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Colorado Stuns Georgia Tech, UMass Shocks Rutgers

Colorado delivered a last-minute escape, Massachusetts authored the night’s biggest upset and ranked Utah and Missouri opened with decisive victories during Thursday’s FBS college football action.

College football’s first full week of the 2026 season began Thursday, September 3, with a combination of dramatic finishes, major upsets and overwhelming performances.

Colorado blocked a potential game-winning field goal to escape Georgia Tech, 14-13. Massachusetts stunned Rutgers as a four-touchdown underdog, while No. 21 Utah and No. 25 Missouri overwhelmed overmatched opponents.

Here is a complete recap of every Thursday game involving an FBS program.

Colorado 14, Georgia Tech 13

Colorado survived the most dramatic finish of Thursday night, scoring a late touchdown and blocking Georgia Tech’s 45-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.

The Buffaloes trailed until the final minute before producing their winning drive. Georgia Tech answered by moving into scoring range behind a 42-yard reception by Dalen Penson, but Colorado defensive back Boo Carter blocked Aidan Birr’s final kick to preserve the one-point victory.

Colorado rushed for 183 yards, with Damian Henderson II gaining 65 and Micah Welch adding 58. Lamont Lester Jr. recorded three sacks in his Buffaloes debut as Colorado’s defense held Georgia Tech to only 51 rushing yards.

Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza completed 17 of 23 passes for 237 yards, while Rahkeem Smith supplied Georgia Tech’s biggest play with a 100-yard kickoff-return touchdown. 

Turning point: Carter’s blocked field goal on the final play.

Star of the Game: Lamont Lester Jr., Colorado — three sacks in his Division I debut.

Massachusetts 37, Rutgers 21

Massachusetts produced the night’s biggest upset, erasing an early deficit and scoring 30 consecutive points in a stunning victory at Rutgers.

Quarterback William “Pop” Watson III completed 19 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns in his UMass debut. The Minutemen added 200 rushing yards, led by Curtis Kimmons IV’s 78 yards and a touchdown.

Massachusetts’ defense forced four Rutgers turnovers and repeatedly frustrated quarterback Dylan Lonergan, who threw three interceptions before being replaced. Rutgers receiver KJ Duff provided one bright spot, finishing with 196 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

The victory ended a 16-game UMass losing streak and gave the Minutemen their first win over an FBS opponent since beating Army in October 2023. Rutgers had entered the game as a 29½-point favorite. 

Turning point: UMass answered Rutgers’ opening touchdown with 30 unanswered points.

Star of the Game: William Watson III, Massachusetts — 197 passing yards and three touchdowns.

No. 21 Utah 66, Idaho 14

Utah opened its first full season under head coach Morgan Scalley with an offensive explosion at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Utes amassed 633 yards and scored on five of their first six possessions. Wayshawn Parker produced a career-high three touchdowns, while quarterback Devon Dampier threw three scoring passes.

Utah built a 31-7 halftime advantage and continued pulling away after the break, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter. The Utes finished with 26 first downs and controlled the game both through the air and on the ground.

The victory extended Utah’s home-opener winning streak to 18 games, excluding the pandemic-altered 2020 season. It was also the program’s 96th consecutive sellout under the same exclusion. 

Turning point: Utah scored on five of its first six first-half possessions.

Star of the Game: Wayshawn Parker, Utah — three total touchdowns.

No. 25 Missouri 54, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14

Austin Simmons delivered a nearly flawless debut as Missouri overwhelmed Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Columbia.

The Ole Miss transfer completed 17 of 19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns before leaving late in the first half. Two of those touchdowns went to Donovan Olugbode, while Shaun Terry II and Cayden Lee also caught scoring passes.

Missouri held Arkansas-Pine Bluff to six total yards before halftime and finished with a 562-198 advantage in total offense. Jamal Roberts, Preston Hatfield and backup quarterback Matt Zollers added rushing touchdowns.

The Tigers won their sixth consecutive season opener and extended their home winning streak against nonconference opponents to 24 games. 

Turning point: Missouri built a 30-0 lead before Arkansas-Pine Bluff could establish any offensive rhythm.

Star of the Game: Austin Simmons, Missouri — 17-of-19 passing with four touchdowns.

Illinois 42, UAB 23

Illinois overcame a major disparity in possession time by producing explosive plays on offense, defense and special teams.

Quarterback Katin Houser accounted for four touchdowns in his Illinois debut, completing 13 of 17 passes while throwing three scores and running for another. Collin Dixon caught six passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

The game’s signature moment arrived at the end of the first half when Houser connected with Ty Robinson on a Hail Mary touchdown. Mac Resetich added a 65-yard punt return, Ca’Lil Valentine broke a 51-yard touchdown run and Ismael Kante returned an interception for a score.

UAB controlled the ball for more than 41 minutes, but Illinois repeatedly turned short opportunities and big plays into points. 

Turning point: Illinois’ Hail Mary touchdown as the first half expired.

Star of the Game: Katin Houser, Illinois — four total touchdowns in his debut.

Minnesota 59, Eastern Illinois 7

Javon Tracy and Darius Taylor powered Minnesota to a commanding season-opening victory.

Tracy became the first player in Minnesota history to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game. His first, an 87-yard return late in the opening quarter, helped the Golden Gophers seize control.

Taylor rushed for three first-half touchdowns, while quarterback Drake Lindsey completed 19 passes for 264 yards and a score. Minnesota built a 42-0 halftime lead and never allowed Eastern Illinois back into the contest.

The Panthers avoided the shutout with their only touchdown in the second half, but they had no answer for Minnesota’s combination of rushing production and special-teams explosiveness. 

Turning point: Tracy’s first punt-return touchdown gave Minnesota a two-score lead.

Star of the Game: Javon Tracy, Minnesota — a school-record two punt-return touchdowns.

UCF 73, Bethune-Cookman 6

UCF tied its program scoring record and established a new record for largest victory margin in a dominant performance at home.

Duke Watson rushed for 110 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown on UCF’s opening drive. Jayden Williams returned an interception 47 yards for another score only 12 seconds later, giving the Knights a 14-0 advantage before Bethune-Cookman could settle into the game.

Quarterback Alonza Barnett III threw for 158 yards and a touchdown and also scored on the ground. Landen Chambers added two rushing touchdowns as the Knights accumulated 549 total yards.

The 67-point margin surpassed UCF’s previous record of 64 points, while the 73-point output tied the school mark established against Austin Peay in 2017. 

Turning point: UCF scored twice in the first 4:04, including Williams’ pick-six.

Star of the Game: Duke Watson, UCF — 110 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Wake Forest 38, Akron 16

Gio Lopez threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns in his Wake Forest debut, leading the Demon Deacons past Akron.

Lopez connected with Antonio Meeks for a 72-yard score and Carlos Hernandez for a 78-yard touchdown during a 28-point first half. Hernandez finished with 165 receiving yards, while Ty Clark led Wake Forest’s rushing attack with 105 yards.

The Demon Deacons generated 559 total yards, including 356 through the air and 203 on the ground. Their defense held Akron to three points through the first three quarters before the Zips scored twice against Wake Forest’s reserves.

Wake Forest’s 115 penalty yards represented the night’s primary concern, but the outcome was never seriously threatened after the explosive first half. 

Turning point: Lopez’s 72-yard touchdown pass to Meeks opened a 17-0 lead.

Star of the Game: Gio Lopez, Wake Forest — 350 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Kennesaw State 47, West Georgia 0

Kennesaw State scored 40 first-half points and recorded its first shutout since 2021.

Rickie Collins accounted for three touchdowns, while Latrelle Murrell rushed for two scores. Murrell opened the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown run before Triston Morgan broke free for a 60-yard score.

A West Georgia fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the Owls another short field, and Collins scored from three yards out to make it 19-0 before the end of the first quarter.

Kennesaw State finished with 508 yards, including 297 on the ground, and limited West Georgia to 160 total yards and seven first downs. The Wolves failed to convert any of their 12 third-down attempts. 

Turning point: Three rapid first-quarter touchdowns gave Kennesaw State complete control.

Star of the Game: Rickie Collins, Kennesaw State — three total touchdowns.

Delaware 42, Merrimack 7

Delaware methodically pulled away from Merrimack to begin its second FBS season with a comfortable victory.

The Blue Hens led only 7-0 through the game’s first 25 minutes, but a late Merrimack turnover contributed to two more Delaware touchdowns before halftime. The Blue Hens then scored twice in the third quarter to end any possibility of a comeback.

Quarterback Nick Minicucci passed for 330 yards, and Kaderris Roberts scored two touchdowns in his Delaware debut. Viron Ellison Jr., Sean Wilson and Nick Tyree were also among the Blue Hens who reached the end zone.

Delaware has now won five consecutive season openers under head coach Ryan Carty. 

Turning point: Delaware converted a late first-half turnover into a 21-0 halftime advantage.

Star of the Game: Nick Minicucci, Delaware — 330 passing yards.

Buffalo 21, Albany 17

Buffalo waited through severe weather and then completed a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Albany.

Lightning and torrential rain delayed kickoff for more than two and a half hours, pushing the start to 9:43 p.m. Albany led 17-14 entering the fourth quarter, but Buffalo quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson found Chance Morrow for the pair’s third touchdown connection of the game with 4:53 remaining.

Buffalo’s defense protected the four-point advantage over the closing minutes, allowing the Bulls to survive a difficult season opener at Broadview Stadium.

The loss dropped Albany to 1-1, while Buffalo began its season 1-0. 

Turning point: Morrow’s third touchdown catch put Buffalo ahead with 4:53 remaining.

Star of the Game: Chance Morrow, Buffalo — three touchdown receptions.

Thursday’s FBS College Football Scores

• Massachusetts 37, Rutgers 21
• Wake Forest 38, Akron 16
• Delaware 42, Merrimack 7
• UCF 73, Bethune-Cookman 6
• Kennesaw State 47, West Georgia 0
• Buffalo 21, Albany 17
• No. 25 Missouri 54, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14
• Colorado 14, Georgia Tech 13
• Minnesota 59, Eastern Illinois 7
• Illinois 42, UAB 23
• No. 21 Utah 66, Idaho 14

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