the second quarter, SMU extended its lead, combining a touchdown and a field goal to head into halftime with a 24-13 advantage.
Louisville, determined to stay in the fight, came out strong in the third quarter. The Cardinals scored two touchdowns to eventually tie the game at 27-27, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish.
The Mustangs sealed the victory in the fourth quarter with a decisive touchdown. Louisville had an opportunity to respond in the final three minutes, but Tyler Shough's fourth down pass was intercepted by Isaiah Nwokobia. SMU then picked up first downs to clinch the win.
The Mustangs aim to keep their momentum rolling as they eye a third consecutive ACC victory in their upcoming matchup against Stanford on Oct. 19.
For Louisville, the loss could be a significant blow to their ACC title hopes, marking its second defeat of the season after a tough loss to Notre Dame. The Cardinals will have to regroup at Virginia next Saturday.
