Week 3 recap: Ole Miss answers LSU, Alabama surges and Kentucky lands the upset

Saturday Index projected Ole Miss 31, LSU 25. The Rebels won 32–24.

For this game, the closeness was striking: the projection missed each team's score by one point and landed on the exact 56-point total. More important was how Ole Miss won. LSU erased a 24–7 halftime deficit and tied the game in the fourth quarter, but Trinidad Chambliss directed the answer the Rebels needed, then Jaylon Braxton ended LSU's final possession with an interception in the end zone.

Ole Miss had one more response than LSU

Ole Miss built its 24–7 halftime lead with touchdown drives of 78, 92 and 75 yards. Chambliss found Traylon Ray for a 21-yard score, hit Deuce Alexander for another touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half and finished 33 of 48 for 363 yards, two passing touchdowns and one interception. Ray caught seven passes for 115 yards.

LSU made the game uncomfortable. Sam Leavitt's four-yard touchdown run and 26-yard scoring pass to Winston Watkins Jr. cut the deficit to three, and Scott Starzyk's field goal tied it at 24. Ole Miss then went 75 yards in 13 plays. Chambliss finished the drive himself with a 14-yard touchdown run, and JT Lindsey's conversion made it an eight-point game.

The Rebels outgained LSU 426–330 and threw for 363 yards against a defense that entered the weekend with 10 sacks in two games. LSU ran for 172 yards, but Ole Miss forced the Tigers to play from behind and made the final stop when Braxton intercepted Leavitt on fourth down.

Pete Golding's team is 3–0 with ranked wins over Louisville and LSU. Chambliss led the late possession that set up the winning field goal against Louisville, then scored the go-ahead touchdown on the drive that broke Saturday's 24–24 tie.

Read the Saturday Index LSU–Ole Miss preview

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Alabama found another gear after Florida State's fast start

Florida State led 14–3 after the first quarter and scored 36 points in Tuscaloosa. Alabama still won 50–36.

The Tide's separation came after two lightning delays. Alabama scored 37 points and gained 388 yards after the second delay while Florida State scored 15. Keelon Russell completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, added 56 rushing yards and scored on the ground. Alabama finished with 567 total yards, including 247 rushing.

The Tide had needed its defense to rescue a turnover-heavy first half at Kentucky one week earlier. Against Florida State, Russell accounted for four touchdowns and Alabama gained 567 yards despite the 11-point first-quarter deficit.

Read the pregame Florida State–Alabama breakdown

Louisville's ground game changed the SMU matchup

The quarterback matchup drew the attention. Louisville's backs decided the game.

The Cardinals beat No. 16 SMU 41–31 while rushing for 265 yards. Keyjuan Brown broke touchdown runs of 58 and 53 yards in the second half, and Isaac Brown added a 27-yard score that created the final margin. Louisville trailed 17–14 at halftime, then scored 27 points after the break.

Lincoln Kienholz threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing score. He did not need a 300-yard passing day because Louisville's run game kept producing explosive gains. SMU ran for 257 yards of its own and led in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs could not answer the Cardinals' last two touchdown drives.

Read the pregame SMU–Louisville breakdown

Texas Tech survived Houston's final drive

Houston got the ball back, moved 88 yards and scored with 49 seconds left. The Cougars needed one more play to tie it. Conner Weigman's knee came down before the ball crossed the goal line on the two-point attempt, leaving Texas Tech with a 28–26 win.

Houston outgained the Red Raiders 458–425, and Weigman threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Texas Tech answered a 10–0 first-quarter deficit, took its first lead on J'Koby Williams' 29-yard touchdown run and put together an 87-yard fourth-quarter drive for the score that ultimately held up.

The Red Raiders are 3–0 and have won eight consecutive meetings with Houston. The Cougars rushed for 176 yards, converted nine third downs and came within inches of overtime against the defending Big 12 champion.

Read the pregame Houston–Texas Tech breakdown

Notre Dame's defense ended the argument after halftime

Michigan State was within 17–10 at halftime. In the final two quarters, the Spartans gained 40 total yards and zero rushing yards.

Notre Dame won 27–10, intercepted two passes and recorded three sacks. Micah Gilbert caught eight passes for 170 yards, including a 61-yard reception on the game's first play, while Nolan James Jr. ran 25 times for 121 yards. The Irish scored 10 points after halftime; Michigan State did not score again.

The Week 3 question was whether Michigan State could finish drives after settling for five field goals in its opener. Notre Dame reduced the problem even further: the Spartans could not sustain them after halftime.

Read the pregame Michigan State–Notre Dame breakdown

Kentucky and West Virginia supplied the ranked upsets

Kentucky beat No. 9 Texas A&M 31–21 at Kyle Field. The Wildcats scored 21 points in the third quarter, Kenny Minchey completed 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and C.J. Baxter ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns. It was Will Stein's first road win, first SEC win and first victory over a ranked opponent as Kentucky's coach.

West Virginia beat No. 25 Virginia 38–27 in Charlotte and reached 3–0 for the first time since 2018. Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for 190 yards, ran for 123 and accounted for all five Mountaineer touchdowns. Cam Cook also ran for 123 yards as West Virginia answered first-quarter deficits of 7–0 and 14–7.

Texas A&M begins SEC play 0–1 after losing at home. West Virginia leaves Charlotte 3–0 with Hawkins responsible for 313 yards and every Mountaineer touchdown.