Week 3 takeaways: Texas A&M's off to a hot start; UCLA ... not so much

Week 3 brought exhilarating last-minute wins, disappointing losses and two coaches getting fired Sunday.

Notre Dame dropped 16 spots to No. 24 in this week's AP poll following a 41-40 loss to Texas A&M, which rose six spots to No. 10 on the strength of a 3-0 start. No. 2 Penn State has gone through the first three weeks with ease as it faced non-Power 4 opponents, and No. 4 Miami quarterback Carson Beck showed just how fun it is to play for the Hurricanes.

After starting the season 0-2, do the Fighting Irish stand a chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff? After years of not getting the results it had hoped for, is Texas A&M reaping the benefits of its transfer portal additions? What does Penn State have to look forward to after its bye week in Week 4?

Our college football experts break down key takeaways from Week 3 performances.

Jump to:
Notre Dame's CFP hopes | Texas A&M
UCLA | Beck having fun again
Penn State's road | Stockton delivers
Vols' QB swap

Could Notre Dame still make the playoff?

Notre Dame has lost control of its playoff path. Following an 0-2 start, the Irish are out of the playoff conversation and need perfection -- and help -- to get back into it. This is where being an independent hurts Notre Dame in the playoff era. The five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed spots in the playoff, which is why three-loss ACC champion Clemson was able to sneak in last season. Without the chance at a conference title, Notre Dame has 12 games to impress the selection committee -- and its best opportunities to do that are already gone.

Even if Notre Dame were able to run the table -- the way it did last year following the shocking home loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2 -- it's going to have a difficult time winning a debate against other two-loss teams with better résumés. And if Texas A&M and Miami don't win their respective conferences, they would have the head-to-head edge on the Irish in one of several tiebreakers the committee uses to determine its at-large teams. -- Heather Dinich

Texas A&M's starting to cash in where it counts

Texas A&M often gets knocked for the contrast between its deep pockets and its mostly empty trophy case. No major program has spent more and reaped less over the decades. The Jimbo Fisher hire and subsequent firing and record payout -- after no CFP appearances, SEC titles or 10-win seasons -- is emblematic of the program's financial failures.

But Texas A&M's investments, both in coaches and players, are starting to pay off, and the program could finally start approaching its potential. The Aggies kicked down one important door, as coach Mike Elko put it, by stunning Notre Dame 41-40 on Saturday night. They did so largely with the help of transfers, including wide receivers Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and KC Concepcion (NC State), and tight end Nate Boerkircher, who had one touchdown catch in four seasons at Nebraska but hauled in the winner at Notre Dame on fourth-and-goal from the 11-yard line.

Craver, who had 368 receiving yards at Mississippi State and has a slight build at 165 pounds, wasn't seen as a major pickup but has 443 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the first three games. He had 207 yards against Notre Dame, while Concepcion, ranked as ESPN's No. 25 transfer, added 82 yards on four receptions.

"We felt like we would win outside," Elko said.

The transfers also have brought a different mentality.

"One thing I said on the sideline, second-and goal or third, even, I looked at [tight ends coach Christian Ellsworth] and said, 'I have no doubt we're going to win this game,'" Boerkircher said.

Elko shared the belief. Although the end of his first season resembled so many at Texas A&M, there are signs things are shifting in Aggieland.

"Hopefully, what they'll take from the game is, if they find a way to execute better, they can be something really special," he said. -- Adam Rittenberg

UCLA is a disaster

When UCLA opted to leave the Pac-12 and head to the greener pastures of the Big Ten, it was a decision rooted in money and football. At the time, maybe it was possible to reason that with a full share of the Big Ten media deal, there would be enough money to help the Bruins at least be competitive in their new conference. Keep in mind, they had not won a conference title in the Pac-12 since 1988. What has played out since then has been nothing short of an embarrassment for the school.

The Bruins' latest setback came Friday night as they were demoralized in a near-empty Rose Bowl by New Mexico -- a school that wasn't even invited to the new-look Pac-12. It was UCLA's second straight loss to a Mountain West team and delivered a clear verdict that DeShaun Foster was not fit to continue as the head coach. His firing became official Sunday morning.

According to ESPN Analytics, UCLA will be a heavy underdog in all 10 of its Big Ten games this season, with ESPN's matchup predictor identifying its game against Maryland as the best shot at a win (34%). Under Chip Kelly in 2018, UCLA equaled its record for losses in a season (nine). This team has a chance to sail past that number. -- Kyle Bonagura

Beck having fun again

South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown came into the Miami game as the dual-threat quarterback with the ability to make big plays in a variety of ways.

But what if we told you it was Miami quarterback Carson Beck who ended up finishing with more rushing yards? Miami ran Beck on designed runs more often Saturday than the first two games this season. In all, Beck had six runs for 28 yards and a score, becoming the first Miami player in the past 30 seasons to have three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown against an AP-ranked opponent.

The Miami defense, meanwhile, keyed on Brown and made his day far more difficult in a 49-12 win. Brown had 13 carries for 2 yards. If you don't count the two times he was sacked and lost 16 yards, he had 11 carries for only 18 yards. In his first two games, Brown had 109 yards rushing and two scores.

Beck said during the week, coaches noticed that there would be opportunities for him to run more based on what the USF defense showed on tape.

"We knew that they were going to blitz the edges, try to defeat our run game, so [that] created some opportunities for me to be able to use my legs a little bit," Beck said. "It's just what was called for, and whatever coach needs me to do, I'm going to do, so glad I was able to showcase that a little bit tonight."

Headed into the season, there were questions about Beck coming off an elbow injury that required surgery last December. Though he did not start throwing again until June, he has a comfort level in the offense and a chemistry with his receivers that has made his first three games look seamless.

Against USF, he threw for a season-high 340 yards, and for the season he has completed 78.3% of his passes, with seven touchdowns to two interceptions. Both picks came against USF -- though one was the result of a miscommunication with his receivers. Still, for a quarterback who was largely written off after the season he had at Georgia in 2024, watching Beck take command of the Hurricanes and have fun again has been one of the biggest stories of the young season for the Hurricanes.

"I'm a Florida boy at heart, and just being here with these guys, I really fit in," said Beck, who is from Jacksonville. "We have good people on this team that care and are genuine and it's real love and brotherhood. A lot of teams across the country say that, but they don't live it. And I really, truly believe that we live that, and it allows you to just be free and have fun on the field." -- Andrea Adelson

Penn State's real season about to begin

The Penn State Nittany Lions, ESPN's preseason No. 1 team, have flown under the radar through the first three weeks of the season. But that's only because they've faced three non-Power 4 opponents (Nevada, Florida International, Villanova) and defeated them by a combined score of 132-17.

Now comes a bye -- followed by a white-out, prime-time clash at Beaver Stadium against No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 27. A month later, on Nov. 1, the Nittany Lions travel to Columbus to face top-ranked Ohio State. The Ducks have been dominant. The defending national champion Buckeyes already have a win over Texas under their belt. And those two games will reveal whether Penn State looks the part of a true national championship contender.

So far, it has been smooth sailing for the Nittany Lions. The talented defense looks legit under new coordinator Jim Knowles. The running game remains awesome behind veteran backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Even transfer receivers Trebor Pena (Syracuse) and Kyron Hudson (USC) have impressed.

But the Nittany Lions are about to be tested -- and their chance is coming to make a statement. -- Jake Trotter

Stockton proving he was the right choice

Kirby Smart was in a tough spot in late December. His Georgia squad was preparing for the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. Carson Beck was out for the season and hadn't yet announced whether he'd go pro. Gunner Stockton was preparing for his first career start leading the SEC champs. Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza was still available in the transfer portal.

Do you stick with the QB2 who has been in your program for three years or go get the proven starter with early-round NFL draft pick potential?

Smart was feeling pretty darn good about his decision Saturday afternoon. Stockton's first SEC road start was as tough as it gets, but he didn't flinch in the 44-41 overtime triumph over Tennessee. He put up 304 passing yards and 48 rushing yards (excluding sacks) and answered any doubts by leading a comeback win in a hostile environment. His 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter, rallying the Bulldogs back from an 8-point deficit with a perfectly thrown touchdown to London Humphreys on fourth-and-6, told everybody he was ready for the moment.

"I thought he grew up tonight," Smart said. "He grew up a lot."

We're watching plenty of first-year starters, such as Arch Manning, Ty Simpson, CJ Carr and Austin Simmons, go through the ups, downs and growing pains of attempting to play and lead at a consistently high level. Stockton is going to have those moments too, with five more games on the schedule against teams currently in the AP Top 25. But if this is what he's capable of after only four career starts, it's hard not to be optimistic about the trajectory of Stockton and the Bulldogs' offense moving forward. -- Max Olson

QB swap looking good for Vols

Tennessee might owe UCLA a few players to be named later from its offseason quarterback trade. Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar, who left UCLA after former UT starter Nico Iamaleava enrolled there, has emerged as one of the top passers in the SEC.

While the Volunteers were on the short end of a 44-41 loss in overtime to Georgia on Saturday, Aguilar more than proved himself against what was supposed to be one of the SEC's best defenses. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 371 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Aguilar became the first SEC player in the past 20 seasons to have four passing touchdowns and a running score in his conference debut, according to ESPN Research. He threw three long touchdowns to receiver Chris Brazzell II and ran for another score. In three games, Aguilar has completed 66.3% of his attempts for 906 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

Meanwhile, Iamaleava continues to struggle with the Bruins, who fired coach DeShaun Foster on Sunday. He threw for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception on 22-for-34 passing in a 35-10 loss to New Mexico on Friday night. - Mark Schlabach