Kennesaw State defensive back Kody Jones trips up Wake Forest running back Ty Clark III in the first half of an NCAA football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025 in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Walt Unks/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP) Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element.
WACO, Texas -- Transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold had 137 of Auburn's 307 rushing yards while scoring two touchdowns, Rayshawn Pleasant returned a kickoff 98 yards and the Tigers beat Baylor 38-24 on Friday night, opening the season in a true road game for the first time since 2002.
Arnold, who played for Oklahoma the previous two seasons, had six runs of at least 10 yards. He put the Tigers ahead to stay with a 24-yard TD that capped a 96-yard drive in the first quarter, and added a 27-yarder on a fourth-and-1 play with 4:32 left.
That nearly length-of-the field Auburn drive was set up by a fourth-down incompletion by Sawyer Robertson, who finished 27-of-48 passing for 419 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his TDs came on fourth-down plays, to wide-open Alabama transfer Kobe Prentice (33 yards) and true freshman running back Caiden Knighten (10 yards).
Pleasant, another transfer, scored twice on kickoff returns for Tulane last season. His first for the Tigers made it 31-17 in the final minute of the third quarter.
GEORGIA TECH 27,
COLORADO 20
BOULDER, Colo. -- Haynes King faked a pitch and scampered for a 45-yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining as Georgia Tech overcame a turnover-filled start to beat Colorado.
King finished with 156 yards rushing and three TDs in the season opener. He also threw for 143 yards. On the winning five-play drive, King carried the ball four times.
The Buffaloes had two timeouts on their final drive but didn't use them. They drove to the 50 and attempted a Hail Mary with 3 seconds remaining but the ball was batted down in the end zone.
It was a disastrous beginning for a veteran Georgia Tech offense, with two fumbles and an interception on its opening three possessions. The Yellow Jackets had only 10 turnovers last season.
King steadily settled them down.
Kaidon Salter scored on a 7-yard TD scramble with just over 8:25 remaining to pull Colorado to within 20-19. The extra point by Alejandro Mata was blocked but had just enough on it to creep over the crossbar to tie the game.
This marked the first time Colorado and Georgia Tech have met on the football field. The programs are forever linked after splitting the 1990 national championship.
Salter threw for 159 yards and a touchdown in his Colorado debut. The Liberty transfer also rushed for 43 yards and a score.
NO. 11 ILLINOIS 52,
WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Hank Beatty returned a punt 69 yards for a third-quarter touchdown and broke Red Grange's 102-year-old Illinois record for yards on punt returns to help the No. 11 Illini rout Western Illinois.
Beatty had four returns for 133 yards to break Grange's mark of 125 set against Nebraska on Oct. 6, 1923. The TD return was Illini's first since D'Angelo Bailey did it against Ohio State in 2013.
Beatty also led Illinois in receiving with 108 yards on five catches, with a 59-yarder for a touchdown.
Luke Altmyer was 17 of 21 with three touchdowns passes in an interception-free performance. Aidan Laughery ran for 109 yards on nine carries and two TDs.
Chris Irvin was 14 of 29 for 134 yards for Western Illinois. Antonio Chadha made a 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
The Illini led 31-0 at halftime, with Altmyer throwing all three of his TD passes -- two to Justin Bowick in his first game at Illinois since transferring from Ball State.
KANSAS 46, WAGNER 7
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Jalon Daniels threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns despite playing just one drive in the second half and Kansas easily defeated Wagner.
Emmanuel Henderson hauled in six of Daniels' passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas (2-0). Daniel Hishaw rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half.
Kansas outgained Wagner 623-143, including 285-53 on the ground and 346-90 through the air. The Jayhawks had 32 first downs, compared to just six for Wagner.
MICHIGAN STATE 23,
WESTERN MICHIGAN 6
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Makhi Frazier ran for 103 yards and a touchdown to help Michigan State beat Western Michigan.
The Spartans (1-0) led by three touchdowns at halftime after Frazier and Brandon Tullis scored and Aidan Chiles threw a touchdown pass.
The Broncos (1-0) turned it over on downs in Michigan State territory twice and missed a 46-yard field goal. At other end of the field, running back Jalen Buckley was stopped in the end zone to give Michigan State a 23-0 lead in the third quarter.
Seventh-year safety Tate Hallock, who started his college career at Michigan State in 2019, picked off backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and returned the interception 32 yards for a touchdown late.
Chiles was 17 of 23 for 155 yards with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Nick Marsh and a fumble. He connected seven times for 75 yards with Omari Kelly, who previously played at Middle Tennessee State and Auburn. Tullis had 52 yards rushing on seven carries and a touchdown.
TARLETON STATE 30,
ARMY 27 (2OT)
WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Brad Larson made a 37-yard field goal on the second possession of double overtime to give Tarleton State a victory over Army for the Texans' second-ever win over an FBS team.
At the end of regulation, Army quarterback Dewayne Coleman left the game with 57 seconds left due to an injury after a scramble. Backup Cale Hellums took over and brought the Black Knights into field goal position but Dawson Jones, in his first collegiate game, missed the 43-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds.
Both teams made a field goal in the first overtime and Jones missed a 35-yarder on the Black Knights' second possession.
Victor Gabalis was 16 of 30 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown for Tarleton State. Caleb Lewis carried it 20 times for 107 yards and a touchdown, and Tre Page III added 89 yards and another score.
Coleman finished with 129 yards passing and two interceptions for Army. He also carried it 24 times for 100 yards and a score. Hayden Reed added 88 yards rushing as Army combined for 66 carries to total 280 yards.
WAKE FOREST 10,
KENNESAW STATE 9
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Robby Ashford scored Wake Forest's lone touchdown on a first-quarter keeper and the Demon Deacons came up with a clinching late stop to hold off Kennesaw State and give Jake Dickert a successful sideline debut.
Ashford's 5-yard keeper that ended with him flipping through a hit at the goal line was a rare highlight on a bumpy night for the Demon Deacons (1-0), who lost top player Demond Claiborne to injury after just three carries.
Still, Wake Forest hung on after forcing Dexter Williams II to throw incomplete on fourth down with 1:50 left, prompting Dickert to pump his fist in exuberance that might've had some mixed-in relief, too.
Wake Forest didn't go ahead for good until Connor Calvert's 22-yard field goal with 3:05 left in the third.
Wake Forest defensive back Nick Andersen (left) and linebacker Dylan Hazen take down Kennesaw State running back Coleman Bennett in the first half of an NCAA football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025 at in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Walt Unks/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)Kennesaw State quarterback Dexter Williams II, left, looks to throw against Wake Forest in the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Walt Unks/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert, front right, directs his players in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kennesaw State, Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Walt Unks/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack directs his players in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest, Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Walt Unks/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP)