2025 College Football: Week 6 Takeaways
If you enjoy upsets (let’s be real: you probably do), you enjoyed week 6. The #7 and #9 teams both went down against unranked foes. One of them lost to an 0-4 team. In addition to the surprising outcomes, Navy and Air Force…threw the ball during their matchup? Yeah, this week was nuts. (2) Oregon, (4) Ole Miss, and (8) Indiana were probably all thrilled to be on their byes. Here, we’ll discuss the major upsets and those baffling service academies. We’ll also dissect the two games that took place between teams that were ranked in the top 25. Come check out the action in my week 6 takeaways!
(10) Alabama Gets Revenge Against (16) Vanderbilt in Tough Battle
Don’t pay too much attention to the 30-14 final score. This game was as competitive as you might have hoped. Last season during week 6, the Commodores stunned Alabama. This time around, I think the Crimson Tide knew not to take anything for granted. If they didn’t know, they found out on the first drive when they committed their first turnover of the entire season, a Ty Simpson INT. Vandy went 93 yards for a score on their first drive, and history felt like it might repeat itself. That was especially true once Alabama committed two holding penalties on their second possession and missed a field goal to end it.
However, the Commodores weren’t nearly as mistake-free as they were last time, which gave Alabama time to find their footing. QB Diego Pavia (21/35, 198 yards, TD; 12/58 rushing) committed two rare turnovers, including a fumble and an INT, both of which came in the red zone. He did a lot of good things as well, but this game didn’t help his Heisman stock. Vanderbilt’s defense also wasn’t up to the task. They had an impossible time stopping RB Jam Miller (22/136/1) on the ground, and after his early pick, Simpson (23/31, 340 yards, 2 TDs) rebounded spectacularly. It helped that Vandy couldn’t cover WR Ryan Williams (6/98/1).
A cosmetic score at the end led to the lopsided score, but Vanderbilt played tough. This was a tie game at halftime, and it remained a one-score affair into the 4th quarter. Alabama’s defense pitched a second-half shutout, which was the difference. In particular,y LB Justin Jefferson (no, not that one) tortured Vandy to the tune of 14 tackles and a sack. They were the better team up front on both offense and defense, proving that the Crimson Tide is back (if the Georgia game didn’t already do so). Vanderbilt is a very good team; they didn’t bring their best in this game, and they need to be nearly perfect to knock off the elites.
(9) Texas Upset by Florida; Manning Not Showing Improvement
When I said I’d get back to the Gators a few weeks ago, this is not what I anticipated! They delivered the favored Longhorns a punch in the mouth with an 84-yard opening TD drive. Florida established dominance with their offensive line, and that would continue throughout the game. RB Jadan Baugh (27/107/1) met little resistance, and the big men kept QB DJ Lagway completely clean. After a 10-0 start, Texas got back into the game via a fumble by TE Hayden Hansen (2/30) and scored a TD off the turnover. The Florida we saw in weeks past would’ve crumbled; this edition didn’t allow Texas to get any closer than that 3-point margin.
The Gators controlled the game from there. Lagway (21/28, 298 yards, 2 TDs, INT) made one of his characteristic errors, but he still posted his best line of the season. Defensively, Florida held Texas to 52 yards rushing on 2 yards per carry and sacked Texas QB Arch Manning 6 times. Even the special teams chipped in with a blocked punt for a safety. As well as Florida played this is where I need to transition and discuss what’s going wrong with Manning (16/29, 263 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 15/37 rushing). He continues to hold onto the ball too long, and although he made some good throws under duress, his hesitancy cost his team.
One sequence exemplifies the issue. Trailing 29-21 (which would be the final score), Manning got a final chance to tie the game with 55 seconds left. He took a bad sack and lost his helmet, burning time and forcing backup Matthew Caldwell to come in for a play. Caldwell fired a 26-yard completion, only for Manning to return and take another sack. This one ran out the clock, as his spike attempt came at 0:00. The physical tools are all there; he’s more mobile than his famous uncles, and he has a very live arm. I expected his processing to be further along than it appears to be. If that switch doesn’t turn on, it’ll be Texas’ undoing.
I owe a bit more text to Florida. Though they still weren’t perfect (with 1:53 to go, the Gators had a player’s helmet come off, but they called timeout to avoid a 10-second runoff, thereby helping Texas for some unknown reason), this is the team we were waiting for coming into the season. We’ve actually seen this script before. Last year, Florida started poorly before going on a midseason run, saving the job of HC Billy Napier. The schedule this year is far harder, so a similar run could bail him out again. I suspect that this game told us more about Texas, but the Gators aren’t dead yet. It’s up to them to seize this momentum.
Winless UCLA Shocks (7) Penn State in Surprise of the Season
No matter what happens the rest of the season, 0-4 UCLA beating the Nittany Lions will likely go down as the year’s biggest upset. The preseason #2 team, Penn State lost last week in OT to Oregon, and there’s no shame in that. Dropping a conference game to a school that fired its coach just two weeks ago? Damning. The weird part is that if you look at the offensive stats, you’d think Penn State had an easy time. QB Drew Allar (19/26, 200 yards, 2 TDs; 11/78 rushing) had a productive day and a career-high in rushing yards. RB Kaytron Allen (8/50/2) scored twice, and the Nittany Lions ran for 5.1 yards per carry as a team.
Defensive lapses and situational football made all of the difference in this game. The Bruins had their best offensive performance of the season by FAR, and that reflects poorly on Penn State. Much-maligned QB Nico Iamaleava (17/24, 166 yards, 2 TDs; 16/128/3 rushing) had the most production of his career. His passing volume was still limited, but he was efficient. He also led his team in rushing and led them to a 10/16 third-down conversion rate. UCLA’s ability to stay on the field led them to a season-high 42 points against an increasingly tired defense, and their own stop unit held PSU to just 7 first-half points.
The Nittany Lions did make a late charge and cut the score to 42-35 with 4:11 left. UCLA nearly let them close the gap. The Bruins faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34, and RB Anthony Woods (14/63) was wide open in the flat. Iamaleava didn’t make a perfect throw, and though Woods caught the ball, he spun and fell for no gain. Inexplicably, they ran QB draw on 4th and 1 (much to the apparent surprise of interim HC Tim Skipper) and got stuffed. However, the defense stood tall twice in a row, with Penn State’s only points in those final minutes coming from an intentional safety taken by UCLA to burn extra time.
To say that this result was unexpected would be an extreme understatement. Penn State came in as a 24.5-point favorite yet lost 42-37. UCLA became the first team with a record of 0-4 or worse to beat a top-10 opponent in 40 years. I basically called the Nittany Lions frauds last week, and they validated that portrayal. James Franklin did not have his team ready to play. I guess he loses to more than just high-end foes. For UCLA, this may go down as the highlight of their season. It’s hard to believe that they really turned a permanent corner, and bowl eligibility is a longshot. Still, this was a great win nonetheless.
(3) Miami Dominates (18) Florida State but Still Struggles Closing Games
I initially planned to write about how Miami destroyed their rival in Tallahassee. They had a 28-3 lead through 3 quarters, and everything was going right. QB Carson Beck (20/27, 241 yards, 4 TDs) had an outstanding game. WRs Malachi Toney (7/107/2) and CJ Daniels (5/78/2) continue to look like game-breakers. The defense held an FSU team averaging 53 points a game to a measly field goal for most of the contest. They picked off Seminoles QB Tommy Castellanos on a trick 4th-and-snap and threw a deep flea flicker TD on their next offensive snap. Miami even forced Florida State into 3 game-changing turnovers.
The fourth quarter changed my plans. As they did after taking a big lead against Notre Dame back in week 1, the Hurricanes went into a shell. Every play on offense was either a run up the middle or a WR screen. Defensively, they shifted to prevent mode, which I insist doesn’t prevent anything. In a self-inflicted manner, Miami didn’t score a single 4th-quarter point, and they allowed FSU to dream of a comeback. All 3 of the Seminoles’ possessions during the quarter went for scores. The first two were TDs, including a 19-play, 96-yard drive, and the last one was a field goal that was attempted on first down due to time considerations.
Although Miami’s edge rush continued to perform well, the rest of the unit allowed Castellanos (25/45, 272 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 16/57 rushing) to run for big gains and find open receivers. WR Duce Robinson (6/87) in particular seemed to be uncovered almost every play. Worst of all, penalties plagued the Hurricanes. They committed 13 accepted infractions for 114 yards, extending FSU drives and wiping out a Toney TD of their own. The combination of an undisciplined team and a conservative approach nearly ended in disaster. That 28-3 score turned into a 28-22 final that only held because the clock hit 0:00, not the Canes’ play.
I give credit to the Seminoles for battling as hard as they did when all seemed lost. Despite consecutive losses, they’re still a good team, even if not the juggernaut some thought they were after beating Alabama. The issue here is that Miami is a great team. These Hurricanes are far too talented to keep having lapses like this. At their best, they’re good enough to win a national title. However, their biggest enemy is…Miami. Teams aren’t outright beating them. The Hurricanes are threatened only by themselves. HC Mario Cristobal has plenty of work to do despite all of the success his team has displayed in their 5-0 start.
Service Academies Throwing Football Like Never Before!
I ruefully discussed Army’s appalling week-1 loss to Tarleton State, but I’m happy to report that I come with better news about the service academies! While the Black Knights remain an extremely run-heavy attack, the other two FBS military programs, Navy and Air Force, have actually started airing out the football. Those schools played each other this week, and we saw scoring and aerial fireworks for the first time in many matchups. Don’t worry: the Midshipmen (178 yards) and Falcons (211) yards still ran the football and did so effectively, and both were paced by their QBs on the ground. We’re just not used to them completing passes.
Air Force’s Liam Szarka (11/19, 212 yards, 2 TDs; 25/152/2 rushing) didn’t throw a ton, but his pass plays were mostly explosive. WR Bruin Fleischmann (6/166/1) caught more than half of Szarka’s completions, giving the Falcons an actual 100-yard receiver. Not to be outdone, Navy’s Blake Horvath (20/26, 339 yards, 3 TDs; 17/130/1 rushing) had an even bigger day through the air, and he helped WR Eli Heidenreich (8/243/3) set a school record for receiving yards in a single game. Heidenreich came into the game with just 5 catches all year. That should tell you how unusual this style of offense is for his school.
Navy outlasted Air Force 34-31 to move to 5-0. Army surprised everyone last year in the AAC, and this year might be their archrivals’ turn. However, the bigger takeaway here is the potential modernization of the offensive schemes at two of the three service academies. With all the other work these kids have to do (actual classes and military training), fancy running-centric offenses took a little weight off of their shoulders. I don’t know how they’re managing to add passing concepts to their workloads, but the result is a lot of fun. Here’s hoping that this is a beginning of a new era and not a short-term blip.