UCLA’s stunning freefall, Georgia Tech lead best and worst of Week 3
- UCLA football has hit an all-time low following a horrible loss to New Mexico.
- Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr ran on the field and made a game-winning 55-yard field goal.
- Southern California and Purdue had a pair of unreal touchdowns in their Big Ten collision.
Before the season started, UCLA coach Deshaun Foster limited media and public viewing of fall camp, looking like he was trying to hide what could be a special team.
Maybe he was trying to protect people’s eyes from its horrors.
Any hope of optimism is gone with the Bruins showing signs of a team that may just struggle to win a game this season. It’s a sudden freefall for a team that had mometum at the end of 2024 and had more optimism with the arrival of quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee. It got off on a sour note when Utah dismantled UCLA in the opener, and things got worse when a comeback from 23 points down at UNLV ended in the final minute.
Things were expected to get better at home Friday against New Mexico, which features more than 70 new players under first-year coach Jason Eck. Instead, the Bruins were humbled in a 35-10 defeat at the hands of the Lobos, which UCLA paid $1.2 million to visit Pasadena.
The losses don’t stop there. Not only is this season not panning out, but the attendance at the Rose Bowl continues to look rough. Plus, there’s a Championship Subdivision conference joking it wouldn’t even want the Bruins, and their former home − the Pac-12 − enjoying the downfall of one of the programs that blew up the league.
UCLA has truly hit rock bottom. Deshaun Foster hasn’t worked out at his alma mater and likely won’t be coaching the Bruins in 2026. Remarkable turnarounds have happened before across the country, but it doesn’t look like one is happening any time soon, and they lead the best and worst things from Week 3 of college football.
Best: fire drills
We’ve seen far too often college kickers unable to nail game-winning kicks, even when they have plenty of time to set up. But having to run on the field as quick as possible to kick a career-long field goal? That’s asking for disaster.
Not at Georgia Tech. With under 20 seconds left and no timeouts, the Yellow Jackets kicking unit perfectly got on the field in time for Aidan Birr to drill a 55-yard field goal to move Georgia Tech to 3-0.
It’s a win that deserves a celebration at the school president’s pool.
Worst: Virginia Tech’s downfall
If UCLA is the king of disappointment, Virginia Tech is one of the next in line for the throne. Things have gotten unfortunate in Blacksburg, as Old Dominion walloped the Hokies 45-26.
It’s the second consecutive week Virginia Tech was blown out at Lane Stadium, turning what is one of the best environments in the sport to a place of sadness. Even worse, the Hokies are 0-3 for the first time since 1987.
Best: Villanova avoids shutout in spectacular fashion
It was obvious from the start that Penn State was going to defeat in-state foe Villanova. And the Nittany Lions held a 52-0 lead in the fourth quarter.
But Villanova didn’t quit. The Wildcats were at Penn State’s 8-yard line with four seconds left and a chance to find the end zone and avoid the shutout. Quarterback Tanner Maddocks scrambled and threw the ball, hoping for a prayer. It was answered by Brandon Binkowski, who made an amazing one-handed catch to get on the scoreboard and ruin Penn State’s shot at back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1996.
Sometimes, you got to enjoy the little wins.
Worst: Speaking too soon
While the Pac-12 got an aforementioned laugh at UCLA, karma had some other plans.
The two schools in the league this season didn’t have anything better of a weekend. Texas Tech easily handled Oregon State 45-14 and Washington State was thumped 59-10 by North Texas, really relegating the ‘Conference of Champions’ to Group of Five level. Life comes at you fast.
Best: Unreal touchdowns in Southern California-Purdue
It’s still weird Southern California and Purdue are conference foes, and their first Big Ten matchup was as strange as it could get.
Not only was it delayed three hours due to lightning, it had some wild touchdowns scored. The first came on a complete fail. Purdue attempted a double pass and Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne couldn’t haul it in. However, it went backwards and technically was a lateral. Browne picked it up and ran it in for a 26-yard touchdown.
Later in the third quarter, Purdue was driving until Browne threw an interception that found the hands of USC’s Jamaal Jarrett. The 6-foot-5-inch, 360-pound lineman turned on the jets and ran it back for a big man pick six you’ll just love to see.
Worst: Chair safety
Chairs probably hate seeing they are being sent to state of Indiana at this point. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko was frustrated about his defense giving up a touchdown to Notre Dame, and he took out that anger on a poor innocent folding chair on the sideline before grilling into his players.
What did that chair ever do? The spirit of Bob Knight lives on.
Best: Making history
Kirk Ferentz is the longest current tenured coach in FBS, and after 27 seasons leading Iowa, he’s now in the Big Ten record books. With the win over Massachusetts, Ferentz surpasses the great Woody Hayes as the Big Ten’s winningest coach with 206 victories.
The Hawkeyes have sure had their struggles, but Ferentz has consistently put together tough teams that always compete in the Big Ten, and that’s why he’s kept his job for so long. Congratulations to an Iowa legend.
Worst: Offering a date with your mom
This one can probably be viewed on either side, but there was a strange incentive to Vanderbilt’s big win over South Carolina: a date with the quarterback’s mom.
Ahead of the game, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia told comedian Theo Von if the Commodores won, he’d set him up on a date with his mom. It sounds made up until it was confirmed on the broadcast.
Of course, Vanderbilt made an emphatic statement with a 31-7 win over the Gamecocks to move to 3-0. Now, it looks like a date is set. Why?
Best: close finishes
Two marquee games in Week 3 lived up to the hype with some thrilling finishes.
Tennessee and Goergia played arguably the game of the season as both teams looked like they were going to take the win. It went all the way down to the final play of regulation, when Tennessee couldn’t hit a game-winning kick, and it proved to be critical as the Bulldogs won in overtime on a touchdown to seal the comeback.
In South Bend, Texas A&M and Notre Dame played a barn burner that had all sorts of twists and turns. On their final play, the Aggies executed a thrilling game-winning touchdown with 13 seconds left to stun the Fighting Irish and send them to 0-2.
When it comes to the big games, we want classics. We got them, and it’s a perfect reminder why we all love this sport.
(This story was updated to change a video.)
