Week 1 College Football: Auburn Edges Baylor, Oregon Holds Off Boise State, Texas Dominates Texas State
Auburn survived a late comeback by Baylor, No. 2 Oregon beat Boise State, and Texas rolled past Texas State as several quarterbacks made notable debuts in the opening weekend.
Auburn held off Baylor 17-16 after the Bears chose a two-point conversion with nine seconds left and failed, leaving the game tied at 16. Quarterback Byrum Brown, who threw three interceptions, redeemed himself with an 11-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway, playing his first game for the Bears, completed 17 of 25 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown but also suffered an ankle injury and turned the ball over twice.
No. 2 Oregon defeated Boise State 34-27, securing the win with a 62-yard touchdown reception by Dakorien Moore late in the fourth quarter. The Ducks held off the Broncos' upset bid and finished the game with a decisive defensive stop.
Arch Manning led Texas to a 49-7 victory over Texas State, throwing for 305 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Transfer receivers Cam Coleman and Hollywood Smothers each contributed multiple touchdowns, while returning wideout Ryan Wingo recorded seven catches for 121 yards.
Other notable performances included freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon accounting for three touchdowns in Tennessee's 28-0 first-half lead over Furman, and Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel setting an ACC record with seven touchdown passes in a 59-14 win over Miami (Ohio). Alabama redshirt freshman Keelon Russell completed 11 of 17 passes for 182 yards and added a rushing touchdown in a 48-10 win over East Carolina.
In other games, Indiana beat North Texas 52-16 despite the Mean Green moving the ball effectively, while Ohio State maintained a 49-3 lead over Ball State, highlighted by freshman Legend Bey's first touchdown. Nebraska pulled away from Ohio with a 42-21 final after a late fourth-quarter touchdown run by Jamal Rule.
The opening weekend also featured quarterback battles, such as Iowa's competition between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, and ongoing adjustments for new coaches and transfers across several programs.