College football scores, rankings, highlights: No. 6 Missouri survives No. 24 Boston College, Ole Miss rolls

There was a little late drama, but all the ranked teams went chalk in Week 3 action

Week 3 of the 2024 college football season saw a couple of close calls, but no major upsets as every higher-ranked team won its matchup. No. 24 Boston College gave No. 6 Missouri all it could handle early, but the Tigers rallied to bring home a 27-24 victory at home. Meanwhile, Alabama avoided any such drama on the road with a 42-10 drubbing of Wisconsin. 

Notre Dame bounced back from last week's loss to Northern Illinois in a big way, rolling over Purdue in a dominant 66-7 win. Oregon didn't have any trouble with in-state rival Oregon State, smashing the Beavers 49-14 as the Ducks offense finally seemed to get on track following a couple of weeks of struggles. Utah trailed early, but found its footing in a win over its own in-state rival in Utah State. 

Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss continued a near-flawless start with a 40-6 victory over Wake Forest, while Oklahoma needed a couple of fourth quarter turnovers to finally put away a pesky Tulane team in a 34-19 win. 

The night game featured some of the day's best drama, as No. 1 Georgia survived a 13-12 dogfight with Kentucky. 

College football scores, schedule: Week 3

No. 4 Alabama 42, Wisconsin -10 Fox -- Takeaways, recap
No. 16 LSU 36, South Carolina 33 -- Recap
No. 6 Missouri 27, No. 24 Boston College 21--  Recap
No. 18 Notre Dame 66, Purdue 7 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 9 Oregon 49, Oregon State 14 -- Recap
No. 15 Oklahoma 34, Tulane 19 -- Recap
No. 12 Utah 38, Utah State 21 -- Recap
No. 5 Ole Miss 40, Wake Forest 6 -- Recap
Colorado 28, Colorado State 9 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 1 Georgia 13, Kentucky 12 -- Recap
Check out the entire Week 3 scoreboard

Check these out ...

• Quinn Ewers injury: Texas QB leaves UTSA game | Arch dazzles off the bench | How long will Ewers be out?
• Time running out for Napier: Third-year Florida coach simply isn't getting the job done
• LSU disconnect: Tigers get a road win at South Carolina, but something's not adding up
• Oregon back? No. 9 Ducks finally show championship form in thrashing of Oregon State
• Problems Sooner or later: Worrisome signs mounting for Oklahoma ahead of SEC schedule
  
• Florida State is 0-3: Seminoles have punted on season | Preseason under cashes | FSU QB change? 
• FCS game canceled: Whooping cough outbreak at Portland State results in no game vs. South Dakota

[Sep 14, 2024 at 11:25 pm ET · David Cobb]

Georgia holds on

Final: Georgia 13, Kentucky 12

Georgia hung on for an ugly win that will surely result in some Kentucky fans second-guessing the cautious nature of coach Mark Stoops' decision making. Faced with a fourth-and-8 at Georgia's 47-yard line with 2:58 remaining, Stoops opted to play it safe and punt. The choice backfired as Georgia picked up a pair of first downs that allowed it to nearly run out the clock.

Kentucky ultimately got the football back deep in its own territory with under nine seconds remaining. But without any timeouts, the Wildcats were unable to get in position for a potential game-winning field goal.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 11:03 pm ET · David Cobb]

Playing it safe

Faced with a fourth-and-8 at Georgia's 47-yard line, Mark Stoops opted to play it safe and punt. His team had all its timeouts and has been great defensively. But that's a conservative decision that will be second-guess if Georgia is able to generate first downs, run this clock out or pick up another score.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 10:57 pm ET · David Cobb]

Big moment for Brock Vandagriff

After three years in the Georgia program, Brock Vandagriff is in position to hand his former team its first loss since 2020. It's hard to overstate how significant of a moment this is for Vandagriff, who was a local product that was highly touted as a prospect. He couldn't beat out Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck. But he's showing tonight that he can play. After all, he faced this defense regularly in practice during his first three seasons.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 10:42 pm ET · David Cobb]

UK within a point

Mid 4Q: Georgia 13, Kentucky 12

Kentucky put together yet another steady drive but yet again was stopped short of the end zone. Alex Raynor drilled a 51-yard field goal — his fourth make of the night — to get UK within 13-12. That was a fourth-and-10, so there wasn't much of a decision for Mark Stoops to make. He put it on his kicker, and Raynor delivered with his second make of 50+ yards tonight.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 10:30 pm ET · David Cobb]

Georgia reestablishes running game

Early 4Q: Georgia 13, Kentucky 9

Trevor Etienne popped off a couple of big runs, including a critical 17 yarder on a third-and-1 play from UK's 27-yard line as the Bulldogs rediscovered their run game on their first touchdown drive of the night. Branson Robinson capped it off with a 1-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs finally have the lead and some momentum after a phyiscal, 10-play series. That was the first touchdown of the game for either team.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 10:19 pm ET · David Cobb]

Georgia's defense holds

Kentucky just went three-and-out for the first time tonight. After consecutive drives of 13 and plays for 60+ yards that ended with field goals, the Wildcats couldn't get anything going there. Vandagriff fired incomplete to Fred Farrier on third-and-4. UGA will have relatively good field position after just a 37-yard punt. Will Georgia continue trying to run the football? Seems like a bad idea considering how ineffective the Bulldogs have been on the ground.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 10:09 pm ET · David Cobb]

Kentucky's defense holds Georgia to a FG

Late 3Q: Kentucky 9, Georgia 6

Mark it down. Georgia's offense made it to Kentucky territory on its own volition for the first time at the 8:28 mark of the third quarter. Carson Beck had a couple of his best completions of the day on that series, but UK stood and held UGA to a 30-yard field goal. Georgia has been entirely unable to run the football, but that series still marked progress. The Bulldogs' only other possession in UK territory came after UGA recovered a fumble at Kentucky's 23-yard line in the second quarter.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 9:56 pm ET · David Cobb]

Kentucky getting some push

3Q: Kentucky 9, Georgia 3

Kentucky picked up a 40-yard field goal to cap an 11 play, 61-yard drive to open the third quarter. That series was a credit to the power of UK's running game. Demo Sume-Karngbaye and Jamarion Wilcox are routinely picking up 3-plus yards against Georgia's vaunted defense. The UK physicality in the trenches has been a refreshing sight for the Wildcats after they were pushed around by South Carolina in a 31-6 Week 2 loss. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 9:44 pm ET · David Cobb]

Georgia in a battle

Start 3Q: Kentucky 6, Georgia 3

Kentucky gets the football to start the second half after an absolutely dominant defensive showing in the first half. Georgia punted on its first four possessions before finally getting a fumble that set it up for a field goal. The Bulldogs mustered just 63 yards and three first downs in what must be the program's worst offensive half under c coach Kirby Smart.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 8:53 pm ET · David Cobb]

Georgia sluggish early

2Q: Kentucky 3, Georgia 0

Georgia has not reached Kentucky territory on its first four possessions and just punted for the fourth time. The Bulldogs were fortunate to have a 55-yard pick six called back that would have put Kentucky ahead 10-0. Dominic Lovett dove to catch a low pass and had his hands around the ball before it shot up in the air. The replay crew deemed it hit the ground and was incomplete. Nonetheless, this is a concerning start for the nation's No. 1 team. Making matters worse, starting right guard Tate Ratledge was just carted off the field.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 8:36 pm ET · David Cobb]

Cam Ward looking pristine

4Q: Miami 48, Ball State 0

If you were waiting for Cam Ward to return to Earth following his huge performance in Miami's Week 1 win over Florida, you might be waiting for a while. The Washington State transfer is done for the day after completing 19 of 28 passes for 346 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He was not sacked and did not log a rushing attempt, which is great news for the Hurricanes, considering that Ward is the driving force behind their ACC title hopes.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 8:13 pm ET · David Cobb]

Warning signs mounting for Oklahoma

Final: Oklahoma 34, Tulane 19

There's something to be said for finding a way to win, and No. 15 Oklahoma has done that the past two weeks. But the hunt for victories is about to get significantly more grueling for the Sooners, and worrisome signs are mounting as their SEC debut awaits. Oklahoma followed an offensively anemic 16-12 win over Houston last week by nearly squandering a 21-0 lead against Tulane before using a late defensive surge to beat the Green Wave 34-19 on Saturday. OU must bottle up the best from that inconsistent performance against the Green Wave and apply it in a much more concentrated dose next week. 

Worrisome signs mounting for Oklahoma ahead of daunting SEC schedule as No. 15 Sooners survive Tulane scare

David Cobb

[Sep 14, 2024 at 8:01 pm ET · David Cobb]

Oregon gets a B+

Oregon 49, Oregon State 14

Oregon was nearly unstoppable offensively in a 49-14 win at Oregon State as the Ducks scored on all eight of their real possessions. Defensively, they surrendered a couple of long, grinding touchdown drives in the first half, which was a bit concerning. But Oregon's second-half defensive effort was much better, and this was the Ducks' most complete game to date after logging 'C+' and 'D' grades in two ugly wins to begin the season. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 7:59 pm ET · David Cobb]

Arch Manning gets early action

2Q: Texas 21, UTSA 7

Arch Manning threw a second quarter touchdown pass for Texas after entering for an injured Quinn Ewers. He found DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 19-yard strike on his first throw. But Ewers' health will be key to monitor after he started the game 14 of 16 for 185 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Quinn Ewers injury: Texas QB, Heisman frontrunner leaves game vs. UTSA with strained abdomen

Shehan Jeyarajah

[Sep 14, 2024 at 7:07 pm ET · Will Backus]

Washington State gets back in Apple Cup win column

Final: Washington State 24, Washington 19 

Washington State just leaned on its defense to pick up its first Apple Cup win since 2021, snapping a two-game losing streak to its top rival. The Cougar defense made a huge stand late in the fourth quarter to push the win across the finish line. Down by five, Washington went for it on fourth-and-1 from Wazzu's 1-yard line to try and score a go-ahead touchdown. But Washington State linebacker Kyle Thornton knifed into the backfield and brough Washington running back Jonah Coleman down well behind the line of scrimmage. The Cougars were able to run the clock out, aided by Washington's 16th penalty of the game, and give coach Jake Dickert his second Apple Cup win. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 6:42 pm ET · Will Backus]

Florida finally shows up 

Early 3Q: Texas A&M 20, Florida 7

It took a while, but Florida's offense decided to finally show up for Saturday's game against Texas A&M. The Gators opened the second half with a much-needed touchdown drive, both to wake what remains of the crowd up in bad weather conditions and stymie some of the momentum Texas A&M has built throughout the game. Florida went 75 yards in just seven plays to do it. 

Quarterback Graham Mertz capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Elijhah Badger on second-and-14. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 6:18 pm ET · Will Backus]

Utah surges ahead at halftime 

Half: No. 12 Utah 17, Utah State 14 

After falling behind 14-3 early in the second quarter, it's been all Utah in the Battle of the Brothers. After a shaky start, Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson -- who got the start due to an injury to Cameron Rising -- closed the second quarter on fire. He threw two touchdowns in the last 11 minutes of the half, including an 11-yard strike to tight end Caleb Lohner with 1:19 left in the second quarter to give the Utes their first lead in almost 15 minutes of gametime. 

Wilson finished the first half with 12 completions for 131 yards and two touchdowns. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 6:15 pm ET · David Cobb]

Oregon's defense gets it together

Early 4Q: Oregon 39, Oregon State 14

Oregon coach Dan Lanning is a defensive coordinator by trade, and he couldn't have been pleased with the first-half performance of the Ducks defense. It's been a totally different story in the second half so far. Oregon State went three-and-out on its only possessions of the third quarter as the Ducks extended their lead from 22-14 at the break to 32-14 entering the fourth quarter. The Ducks made it 39-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 27-yard Noah Whittington touchdown run.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 6:07 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tulane hanging around

Late 3Q: Oklahoma 24, Tulane 13

Tulane trailed 21-0 late in the first half and looked cooked on the road against Oklahoma. But the Green Wave have returned to life in the third quarter and now trail just 24-13 after a 75-yard touchdown drive capped by an 8-yard touchdown throw from Darian Mensah to Makhi Hughes. Following a quick punt by the Sooners, Tulane has the football back with a chance to make it a one-possession game as the fourth quarter arrives.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 5:51 pm ET · Will Backus]

Texas likely without RB Blue against UTSA 

Texas running back Jaydon Blue isn't expected to play in Saturday's game against UTSA, according to 247Sports. Blue injured his ankle in Texas' Week 2 win against Michigan and missed a majority of the second half. The Longhorns, who lost CJ Baxter and Christian Clark in the offseason, will be especially shorthanded against the Roadrunners. But this does provide the duo of Tre Wisner and true freshman Jerrick Gibson an opportunity to impress the coaching staff and prove they're worthy of more carries down the line. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 5:30 pm ET · Ben Kercheval]

Utah down early to in-state rival

Early 2Q: Utah State 14, No. 12 Utah 3

Lot of football left in this one, but the Utes are down after one quarter to the Aggies. Starting quarterback Cameron Rising is out -- as expected -- with a finger injury to his throwing hand he suffered in Week 2 vs. Baylor. His replacement, Isaac Wilson, has just 28 yards through the air. As it so happens, Utah State's starting quarterback is former Utes backup Bryson Barnes, who has 126 yards passing and two touchdowns. Utah's offense was sluggish last year while Rising rehabbed a knee injury, and it's clear what he means to this team when he's on the field vs. when he's on the sideline.

The Aggies widened their lead early in the second quarter when Barnes connected with wide receiver Jack Hestera for a 12-yard score. That wasn't the highlight of the scoring drive, though; that honor goes to Jalen Royals, who snagged a phenomenal one-handed catch to gain 35 yards and set up the easy touchdown opportunity. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 5:26 pm ET · David Cobb]

Oregon State hanging around

Half: Oregon 22, Oregon State 14

No. 9 Oregon scored touchdowns on drives of 74, 75 and 84 yards on its only full possessions of the first half. That was the good news for the Ducks. The bad news was that Oregon State had two 6+ minute touchdown drives of 75+ yards, including one that resulted in a touchdown just before the half. The Beavers are hanging tough at home against their in-state foe in what is now a non conference matchup.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 5:16 pm ET · Will Backus]

Iowa struggling against Troy 

Mid 2Q: Iowa 10, Troy 7 

Iowa's offense is veering dangerously back into 2023 territory in a game that the Hawkeyes should be handling with ease. But it was the defense that just had one of the worst play busts of the game. Wide receiver Devonte Ross was able to run right past Iowa's secondary and into the open, where quarterback Matthew Caldwell hit him in stride for an easy 63-yard touchdown. It's extremely rare for the Hawkeyes' defense to give up such an explosive play. 

Iowa was able to hit on a 42-yard field goal, thanks to a 29-yard rush from running back Kamari Moulton, to retake the lead. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 4:57 pm ET · Will Backus]

Oklahoma rolling the Green Wave 

Late 2Q: No. 15 Oklahoma 21, Tulane 0 

Tulane was a trendy upset pick entering Saturday's slate, but Oklahoma is slamming the door on those hopes early. The Sooners are firing on all cylinders early following last week's lethargic effort against Houston. Tulane just missed a 50-yard field goal -- its best scoring opportunity all game -- and has crossed into Oklahoma territory just once all game. 

Quarterback Jackson Arnold is having a nice bounce back game. The former five star has completed 12 of his 18 pass attempts for 107 yards and one touchdown. He's also rushed for a team-high 75 yards and another touchdown. It's the type of game Oklahoma has needed thus far. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 4:37 pm ET · Will Backus]

Weather delay in Texas A&M vs. Florida 

Florida's home game against Texas A&M has entered a weather delay after lightning was spotted within eight miles of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. There is no indication as to how long the game will be delayed. The Gators and Aggies were able to complete at least one quarter before the bad weather moved in. Texas A&M exited the first period with a 10-0 lead thanks to some good play from quarterback Marcel Reed, who completed eight of his 10 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 4:27 pm ET · Will Backus]

Notre Dame taking care of business early 

End 1Q: No. 18 Notre Dame 14, Purdue 0 

Notre Dame might not be on upset alert this week. The loss to Northern Illinois clearly lit a fire under the Fighting Irish, who are off to a blazing-fast start against rival Purdue. Marcus Freeman's squad has leaned on a dominant run game to move the ball thus far. Notre Dame was up to 124 yards rushing, and scored both of its touchdowns, on just 12 carries through the first 15 minutes. Running back Jeremiyah Love had runs of 48 (for a touchdown) and 21 yards. 

Purdue didn't even had 20 yards rushing as a team. 

[Sep 14, 2024 at 4:25 pm ET · David Cobb]

Marcel Reed shining for A&M

End 1Q: Texas A&M 10, Florida 0

With starting quarterback Conner Weigman unable to go due to injury, Texas A&M turned to redshirt freshman Marcel Reed to make his first career start at Florida. He thrived in the first quarter, completing 8 of 10 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Reed also had a 31-yard run as the Aggies racked up 174 yards in the opening frame. The former four-star prospect may be hard to unseat if he continues playing like this.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 4:12 pm ET · David Cobb]

LSU completes the comeback

Final: LSU 36, South Carolina 33

South Carolina's Alex Herrera missed a 49-yard attempt as time expired, allowing LSU to escape with a 36-33 win. LSU trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter after South Carolina blocked a punt and took all the momentum with a quick touchdown run. But a wacky, penalty-filled, injury-impacted game was far from over at that point. The Tigers never stopped clawing and got a 2-yard go-ahead run from Josh Williams with 1:12 remaining. South Carolina was crippled by the loss of quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who ran for two touchdowns before getting hurt on the final play of the first half. He attempted to return in the third quarter but was unable to go, leaving the game in the hands of backup Robby Ashford.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 3:54 pm ET · David Cobb]

Missouri runs out the clock

Final: Missouri 27, Boston College 21

Things got tense late for No. 6 Missouri, but the Tigers were able to pick up a game-clinching first down with under two minutes remaining. Mizzou led 27-14, but Boston College got a 38-yard touchdown strike from Thomas Castellanos to Kamari Morales with 3:45 remaining to pull within 27-21. The Eagles never got the football back, though, as Mizzou improved to 3-0 ahead of its SEC opener against Vanderbilt next week.

[Sep 14, 2024 at 3:49 pm ET · Trey Scott]

A historically bad season for Florida State

Some notes on the heels of Florida State's 20-12 loss to Memphis (the Seminoles were favored by a touchdown), courtesy of the CBS Sports research department:

• The first team to ever be ranked in the top-10 of the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll and start 0-3 with all three losses to unranked opponents. 
• First team to have an undefeated regular season (including all games up until bowl season) and start 0-3 the next year since Arizona State in 1975-76. 
• 0-3 to start a season for the second time in five seasons under coach Mike Norvell. 
• Speaking of Norvell, he's 3-9 at FSU in games not started by Jordan Travis (which can be a leading stat because he should indeed get credit for developing Travis and scheming up a brilliant offensive attack with Travis at the helm).