College Football Week 0: Five biggest takeaways
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- Iowa State secures a massive Week 0 victory: The Cyclones took down Kansas State in what could be a pivotal game in the Big 12 conference.
- Jalon Daniels was on fire: The Kansas quarterback produced an elite 88.7 PFF grade in the win over Fresno State.
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The 2025 college football season officially kicked off with five games in Week 0. While just a teaser for the action ahead, each matchup offered early insight. Here’s one key takeaway from every Week 0 contest.
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Iowa State secures what could be a pivotal Big 12 victory
In what was billed as the biggest Week 0 game in decades, No. 22 Iowa State edged No. 17 Kansas State 24-21 in Ireland.
The Cyclones delivered in key moments, converting all three of their fourth-down attempts while the Wildcats went just 1-for-4.
It was the first game of the 2025 college football season, but the result could have long-term implications in a wide-open Big 12. Arizona State enters as the betting favorite at +550 on DraftKings, with every other conference favorite sitting at +320 or shorter. With Iowa State and Kansas State both among the league’s top-ranked teams, this Week 0 clash could end up being a pivotal tiebreaker in the race to Dallas for the Big 12 title game.
The Jalon Daniels rollercoaster produced incredible highs
Kansas took care of business in its opener, cruising to a 31-7 win over Fresno State behind a sharp performance from quarterback Jalon Daniels. The sixth-year senior earned an 88.7 PFF grade, completing 18-of-21 passes for three touchdowns while adding 54 yards on the ground and a pair of rushing first downs.
It’s a promising sign for the Jayhawks after Daniels’ volatile 2024 campaign, where he tied for the highest big-time throw rate (7.1%) in the Power Four but also posted the ninth-highest turnover-worthy play rate (4.3%). If he can maintain this level of consistency, Kansas should be in a strong position to return to bowl eligibility after falling short last season.
PFF Grade: 88.7
Passing Grade: 83.2
Rushing Grade: 74.4
Completions/Attempts: 18/21
Passing Yards: 176
Passer Rating From Clean Pocket: 151.1
Passer Rating Under Pressure: 83.3
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If it’s going to compete for the Group of Five playoff spot, UNLV’s defense needs to get a LOT better
UNLV entered 2025 as one of the Group of Five’s most intriguing playoff contenders, but its defense showed major cracks in a 38-31 win over FCS Idaho State. Despite being 25.5-point favorites, the Rebels needed all four quarters to hold off a Bengals team that hasn’t had a winning season in six years.
First-year head coach Dan Mullen overhauled the roster this offseason, with 17 of 22 starters from the transfer portal, and the offense looked the part. But the defense—particularly the front seven—was a concern, finishing with a 59.6 run-defense grade and a 62.7 pass-rush grade. The unit allowed 0.075 Expected Points Added (EPA) per play in Week 0, the second-worst mark of the weekend.
Interim defensive coordinator Paul Guenther will need to find answers quickly if UNLV hopes to stay in the Group of Five playoff race.
FBS Teams in Week 0: EPA allowed per play
Kansas
Western Kentucky
Stanford
Iowa State
Kansas State
Hawaii
Sam Houston State
UNLV
Fresno StateThe Stanford rebuild is going to take some time
Stanford entered 2025 with renewed optimism following the hires of Andrew Luck as general manager and Frank Reich as interim head coach—but that momentum faded fast in a 23-20 loss to Hawaii.
After four straight 3-9 seasons, the Cardinal hoped to turn the corner. Instead, they dropped a winnable game to the lowest-ranked team on their schedule, per PFF power rankings.
Oregon State transfer Ben Gulbranson struggled in his Stanford debut, earning a 28.2 passing grade. He completed just 46.7% of his throws, recorded no big-time passes and three turnover-worthy plays. With his age and limited ceiling, it may be time for the staff to turn to redshirt freshman Elijah Brown, a former four-star recruit and likely long-term solution under center.
At this rate, even matching last season’s three-win total could be a challenge for the Cardinal.
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Western Kentucky’s offense just keeps humming along as it looks to compete for a Conference USA title
Western Kentucky opened its 2025 campaign with a 41-24 win over Sam Houston, continuing its tradition of explosive passing offenses under head coach Tyson Helton.
The Hilltoppers struck early in the Conference USA schedule, and new FBS quarterback Maverick McIvor wasted no time making an impression.
The Abilene Christian transfer, who earned a 90.9 PFF grade at the FCS level in 2024, posted an 82.3 grade in his Hilltoppers debut, throwing for 401 yards and six big-time throws. Fellow FCS transfer Matthew Henry hauled in 148 of those yards and earned a 77.1 grade. If WKU is going to make a return trip to the Conference USA title game, this duo will likely be the driving force.
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