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College football is back with a revamped conference and postseason structure. But a packed weekend of games to open the season proved the sport is still delightfully unpredictable, both on and off the field.
Crazy moments, crazy memes and shocked surrender cobras came from games across the country and we’ve rounded up the best of the week. From wild highlights to cow helmets, here are the real college football moments from Week 1:
Legception
It’s not uncommon for a team to have a lucky shot every now and then, but North Dakota State had an unusual bit of luck in the form of a bizarre interception during its season opener against Colorado on Thursday.
Early in the third quarter, Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw a pass from around the 14-yard line toward the end zone on third-and-goal. Several Colorado receivers and NDSU defenders swarmed toward the corner of the end zone, and in the process, Bison cornerback Anthony Chideme-Alfaro fell facedown to the turf. The ball bounced off Chideme-Alfaro’s calf and straight into the hands of NDSU linebacker Nick Kubitz for a crazy interception.
CRAZY BOUNCE IN THE END ZONE LEADS TO A NORTH DAKOTA STATE INTERCEPTION! photo.twitter.com/yED9J1KJJG
—TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 30, 2024
Later in the game, Colorado star wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter had a highlight-reel catch of his own for his third touchdown reception of the night. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Buffaloes leading by four points, Hunter made an incredible catch around the arm of Bison cornerback Jailen Duffie to extend Colorado’s lead.
WHAT A CATCH BY TRAVIS HUNTER 👀
🎥 @Big12Conference photo.twitter.com/3dKp8NdFQq
— The Athletics (@TheAthletic) August 30, 2024
The Buffaloes won the game 31-26.
He has hops
If you were focused on Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke setting up Trech Kekahuna for a successful two-point conversion in the fourth quarter of the Badgers’ win over Western Michigan on Friday, you may have missed another display of athleticism happening right next to them.
After Kekahuna caught the pass, the back judge leaned over to get a better look at where the receiver’s feet landed. As he lay on the ground, Western Michigan cornerback Nyquann Washington put his hands on the referee’s shoulders and jumped over him. The referee then stood up and raised his arms to signal the conversion was good, without acknowledging that he was briefly a jump table for Washington’s hop.
The attempt for 2 points for @BadgerFootball is good 🙌 photo.twitter.com/m4mIiwwR9U
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 31, 2024
It wasn’t a celebration, since Washington was playing for the Broncos and the Badgers had just scored, but it was a showcase of the crazy antics that make CFB so entertaining.
Celebration of two icons
Tubby, the anthropomorphic mayonnaise jar who is the mascot of the Duke’s Mayo Classic, made his debut on August 27, 2022, and the crew behind the annual regular-season game went to X last week to wish him a happy birthday.
Two years ago Tubby was born.
Today it is a great honor for us to wish him a happy birthday. 💛 photo.twitter.com/dRzcjkfFDC
— Duke’s Mayo Classic (@DukesMayoBowl) August 27, 2024
Fans posted celebratory messages in response, pointing out that UNC coach Mack Brown was born on the same day in 1951. Brown turned 73 on Tuesday and led the Tar Heels to a win in the season opener against Minnesota on Thursday.
The next edition of the Duke’s Mayo Classic is scheduled for Saturday, when Tennessee takes on NC State at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC
Intorpedo
Catching with one hand? You’ve done it before.
One-handed, spinning, flying interception? Yeah, that’s more Rob Carter Jr. speed.
The Robert Morris defensive back made his case for the interception of the year in the second quarter of the Colonials’ Week 1 game against the Utah State Aggies when he defied gravity to snap the ball out of the air with one hand while spinning. The play allowed Robert Morris to open the first half with a 14-10 lead.
Robert Morris’ Rob Carter Jr. just made an early bid for Interception of the Year 🤯
🎥 @RMU_Footballphoto.twitter.com/hwvusrLpWa
— The Athletics (@TheAthletic) September 1, 2024
Carter’s interception was one of three for the team on the night, with cornerback Tyris Harvey taking home two. But the Colonials lost 36-14. (UNLV had its own dynamic interception Saturday night against Houston).
The longest garden
Some teams don’t complete seven third downs in a game. North Dakota completed them in one drive.
In its lone scoring drive against Iowa State in Week 1, North Dakota had 23 plays between the end of the first quarter and the end of the second on one drive. It resulted in a field goal in a 21-3 loss.
The drive lasted 12 minutes, 23 seconds, but it wasn’t the longest ever. Navy defeated North Dakota with a 14-minute, 26-second drive in 2004. Back then, the Midshipmen used up nearly 15 minutes in the fourth quarter of the Emerald Bowl (now known as the Kraft Fights Hunger Bowl), limiting New Mexico to six plays in the final quarter to take home a 34-19 victory.
North Dakota had a 23-GAMES DRIVE
It lasted 12:24 and it was beautiful. photo.twitter.com/EI5mdeBlIO
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 31, 2024
That nearly quarter-long drive gave Navy its first 10-win season in 99 years.
Welcome to the Big Ten…Simpson College?
It wasn’t Southern California, but it was pretty darn close!
The Minnesota marching band appeared to use a Simpson College flag instead of a USC flag when they performed with the flags of every school in the Big Ten in 2024. The lettering on the USC flag tends to be more angular than that of Simpson College, with the “S” and “C” having no curve.
Minnesota seems to have purchased a no-brand USC flag for their band… 😂 #FightOn? photo.twitter.com/W8BJfxGDmu
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) August 30, 2024
Perhaps it was an exciting moment for the conference’s newcomers, the Trojans, who came to the Big Ten from the Pac-12 along with UCLA, Oregon and Washington to form the now 18-team conference.
Texas Tech Ties to Abilene Christian
FCS program Abilene Christian took FBS rival Texas Tech to overtime on Saturday night, losing the game after failing to convert on a game-winning two-point attempt. While there were plenty of points (Texas Tech won 52-51) and breath-holding moments, there were also plenty of invisible strings that tied the programs together.
Abilene Christian coach Keith Patterson was hired as defensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2019 under then-coach Matt Wells.
𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐒 𝐀 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍🤩#CDT | #GaWildcats photo.twitter.com/cNfKo2W5N5
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) September 1, 2024
Abilene Christian quarterback Maverick McIvor spent the first three years of his college career at Texas Tech, exploding for 506 yards and three touchdowns against his former team.
Cow helmets!
Utah State leaned on its agricultural roots with its helmet pattern on Saturday. That’s fitting, since its quarterback is also a dedicated hog farmer.
Leading agricultural school in the STATE 🤘 photo.twitter.com/xGow1LVKNr
— USU Football (@USUFootball) August 28, 2024
It’s just… missed so much
Riley Leonard appeared to have a first down during Notre Dame’s win over Texas A&M, but the play was reviewed and it was ruled that Leonard had a first down just short.
Screenshot of ABC broadcast.
Is that even possible? Remember when the NFL referee put a card between the yard marker and the ball a few years ago? It didn’t cost the Irish too much in a 23-13 victory.
Awesome…unique…ours
Northwestern is playing in a temporary stadium on campus this season as its home stadium (Ryan Field) undergoes an $800 million renovation. Our Jayna Bardahl wrote about it in August.
Northwestern fans got a look inside the stadium on Saturday, and coach David Braun clearly enjoyed it:
▶️ Awesome
▶️ Unique
▶️ OursDavid Braun describes @NUFBFamily‘s new temporary home.#B1GFootbal photo.twitter.com/ymPkTlUyrZ
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 1, 2024
The Wildcats defeated Miami, Ohio, 13-6.
Big Ben
The country’s most popular jet-setting golden retriever is back.
Ben Herbstreit, the 10-year-old furry friend of ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, interrupted the LSU-USC broadcast before the game while Kirk Herbstreit explained the new 12-team college football playoff format.
“Oh, Ben’s down here, sorry about that,” Kirk Herbstreit said live on air as he and fellow analyst Rece Davis leaned in to give Ben the pat he deserved.
Kirk Herbstreit’s dog Ben made an unexpected appearance on the LSU-USC pregame show 🐶😂
🎥 @ESPNCFBphoto.twitter.com/IwrbI9LPym
— The Athletics (@TheAthletic) September 2, 2024
Ben first joined Herbstreit on “College GameDay” in November 2021, when the show traveled to the University of Cincinnati for the Bearcats’ game against Tulsa. The Herbstreits live in Cincinnati, so Ben tagged along with Dad to work that day and has continued to do so ever since.
Ben is a certified emotional support animal for Herbstreit. He received his ESA license and official red vest in early November, which allows him to accompany Herbstreit to more places, such as hotels, where pets are generally not allowed.
On Sunday, Ben was allowed to walk around the broadcast booth and he stole the show again.
Required reading
(Photo of Travis Hunter: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
