CFW Week 8 Results – Florida fires Billy Napier
Five teams suffer their first loss
In yet another wild and wacky weekend of college football, nine Top-25 teams lost and five of those teams suffered their first loss. Normally, we experience a weekend like this just before or on Halloween. It came a week early this year.
The upsets and the first losses began early – Friday night. It must have been an omen of things to come on Saturday. Friday night in Miami, Louisville stunned previously undefeated and 2nd-ranked Miami, 24-21. Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw four interceptions. The fourth interception came in the closing seconds of the game, with Miami deep in Louisville territory. The Canes were all but assured to score – either a touchdown or a field goal. But it wasn’t to be. Beck, a favorite last week to win the Heisman Trophy, can forget the trophy.
Later, on the same night in Minneapolis, 25th-ranked Nebraska was upset by unranked Minnesota, 24-6. The Gophers held the Huskers to 36 yards rushing. Nebraska fans may want Matt Rhule to leave for Penn State.
On Saturday, the next previously undefeated team to lose was 5th-ranked Ole Miss. The Rebels fell to 9th-rnked Georgia, 43-35. The Magnolias were higher-ranked than Georgia, but the Dawgs were an 8-point favorite. And that’s what the Dawgs did. They won by 8 points.
The third loss by a previously undefeated team came as a real shocker. Seventh-ranked Texas Tech lost to unranked Arizona State, 26-22. The previous week, Arizona State lost to Utah, 42-10. Trailing 22-19, the Sun Devils scored a touchdown with 0:34 remaining in the game to upset the Red Raiders.
The last two losses by previously undefeated teams fell on two Group of Five teams – UNLV and Memphis. UNLV, who had been living on the edge all season (winning most of its games by a touchdown or less), was blown off the field by Boise State, 56-31. Dan Mullen is no longer undefeated.
And finally, isn’t it strange how often when you fire a coach, the team gets better? Eight days ago, UAB fired head coach Trent Dilfer. The Blazers were 2-4. Saturday, UAB upset previously undefeated and 22nd-ranked Memphis, 31-24. UAB racked up 470 total yards and held an 11-minute edge in time of possession.
Four more ranked teams lost Saturday. Tenth-ranked LSU fell to 17th-ranked Vanderbilt, 31-24. Vanderbilt was a 2-point favorite, but LSU was the higher-ranked team. Vandy rolled up 399 yards on the Tigers and held a 13-minute edge in time of possession. Tiger fans aren’t happy with Brian Kelly. At LSU, Kelly is 5-10 against ranked teams.
Still in the SEC, 11th-ranked Tennessee came up short against 6th-ranked Alabama, 37-20. Way short. Tennessee ruled the stats, but not the score.
Twentieth-ranked USC lost to 13th-ranked Notre Dame, 34-24. The Trojans had three turnovers and only 68 yards rushing. And finally, 23rd-ranked Utah was edged by 15th-ranked BYU, 24-21. Utah had two turnovers; BYU had none.
Four other ranked teams came very, very close to losing to unranked teams. It took 16th-ranked Missouri a fourth quarter rally and two overtimes to subdue unranked Auburn, 23-17 (2OT). Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is on shaky ground.
Fourth-ranked Texas A&M was lucky to get out of Fayetteville, Arkansas with a win. The Aggies managed to edge unranked Arkansas, 45-42. The two teams combined for 1,024 total yards.
In Lexington, 21st-ranked Texas was outplayed by unranked Kentucky. It took an overtime, but somehow the Longhorns managed to beat the Wildcats, 16-13 (OT). And finally, 18th-ranked Virginia trailed unranked Washington State until 2:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. That’s when the Cavaliers kicked a 34-yard field goal to tie the score at 20-20. Then 14 seconds later, Virginia scored a safety and went on to squeak by Washington State, 22-20.
Since beginning the season at 0-4, UCLA now under interim coaches, including interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel, won its third-straight game. But this win was a cliffhanger. The Bruins kicked a 23-yard field goal with 0:02 remaining to beat Maryland, 20-17.
In another close game in the Big Ten, Iowa, trailing Penn State, 24-19, scored a touchdown with 3:54 remaining and hung on to down the Nittany Lions, 25-24.
In the SEC, Mississippi State was deep in Florida territory as the game’s final seconds were ticking down. The Bulldogs trailed the Gators by 2 points. Mississippi State was in field goal range. Florida intercepted a Mississippi State pass and beat the Bulldogs, 23-21.
In the Big 12, Houston kicked a 41-yard field goal with 0:01 remaining to down Arizona, 41-38. Houston quarterback Conner Weighman passed for 164 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 98 yards and another touchdown.
The Group of Five had its share of close games. Tulane scored a touchdown with 0:27 remaining to edge Army, 24-17. The winning touchdown was a 26-yard pass from Jake Retzlaff to Shazz Preston.
Trailing UMass, 21-20, Buffalo scored a touchdown with 0:19 left on the clock to beat the Minutemen, 28-21. The winning touchdown was a 16-yard pass from Ta’Quan Roberson to Victor Show. Roberson passed for 403 yards in the game.
In the Sun Belt, Texas State kicked a 50-yard field goal as time expired to tie Marshall 27-27 at the end of regulation. Two overtimes later, Marshall beat Texas State, 40-37 (2OT). The teams combined for 1,024 total yards.
How’s that for your share of close games? It was a spooky weekend and it’s not even Halloween yet.
Off of an early start in the week, College Football Week 8 resumed Wednesday night with two games. Jacksonville State jumped out to a 21-0 second quarter lead and went on to beat Delaware, 38-25. In the loss, Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci passed for 422 yards. Delaware amassed 456 total yards, but they also had two turnovers. Jax State had none.
In the second game, UTEP downed Sam Houston, 35-17. UTEP quarterback Skyler Locklear passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Locklear also rushed for 48 yards and two more touchdowns.
Continuing on Thursday night, East Carolina rolled up 568 total yards on its way to a 41-27 victory over Tulsa.
Four games were played on Friday night, and two of them were biggies – Louisville at Miami and Nebraska at Minnesota. Both games were big upsets. Louisville downed Miami, 24-21, and Minnesota stopped Nebraska, 24-6.
In the other two games on Friday night, Utah State beat San Jose State, 30-25. In the loss, San Jose State quarterback Walter Eget passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns. In Berkeley, California edged North Carolina, 21-18. The Tar Heels had three turnovers.
In a couple of fun games on Saturday, Baylor rallied, but the rally fell short. TCU downed the Bears, 42-36. In Harrisonburg, Virginia, James Madison went on a passing and running spree racking up 624 total yards. JMU walloped Old Dominion, 63-29.
After you went to bed Saturday night, New Mexico beat Nevada, 24-22; Oregon State downed Lafayette, 45-13, and Stanford downed Florida State, 20-13.
We’re through eight weeks of the season and would you believe that Florida State is 0-4 in ACC play, while Georgia Tech, Virginia, SMU, Pitt and Duke are atop the ACC standings? Believe it!
Would you believe that Penn State is 0-4 in Big Ten play, while Northwestern is 3-1 in conference action and 5-2 overall? Believe it!
Would you believe that BYU and Cincinnati are atop the Big 12 standings – both 4-0 in conference play? Believe it?
Would you believe that Auburn is 0-4 in SEC games, while Vanderbilt is 6-1 overall? Believe it!
And finally, we’re through eight weeks of the season and would you believe the state of South Carolina is in shock? Believe it! Clemson is 3-4 and South Carolina is 3-4. Saturday, SMU got revenge for last year’s ACC championship game loss (in the closing seconds) to Clemson. The Mustangs downed the Tigers, 35-24. Meanwhile, South Carolina lost to Oklahoma, 26-7. The Gamecocks are 1-4 in SEC play. Gamecock fans are now hoping that coach Shane Beamer leaves South Carolina to take the Virginia Tech job.
So, over the weekend, we went from 11 undefeated teams to six undefeated teams – five Power Four teams and one Group of Five team. The Power Four teams are Georgia Tech (7-0), BYU (7-0), Indiana (7-0), Ohio State (7-0) and Texas A&M (7-0). The Group of Five team is Navy (6-0).
And we went from three winless teams to two winless teams. Oregon State finally secured a win and got off the winless list. The two remaining winless teams are UMass (0-7) and Sam Houston (0-7).
Florida coach Billy Napier was fired on Sunday. Florida owes Napier $21 million, with half of that to be paid within 30 days of Napier’s termination. The remainder will be spread over three annual payments, beginning in the summer of 2026. The Gators are still paying Dan Mullen. When the next coach is hired, Florida will be paying three coaches. Napier was 22-23 in three and a half years at Florida – 3-4 this season. He was 12-16 in SEC play, and 5-17 against ranked opponents. Despite calls to do so, Napier refused to give up his play calling role.
Along with Napier, Colorado State coach Jay Norvell was fired on Sunday. Like Napier, Norvell was in his fourth season, with an overall record of 18-26. Norvell, 62, was a longtime assistant at several Power Four programs, including Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and Arizona State, among others.
Just eight weeks into the season and nine coaches have been fired. There are some prize coaching spots waiting to be filled – UCLA, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Penn State and now Florida. You can add Stanford to that list. The Cardinal are under an interim coach who will step down at the end of the season. The other openings are at Oregon State, UAB and Colorado State.
The Top-5 teams in this week’s AP Poll are: 1. Ohio State (7-0), 2. Indiana (7-0), 3. Texas A&M (7-0), 4. Alabama (6-1), and 5. Georgia (6-1).
Swamp Mama and I leave Tuesday for Nashville. It’s that time of the year to get together with my old Navy buddies – the ones I worked and partied with in Edzell, Scotland. We’ll be headquartered at the Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin, Tennessee.
Yes, college football had an early Halloween. It was a spooky weekend!
Touchdown Tom
October 20, 2025
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Uga was more than bark – Georgia 43, Ole Miss 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Ole Miss 24). It sure looked like Ole Miss was going to win this game, especially when the Magnolias went to 35-26 late in the third quarter. But Georgia hung in there, scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The lead in the game changed hands six times. The teams combined for 861 total yards, but Georgia had 510 of those yards. Georgia also had 34 first downs to 21 for Ole miss. And Georgia had a 15-minute edge in time of possession. Ole Miss was held to 88 yards rushing. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton was 26-31-0, passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was 19-36-0, passing for 263 yards and one touchdown. Chambliss also ran for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Athens: 93,033
RUNNER-UP: It was a red tide, not an orange tide – Alabama 37, Tennessee 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 34, Tennessee 30). This game was tight for one and a half quarters. Then Alabama took charge, building up a 23-7 halftime lead. In the second half, Alabama increased its lead to 30-13. Tennessee briefly made it interesting early in the fourth quarter when the Vols trailed 30-20. Aside from that, Tennessee strangely led in the stats – first downs, total yards, passing yards and rushing yards. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson was 19-29-0, passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar was 28-44-1, passing for 268 yards and one touchdown. Alabama got its fourth-straight win over a ranked team. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 100,077
REST OF THE BEST: Strange happenings in Nashville – Vanderbilt 31, LSU 24 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 23, Vanderbilt 20). The lead changed back-and-forth a few times, but when Vanderbilt went up 14-10 with 5:52 to go in the second quarter, the Commodores never trailed again. However, the game remained close. Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia was 14-22-0, passing for 160 yards and one touchdown. He ran for 86 yards and two more touchdowns. Vandy led in all the stats but passing yards. The Commodores punted only twice – both in the fourth quarter. At 6-1, Vanderbilt is off to its best start in 75 years. The Commodores beat LSU for the first time since 1990. Attendance in Nashville: 35,000
Nothing like the Love of the Irish – Notre Dame 34, USC 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, USC 28). Notre Dame took its first lead at 14-10 early in the second quarter. The Irish held the lead until USC went back up at 24-21 late in the third quarter. Fifteen seconds later, ND was back in the lead at 27-24. Jadarian Price returned a kickoff for 100 yards. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. ND running back Jeremiyah Love ran for 228 yards and one touchdown. The teams combined for 838 total yards. But USC only had 68 yards rushing. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622
BYU was holier – BYU 24, Utah 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, BYU 27). Utah only led once in the game. That was 14-10 early in the fourth quarter. The teams scored 28 of their 45 points in the fourth quarter. BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier passed for 166 yards and one touchdown. He ran for 64 yards and another touchdown. BYU running back L.J. Martin ran for 122 yards. The teams combined for 838 total yards. Utah had two turnovers. BYU had none. Attendance in Provo: 64,794
The Hurricane lost its eye – Louisville 24, Miami 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Louisville 23). Miami was in field goal range in the closing seconds of the game. But Carson Beck threw his fourth interception. Louisville never trailed in the game. The Cardinals jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead. With 7:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Canes scored a touchdown to cut Louisville’s lead to three points – 24-21. Miami held Louisville on the next series. The Canes took over for a final drive down the field until Beck was intercepted deep in Louisville territory. Louisville quarterback Miller Moss was 23-37-0, passing for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Louisville running back Isaac Brown rushed for 113 yards. Louisville receiver Chris Bell had nine catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals defense held Miami to 63 yards rushing. Miami receiver Malachi Toney had nine receptions for 135 yards. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 66,573
Leavitt was a Devil for the Raiders – Arizona State 26, Texas Tech 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 35, Arizona State 19). As the fourth quarter began, ASU led 19-7. Then Texas Tech scored two touchdowns in a minute and 45 seconds to take a 22-19 lead. ASU scored a touchdown in the closing seconds to win 26-22. ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt was 28-47-0, passing for 319 yards and one touchdown. But the Sun Devils only had 75 yards rushing. Attendance in Tempe: 54,177
Mistake-prone Devils – Georgia Tech 27, Duke 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 31, Duke 27). Georgia Tech took the initial lead at 7-0 in the first quarter. That touchdown was a 95-yard fumble return. The score was 7-7 at halftime. Midway through the third quarter, Duke went up 10-7. Early in the fourth quarter, Tech went back up 13-10 and the Yellow Jackets never trailed again. From late in the third quarter to 2:10 remaining in the game, Tech scored 20 unanswered points. The Jackets built their 13-10 lead to 27-10. Tech quarterback Haynes King passed for 205 yards and ran for 120 yards. He had one rushing touchdown. Duke quarterback Darian Mensah was 32-44-0, passing for 373 yards and two touchdowns. Duke receiver Cooper Barkate had 13 catches for 172 yards. Duke was marred by red zone mistakes – a fumble, a botched attempt on a field goal and a fourth-down penalty. The Dookies only had 68 yards rushing. Tech is 4-0 in ACC play. The last time they started 4-0 in ACC play was 27 years ago. Attendance in Durham: 27,846
The Huskies weren’t husky – Michigan 24, Washington 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 30, Washington 28). The score was 7-7 at halftime. The second half was all Michigan. The Wolverines outscored Washington 17-0 in the second half. Washington quarterback Demond Williams threw three interceptions. Michigan running back Jordan Marshall ran for 133 yards and one touchdown. Michigan dominated all the stats, including a 15-minute edge in time of possession. Washington only had 40 yards rushing. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 110,701
Herbie couldn’t avoid the Gopher holes – Minnesota 24, Nebraska 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 31, Minnesota 23). Late in the first quarter, Nebraska kicked a 33-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Less than two minutes later, early in the second quarter, Minnesota scored a touchdown to go up 7-3. The Gophers never trailed again for the rest of the game. Minnesota held Nebraska to 213 total yards and just 36 yards rushing. Minnesota running back Darius Taylor had 148 yards rushing and one touchdown. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola was sacked nine times. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck improved to 7-1 against Nebraska. The Huskers have not won in Minneapolis since 2015. Nebraska was held without a touchdown in a loss for the first time since a 62-3 loss to Ohio State in 2016. Attendance in Minneapolis: 48,549
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Mounties suffered from Frostbite – UCF 45, West Virginia 13 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 28, West Virginia 20). This game started out bad for West Virginia. UCF led 14-0. WVU scored and the score was 14-7 at halftime. In the second half, it got worse, and worse for WVU. UCF scored 31 unanswered points and just like that the score was 45-7. Hopeless. If WVU can’t beat UCF, the Mounties may never win another game this season. UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson was 23-34-1, passing for 277 yards and two touchdowns. UCF running back Jaden Nixon ran for 116 yards. UCF had 578 total yards. WVU only had 79 yards passing. Attendance in Orlando: 43,445
Lagway was lagging – Florida 23, Mississippi State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 21, Mississippi State 20). Mississippi State took an early first quarter lead at 7-0. Florida grabbed a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. The Gators never trailed again, but it was close. With 2:00 to go in the fourth quarter, Miss State scored and trailed by two points – 23-21. The Bulldogs were driving late in the game to kick a field goal. The Gators intercepted a Miss State pass. Game over. Miss State quarterback Blake Shapen was 24-36-1, passing for 324 yards. Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway looked awful. When he threw his second interception, I thought it was going to be the LSU game all over again. Florida’s champion was running back Jaden Baugh. He ran for 150 yards and one touchdown. During the game, Florida fans were chanting, “Fire Billy Napier.” Little did they know their wish would come true. The teams combined for 920 total yards.
Strange game – Texas 16, Kentucky 13 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Kentucky 17). What a weird game. Texas was flat and couldn’t do anything. Kentucky was doing everything but scoring. Texas led 7-0 at halftime. That’s how bad things were. In the third quarter, Texas led 7-3 and increased its lead to 10-3. Kentucky tied the score twice in the fourth quarter – first at 10-10, then at 13-13. That’s how regulation ended. In overtime, Kentucky failed to score, and Texas kicked a field goal. Arch Manning had another bad game. He only completed 44% of his passes – 12-for-27. Kentucky completely dominated the stats – so much so I don’t know how the Wildcats manage to lose. Kentucky even had a 19-minute edge in time of possession. Attendance in Lexington: 60,937
Ho-hum in Evanston – Northwestern 19, Purdue 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 27, Purdue 23). Northwestern led 13-0 at halftime and added 6 more points in the second half. Both teams were flat on offense, especially Purdue. Both played pretty good defense. Purdue had three turnovers and eight penalties for 98 yards. Purdue only had 11 first downs. Northwestern had a 15-minute edge in time of possession. Northwestern’s win was its fourth straight. Attendance in Evanston: 12,023
Week 8 Results: 9 winners, 5 fumbles (64.3 percent)
For the Season: 80 winners, 33 fumbles ( percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
FIU 25, Western Kentucky 6 – Attendance in Bowling Green: 12,276
Presbyterian 42, Stetson 7 – Attendance in Clinton: 7,435
Florida A&M 38, Alcorn State 28 – Attendance in Tallahassee: N/A
West Florida 23, West Alabama 16 – Attendance in Livingston: 4,789
South Florida 48, Florida Atlantic 13 – Attendance in Tampa: 45,169
Stanford 20, Florida State 13 – Attendance in Palo Alto: 26,470
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Delaware’s Nick Minicucci – 32-50-0 for 422 yards (1TD); Texas State’s Brad Jackson – 22-30-1-415 (2TDs); Buffalo’s Ta’Quan Roberson – 36-55-1-403 (1TD); Ohio State’s Julian Sayin – 36-42-0-393 (4TDs); Duke’s Darian Mensah – 32-44-0-373 (2TD), and UConn’s Joe Fagnano – 23-31-0-362 (4TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
James Madison’s Alonza Barnett – 295 yards (2TDs); Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love – 228 yards (1TD); Oregon State’s Anthony Hankerson – 204 yards (4TDs), and Boise State’s Dylan Riley – 201 yards (1TD).
Also, FIU’s Kejon Owens – 195 yards (1TD); Oklahoma State’s Rodney Fields – 163 yards (1TD); Army’s Cale Hellums – 155 yards (2TDs); Florida’s Jaden Baugh – 150 yards; Ohio’s Sieh Bangura – 147 yards (3TDs), and Arkansas’ Mike Washington – 147 yards.
Quotes of the Week
“Everybody can’t win,” former Florida coach Steve Spurrier, reacting to the James Franklin firing.
“We hopefully have earned a lot of credibility around here. There’s been a lot of great years, a lot of great years. But this is a tough one,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, following the loss to SMU.
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting cooler, the leaves were falling, the frost was on the pumpkins and Halloween was just around the corner, the number one song in the country…
…85 years ago, this week in 1940, was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
…80 years ago, this week in 1945, was “Till The End Of Time” by Perry Como
…75 years ago, this week in 1950, was “Goodnight Irene” by Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra
…70 years ago, this week in 1955, was “The Yellow Rose Of Texas” by Mitch Miller, and “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” by The Four Aces
…65 years ago, this week in 1960, was “Save The Last Dance For Me” by The Drifters, and “I Want To Be Wanted” by Brenda Lee.
…60 years ago, this week in 1965, was “Yesterday” by The Beatles
…55 years ago, this week in 1970, was “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson Five
…50 years ago, this week in 1975, was “Bad Blood” by Neil Sedaka
…45 years ago, this week in 1980, was “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen, and “A Woman In Love” by Barbra Streisand
…40 years ago, this week in 1985, was “Take On Me” by A-Ha
…35 years ago, this week in 1990, was “I Don’t Have The Heart” by James Ingram
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