Week 7 // 2025
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
It was good coming out there with all the guys. It’s more than me out there. We’ve got some great [receivers]. Those guys really opened up the field out there for me.
Florida wide receiver Dallas Wilson on his first career touchdown in the Gators’ 29-21 upset over then-No. 9 Texas
TEAM TO WATCH TEAM oF THE WEEK
MIAMI UCLA
Coming off early-season wins over Notre Dame and Florida, Miami added to its strong resume with a 29-21 road victory at then-No. 18 Florida State to open ACC play.
It was the first true road test for the Canes, as they held the Seminoles to 404 yards after Florida State entered the game with the nation’s best scoring offense (53 points per game) and total offense (600 yards per game). Miami did not commit a turnover in the game and quarterback Carson Beck completed 20-of-27 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns.
The Canes are off this week before hosting Louisville on Friday, October 17, at 4 p.m. PHX time on ESPN.
Holding on to a 42-35 lead in the final minute of the game, UCLA defensive back Scooter Jackson notched a clutch tackle-for-loss to seal the Bruins’ shocking upset over then-No. 7 Penn State at the Rose Bowl.
The Bruins secured their first win over an AP-top 10 opponent since September 2010, and the victory marked the first time since 1985 that an 0-4 team defeated a top-10 opponent.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava rushed for 128 yards and tied a single-game UCLA record with three rushing touchdowns. Iamaleava accounted for all five of UCLA’s trips to the end zone in Jerry Neuheisel’s debut as the Bruins’ offensive play-caller.
The Bruins face Michigan State in East Lansing on Saturday at 9 a.m. PHX on Big Ten Network.
GAMES WATCH to
For a full schedule of Week 7 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2025 BOWL PREDICTIONS
CFP SEMIFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 4 Ole Miss vs. No. 1 Ohio State
ESPN Schlabach – No. 3 Miami vs. No. 2 Oregon
Pro Football Network – No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Athlon Sports – No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 1 Ohio State
On3 – No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 2 Ohio State
click
GAME OF THE WEEK
#7 INDIANA AT #3 OREGON
For its second straight game against a top-10 opponent, No. 3 Oregon will host No. 7 Indiana on Saturday at Autzen Stadium at 12:30 p.m. PHX time on CBS.
Oregon is coming off a bye week, preceded by a 30-24 double-overtime victory at Penn State. Quarterback Dante Moore finished the game 29-of-39 for 248 yards and three touchdowns, including both of Oregon’s overtime scores. Dillon Thieneman picked off Drew Allar on Penn State’s first play of double-overtime to seal the Ducks’ victory.
Indiana starts its season 5-0 for the second year in a row following a 20-15 road win at Iowa. In a back-and-forth matchup, Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza connected with Elijah Sarratt for the game-winning catch. The Hoosiers’ defense held Iowa to 284 total yards with a pair of interceptions.
RATE BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – Kansas vs. Iowa
ESPN Schlabach – Baylor vs. Maryland
USA Today – Cincinnati vs. Maryland
CBS Sports – Baylor vs. Iowa
On3 – TCU vs. Maryland
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
BO NIX
Facing the undefeated defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, second-year Broncos quarterback Bo Nix led the Denver offense to a 21-17 comeback victory on the road. Nix was 24-for-39 with 242 passing yards as the Broncos overcame a 14-point fourthquarter deficit, scoring 18 unanswered points on three consecutive scoring drives.
In the 53rd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in 2024, Nix led Oregon to the largest margin of victory in Fiesta Bowl history with a 45-6 win over Liberty. Voted Offensive Player of the Game, Nix threw for 363 yards and a Fiesta Bowl single-game record-tying five passing touchdowns. He completed 28-of-35 passes to officially set an NCAA record for single-season completion percentage (77.45%)
notable performances
In a thrilling 34-31 victory over Air Force, Navy wideout Eli Heidenreich caught eight passes for a programrecord 243 yards, including three touchdowns. His 14 career touchdown receptions are also the most in school history.
Quarterback Blake Horvath connected with Heidenreich on scoring plays for 19, 80 and 60 yards. Heidenrich recorded two of his three touchdowns in the first half to give the Midshipmen a 17-10 lead at halftime. Horvath found Heidenreich for his victory-sealing third touchdown of the game to break a fourth-quarter tie.
Quarterback Noah Fifita found the end zone five times and guided the Wildcats to 41 points in their win over Oklahoma State. Named Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week, Fifita threw for 376 yards and matched his career high with five touchdown passes. After recording five touchdown passes against Weber State in week two, Fifita is one of two FBS quarterbacks this season with multiple five touchdown pass games. It was the ninth time in Fifita’s career that he accumulated 300 or more yards, moving him into fourth and third in school history for career passing yards and passing touchdowns, respectively.
Eli Heidenreich—Navy
Noah Fifita—Arizona
BIG NEWS
The Rate Bowl will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup at a new time of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, December 26. As we eagerly await kickoff in downtown Phoenix, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news for Week 7:
BIG 12 BIG TEN
• The Big Ten has five teams in the Week 7 AP polls, including three of the top seven (No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon and No. 7 Indiana). No. 15 Michigan and No. 17 Illinois additionally represent the conference
• Seven Big Ten teams rank in the top-25 in scoring defense: Ohio State (1st, 5.0 points per game), Indiana (3rd, 9.6), Oregon (T-6th, 12.2), Maryland (T-11th, 13.4), Iowa (T-19th, 15.6), Michigan (T-23rd, 16.2) and Nebraska (T-23rd, 16.2)
• Indiana and Oregon currently rank in the top six in scoring offense leading into their clash this weekend. The Hoosiers rank fourth with 46.8 points per game and the Ducks rank sixth at 46.6
• Nebraska’s DeShon Singleton was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after recording two interceptions to lead a Huskers defense that produced three takeaways. He added six tackles as Nebraska limited Michigan State to 240 total yards, including just 84 rushing yards
• For the second time this season, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. In the Buckeyes’ 42-3 win over Minnesota, Sayin completed 23-of-27 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He leads the nation in completion percentage (80.2) and is third in efficiency (196.99)
• Texas Tech, who rose two spots to No. 9, leads the four Big 12 teams in the Week 7 AP poll rankings. No. 18 BYU, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 22 Iowa State round out the conference teams
• Big 12 defenses lead the nation with 77 combined interceptions, seven more than any other league
• Cincinnati (T-1st), Utah (T-6th), Kansas State (T-6th), BYU (T-11th), Kansas (T-16th) and Texas Tech (T-19th) give the Big 12 six programs in the top 30 nationally in fewest sacks allowed, most of any conference
• BYU started 5-0 for a second straight season for the second time in program history with both instances (2020-21, 2024-25) taking place during the Kalani Sitake era
• TCU quarterback Josh Hoover was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for all five touchdowns in a win versus Colorado. It marked the seventh game with four or more touchdown passes in his career, which leads all active FBS quarterbacks
• Cincinnati’s Jake Golday was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week after the Bearcats’ 38-30 win over then-No. 14 Iowa State. He finished the day with 13 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in Cincinnati’s highest-ranked win at Nippert Stadium since 2006
• After booting the game winning field goal against Kansas State, Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins was named Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season. The 53-yard game winner from Hawkins ties the longest field goal by a Baylor player
news in the foundation
2025 RATE BOWL TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR DECEMBER 26 COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SEASON CONTEST IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX
College football fans and family-oriented community event seekers can now lock in their seats for Arizona’s college football Bowl Season action, as tickets for the 2025 Rate Bowl are on sale today.
The game is the college football postseason’s only Big 12-Big Ten matchup, with the 36th annual Rate Bowl kicking off on December 26, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. MST at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.
A variety of Rate Bowl ticket options, including individual tickets, group tickets, premium experiences and parking, are available through the Fiesta Sports Foundation Ticket Office at fiestasportsfoundation.org/tickets and by reaching out to 480.350.0911 or tickets@fiestasports.org.
Community spotlight
FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION HOSTS LEGACY YOUTH FOOTBALL CLINIC FOR NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH
The Fiesta Sports Foundation hosted a Legacy Youth Football Clinic for 75 youth from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community to introduce and enhance the game of football to the community. This free, non-contact clinic taught participants through various drills and skills challenges as part of the Fiesta Sports Foundation’s greater effort to connect with Arizona youth through football.
Youth athletes heard from special guest coach Sammy Moore, a former Washington State wide receiver and member of the Gila River Indian Community. Members of the San Carlos High School football team served as guest coaches.
