Week 8 // 2025
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
We can win rounds. We can continue to fight for four quarters. I think we saw the true character of the men in that locker room today.
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian after 23-6 Red River Rivalry win over Oklahoma
TEAM TO WATCH TEAM oF THE WEEK
INDIANA
Indiana was firing on all cylinders on Saturday, with the Hoosiers posting a 30-20 road win in front of a sold-out crowd at then-No. 3 Oregon’s Autzen Stadium. With just over six minutes left to play, Indiana took the lead on an 8-yard Fernando Mendoza to Elijah Sarratt touchdown pass. Hoosiers defensive lineman Stephen Daley then tipped a pass for an interception at the Oregon 32-yard line to set up the game-clinching field goal.
Saturday’s win over the Ducks marked the first road victory for Indiana over a top-five opponent and snapped Oregon’s FBS-best 22-game winning streak at home. Mendoza had a 20-for-31 passing day with 215 yards and a touchdown, while Sarratt had eight catches for 121 yards. The Indiana defense had six sacks and held Oregon to its fewest yards of total offense under Head Coach Dan Lanning.
The victory moved Indiana up four spots to No. 3 in the AP Week 8 poll. The Hoosiers host Michigan State on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PHX on Peacock.
COLORADO
The Buffaloes’ defense came up with a key late-game interception and fourth-down stop to clinch their 24-17 upset victory over then-No. 22 Iowa State, snapping a two-game skid.
It marked the Buffaloes’ second win over a top-25 team under Colorado Head Coach Deion Sanders, as quarterback Kaidon Salter threw for 255 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown strike to Omarion Miller. Those 255 passing yards came on 16 completions, including two touchdowns, and Joseph Williams emerged as Salter’s top target with eightreceptions for 128 yards.
Colorado has its first bye this weekend before traveling to Utah on October 25 for a 7:15 p.m. PHX kickoff on ESPN.
GAMES WATCH to
For a full schedule of Week 8 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2025 BOWL PREDICTIONS
CFP SEMIFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Ohio State
ESPN Schlabach – No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 2 Miami
Pro Football Network – No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Athlon Sports – No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Ohio State
On3 – No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State
GAME OF THE WEEK
#5 OLE MISS AT #9 GEORGIA
No. 5 Ole Miss travels to No. 9 Georgia for a top-10 matchup in Athens this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PHX on ABC.
Ole Miss is coming off a 24-21 home win over Washington State last Saturday. Georgia is riding its 20-10 win at Auburn after holding the Tigers scoreless in the second half of the game.
It will be the fourth-consecutive ranked matchup between the Bulldogs and Rebels. Defense will be key, as Georgia ranks fifth nationally in red zone defense, allowing points just 67 percent of the time, while Ole Miss has held back-to-back opponents two or fewer third down conversions.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is the first Rebels quarterback to throw for at least 250 yards in his first four starts since Eli Manning in 2001, and Georgia quarterback Gunnar Stockton was 24-for-37 with 237 yards against Auburn, including the go-ahead touchdown.
RATE BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – TCU vs. Minnesota
ESPN Schlabach – Baylor vs. Minnesota
Pro Football Network – TCU vs. Northwestern
CBS Sports – Baylor vs. Iowa
On3 – Iowa State vs. Maryland
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Tez Johnson
Tez Johnson’s first NFL touchdown came on a big-time reception – a dazzling 45-yard catch in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 30-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Tampa Bay improves to 5-1 on the season, tied for the best record in the NFL along with the Indianapolis Colts. Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s pass to Johnson increased his total touchdown passes to 12 this season.
In the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix connected with Johnson, his adopted brother and former high school teammate, for his final collegiate touchdown to give the Ducks a 38-6 lead over Liberty. Johnson led all receivers with 172 yards on 11 receptions, including the touchdown.
To rewind Johnson’s must-see first NFL touchdown, click on the photo.
notable performances
Cameron Dickey Texas Tech
Cameron Dickey had 21 rushes for 263 yards in the Red Raiders’ 42-17 win over Kansas last Saturday. The 263 rushing yards were the fifth-most in a single game by a Texas Tech running back and most in an FBS game this season.
Dickey had two touchdowns in the win, including a career-best 71-yard rush on the game’s first play from scrimmage. It marked his third career two-touchdown game and his first 100-yard rushing game. Also adding three catches for 16 yards, Dickey was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
Williams Jr.
Washington
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw for 402 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the Huskies’ 38-19 win against Rutgers last Friday.
Williams, a Chandler native and Basha High School alumnus, completed 21-of-27 passes and rushed 13 times as he recorded career highs in passing yards, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He became just the 16th player in FBS history to throw for at least 400 yards and rush for at least 100 yards in a game.
Demond
BIG NEWS
The Rate Bowl will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big 12 vs. Big Ten 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 8:
BIG 12 BIG TEN
• Eight of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AP poll, announced on Sunday. The AP poll includes No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Indiana, No. 8 Oregon, No. 20 USC and No. 25 Nebraska while Illinois, Michigan and Washington all received votes
• Following the program’s second win over a top-five opponent, Indiana boasts a top-five ranking in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Hoosiers rank fourth in scoring offense (44.8 points per game) and scoring defense (11.3 points per game)
• Five additional Big Ten teams rank among the top 25 nationally in scoring offense: USC (3rd, 45.5 points per game), Oregon (9th, 42.2), Nebraska (11th, 41.0), Washington (17th, 39.2) and Ohio State (23rd, 36.8). Additionally, five more Big Ten teams rank in the top 25 in scoring defense: Ohio State (1st, 6.83 points per game), Iowa (8th, 13.0 points per game), Oregon (14th, 15.2 points per game), Maryland (18th, 16.8 points per game) and Northwestern (24th, 17.7 points per game)
• The Big Ten currently leads all other conferences with 16 blocked punts. Five schools have recorded multiple blocked punts (Rutgers, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska and Penn State) and the conference has nine total schools that have recorded at least one
• USC running back King Miller was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after recording 158 rushing yards in a 31-13 win over then-No. 15 Michigan. Miller’s rushing yards are believed to be the most by a Trojans walk-on since at least the early 1970s
• No. 7 Texas Tech leads all undefeated FBS teams in margin of victory this season at 35.3 points per game
• The Big 12 Conference welcomes FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show for a third time this season when No. 15 BYU hosts No. 23 Utah in a top-25 matchup in Provo
• For the first time in program history, BYU has started consecutive seasons 6-0
• Baylor (1st), Texas Tech (3rd) and TCU (5th) give the Big 12 three of the top five teams in FBS in passing yards per game
• Four Big 12 quarterbacks rank in the top seven nationally in passing touchdowns with Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson (1st, 19 pass touchdowns), Kansas’ Jalon Daniels (T-2nd, 18 pass touchdowns), TCU’s Josh Hoover (T-2nd, 18 pass touchdowns) and Arizona’s Noah Fifita (T-7th, 15 pass touchdowns)
• BYU, Texas Tech and Utah each have a scoring offense and scoring defense in the top 25 of FBS. The Red Raiders rank in the top six of both scoring offense (2nd) and scoring defense (T-6th)
• Houston kicker Ethan Sanchez is the only FBS kicker this season to have multiple games of four made field goals after field goals of 29, 30, 46 and 48 yards in the Cougars’ win over Oklahoma State
• Texas Tech’s defensive line set a school single-game record with nine sacks in the win over Kansas. The nine sacks also marks the FBS single-game high for the season
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
HAMILTON WINS INAUGURAL FIESTA
BOWL COPPER STATE INVITATIONAL
Hamilton flag football continued its dominant start to the season, winning the first-ever Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational held at Arizona State on October 9 and 11. The tournament included top teams from the 6A, 5A and 4A conferences.
Hamilton convincingly took down Highland 40-14 in a highly anticipated championship game matchup, which featured The Republic’s top-two ranked teams in the state. It was also a game with two nationally-ranked teams by USA TODAY Sports, with Hamilton at No. 1 and Highland at No. 12.
Huskies sophomore quarterback Marlie Phillips was named MVP of the tournament, throwing five touchdowns against Highland.
Click the photo to read the Arizona Republic’s tournament recap.
