Opening weekend always delivers a little bit of everything that makes fans say, “Only in college football.”
Week 1 of the 2025 season was no exception. From clever trick plays and viral mascots to trash talk backed up on the field, Saturdays in the fall once again proved unmatched.
South Florida pulled off a perfectly executed fake punt to stun Boise State, while Taylor Swift turned heads at Arrowhead Stadium by cheering on Travis Kelce’s Bearcats. A namesake return man brought back Devin Hester memories, a mascot lost its head (literally) and Lee Corso’s old teams delivered a storybook tribute. Add in some feline locker room fame and a prime-time battle of the Death Valleysand Week 1 gave us highlights well beyond the box scores.
Here’s our not-so-official list of who earned Week 1’s superlatives.
Most Likely to Fool Everyone: USF against Boise State
Looking for a big play up three points in the third quarter of their upset bid against the No. 25 Boise State Broncosthe South Florida Bulls turned to an unlikely source: their backup quarterback in a punting formation.
Yes, you read that right. When the Bulls trotted their punt unit out for fourth down, they snuck backup quarterback Locklan Hewlett onto the field as well. When the snap came to Hewitt — lined up where the punter would normally be — he rifled a 45-yard touchdown pass to Keshaun Singleton to put South Florida up 17-7.
Got ’emmmmm 🫨
📺: @Espncfb pic.twitter.com/Llnlrs9BG5
— USF Football (@USFFootball) August 28, 2025
The Bulls didn’t look back from there, piling on 17 more points before the final whistle to win 34-7.
Most Likely to Steal the Spotlight: Taylor Swift at Nebraska-Cincinnati
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium is a fairly common sight these days, with her now-fiancé Travis Kelce starring for the Kansas City Chiefs. But Swift supporting the Cincinnati Bearcats? Now that’s a sight to see.
0:35
Mahomes, Swift, Kelce take in Nebraska-Cincinnati
Patrick Mahomes, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are all in attendance for Nebraska-Cincinnati in Kansas City.
With Kelce in the house to watch his college squad take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Chiefs’ stadium, Swift was on hand as well. Her presence wasn’t much of a help for the Bearcats on the field though, as a late interception by Malcolm Hartzog Jr. secured a season-opening win for Nebraska.
Most Likely to Rule Death Valley: LSU beats Clemson
The LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers share mascots, as well as the nickname for their respective stadiums: Death Valley.
It was the Louisiana inhabitants of Death Valley that came out on top in a prime-time Week 1 meeting between the two Tigers, with LSU earning a 17-10 win (and bragging rights for the foreseeable future).
Battle Won
Conquered THAT Death Valley pic.twitter.com/7ei129Upzl
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 31, 2025
Most Likely to Talk It and Walk It: Tommy Castellanos
Some laughed when Castellanos boldly proclaimed that the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide wouldn’t have former coach Nick Saban on the sidelines to “save them” in Week 1 against the Florida State Seminoles.
Read more: Castellanos makes good on jab as FSU stuns Alabama
It was Castellanos who would have the last laugh on Saturday, though, as the Boston College transfer threw for 152 yards, ran for 78 more, and, most importantly, led the Seminoles to a 31-17 upset.
It was always going to be Tommy @Tommy_casto #Nolefamily | #Keepclimbing pic.twitter.com/NAq67FgzhM
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) August 31, 2025
Best Throwback Energy: Devin Hester Jr.’s big kickoff return
Devin Hester with a highlight-reel kickoff return? Are we sure it’s not Chicago in the 2010s?
Sophomore Furman Paladins receiver Devin Hester Jr. sparked flashbacks to a prior generation of NFL heroes in Week 1, when he raced a second quarter kickoff 75 yards against the William & Mary Tribe.
Devin Hester jr. with a 75 yard kickoff return‼️ pic.twitter.com/TeVhj4n4RT
— Furman Football (@PaladinFootball) August 30, 2025
The wild part? Hester Jr.’s return abilities aren’t hereditary — he’s of no relation to the Pro Football Hall of Famer Devin Hester you presumably immediately thought of.
Most Likely to Lose Its Head: The Oregon Duck
0:16
Oregon Duck loses its head!
Oregon Duck loses his head and scampers off
Week 1 is the first week of the season for everybody — including mascots.
The rust of a long offseason showed for the Oregon Duck on Saturday, as the mascot had an unfortunate miscue when running out onto the field before Oregon‘s game against Montana Statewith the mascot’s head coming off following a fall. The duck showed keen awareness with a quick recovery though, hustling back into the locker room.
Most Likely to go Undefeated Together: Lee Corso’s teams
Iconic analyst Lee Corso was already well-traveled in the college football world before he ascended to legend status on “College GameDay,” having put together an impressive playing career with Florida State, where he ended up coaching with stops at Maryland, Navy, Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois.
In a fitting tribute to Corso’s final “GameDay” coming earlier in the day, all six of his former schools won on Saturday, the crown jewel being the Seminoles’ unlikely upset of Alabama. As a bonus, Corso finished Saturday 4-for-4 on his slate of game picks for the day as well.
All of Lee Corso’s college teams he played on or coached for won on Saturday 🧡
Meant to be 🥺 pic.twitter.com/br5nL1FQEu
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 31, 2025
Best Locker Room Celebrity: Bowling Green’s Pudge
The Bowling Green Falcons may have hired Eddie George as their new head football coach over the offseason, but the locker room figure that went most viral as the 2025 season approached was … an exotic shorthair Persian cat?
Meet Pudge, Bowling Green long snapper George Carlson’s cat, who went viral multiple times across the summer for his presence in the team’s locker room. The Falcons got in the win column in Week 1 against Lafayetteand Pudge received a shoutout in the form of a broadcast graphic.
W. #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/laQ9QmTMqh
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) August 29, 2025
