The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to get away with a false start on their signature ‘Tush Push’ play in the first quarter of their Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The play in question occurred on the Eagles’ first offensive drive. They were facing a fourth-and-1 on Los Angeles’ 3-yard line when they lined up in Tush Push formation and had quarterback Jalen Hurts bull forward for a first down.

However, it was clear right guard Tyler Steen began moving forward before the ball was snapped. Despite this, no flag was thrown on the play.

The non-call comes after the Tush Push faced scrutiny from NFL fans and analysts, as the Eagles appeared to get away with several potential infractions in their Week 2 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. That led the NFL to instruct officials to call the play ‘tight’ moving forward.

‘I am done with the Tush Push, guys,’ Blandino said in Week 2.

It isn’t clear whether the NFL will take any further action to address how the Tush Push should be officiated, but the play will remain legal league-wide throughout the 2025 season.

The Eagles figure to continue to take advantage of that. Just two plays after Steen’s potential infraction, Hurts and the Eagles were able to get into the end zone by executing another successful Tush Push from the 1-yard line.

No texting on the sideline.

DiSandro was reportedly fined $75,000 by the NFL for texting from the bench area, according to NFL reporter Derrick Gunn. Even worse, the infraction occurred during Philadelphia’s third preseason game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

The Eagles appealed the fine, but it was denied.

The Eagles didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY Sports.

DiSandro is in his 27th season with the Eagles. He also serves as the team’s senior advisor to the general manager and gameday coaching operations.

DiSandro was previously fined $100,000 and banned during the 2023 season after a sideline incident involving San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw is now a member of the Denver Broncos.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

No one can accuse CBS Sports of not committing to the bit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its weekly ‘The NFL Today’ program.

The network went all-in on its retro look for its broadcast on Sunday ahead of Week 3 action. CBS’s studio took on a unique, 1970s-era look for the pregame show, and all of the hosts at the desk dressed up in clothing more fitting of that era. In-game analysts Ian Eagle and J.J. Watt joined in with changes to their looks to better fit the theme.

In addition, CBS brought back legendary broadcast Brent Musburger, who was the original host of ‘The NFL Today,’ for its pregame show, joining James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Matt Ryan.

All of the network’s overlay graphics also took on a more 1970s-style look as well, and CBS used a filter over all of the highlights in its preview of every game.

CBS began the Week 3 show with a classic start, bringing back its old intro music and voiceover from Musburger, which began with his iconic line: ‘You are looking live.’

Why did CBS have a throwback broadcast today?

CBS Sports celebrated the 50th anniversary of its ‘The NFL Today’ pregame programming with a retro broadcast on Sunday ahead of Week 3 action.

Musburger served as the original host of the first ‘NFL Today’ show on Sept. 21, 1975, and the network brought him back to its New York studio for the 50th anniversary on Sunday.

The Week 3 show featured a 1970s-era-themed studio, unique looks for the show’s hosts and analysts and clothing reminiscent of the decade.

Indiana advanced after losing five players to season-ending injuries, including Caitlin Clark.
Las Vegas is led by A’ja Wilson, who was just named Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
The Fever won two of the three regular-season matchups against the Aces.

With five players lost to season-ending injuries – including star guard Caitlin Clark – the Indiana Fever continue their improbable journey in the WNBA playoffs on Sunday as they travel to face the Las Vegas Aces in the opening game of their semifinal series.

The No. 6-seeded Fever needed to win back-to-back games against the Atlanta Dream to get through the first round, but they did it – capping things with a stunning 87-85 win in Atlanta on Thursday.

The No. 2 seed Aces defeated the Seattle Storm 74-73 on Thursday, behind a dominant 38-point performance from just-named 2025 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. 

 ‘The job’s not done, it’s just first round and we have to get ready for the next one,’ the now four-time MVP said.

While the series might look like a mismatch on paper, the Fever won two of their three regular-season meetings.

What time is Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces?

The Las Vegas Aces host the Indiana Fever in the opening game of their WNBA playoff semifinal series on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT) at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

How to watch Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces: TV, stream

Time: 3 p.m. ET (noon PT)
Location: Michelob Ultra Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
TV channel: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)

Las Vegas Aces starting lineup

Head coach: Becky Hammon

0 Jackie Young | G 6′ 0′ – Notre Dame
1 Kierstan Bell | F 6′ 1′ – Florida Gulf Coast
3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Baylor
12 Chelsea Gray | G 5′ 11′ – Duke
22 A’ja Wilson | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina

X factor: Aces’ bench

The Aces always have a chance with A’ja Wilson on the floor, but the four-time MVP will need some help if they want to win their third WNBA championship in four years. Wilson, Jackie Young (14 points) and Chelsea Gray (12 points) combined for 64 of the Aces’ 74 points in their Game 3 win over the Seattle Storm, which isn’t sustainable as the Aces go deeper into the postseason. Six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd leads the second unit and will be key in taking a load off the Aces’ Big 3. Loyd had 14 and 13 points in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively, but was held to four points on four shot attempts (2-of-4 from the field, no 3-point attempts) in over 29 minutes of play in Game 3. That can’t happen moving forward.

Indiana Fever starting lineup

Head coach: Stephanie White

0 Kelsey Mitchell | G 5′ 8′ – Ohio State
1 Odyssey Sims | G 5′ 8′ – Baylor
6 Natasha Howard | F 6′ 3′ – Florida State
7 Aliyah Boston | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina
10 Lexie Hull | G 6′ 1′ – Stanford

Indiana Fever injury report

Chloe Bibby (left knee), Caitlin Clark (right groin), Sydney Colson (left knee), Sophie Cunningham (right knee), Damiris Dantas (concussion protocol) and Aari McDonald (right foot) have all been ruled out for Game 1.

Caitlin Clark WNBA fine

Teammate Sophie Cunningham responded, ‘that’s gonna really break the bank for her. starting a GoFundMe now!’ Cunningham has been fined numerous times this season for criticizing officiating.

A’ja Wilson named 2025 WNBA MVP for record fourth time

A’ja Wilson has been named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season. She is the first four-time MVP, besting three-time winners Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson. 

WNBA MVP voting results

A’ja Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The Las Vegas Aces center won the award over finalists Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534),  Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93).

Bam Adebayo delivers A’ja Wilson’s MVP trophy

Wilson’s ‘favorite Olympian,’ her beau Bam Adebayo from the Miami Heat, surprised Wilson with her fourth MVP trophy. Wilson fought back tears as her teammates celebrated. Adebayo was also joined by Aces owner Mark Davis, who donned a pink wig with bangs identical to Wilson’s media day look earlier this year.

A’ja Wilson named Co-Defensive Player of the Year

For the third time in four seasons, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson has been named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. But this time there is a twist. Wilson will share the award with Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith, the WNBA announced Thursday.

Smith and Wilson received 29 votes each from 72 sportswriters and broadcasters on the panel. Seattle Storm guard Gabby Williams finished in second place with nine votes, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was third with three votes and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was fourth with two votes.

A’ja Wilson stats

Wilson averaged a league-leading 23.4 points (2nd-best in her career), 10.2 rebounds (2nd-best), 3.1 assists (ties her career-high), a league-leading 2.3 blocks (2nd-best) and 1.6 steals (2nd-best) in 40 games (all starts) this season. Wilson averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Aces’ first-round playoff series against the Seattle Storm, including a 38-point performance in Game 3, tying her playoff career high.

A’ja Wilson arrives to Game 1 in red

A’ja Wilson is seeing red … literally. The four-time WNBA MVP arrived for Game 1 of the semifinals in a vintage Nike windbreaker tracksuit. She paired her look with white pumps and a pair of sunglasses.

Indiana Fever arrivals

The Indiana Fever are in the building. Players arrived to Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas for Game 1.

Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever semifinal schedule

Game 1: Fever at Aces, Sunday, Sept. 21 | 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Fever at Aces, Tuesday, Sept. 23 | 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 3: Aces at Fever, Friday, Sept. 26 | 7:30 PM (ESPN2)
Game 4 (if necessary): Aces at Fever, Sunday, Sept. 28 | 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Fever at Aces, Tuesday, Sept: 30 | TBD (TBD)

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Fran Brown and Syracuse football picked up a major 34-21 win over Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 20, but may have also suffered a devastating loss.

The Notre Dame transfer completed 18 of 31 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Orange before his injury. Angeli’s 1,316 yards are second only to Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson (1,320) among NCAA leaders through four weeks.

The Orange are off to a 3-1 start, including a 1-0 mark in ACC play, in large part to their QB play.

Here’s the latest on Angeli’s injury:

Steve Angeli injury updates

2:12 p.m. ET: Multiple reports on Sunday, Sept. 21 indicate Angeli will miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles in Syracuse’s win over Clemson.

Angeli appeared to injure his lower leg in the first half when a Clemson defender landed on him following a slide. He returned to the game after missing just one play.

In the third quarter, however, Angeli’s tripped and fell to the ground on a non-contact injury as he scrambled to his right. He was helped off the field without putting any weight on his leg.

Following the game, Syracuse coach Fran Brown told reporters that Angeli would be out for a couple of weeks.

“It seems like he won’t be here for a couple of weeks,” Brown said. “Steve will always be the leader of our football team. We’ve just got to support and rally around him. Make sure he’s straight.”

Steve Angeli stats

Here’s a look at Angel’s stats with Notre Dame and Syracuse:

2023 (Notre Dame): 34-for-44 passing (77.3%) for 504 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception
2024 (Notre Dame): 24-for-36 passing (66.7%) for 268 yards and three touchdowns
2025 (Syracuse): 98-for-156 passing (62.8%) for 1,136 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions

Aaron Rodgers is accustomed to taking the mantle from Brett Favre. On Sunday, the 21-year veteran quarterback leapfrogged the Hall of Famer in yet another category.

With his second touchdown pass for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday against the New England Patriots, Rodgers overtook Favre for fourth place on the NFL’s career passing touchdown leader list with 509. The four-time NFL MVP now stands behind only Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571) and Peyton Manning (539).

Rodgers took the lead with a 12-yard fade to DK Metcalf in the second quarter.

He tied Favre in last week’s 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks when Metcalf came down with a jump ball for a 2-yard score in the second quarter.

‘It’s just a longevity achievement,’ Rodgers said earlier in September when asked about the feat. ‘Some touchdowns, you make exceptional plays. Some, the scheme is so good, like the one to (running back) Jaylen (Warren) in the game – all I’ve got to do is not screw it up. And then sometimes you throw a short one to a guy and he goes 60 and it goes in the column all the same.

Rodgers put himself on the precipice of breaking Favre’s mark by throwing four touchdowns in his Steelers debut in Week 1 against the New York Jets, for whom both quarterbacks played after their respective splits with the Packers.

‘So there’ve been a lot of guys involved in that, including the guys blocking, the guys calling the plays. Every now and then, I made some special throws that led to touchdowns, but I’ve been playing a long time. It’s a longevity thing that, you know, I’m proud of, but it’s not a big deal.’

In 2021, Rodgers broke Favre’s Green Bay Packers franchise record for career touchdowns when he threw his 443rd scoring strike with the organization. However, he still remains more than 8,000 yards off Favre’s fourth-place standing (71,838) among the league’s career passing yardage leaders. On Sunday, however, Rodgers passed Philip Rivers (63,440) for sixth place on the yardage list.

Mario Cristobal’s Miami team is the menacing squad that Clemson was supposed to be, but isn’t.
SMU, Illinois and South Carolina join Clemson on list of frauds.
Quest to find ‘next Indiana’ is a wild goose chase leading back to Indiana. (Or, Maryland?)

It wasn’t pretty. Rivalry wins often aren’t.

Miami’s wrecking-crew defense ensured the result never strayed into the danger zone, though, and its offensive line dominated.

Miami made it two in a row against rival Florida with a 26-7 triumph that offered further proof the Hurricanes made the right hire in 2021 with Mario Cristobal and that Florida’s head man Billy Napier is a fired coach in waiting.

Or, perhaps Florida could just fire its offensive coordinator after mustering just 141 yards against Miami. Wait a second, the coordinator’s name is Napier, too.

I think I’ve detected the problem.

Florida retained Napier last season, in part because keeping the coach meant keeping quarterback DJ Lagway, a Napier disciple. Miami showed how foolish that logic is by going out and buying a transfer quarterback who’s better than Lagway.

This won’t be remembered as Carson Beck’s magnum opus. He outplayed Lagway, but that’s the most you can say for Beck’s performance on a rainy, muddy night at Hard Rock Stadium that had Florida’s cheerleaders wearing ball caps. Gators fans might soon opt for brown paper bags. There’s nothing left to see in this Florida season. It’s all over but the firing and hiring.

Miami has emerged as the team that Clemson was supposed to be, complete with an unflinching defense, a veteran quarterback, talented wide receivers and a defensive line that will ruin the opposition’s weekend.

Clemson proved a fraud. The Tigers flatlined within four weeks. SMU spoiled, too. It’s looking like last year’s ACC Championship between Clemson and SMU didn’t feature the conference’s best team. But, Miami’s defense kept it from reaching that game, and Cristobal worked on fixing that by hiring Corey Hetherman as his defensive coordinator. Hetherman previously oversaw a salty defense at Minnesota. He’s transformed Miami’s defense from a liability to the team’s backbone.

Cristobal also overhauled Miami’s secondary with a cast of transfers, and transfer linebacker Mohamed Toure haunted the Gators. You won’t find many defensive linemen who cause more havoc than Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr.

This is a throwback defense reminiscent of those from Miami’s glory days. This is the type of defense Clemson was supposed to showcase.

Instead, Miami’s the team to beat in the ACC. Even if the Hurricanes don’t win the conference, they’re assembling the pillars of a worthy at-large résumé, with wins against Notre Dame, Florida and South Florida in tow.

‘The team got word that this is the last regular-season game scheduled for a while (against Florida). They have bragging rights forever,’ said Cristobal, whose team has an open date before a top-10 showdown with Florida State.

Napier, with his days numbered at Florida, offered an endorsement for another rival the Gators couldn’t keep up with: ‘Hats off to Miami. They have a really good football team.’

Napier’s got that right, anyway.

Here’s what else is on my mind after Week 4:

Fraud alert! See Illinois

Throughout Illinois football history, the Illini’s good seasons generally are followed by clunkers that fail to meet expectations. Illinois’ coaching staff reminded players of that during the offseason. The intent behind that messaging: Keep a chip on both shoulders after last season’s 10-win campaign.

Indiana played like the team with attitude, though, in a 63-10 rout of rival Illinois. As expectations built for Illinois, I maintained a dose of skepticism of an Illini playoff bid, but I sure didn’t have a 53-point loss to the Hoosiers on my Bingo card.

The offseason quest to identify the ‘next Indiana’ is starting to look like a wild goose chase that leads back to Indiana.

Indiana’s defense limited Illinois to 2 rushing yards. Seriously. Two.

Perhaps, we should have seen this coming. Illinois’ offensive line, which coach Bret Bielema expected to be a team strength, allowed 10 tackles for loss in Week 2 victory against Duke. The Blue Devils failed to capitalize, because of their five turnovers.

The Hoosiers stripped the veneer off the Illini and revealed them to be a fraud.

‘I think there was a point in that game where we broke their will,’ Cignetti said.

No kidding.

The Hoosiers’ schedule isn’t quite as cushy as it was last season. They’ll play road games at Oregon and Penn State. Five road games remain, too, but this rout puts a playoff bid in play.

Maryland adds to Luke Fickell’s misery

In the preseason quest to unearth the ‘next Indiana,’ I raised Maryland as a possibility.

Because, to truly be the ‘next Indiana,’ a team needed to be off the radar and facing low expectations, like 2024 Indiana. Oddsmakers set Maryland’s over/under win total at 4½ victories, but the Terrapins drew an accommodating schedule, and an influx of transfers plus freshman quarterback Malik Washington offered hope for improvement.

Sure, Maryland looked like the ultimate longshot, but, here again, that’s a prerequisite to candidacy as the next Indiana.

Well, here Maryland stands at 4-0 after a 27-10 rout of Wisconsin.

‘I really love the heart of this team,’ Maryland coach Mike Locksley said.

I love Maryland’s schedule, which avoids Big Ten frontrunners Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon. No, I’m not pushing Maryland to the playoff as a likelihood, but I hadn’t bought in on Indiana at this point last year, either. In any case, Washington is showing some potential star power at quarterback.

And what did Wisconsin fans think of their team’s second consecutive blowout loss? Well, they took to booing and chanting ‘Fire Fickell,’ as heat gathers on the seat of third-year coach Luke Fickell. His record slipped to .500 during his tenure.

Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh expressed support for Fickell. Well, of course he did. McIntosh hired Fickell.

Never mind the AD’s support. Fickell’s best protection comes in the from a buyout topping $27 million, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That sum would be historically large for a Big Ten school – and for any school not steeped in oil money.

Bill Belichick, North Carolina fall off the radar already

Quick, tell me the score of North Carolina’s game against Central Florida. Unless you’re a degenerate gambler or own a closet full of Carolina blue, you might not have realized Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels played this weekend. The Labor Day hype turned to crickets.

I’ll help you out: North Carolina went on the road and got crushed, 34-9.

I detect another carcass to join Clemson and SMU among the ACC’s overhyped teams. The Tar Heels gained just 217 yards, which would be considered a feat at Florida but is bad just about anywhere else. Quarterback Gio Lopez exited in the second half with an apparent leg injury.

Let’s go to Belichick for some scintillating postgame assessment: ‘They were just better than us today.’

Get used to hearing that.

Same old story for Auburn

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Hugh Freeze lost another close one, and Auburn’s offense line got shredded.

The theme of Freeze’s tenure continued in a 24-17 loss at Oklahoma. The Tigers keep finding ways to lose winnable games.

The latest plot line: Auburn was penalized 13 times, and Oklahoma sacked Jackson Arnold nine times.

And, yes, the game featured some botched officiating, but this isn’t a one-off result. Losses like these are a theme for Auburn. Since the start of the 2023 season, seven of Auburn’s 15 losses came by one-possession margins.

My verdict: Auburn might be just good enough for Freeze to keep his job and to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2020. Oklahoma might be just good enough to make the playoff, in the face of a brutal schedule.

Three and out

1. Missouri’s coaching staff keeps unearthing undervalued transfer running backs, in the way former coach Gary Pinkel once mined underrated three-star recruits from Texas. Ahmad Hardy, a transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, rushed for 138 yards in a 29-20 win against South Carolina. Add the Gamecocks to the list of fraudulent teams, overhyped in the preseason.

2. A television camera caught UAB coach Trent Dilfer on his phone, seconds before kickoff of his team’s blowout loss at Tennessee. Dilfer says he was connecting with his daughter, who’s pregnant, to show her the environment at Neyland Stadium. I say a coach on a seat as hot as Dilfer’s should spare no opportunity to update his LinkedIn résumé.

3. Dabo Swinney dared Clemson to fire him, days before his Tigers lost to Syracuse. If Clemson’s president has a sense of humor, he’d dare Swinney to make the playoff after his team’s 1-3 start. Neither will happen, but two can play this game.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

(This story was updated to change a video.)

We all have our regrets. Bill Parcells’ decision to end his coaching tenure with the New England Patriots the way that he did is one of his.

The Patriots inducted Parcells into its team Hall of Fame on Saturday, 28 years after he coached his last game for New England. During his induction speech, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach expressed his regrets for letting his relationship with team owner Robert Kraft reach a boiling point that eventually led to Parcells’ departure.

‘We sometimes reflect on things, and you wish you would have done things a little differently,’ Parcells said. ‘I come back here and I see this, I wish I would have done things a little differently.’

Parcells had an infamously poor relationship with Kraft, who bought the Patriots in 1994.

The Hall of Fame head coach had taken on joint responsibilities as head coach and general manager when he returned to New England in 1993 after serving as the team’s linebackers coach in 1980 and a brief retirement in 1991 and 1992.

When Kraft bought the Patriots one year after Parcells’ return, the new owner and incumbent head coach started to butt heads. Parcells felt that Kraft was interfering too much in the personnel decisions he once had full control over.

‘If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries,’ Parcells said after the Patriots lost Super Bowl 31. He departed that offseason and took over the New York Jets’ head coaching job in 1997.

‘Over the years, we’ve both mellowed,’ Kraft said as he introduced Parcells at the Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony. ‘We’ve shared laughs, swapped stories and reflected on the foundation we built together. I want to say, ‘Thank you, Bill. Thank you for the fire. Thank you for the fight. Thank you for the foundation. And thank you for the many contributions you made to this franchise.”

The Patriots hired Parcells’ top assistant, Bill Belichick, three years after Parcells’ departure. Kraft allowed Belichick full control as head coach and de facto general manager, and the Patriots went on to win six Super Bowls during Belichick’s tenure between 2000 and 2023.

Parcells eventually coached the Cowboys from 2003 to 2006 before retiring from coaching. He also served as the executive vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins between 2007 and 2010.

Indiana proved the doubters wrong with a dominant 63-10 victory over No. 9 Illinois.
Texas Tech backup quarterback Will Hammond led the Red Raiders to a dominant win over Utah.
Instead of focusing on Tennessee, UAB coach Trent Dilfer decided to be on his phone.

After people spent all of 2024 discounting Indiana’s run to the College Football Playoff, the same was forming in 2025 following the easy non-conference schedule. The Hoosiers’ talent was going to be a facade until they played a top 10 team, where it would be exposed as a fraud and be dismissed.

Does Indiana have your attention now?

The Hoosiers proved their legitimacy with an emphatic statement, running all over No. 9 Illinois in a 63-10 win. You’d think this was another game against an FCS team with how Indiana dominated this matchup, making a top 10 team look nowhere near the level of Indiana. It was a disaster for the Fighting Illini as the game ruined their own hopes as a playoff contender.

Many people figured Saturday, Sept. 20 would be when the real, unworthy Indiana would show up, that way they wouldn’t have to deal with listening to the Hoosiers reason why they deserve a seat at the lunch table for the rest of the season. Instead, they took Illinois’ lunch money − and are on the hunt for more.

There’s still a long way to go with plenty more tests, but Indiana has made the doubters shut up with a signature victory, and they lead the best and worst things from Week 4 of college football.

Best: Backup QB steps up

A backup quarterback coming in at Utah sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Will Hammond didn’t get that memo.

If you didn’t watch Texas Tech’s dominant win over Utah, you’d likely see the score and assume Behren Morton went off for the Red Raiders. In reality, Morton left the game early in the second half with injury and Hammond had to come in and somehow keep his team afloat after the offense struggled all day.

Instead, Hammond showed complete poise, leading Texas Tech to 24 fourth quarter points to take the Utes out of the picture. Hammond went 13-for-16 with 169 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 61 rushing yards on eight carries. You’d think he was the starter.

The Red Raiders would certainly love to have Morton back as they’ve solidified their position as a Big 12 contender, but if he’s unavailable, they should certainly feel good with Hammond.

Worst: Ridiculous kick off times

Week 5 exposed one of the worst aspects of conference realignment in kickoff times. While it deserved the national spotlight, Utah and Texas Tech had to start at 10 a.m. local time. Meanwhile, Michigan State had to play Southern California at 8 p.m. local time − or 11 p.m. ET for Spartan fans.

This doesn’t mean anything in terms of performance, but it really is a disservice to fans for making them wake up super early or stay up later than when bars close just to watch their team in action. C’mon networks.

Best: Stepping up in rivalry game

If this was the final Battle for the Iron Skillet, TCU receiver Eric McAlister made sure to put up a legendary performance.

McAlister had a whopping eight catches for 254 yards and three touchdowns, including an electric 70-yard score that gave the Horned Frogs the lead and a 44-yard one that was the dagger for Southern Methodist. Pretty remarkable when your quarterback throws for 379 yards and accounts for 67% of it in the second-most receiving yards in a game in TCU history.

It was a performance that certainly boosts McAlister’s draft stock, and even better, gifts us another cursed TCU victory video.

Worst: Being on your phone

We can all admit we’ve been on our phone while on the clock. But there are some instances when you should put it down and focus on the task.

Someone should let Trent Dilfer know. While his UAB team was getting ready to face Tennessee, the Blazers coach thought it be a great opportunity to whip out his phone and take in the scenes of Neyland Stadium.

It’s a cool thing to do when you’re not coaching the game, but maybe Dilfer is just getting ready to be a fan considering how hot his seat is. If only he seemed as interested in how his team did in the blowout loss.

Best: UCF perfectly trolls Bill Belichick

UCF, or Central according to Bill Belichick, welcomed the Belichick show to Orlando and boy did they have some fun with it.

The Knights made North Carolina look silly as they cruised toward a 34-9 victory to move to 3-0. Of course, Belichick and his relationship with Jordon Hudson has been a focal point of his first season with the Tar Heels, and UCF had the perfect way to troll the couple in celebrating.

Getting raced out of the stadium is tough, but suffering an even worse loss on social media is never good.

Worst: Referee mistakes

Everyone can say referees mess up every game, but it’s never good when the conference admits they did.

It came at a critical moment in Auburn vs. Oklahoma, when a Sooners touchdown shouldn’t have been counted after receiver Isaiah Sategna III deceivingly stayed on the field. He didn’t go to the sideline and ended up catching the touchdown pass. It was seven points for Oklahoma, which clearly played the difference in a 24-17 win for the Sooners.

You have to feel for Auburn being on the wrong end of #refball.

Best: Another Oregon uniform win

It’s common knowledge Oregon’s uniforms always look good, but the Ducks may have done their best yet. The ‘Shoe Duck’ uniforms they wore in Week 4 against rival Oregon State was a nod to Nike co-founder and Oregon alumnus Phil Knight. The set is insanely clean, but best part might have been the helmet, with one side donning the Oregon wing and the other adorning the wing of Greek Goddness Nike.

Of course, Oregon looked good and it played well with an easy 41-7 win over the Beavers.

Worst: Not having your back

Going back to Auburn, Jackson Arnold was going to have a rude welcome to Oklahoma as he led the Tigers into Norman. The former Sooners quarterback had a chance to stun his former fans, and he nearly did it when he gave the Tigers a fourth quarter lead.

But his offensive line did him no favors, giving up 10 sacks as well as committing six false starts and two holding calls. Arnold’s chance at revenge spoiled by those meant to protect them, and the unit certainly owes the quarterback a nice dinner.

Best: Still showing up, and winning

Week 3 couldn’t have been worse for Virginia Tech after getting blown out by Old Dominion. It fired its coach and with Wofford on deck, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see Lane Stadium pretty empty.

Instead, the Hokies faithful showed up for their team, showing there is still some belief and dedication in Blacksburg. The team responded with a 38-6 victory for its first win of the season.

It’s nothing to brag about, but you got to enjoy the little things.

Worst: Weather delays

Mother nature clearly hasn’t been a fan of college football this year as another set of weather delays halted play in Week 4. Clemson-Syracuse, Notre Dame-Purdue and Florida State-Kent State all had their games suspended or delayed due to weather, which made for some long days for players and fans.

Best: A running Ralphie

Just before the season, Colorado’s live mascot Ralphie VI retired after four seasons on the job due to “an indifference to running.’ The Buffaloes didn’t have their mascot for their iconic team entrance to start the campaign, but in Week 4, they finally got to unveil Raphie VII.

And this Raphie has no problems running after her electric debut. Look at her go.

Best: Florida State redemption

This season has been an amazing turnaround for Florida State, and there’s one person who is enjoying 2025.

Remember that Seminoles fan who had the ‘we are cooked’ sign last season during the loss to Memphis? He was back for the game against Kent State, but this time with a sign that read ‘we are cooking.’

Instead of 0-3, Florida State is 3-0 and this iconic fan deserves all of the fun.

(This story has been updated to change a video.)

Quarterback Kaidon Salter led Colorado to a 37-20 victory over Wyoming with 304 passing yards and 86 rushing yards.
Coach Deion Sanders praised Salter’s performance after previously benching him in favor of another quarterback.
Colorado debuted a new live buffalo mascot, Ralphie VII, before the game.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders finally may have found the right quarterback to replace his son Shedeur.

After sorting through three candidates at the position so far, Sanders went back to the one his team picked up in the transfer portal last December. Kaidon Salter, the transfer from Liberty, answered the call with his legs and arm in a 37-20 win at home Saturday, Sept. 20, against Wyoming.

He completed 18 of 28 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns along with 86 yards rushing, including a 35-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring. The win improved Colorado to 2-2 in front of a sold-out crowd of 53,442.

‘Kaidon Salter came back and played his butt off,’ Deion Sanders said after the game.

Colorado finished with 497 total yards after Salter led his team to four touchdowns in his first six possessions while the Buffaloes built a 28-3 lead early in the second half.

‘He just made it happen, you know?’ Sanders said. ‘The timing was impeccable, and he made some big throws, some big throws, some big runs, especially the run at the end. And that’s, that’s, that’s the guy. That’s the guy that we wanted to see and that we’re seeing. And I’m glad you’re getting the opportunity to see him at his best.’

Kaidon Salter says it was ‘rough’ not playing last week

Sanders has tried out three different quarterbacks this year as he attempts to replace his son Shedeur, now a backup quarterback with the Cleveland Browns.

Salter started the first two games but was benched last week in favor of redshirt sophomore Ryan Staub, who struggled in a 36-20 loss at Houston Sept. 12. Sanders also had been frustrated with Salter previously because he seemed tentative at times and didn’t use his legs the way did at Liberty, where he led his team to a 13-1 season in 2023 as a dual-threat quarterback.

‘It’s been rough not playing last week,’ Salter said after the game. ‘But I just stayed straight talking to family, talking to God and just making sure the next opportunity I got I took full advantage of it.’

Deion Sanders says team will be hard to beat with QB play like that

In one sequence Saturday night, Salter delivered a bang-bang display of his old self. It came at the start of the third quarter, when Salter scampered up the middle for a 20-yard gain on second down. On the very next play, he threw a play-action pass down the middle of the field for a 47-yard touchdown to receiver Joseph Williams to help put his team up 28-3.

In the first half, Salter also had touchdown passes of 29 and 68 yards, with the latter coming on a rollout and floater to receiver Sincere Brown down the right sideline.

‘You’ve seen glimpses of what he’s capable of doing,’ Sanders said. ‘We just want that consistently and when we get that consistently, we’re gonna be hard to deal with.’

New live mascot runs for Colorado

After losing at Houston, the vibe changed immediately for Colorado before the game even began. That’s because the Buffaloes debuted a new live buffalo mascot for the traditional pregame run on the field. Her name is Ralphie VII. And she charged out of her gate so hard that her handlers had a hard time keeping up with her, especially in her run to start the second half.

The team seemed to mirror her energy – up to a point. The Buffs jumped out to that 28-3 right after halftime but then sort of decelerated as Wyoming cut the lead to 30-20 with 4:32 remaining.

‘She started out well and finished strong, unlike us,’ Sanders said of Ralphie’s run. ‘I’m not happy with the finish. I’m happy with the results, but I’m not happy with the finish. I told our young men (there was) too much ha-ha and he-he-ing when we got the lead.’

Deion Sanders: ‘Kill a gnat with a sledgehammer’

Wyoming freshman running back Samuel Harris rushed for 126 yards on 19 carries. But Colorado also got a big stop early in the fourth quarter when Colorado defender Arden Walker sacked the quarterback in the end zone for a safety and a 30-13 lead.

‘We have stay hungry regardless of what the score is,’ Walker said.

It didn’t help that Colorado suffered a series of injuries in the game, including to offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and running back Simeon Price. ‘We’re praying they’re gonna be OK,’ Sanders said.

Now Colorado returns to Big 12 Conference play with a game next Saturday night at home against BYU.

‘I don’t like how we didn’t kill a gnat with a sledgehammer towards the end,’ Sanders said. ‘We’re better than that.’

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This story was updated to change a gallery and video.)