Week 1 Recap

09/06/2022 Week 1 Recap

By: Matthew Cahill

Breaking Down the Biggest Moments From College Football’s Inaugural Weekend

The first week of the college football season wrapped up last night, and man is there a lot to cover. For starters, it was announced on Friday that the CFB playoff bracket is expanding from four to twelve teams, starting as soon as 2024. A new four-round playoff system gives more teams a real chance to win it all, gives fans more big games, and gives teams & tv networks more money (a lot more). So, it sounds like a win for all parties if you ask me.

 

Aside from the playoff news, there were some incredible games from this past weekend that reminded us why Saturdays this time of year are so magical. Here are a few of the weekend’s best:

 

Florida State’s Wild Finish vs. LSU (24-23)

Without sugarcoating it, this game had one of the most thrilling endings we have ever seen. With 2:22 left, LSU muffed a punt that Florida State ended up recovering. The Seminoles were up 24-17 and were on the verge of putting the game away, but running back Treshaun Ward fumbled on the 1-yard-line with 1:20 remaining to give The Tigers a puncher’s chance. They ended up driving all the way down the field and scored a touchdown at the very last second to seemingly tie the game, but FSU ended up blocking the extra point that would have sent it to overtime. The blocked kick capped off an absolute classic that had just about everything that could have happened down the stretch of a football game.

 

Watch: Florida St. vs. LSU Highlights

 

Gators Upset Utah (29-26)

It was a great weekend for all Floridians. The Billy Napier-era for Gators certainly started off on the right foot, as Florida stunned No. 8 Utah with a massive win that went down to the wire. Anthony Richardson rushed for his third touchdown of the game with 1:25 remaining to put the Gators in front. The Utes responded by marching down the field and looked like they were going to at the very least tie it, if not win it, but an incredible interception in the end zone by Amari Burney sealed the victory for Napier and his new team.

 

Watch: Utah vs. Florida Highlights

 

40 Points in the Fourth for Nothing (UNC def. App. State 63-61)

North Carolina scored 22 points in the fourth quarter in addition to leading by 20 heading into the final frame against Appalachian State, and the game still somehow ended up being a thriller. After UNC rattled off 27 points unanswered to firmly take control, the Mountaineers lit up the Tar Heels in the fourth quarter, scoring six touchdowns to get them right back in the game. Despite their efforts, Appalachian State came up short, as a pair of failed two-point conversions ended up costing them a comeback for the ages.

 

Watch: North Carolina vs. Appalachian State Highlights

 

Additional Storylines

Insider: College Football is Expanding its Playoff to 12 Teams — Here is Everything we Know About the new Format

Bleacher Report: Winners and Losers From Week 1

 

Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images