College football week 0 is in the books. After every week fans can take away things from what happened on the field. Here are 5 things learned from college football week 0.
Related: 5 Things to watch in college football week 0
After a four-win season in 2024, expectations weren’t high for Bill Belichick at North Carolina this season. They didn’t rank highly in transfer portal rankings and have had some off-field issues. The Tar Heels were playing a team that they were blown out by, TCU, last season in week 0. UNC won a tough game in Ireland, 15-10 to get things started off well this season.
North Carolina getting a win over a TCU team that is expected to be competing for bowl eligibility is a huge step. They should be able to defeat East Tennessee State next week, which will put them at half of their win total from last season. The Tar Heels played disciplined football and if they continue to play that way, UNC should be able to win more games than last season.
After a few unassuming years, Tony Elliott saw his Virginia team break out last season with 11 wins. There was plenty of roster turnover and they were not ranked to start the season, despite their success in 2025. They started off the season with a bang, as they controlled the game against NC State the entire way, winning 34-8.
The Cavaliers played well on both sides of the ball. Their offensive and defensive lines deserve a lot of credit for that, but they also have to be impressed with the play of quarterback Beau Pribula. The Missouri transfer was 9/11 passing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. His play was bolstered by his legs, as he rushed for 110 yards. With the win and a quarterback to rely on, Virginia should be able to win a lot of games again and possibly compete in the ACC.
USC defeated San Jose State with relative ease, winning 42-26. It was a good showing in which they took the starters out early and gave up a few late touchdowns as a result. USC looks good as a roster, but the thing that really stood out was how well their young stars played. With the No. 1 recruiting class coming in as freshman, along with some young returnees, USC looks like they are built for the future, and possibly right now.
Sophomore running back King Miller rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley hauled in seven passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. The top six receivers were all freshmen and sophomores. Outside of those top six, tight end Mark Bowman caught three passes for 15 yards, but also blocked well. On the defensive side of the ball, freshman defensive end Luke Wafle had some nice plays with two tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and one pass defended. With some of their young players sitting out this game, there are plenty of young players to watch on USC this season.
Before being hired at Memphis, Charles Huff did a great job at a couple of programs. In four years at Marshall, Huff posted a 32-20 record. After not being offered an extension, Huff went to Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles won one game the year before he got there, then he notched seven wins. Following the season Memphis scooped Huff up to lead their program.
In his first game as the Memphis head coach, the Tigers traveled to Las Vegas to play UNLV. After going behind earlier in the game, the Tigers finished strong and won 27-21. It was a matchup of two of the better group of six teams in the country and the Tigers notching that win on the road gives validity to the Huff hire, but also gives the Tigers hope for the season. It is a tough schedule for Memphis, but the future does look encouraging with Huff at the helm.
North Dakota State was an FCS powerhouse that decided to move up to the FBS level this season. They were a program that routinely beat FBS teams when they were given the opportunity. When those opportunities were taken away due to their success, they dominated the FCS. The Bison proved they more than belong at the FBS level with their opening week win over Jacksonville State.
In Fargo, North Dakota State defeated Jacksonville State 33-7. Although it was close early in the game, the Bison were able to wear Jacksonville State down and pour it on later in the game. Quarterback Nathan Hayes made some nice throws and could lead the Bison well this year. Not only do the Bison look like they can win some games, they may be able to compete for the Mountain West in their first year of FBS play.
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