Not only did Billy Napier get the win in his Florida head-coaching debut, but he also went undefeated as his team led at the half as the Gators took down No. 7 Utah at the Swamp in exciting fashion.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
week 1 of college football the season isn’t over yet (Clemson vs. Georgia Tech is Monday night), but the 82 games that have been played haven’t disappointed.
It’s impossible to summarize the action of the last four days with just 10 stats, but here are some numbers, feats, and achievements that have stood out, for better or worse.
2007: The last time Navy had lost to an FCS team before Delaware’s 14-7 upset at Annapolis. Coincidentally, that loss in 2007 also came courtesy of the Blue Hens. Delaware’s only two wins over an FBS team in the last 16 seasons have come at the expense of Navy. Prior to Saturday’s loss, the Midshipmen had won 11 straight on FCS programs, including three wins over the Blue Hens (2009, ’11, ’13).
62: Total points scored in the fourth quarter of the game between North Carolina and Appalachian State on Saturday, one short of the FBS record. The Tar Heels entered the final frame up 41-21 only to see the host Mountaineers score six touchdowns and get a chance to potentially win the game on a two-point conversion with 28 seconds left and send the game on another try with nine seconds remaining. remaining . North Carolina survived 63-61 in the first game since 2019 where both teams scored 60-plus points.
55-0: The score of No. 1 Alabama’s victory over Utah State. It was the first time in 34 years that the Crimson Tide opened the season with a shutout (37-0 against Temple on September 10, 1998). Also, the 55-point margin of victory is the largest in a season opener under Nick Saban, who is now in his 16th season.
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35-0: Bill Napier’s record as a head coach when he led at halftime after Florida defeated No. 7 Utah 29-26. Entering this game as the underdogs, the Gators scored a touchdown late in the second half to take a slim 14-13 lead at the half. The teams traded scores and the lead in the second half with Florida retaking the lead 29-26 after quarterback Anthony Richardson’s third touchdown run. But the outcome wasn’t decided until linebacker Amari Burney took out Utes quarterback Cameron Rising in the end zone with 17 seconds left for Napier’s Gators debut to be successful.
19-11: Record freshman head coaches in Week 1. Among the victors are the aforementioned Napier (over Utah), USC’s Lincoln Riley (over USC), Miami’s Mario Cristobal (over Bethune-Cookman), Joe Moorhead of Akron (in overtime over St. Francis) and Jim Mora Jr. (UConn over central Connecticut). Those who fell short in their debuts for their new schools included LSU’s Brian Kelly (24-23 loss Sunday to Florida State), Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman (21-10 loss to Ohio State), Dan Lanning ( 49-3 loss to Georgia) and Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry (20-17 loss to Old Dominion on Friday night). There was also a first-year head coaching matchup in Week 1 with Duke’s Mike Elko beating Stan Drayton and Temple, winning 30-0 on Friday night.
sixteen: Touchdowns given up by Hawaii in their first two games, both played at home. The Rainbow Warriors gave up nine to Vanderbilt in a 63-10 loss in Week 0 and then seven on Saturday night in a 49-17 loss courtesy of WKU. Half of these scores have been on the ground, five in the air, and there have also been three defensive scores. Hawaii’s 56 points per game aren’t the worst in the country (124), but the four teams behind them have only played once. The Rainbow Warriors have also allowed as many touchdowns in their first two games as national champion Georgia gave up all of last season, in 15 games.
0-11: Arizona’s record for road games before beating San Diego State 38-20. The Wildcats hadn’t won a road game since defeating Colorado 35-30 on Oct. 5, 2019, and it was also their first win in a season opener since a 62-24 victory over Northern Arizona. in 2017. This was Arizona’s first win. season-opening victory over an FBS opponent since defeating UTSA 42-32 in 2015.
4th and goal: Down 7-0 in the first quarter on the road against Boston College, Rutgers had 1st-and-goal from the 10-yard line … then proceeded to punt six plays later. After gaining two yards on the first play, the Scarlet Knights fell back thanks to an offensive pass interference penalty, a waiting call and, after an incomplete pass, a false start. On third-and-goal from the 38-yard line, Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt was sacked for a five-yard loss. The Knights were also flagged for holding, but the penalty was declined. That made it fourth-and-goal from the 43-yard line, where Adam Korsak covered the Eagles at the 3-yard line with a 40-yard punt. Rutgers intercepted Phil Jurkovec to end that drive and five plays, 61 yards later, the Knights had their first touchdown of the season on Aron Cruickshank’s 28-yard run. Rutgers would go on to rally from a nine-point deficit midway through the third quarter to defeat Boston College 22-21.
4-3: Points scored by Iowa’s defense compared to offense in the Hawkeyes’ 7-3 victory over South Dakota State. The defense contributed a couple of safeties, while all the offense could manage on its 16 drives was a 46-yard field goal near the end of the first quarter. For the game, Iowa outscored the FCS Jackrabbits 166-120, limiting them to six first downs and 3 of 16 third downs. But the offense struggled to move the ball, producing a total of 10 first downs, averaging just 4.4 yards per pass attempt and 1.6 per carry, turning the ball over twice and Aaron Blom missing a 40-yard field goal. early in the first quarter. before connecting on his second try.
3: USC returned three interceptions for touchdowns in a 66-14 win over Rice in head coach Lincoln Riley’s debut. The three pick-sixes tied the school and Pac-12 single-game record. The other time the Trojans accomplished this feat was on November 11, 1982 in Arizona. In that game, one of the TDs was an intercepted fumble returned for a touchdown that was then categorized as an interception. Additionally, USC’s 52-point margin of victory was the largest since defeating San Jose State 56-3 on September 5, 2009.
