College football Week 3 just wrapped, and while everyone was hyped for LSU vs. Ole Miss and some wild record-breaking performances, an unsuspecting Saturday brought one of the wildest finishes ever. Seriously, we’re talking about a shocker at Vanderbilt that’s an absolute must-see, and it perfectly highlights who won and lost this slate.
Darian Mensah Is Unstoppable, But Miami Still Has Work
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah is straight up scary good. After blowout wins against Stanford and Florida A&M where he completed 41-of-45 passes, slinging twice as many touchdowns (eight) as incompletions (four), he decided to one-up himself. On Friday against Wake Forest, Mensah connected on his first 24 throws, shattering an ACC record for consecutive completions. That streak helped the Hurricanes explode for a 24-point lead in their 33-20 victory. Mensah ended the night with a 30-of-34 line for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Sure, Miami’s offense went silent after their opening drive of the second half, so there’s still room for him to improve. And that thought, honestly, has to be terrifying for every defense out there. What happens when he *really* gets locked in?
Houston’s Inches of Heartbreak and Ohio State’s Legend Grows
Man, Houston fans have to be hurting after their road game against Texas Tech. It couldn’t have been closer. Houston was looking to mess up the Big 12 standings and held a 17-14 lead at halftime. When they found themselves down 28-20, Conner Weigman hit Patrick Overmyer for a last-minute touchdown in the fourth quarter. All they needed was a two-point conversion to force overtime. Weigman scrambled, couldn’t find an open receiver, and met three Tech defenders at the three-yard line. He absorbed the hit, fell forward, stretched the ball past the plane of the end zone… but he touched the turf first. Houston literally fell inches shy of a conference-shifting upset. They’re going to have nightmares about that one.
Meanwhile, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is cementing his legacy as an all-time great. This guy’s a two-time All-American, a national champ, and already a legend. In a 59-3 rout of Kent State, he reeled in a 23-yard pass, officially surpassing Michael Jenkins in the OSU record book for career receiving yards. Smith finished with five receptions for 85 yards, bringing his career total to 2,958. He is only 20 catches away from leaping Emeka Egbuka in career receptions and six touchdowns shy of clearing Chris Olave. When that happens, and it’s definitely a “when,” Smith will be the undisputed No. 1 in Ohio State history. What a monster.
NC State’s Wild Collapse Will Haunt Them
Seriously, what in the world happened at Vanderbilt? NC State looked like they had this one locked up at 31-28, thanks to a clutch interception by Brody Barnhardt. Vandy had a couple of timeouts left, but NC State had a clear path to run out the clock. Instead, with just six seconds remaining, they faced a 4th-and-7 inside their own 10-yard line. They could have taken a safety, or just launched an incompletion to burn the clock. NC State picked Option A, and well, the rest is history. That decision is absolutely mind-boggling and what a way to lose a game! You just cannot make that call when the game is on the line.
What a crazy week! Looking ahead, with teams making these kinds of boneheaded plays or showing this much dominance, the next few weeks are gonna be wild. Let’s see who can learn from their mistakes and who keeps riding the wave. Also, shout out to Washington State for putting up 48 points on Duquesne’s 7 in their final. Go Cougs!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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