2026 College Football: Week 3 Takeaways
The word of the week was most definitely “drama”. After a couple of slates filled with noncompetitive games, week 3 gave us far more even matchups to enjoy. (10) Alabama and (12) USC both survived scares from unranked opponents. (25) Virginia wasn’t so lucky, as they lost to West Virginia in the Duke Mayo Classic (just…why?). Those are just a few of the things we aren’t discussing! A top-10 team unexpectedly went down, a pair of games ended in insane fashion, and a certain pariah of a coach went on the road to face his old team. In other words: things happened in college football this week. Read on for my week 3 takeaways!
(8) Ole Miss Earns Revenge Over (7) LSU for Poaching Their Coach
We’ll start here because everyone is interested in this game. Ever since this year’s schedule was announced, people had this game circled. Because of course they did! Tigers coach Lane Kiffin left the Rebels during a playoff push to take his current job. As always with Kiffin, his exit was messy and filled with deceit. Furthermore, he didn’t go alone. He took assistant coaches with him at the time and recruited Ole Miss players in the transfer portal during the offseason. Having him return to Oxford the very next season was a beautiful bit of scheduling irony, and tens of thousands of fans showed up to jeer Kiffin the entire game.
Fortunately for football aficionados, the game itself lived up to the billing. At first, both sides seemed tentative. Ole Miss had to burn two timeouts on their first two possessions. But the Rebels did settle in first, posting a dominant first half. Aside from one good 8-minute TD drive by LSU, the first two quarters belonged to Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss (33/48, 363 yards, 2 TDs, INT; rush TD). Chambliss fired confident lasers to different weapons, including WRs Traylon Ray (7/115/1) and Deuce Alexander (7/60/1), and TE Caleb Odom (5/88). He also used his mobility to extend plays and frustrate the LSU defense.
Ole Miss led 24-7 at the break behind Chambliss and an inspired defense. After all, who knows Kiffin’s offense better than his former DC, i.e., current Rebels coach Pete Golding? The reverse is also true though, and the Tigers made great halftime adjustments. They used more exotic pressures to wreak havoc. On one play, rushers hit Chambliss and forced an INT, changing the momentum of the game. The Rebels didn’t score in the 3rd quarter, while LSU put up 17 unanswered points. QB Sam Leavitt (16/27, 158 yards, TD, INT; 17/63/1 rushing) didn’t throw well, but he used his legs to great effect. Not bad for a “doubtful” player.
Part of the problem was the loss of RB Kewan Lacy (9/43/1) to an undisclosed injury. An announcer jinx-induced FG miss by K Lucas Carneiro didn’t help either. However, they still had Chambliss. The star QB led his team down the field and scored a rushing TD to retake the lead. In a curious decision, the Rebels lined up to go for 2. I questioned this but then saw the genius of their plan. They barked at the line and drew two consecutive offsides penalties, setting up an easy 1-yard conversion. Kiffin was understandably annoyed at his undisciplined team, but Mississippi led 32-24 and could not lose in one LSU drive.
That drive didn’t manifest regardless. While LSU moved near the goal line, they ultimately came up short on a 4th-down INT. A celebratory crowd was matched only by the Rebels players themselves. Kiffin chose LSU because of their resources, which supposedly made it easier to win there. Long-term, that may well be true. But right now, the team he spurned battled his new one blow-for-blow and came out victorious. Many feel that Kiffin could still laugh last some day. Still, it had to feel incredible for all the people who had built up so much anger. On their target day, they proved that Ole Miss could win the big one.
(5) Miami, (13) Texas Tech Prevail in Friday Night Nailbiters
Back in chronological order, two of our Friday night matchups gave us really close calls. Miami’s game at Wake Forest did not seem like it would do so. Through 2 quarters and change, the Hurricanes dominated as we expected. QB Darian Mensah (30/34, 220 yards, 3 TDs) completed his first 24 passes (an ACC record), RB Mark Fletcher (16/85/1) bowled over people, and WR Malachi Toney (12/114/1) continued to impress. Up 31-7, the game felt like nothing more than a Mensah Heisman showcase. Suddenly though, Toney played less snaps because of an injury, Fletcher exited hurt, and the defense imploded.
The offense stalled out, going 3-and-out on 4 consecutive drives. Defensively, Miami was missing some injured secondary players, but a unit that cruised in the first half suddenly forgot how to tackle or cover. Wake Forest caught fire, with QB Gio Lopez (29/46, 312 yards, 3 TDs, INT) firing bombs to WRs Jack Foley (6/118/1) and Carlos Hernandez (10/69/1). 31-7 quickly became 31-20, but the Demon Deacons soon faltered. A safety, punt return penalties, and some Lopez misfires prevented them from scoring again. It was a good effort though! Miami has work to do, as better teams might be able to exploit this blueprint.
Over in Texas, (22) Houston gave the Red Raiders all they could handle. Texas Tech made life harder on themselves though. They have a new Thomas Castellanos package, and it’s really dumb. On the team’s first offensive snap, Castellanos tried and failed to throw the ball away, leading to an INT. Actual QB Will Hammond (17/27, 257 yards, TD, INT; 5/30 rushing) threw an INT in plus territory because his receiver fell down. Their very expensive defense kept them in the game, but Houston still led 17-14 at the half. Cougars QB Conner Weigman (27/38, 282 yards, 3 TDs; 13/56 rushing) was fantastic, but he needed more help.
In the third quarter, TTU took the lead and never relinquished it. Houston tried to tie the game on their final drive and managed to score on a pass to TE Patrick Overmyer (8/72/1). Down 28-26, they needed a 2-point conversion. The Cougars ran a QB power play, but it was bottled up. Weigman made a fantastic effort to dive toward the end zone; alas, replay showed him down with the ball just barely short. I was really impressed with that team, but I’m less bullish on the Red Raiders. Their three wins have not been as strong as their payroll would suggest. Keep your eye on the Big XII champs. The conference title may be up for grabs.
Kentucky Shocks (9) Texas A&M Behind Brilliant Defensive Display
Last week, Kentucky played Alabama incredibly tough for a half before imploding after the break. New coach Will Stein was determined to learn lessons from that outcome as quickly as possible with a road trip to College Station on the horizon. I’m going to assume he taught his team a LOT based on how this week’s game went. Kentucky’s offense struggled in the first half, but the defense was exceptional. They forced a turnover on downs and an INT on TAMU’s first two drives, and though they ceded a TD afterward, the unit went right back to shutting the Aggies down. Without a single sack, the Wildcats played terrific defense.
Their offense finally showed up in the second half, and it arrived with a barrage. QB Kenny Minchey (14/18, 252 yards, 3 TDs) was nearly flawless, while RB CJ Baxter (19/87/2; 1/28 receiving) provided good balance. Due to injuries suffered while at Texas, Baxter seems to have been forgotten. However, he is returning to form as one of the most promising RBs in the nation. Kentucky’s 21-point third-quarter outburst came as the defense forced 2 punts and another turnover on downs. The game shockingly felt over at 28-7, and despite a couple of garbage-time TDs, the Aggies never threatened in their 31-21 loss. One problem emerged as usual.
Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed (26/49, 236 yards, TD, 2 INTs; 10/80/1 rushing) is not developing as a passer. He’s uniquely gifted as a runner, but don’t let his final line fool you. Reed was wildly inaccurate in this game. Credit Kentucky DBs Sam Greene and Jordan Castell for coming up with big INTs, but average throws likely would’ve avoided those turnovers. It feels like the same story as last year: the Aggies’ defense will make them tough to beat, but a good opponent will require consistency in the passing game. As UK showed, there are truly no easy games in SEC play. Therefore, TAMU needs to fix their attack before facing LSU next week.
Pair of Intriguing ACC Matchups Come Down to the Wire
In addition to the Miami-Wake Forest game on Friday, two Saturday showdowns took place within the ACC, and both could have major impacts on the conference race. Entertainingly, these games also shined in terms of their competitiveness. (23) Louisville hosting (16) SMU gave us a look at two of the conference’s premier threats. Both of these teams beat the Hurricanes last season, so they’re serious. Unfortunately, neither defense appears to be very daunting, but the offenses are breathtaking. Rhett Lashlee and Jeff Brohm, the Mustangs’ and Cardinals’ coaches, respectively, are masterful play callers. It really showed here.
We saw numerous lead changes as both rushing attacks erupted. SMU RB Kendrick Raphael (24/197/2) had the game of his life. Louisville split the workload between RBs Keyjuan Brown (10/163/2) and Isaac Brown (10/67/1), with QB Lincoln Kienholz (14/23, 177 yards, 2 TDs; 12/42/1 rushing) also producing on the ground. The Mustangs had the better passing game, but the game came down to who could make fewer mistakes. Louisville didn’t turn the ball over at all and staked a 41-31 lead late in the 4th quarter. It was up to SMU QB Kevin Jennings (24/35, 222 yards, TD, 2 INTs; 9/35, FUM rushing) to bring them back.
Sadly, as we’ve seen far too often from Jennings in big games, he made perplexing decisions and lacked ball security. He led a great drive to try and cut Louisville’s lead to one score, but he fumbled just before crossing the goal line for a touchback. That essentially ended the game, but he tossed another INT for good measure. It was his second of the game, and that one prevented a miracle comeback. This is the reason I trust Louisville more despite their lack of a defense. Brohm’s offense is improving every week, and it’s good enough to carry the Cardinals most weeks. SMU needs more consistency to seriously contend.
Speaking of inconsistency, two programs at crossroads faced off in South Carolina. North Carolina, who has dealt with off-field drama, went to Clemson, a team that has declined on the field. The Tar Heels are mired in a disciplinary mess. Coach Bill Belichick has recently lost his GM (Michael Lombardi) and his DC (son Steve Belichick) to resignations for vaguely described violations. WRs CJ Sadler and Keeyun Chapman were also suspended for repeated speeding issues and carrying a concealed handgun, respectively. Somehow, Belichick’s team was the stronger one coming out of the tunnel.
UNC blitzed out to a 17-6 lead on the back of a powerful running game; RBs Benjamin Hall (18/130; 1/15/1 receiving) and Demon June (12/57/1) played great. They also played excellent defense. Belichick was known in the NFL for being nearly impossible for rookie QBs to beat. The college equivalent is a freshman, which Clemson’s Tait Reynolds happens to be. Reynolds (20/29, 215 yards, TD, INT) struggled mightily for the first half and part of the third quarter, but he figured things out after that. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ defense really clamped down and allowed just 3 second-half points. That allowed Clemson to chip away at the lead.
They pulled within 2 points (17-15), but UNC reached 2nd and goal at the 7 and seemed poised to extend their lead. Then, a 2.5-hour lightning delay struck (pun intended). Amazingly, this was UNC’s second consecutive game with such a delay and Clemson’s third. I’m not sure what went on in the locker rooms, but Clemson HC Dabo Swinney made much better adjustments. His defense forced an FG, a turnover on downs, and an INT on successive possessions, while the offense scored two TDs to steal a 28-20 win. It was a remarkable twist to see a Belichick team collapse like this, but Clemson desperately needed this victory.
Toledo, Vanderbilt Win in Wildest Finishes Possible
One of the most fun parts of college football is the weekly potential for close games that end in exciting and unforeseen ways. This week, we got two stunners. Naturally, one came from MACtion. Temple and Toledo traded offensive firepower all game, but the Owls seemed to get the better of their opponents when they took a 42-28 lead with 3:08 to go. Rockets QB John Alan Richter (36/51, 429 yards, 4 TDs) would have none of that. He and his offense marched 83 yards in 2:03, but they still needed an onside kick with just 1:03 left on the clock. Improbably, they got their wish and scored the game-tying TD two plays later.
In OT, Toledo kept their offensive hot streak going, with RB Connor Walendzak (12/62/2; 1/9/1 receiving) barreling over Owls for a 49-42 lead. Temple didn’t forget how to score either though, and they too scored a TD on a run by QB Ajani Sheppard (12/22, 164 yards, 3 TDs; 15/66/1 rushing). Coach KC Keeler did the (increasingly common) stupid thing though and went for 2. Predictably, the Owls failed, and Toledo won 49-48. Did I NOT just complain about this “strategy”?? Unless you have a QB like Josh Allen who can truck defenders, your odds are below 50%. Even with all of that craziness, this game was nothing compared to Vanderbilt’s.
Touted freshman Jared Curtis (20/34, 277 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs; 12/64, FUM rushing) got his first start, and it was a mixed bag. On the negative side, he fell in a 17-0 hole against NC State and committed 3 turnovers. In the second half though, he really settled in and showed off his talent, pulling Vandy within 3 in the 4th quarter. After the defense forced a turnover on downs, Curtis’ third turnover, a forced INT into the end zone, seemed to doom the Commodores to a 31-28 defeat. The Wolfpack simply needed to run out 59 seconds of clock while burning Vanderbilt’s 2 remaining timeouts. Three straight runs brought the clock to 0:06.
Out of timeouts themselves, NC State took a delay-of-game to burn every last second. Facing 4th-and-7 at their own 5, they had a choice to make. There are three schools of thought regarding this situation. 1. Punt the ball quickly and give it enough hangtime/roll to burn all 6 seconds. 2. Keep the offense out there, roll out, and chuck the ball as far as you can out of bounds. 3. Run around a bit and take a safety, at which point you kick off normally and win with 99% probability. Option 1 might’ve given Vanderbilt a Hail Mary attempt, and with option 2, you better burn the entire clock or you’re serving up the ball at your 5.
Coach Dave Doeren chose the third option, which was fine. QB CJ Bailey ran around in the end zone for a few seconds, and I assume he was supposed to either take a knee or go out of bounds once he got caught. Instead, he let Vanderbilt sack him, and he lost the football. The Commodores recovered and miraculously scored the winning TD! Shall we call this Music City Miracle II? After the refs put a second back on the clock (the irony isn’t lost on me), Vandy kicked the PAT, and the defense stopped a lateral play, they won for real. In the process, we learned exactly how NOT to manage an end-of-game situation. How educational!