No. 1 Georgia survives Kentucky, No. 16 LSU wins thriller, Memphis stuns FSU in Week 3

Week 3 of college football delivered plenty of action, featuring a thrilling showdown between Georgia and Kentucky, a top-25 showdown at Missouri and a shocking Memphis win against Florida State. Here’s a recap of how it all went down:

No. 1 Georgia outlasts Kentucky 

No. 1 Georgia narrowly escaped unranked Kentucky with a 13-12 win in a defensive battle. Kentucky led 9-6 after three quarters, but Georgia took the lead early in the fourth with a 3-yard touchdown run by Branson Robinson. The Wildcats closed the gap with their fourth field goal of the game but couldn’t score a touchdown. Georgia caught a late break with a fumble recovery that led to a crucial first down, sealing the victory and preserving its unbeaten season.

No. 16 LSU rallies to beat South Carolina

No. 16 LSU escaped South Carolina to win, 36-33, avoiding overtime after the Gamecocks missed the game-tying field goal as time expired.

LSU’s window for a win looked miniscule following the first quarter. Down 17 points, battling an amplified Gamecocks fan base and a constant rooster crowing sound, the Tigers were on their back heels. 

Although down only 24-16 at halftime, LSU couldn’t stop South Carolina on the ground. The Tigers gave up 153 rushing yards in the first half, highlighted by quarterback LaNorris Sellers 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Both offenses cranked up the heat in the second half. The Tigers scored back-to-back touchdowns on their second and third possessions after the break, while the Gamecocks added nine points on back-to-back possessions early in the fourth quarter. With 10 minutes remaining, South Carolina led 33-29. 

The Gamecocks nearly put the game away with six minutes to go. At South Carolina’s 13-yard line, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw an interception to Nick Emmanwori in the end zone, running it back for a touchdown. The pick-six was called back, though, due to an unnecessary roughness call. 

Nussmeier made up for the mistake on the next drive, carrying the Tigers to an eight-play, 55-yard scoring drive to help LSU regain the lead nearing the last minute.

Following Sellers’ right ankle injury earlier in the contest, backup Robby Ashford tried to will the Gamecocks to victory, driving the offense down to LSU’s 32-yard line with 4 seconds left. Kicker Alex Herrera couldn’t send the contest to overtime, however, missing the 49-yard game-tying field goal by inches. 

No. 6 Missouri defeats No. 24 Boston College 

No. 6 Missouri hung on against No. 24 Boston College, 27-21, after a rocky start.

The Eagles jumped out to a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter following a 67-yard touchdown pass from Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos on a broken play. 

GET CAUGHT UP: Scores and stats for every game

The Tigers would go on to post 24 points in a row to take a 27-14 lead with under six minutes to go in the game. However, the Eagles took advantage on another broken coverage play from the Tigers, cutting the lead to just six with under four minutes to play. But the comeback effort fell short as the Tigers chewed up the clock to end the game. 

Luther Burden III was the X-factor once again for Mizzou, tallying 117 yards and a touchdown on just six receptions, including 74 yards after the catch. 

Boston College could not get its run game going against the Tigers after recording 284.5 rushing yards per game entering the game. Bill O’Brien’s squad averaged 1.9 yards per rush. 

Conversely, Tigers running back Nate Noel recorded 121 yards on the ground, averaging 5.5 yards per rush. Missouri’s veteran quarterback Brady Cook had another solid day, completing 21 of his 30 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. He also added one more score on the ground. 

The Tigers improved to 3-0, travelling to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt next week. Boston College was handed its first loss of the season — the same week the Eagles were ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2018. O’Brien’s squad will look to bounce back next week at home against Michigan State. 

Memphis stuns Florida State

Memphis shocked Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium with a 20-12 victory, starting strong and forcing a fumble on just the second play of the game. The Tigers capitalized early, kicking a field goal in the first quarter and ending it with an interception, keeping the Seminoles scoreless. In the second quarter, quarterback Seth Henigan connected with running back Greg Desrosiers Jr. for a touchdown, extending Memphis’ lead. Florida State finally got points on the board with a field goal, but Memphis answered with another, heading into halftime up 13-3, with 158 total yards compared to Florida State’s 67.

Memphis came out firing again in the third, as Henigan found tight end Anthony Landphere for another touchdown. Florida State finally responded with their first touchdown of the game from running back Roydell Williams. Florida State then grabbed an interception. A fourth quarter field goal cut the deficit, and the Seminoles’ defense held Memphis scoreless for the remainder of the game. However, it wasn’t enough to make the comeback, as the preseason top-10 Seminoles dropped to 0-3.

Toledo shocks Mississippi State

Toledo routed Mississippi State, 41-17, behind its offensive clinic from start to finish — dropping over 450 total yards of offense. 

It was the MAC’s first win against an SEC opponent since 2015.

The masterclass began during the Rockets’ first offensive possession. After the Bulldogs three-and-out to start the contest, Toledo put together a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive and didn’t look back.

By halftime, the Rockets had busted the game wide open. Toledo scored on three straight drives compared to Mississippi State’s single field goal to lead 28-3 and picked up an interception entering the break.

The Rockets didn’t let their foot off the gas pedal in the second half, rather, the defense applied even more pressure. The group forced two more turnovers that gave the offense multiple short fields, resulting in 10 points.

Although the Bulldogs showed signs of life with two touchdowns late in the third and fourth quarters, Toledo’s cruise control was already in high gear. Quarterback Tucker Gleason’s 285 passing yards and three-touchdown performance added to his already electric 2024 campaign. He entered the contest with the sixth-most passing touchdowns in FBS. 

Toledo moves to 3-0 for the first time since 2017.