Week 3 of the 2026 college football season features record performances and several upset results

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah threw 41 completions on 45 attempts, breaking an ACC record for consecutive completions and leading the Hurricanes to a 33-20 win over Wake Forest after earlier victories over Stanford and Florida A&M. Houston fell short against Texas Tech after a last-minute touchdown and a failed two-point conversion left the Cougars 28-20 down, missing a chance to impact the Big 12 standings.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith recorded his 2,958th career receiving yard during a 59-3 victory over Kent State, moving him close to the school’s all-time reception and touchdown marks. North Carolina State lost a 35-31 game to Vanderbilt when a fourth-down attempt inside its own 10-yard line resulted in a fumble recovered for a Vanderbilt touchdown.

Louisville defeated SMU 41-31, with quarterback Lincoln Kienholz throwing for 229 yards and three touchdowns and running back Keyjuan Brown rushing for 163 yards and two scores, positioning the Cardinals as a potential ACC contender. Texas A&M was upset 31-21 by Kentucky, dropping the Aggies’ chances of a College Football Playoff berth after the defense allowed three second-half touchdowns.

Alabama and Mississippi State each improved to 3-0, with Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a 50-36 win over Florida State, and Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor accounting for four touchdowns in a 41-34 victory at South Carolina. Ole Miss defeated LSU 32-24 in Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford, preserving the Rebels’ unbeaten record for the week.