Week 9 // 2025
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
This dude sitting next to me...I’ve never been around a guy who just works to try to win football games as much as he does on and off the field.
Arizona State Head Coach Kenny Dillingham after the Sun Devils’ 26-22 win over then-No. 7 Texas Tech on quarterback Sam Leavitt’s work ethic
TEAM TO WATCH TEAM oF THE WEEK
ALABAMA LOUISVILLE
In a locked down effort on both sides of the ball, Alabama came out on top against then-No. 11 Tennessee in front of a sold-out crowd for bragging rights in the Third Saturday in October rivalry. The 37-20 victory sends Head Coach Kalen DeBoer to 7-1 against top 25 teams in his tenure at Alabama. The Crimson Tide closed out the first half with a bang, as defensive back Zabien Brown took an interception 99 yards to the house as time expired, giving Alabama a 23-7 advantage.
Offensively, quarterback Ty Simpson went 19-for-29 for 253 yards and two touchdowns, leading two drives of 90-plus yards as Alabama became the first SEC program to defeat four straight ranked opponents without a bye week in between. The No. 4 Crimson Tide will travel to South Carolina on Saturday, with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. PHX time on ABC.
In its first road win over an AP Top 10 opponent, Louisville upset then-No. 2 Miami, 24-21, in prime time on Friday night.
The Louisville defense came up big with four interceptions on the night, including a pick from linebacker T.J. Capers with 32 seconds left in the game to seal the victory for the Cards on Miami’s potential game-winning drive.
Quarterback Miller Moss finished the game 23-for-37 for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown. Chris Bell emerged as his top target with nine catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Louisville, who entered the Week 9 AP poll at No. 19, returns home to host Boston College on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PHX on ACC Network.
GAMES WATCH to
For a full schedule of Week 9 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2025 BOWL PREDICTIONS
CFP SEMIFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Ohio State
USA Today – Indiana vs. Alabama
GAME OF THE WEEK
#3 TEXAS A&M AT #20 LSU
A top-20 matchup hits prime time this Saturday with No. 3 Texas A&M traveling to No. 20 LSU on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PHX on ABC.
Texas A&M is coming off a 45-42 win at Arkansas last Saturday, while No. 20 LSU is looking to bounce back following a 31-24 loss at Vanderbilt.
The Aggies sit at 7-0, a mark they’ve reached for the first time since 1994. Against Arkansas, A&M tallied 494 yards on offense while scoring on seven of their nine drives. Quarterback Marcel Reed had three touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown, while safety Dalton Brooks posted a season-high nine tackles.
LSU fell to 5-2 after its tough loss to Vanderbilt and needs a win to stay alive in the SEC race. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier leads the passing attack and on the defensive side for the Tigers, safety A.J. Haulcy was the leading tackler with 13 against Vandy.
RATE BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – Kansas vs. Nebraska
ESPN Schlabach – TCU vs. Minnesota
Pro Football Network – No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Athlon Sports – No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Ohio State
On3 – No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Pro Football Network – Kansas vs. Maryland
Athlon Sports – Baylor vs. Northwestern
On3 – Iowa State vs. Northwestern
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
TYLER WARREN
Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren has had a standout rookie campaign, and the Colts’ 38-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers was another such performance. Warren connected with quarterback Daniel Jones for his third career touchdown, adding to his four-reception, 69-yard performance.
Warren, who was named the Offensive Player of the Game in first-ever College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl last year, led all receivers with 63 yards on six receptions with two touchdowns in Penn State’s 31-14 victory over Boise State. With the win, the Nittany Lions improved to 8-0 in their Fiesta Bowl appearances.
notable performances
Quarterback Julian Sayin excelled in the passing game in No. 1 Ohio State’s 34-0 rout of Wisconsin, leading the Buckeyes to remain one of just six undefeated teams in FBS. Sayin finished 36-for-42 with four touchdown passes and 393 yards on the day. Sayin currently leads the nation with an 80% completion percentage and is second in passing efficiency at 189.72. Additionally, he is tied for fourth with his 19 passing touchdowns and has recorded multiple touchdown passes in six consecutive games.
In the Fighting Irish’s 34-24 win over rival USC, running back Jeremiyah Love rushed for a career-best 228 yards and a touchdown. Love posted the 18th 200-yard rushing game in Notre Dame history, and his 228 rushing yards were the most by a Fighting Irish player ever at Notre Dame Stadium.
After USC took an early lead, Love and Notre Dame answered quickly with Love’s 12-yard rushing touchdown. Love recorded 134 rushing yards in the first half alone in his 24th consecutive start at running back.
Julian Sayin
Ohio State
Jeremiyah Love
Notre Dame
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 9:
BIG 12 BIG TEN
• Eight of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are ranked in this week’s AP Poll, including No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 6 Oregon, No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Michigan, with USC and Minnesota receiving votes
• As one of six remaining undefeated FBS teams, Indiana boasts a top-five ranking in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Hoosiers rank fourth with 43.9 points per game and also with 11.6 points allowed
• Six more Big Ten teams rank in the top 25 in scoring defense: Ohio State (1st, 5.9 points per game), Iowa (6th, 13.7), Oregon (9th, 14.4), Northwestern (11th, 15.1), Michigan (17th, 17.0) and Maryland (21st, 17.3)
• USC’s Bishop Fitzgerald is tied for the most interceptions in the country with five. Indiana’s Louis Moore is tied for third in the nation with four
• Heading into week nine, the Big Ten is the only conference with three teams (Oregon, Minnesota, Maryland) that have at least three defensive touchdowns. USC also has two on the season
• Six Big Ten quarterbacks rank among the top eight nationally in completion percentage. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin leads the nation with an 80 percent completion percentage, followed by Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (3rd, 73.5), Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola (5th, 72.3), Illinois’ Luke Altmeyer (6th, 72.4), Oregon’s Dante Moore (7th, 72.3) and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. (8th, 72.1)
• Eight Big 12 teams are in the top 35 of ESPN’s FPI strength of record metric: BYU (5th), Texas Tech (16th), Cincinnati (23rd), Arizona State (24th), Houston (29th), Utah (32nd), Iowa State (33rd) and TCU (35th)
• TCU’s Josh Hoover (T-1st), Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson (T-1st), Kansas’ Jalon Daniels (T-6th), Arizona’s Noah Fifita (T-8th) and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby (T-8th) give the Conference five quarterbacks in the top 10 in FBS in passing touchdowns. No other conference has more than three
• Only three FBS players have nine or more sacks this season, two from the Big 12 in Texas Tech’s David Bailey (1st - 10.5 sacks) and Utah’s John Henry Daley (T-2nd9.0 sacks)
• Including the 2024 Big 12 Championship, Arizona State won 11 consecutive games versus conference opponents when quarterback Sam Leavitt starts. This marks the longest active streak among all Power Four quarterbacks
• BYU is one of six remaining undefeated teams in FBS and has won 11 of its 13 Big 12 games since the start of the 2024 season
• Cincinnati and Houston have both surpassed their win totals from last season with each team winning their sixth game in week eight
news in the foundation
LEADING WITH HEART: KRISTINA CHUMPOL ON BEING A ‘CLUB KID,’ FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION LEADER AND MENTORING MAMA
Kristina Chumpol’s story begins in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, where a young girl raised by a single mother found mentors who believed in her potential long before she fully believed in it herself. Fast forward to today, where she serves as chief impact officer and chief of staff at the Fiesta Sports Foundation, carrying forward the lessons of community, mentorship and resilience that shaped her youth.
“I know firsthand the difference it makes when someone invests in you before you see the potential in yourself,” Chumpol said. “That belief changed the trajectory of my life, and it is what drives me to invest in others today.”
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.
