2025 Week 0 College Football Recap And Top Performers

It’s great to have college football back.

While Week 0 offered only a limited slate of games, it served as a tantalizing appetizer for the full feast that awaits in Week 1. Despite the small sample size, there was plenty to unpack. Here's a breakdown of what we learned from the opening weekend of the 2025 college football season.

What Did We Learn From Week 0?

• The unusually messy showdown between Iowa State and Kansas State in Ireland shouldn’t be viewed as a true reflection of either team’s potential this season—particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Despite the miscues, it was a tightly contested battle between two evenly matched Big 12 programs.

• The game truly came alive in the second half, with both teams combining for 31 points in a late surge of offense. While Kansas State’s quarterback Avery Johnson delivered a standout performance, it was Iowa State’s Rocco Becht who made the decisive plays down the stretch. His conversion on a critical 4th-and-3 late in the game helped seal the Cyclones’ victory.

  
  

In the end, this matchup showcased two teams that could very well be in the hunt for the Big 12 title as the season unfolds.

• Idaho State gave UNLV a real run for their money—at one point, they were actually in the lead. But the Bengals' defense struggled to contain Rebels running back Jai'Den Thomas, who had an absolute monster of a game. On the bright side, they've got a talented QB in Jordan Cooke who could take them deep this season.

  
  

• Let the Heisman hype train roll! Seriously though, like we mentioned in our Week 0 preview earlier this week, a healthy Jalon Daniels spells big things for the Kansas Jayhawks—and he proved it with that blowout win over Fresno State.

  
  

• If there’s one college football program that keeps cranking out ridiculously efficient and productive quarterbacks, it’s Western Kentucky. First, it was Bailey Zappe lighting up the scoreboard. Then came Austin Reed, keeping the momentum going. And now? Say hello to Maverick McIvor.

  
  

  After what he pulled off against Sam Houston, we’ve got a feeling he’s just getting started—and those 400-yard games? Yeah, expect a few more of those this season.

• Things started off strong for Stanford—they finally snagged their first rushing touchdown in two years! For most of the game against Hawaii, they held the lead and looked like they might cruise to a win. But in a dramatic twist, the Rainbow Warriors swiped the victory with a clutch field goal in the final seconds. Tough break for the Cardinals.

Week 0 Top Performers (Offense and Defense)

QB Maverick McIvor - Western Kentucky

QB Jordan Cooke - Idaho State

RB Jai'Den Thomas - UNLV

QB Rocco Becht - Iowa State

QB Avery Johnson - Kansas State

DE Clay Patterson - Stanford

EDGE Tobi Osunsanmi - Kansas State

QB Jalon Daniels - Kansas

RB Dason Brooks - Idaho State

S Devin Dye - Kansas

WR Matthew Henry - Western Kentucky

EDGE Chauncey Chidi - Sam Houston

RB Micah Ford - Stanford