Week 4 // 2025
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Our trust in each other is unmatched, so if we move the ball and get (a teammate) in the position to make a play, he’s going to be there and be ready. It’s a tight brotherhood in the locker room.
Georgia Tech wide receiver Eric Rivers on confidence in kicker Aiden Birr as he kicked the game-winning field goal to upset Clemson
TEAM TO WATCH TEAM oF THE WEEK
GEORGIA Vanderbilt
It was a back-and-forth game for the Bulldogs in their SEC opener at Tennessee, where they held on in overtime behind a one-yard Josh McCray rushing touchdown to win 44-41. The victory marked the ninth straight win for Georgia over Tennessee, improving the Dawgs to 10-0 in SEC openers under Kirby Smart.
Georgia trailed 38-30 with 6:40 left in the game, but Gunnar Stockton converted on fourth down with a 28-yard touchdown pass to London Humphreys, followed by a two-point conversion to tie the game. With the Volunteers up by three after a field goal to start overtime, Nate Frazier rushed for 21 yards on the Bulldogs’ first overtime play from scrimmage to set up McCray for the game-winning touchdown.
Georgia is off this week before hosting No. 14 Alabama on September 27.
On the road in front of a sold-out crowd, Vanderbilt upset then-No. 11 South Carolina, 31-7, for the Commodores’ first win over the Gamecocks since 2008. In this week’s AP poll, Vanderbilt is ranked No. 20.
Quarterback Diego Pavia finished with two touchdowns and 177 yards on 18 of 25 passing, while running back Sedrick Alexander added two touchdowns of his own. The Commodores’ defense forced four turnovers and held the Gamecocks scoreless for the final three-plus quarters after South Carolina tied the game in the first quarter.
After picking up consecutive Power 4 road wins, Vanderbilt returns home to face Georgia State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PHX on ESPNU.
GAMES WATCH to
For a full schedule of Week 4 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2025 BOWL PREDICTIONS
CFP SEMIFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 5 LSU vs. No. 1 Ohio State
ESPN Schlabach – No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 1 Ohio State
On 3 – Oregon vs. Ohio State
Pro Football Network – No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 5 Georgia
USA Today – No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 3 Penn State
GAME OF THE WEEK
#9 ILLINOIS AT #19 INDIANA
A top-20 battle is set for this Saturday when No. 9 Illinois and No. 19 Indiana clash in Bloomington to begin Big Ten play. It will be the first time since 1950 that the Fighting Illini and Hoosiers will play each other in a ranked matchup.
Illinois improved to 3-0 after a 38-0 win over Western Illinois. The Fighting Illini started the season with zero turnovers in their first three games and are second in the nation in turnover margin (+6). Illinois also ranks 15th in the nation with 45.0 points per game.
Indiana also enters conference play 3-0 after a 73-0 shutout over Indiana State. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a programrecord 95% (19-for-20) completion percentage, with 270 yards and a career-high five passing touchdowns. Wide receiver Elijah Sarratt extended his nation-leading catch streak to 41 consecutive games on a 15-yard connection from Mendoza.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PHX on Saturday on NBC.
RATE BOWL
ESPN Schlabach – BYU vs. Wisconsin
USA Today – Kansas vs. Minnesota
On 3 – Baylor vs. Maryland
Sports Illustrated – BYU vs. Iowa
College Football News – Texas Tech vs. Nebraska
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Ja’Marr Chase
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase led the team with 165 receiving yards in the 31-27 win at Jacksonville. He also recorded 14 receptions, just one shy of his club record set in 2023. The Bengals improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2018.
Chase scored in the first quarter off a 4-yard pass from college teammate and fellow Fiesta Bowl alum Joe Burrow, recording his 400th career reception and 47th career touchdown.
Burrow and Chase’s chemistry goes back to their days at LSU, including the 48th annual Fiesta Bowl in 2019 when Chase had a game-high six receptions for 93 yards, including a touchdown, en route to the Tigers’ 40-32 win over UCF. Chase was the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, reuniting with Burrow on the Bengals.
Chase and the Bengals look to remain undefeated with a trip to Minnesota on Sunday at 10 a.m. PHX on CBS.
notable performances
Behren Morton – Texas Tech
With four touchdowns in a 45-14 win over Oregon State, Behren Morton threw for a career-high 464 yards. Morton has thrown multiple touchdowns in six straight games, tied for most in FBS, and has five career games with four or more touchdowns.
In the win over the Beavers, Morton increased his career passing yardage to 7,132 yards, becoming the seventh Red Raider quarterback to pass the 7,000-yard milestone. Morton and Texas Tech open Big 12 conference play at Utah at 9 a.m. PHX on Saturday on FOX.
Omar Cooper Jr. – Indiana
In a blowout 73-0 win against Indiana State, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. set a career high for yards receiving (207), receptions (10) and receiving touchdowns (4). It was his first career multi-touchdown game as he tied the Hoosier program record for most receiving scores in a single game.
Cooper Jr. produced the ninth 200-yard receiving game in Indiana history, and his 207 yards sits at seventh on the single-game charts.
Cooper Jr. was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Indiana State. The Hoosiers turn their attention to conference play on Saturday.
BIG NEWS
The Rate Bowl will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup at a new time of 2:30 PM 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 4:
BIG 12 BIG TEN
• The Big Ten has seven teams ranked in this week’s AP poll, including three of the top six spots and four of the top nine: Ohio State (No. 1), Penn State (No. 2), Oregon (No. 6), Illinois (No. 9), Indiana (No. 19), Michigan (No. 21) and USC (No. 25)
• Of the 39 teams who remain undefeated, 11 of them reside in the Big Ten: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, USC and Washington. The Big Ten is the only conference with more than nine unbeaten teams
• After Iowa’s 47-7 win over UMass on Saturday, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz became the winningest coach in Big Ten history. Ferentz has 206 wins in his 27th season with the Hawkeyes
• Oregon’s Jerry Mixon captured Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Honors after he became the first Duck with an interception in back-toback games since 2023. Mixon also returned an interception for 36 yards to set up an Oregon touchdown in the third quarter and had a careerhigh five tackles
• Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen was named Special Teams Player of the Week after a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown, which ties a Big Ten and Iowa record
• Michigan’s Bryce Underwoord was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after accounting for 339 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, including the first two rushing touchdowns of his career, in a 63-3 victory over Central Michigan
• The Big 12 was a perfect 8-0 in the games played last Saturday for its second undefeated day this season. It marks the first time the league has posted two undefeated Saturdays in non-conference play in the same season since 2012
• Texas Tech has the nation’s highest scoring offense at 58.0 points per game with BYU (48.0 ppg), Utah (45.7 ppg) and TCU (45.0 ppg) giving the Big 12 four teams in the top 15
• West Virginia took down rival Pittsburgh 3124 in overtime in the Backyard Brawl where the Mountaineers’ defensive line held the Panthers to just 46 rushing yards. The line finished with season-high six sacks and added eight tackles for loss
• Arizona took down Kansas State 23-17 in Tucson on Friday to improve to 3-0. Running back Ismail Mahdi rushed for 189 yards, the most in a game against a Power 4 opponent through Week 3
• While playing only into the second quarter of Cincinnati’s 70-0 blowout over Northwestern State, quarterback Brendan Sorsby made Big 12 history by becoming the first quarterback in the conference to throw five touchdowns in one quarter
• SMU and TCU will battle in their long-standing rivalry known as the Battle for the Iron Skillet on Saturday at 9 a.m. PHX on ESPN2
• For the second time in three weeks, FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will visit a Big 12 campus on Saturday for the No. 16 Utah vs. No. 17 Texas Tech matchup in Salt Lake City
news in the foundation
FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION ELEVATES GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL WITH CREATION OF IN-SEASON FIESTA BOWL COPPER STATE INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
The Fiesta Sports Foundation continues its efforts to advance the sport of girls flag football in the state of Arizona by forming a new midseason tournament. The inaugural Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational will feature a pool-play tournament with the top two teams from each bracket advancing to a single elimination playoff.
Held on October 9 and October 11 at Arizona State University Recreation & Sports Fields at Dorsey, the Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational begins on Thursday, October 9, at 2 p.m. with a matchup featuring defending 6A state champion Hamilton facing 4A runner-up Prescott on North Field. Pool play continues on October 9 and the morning of October 11, with the top two teams from each bracket advancing to a single elimination playoff. The championship begins at 5:15 p.m. on South Field.
charity spotlight
FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION MARKS 10 YEARS OF WISHES FOR TEACHERS
This year is the 10th anniversary of Fiesta Sports Foundation’s Palo Verde Wishes for Teachers program, Arizona’s largest direct support initiative for teachers. Seeing that many teachers spent their own money to enhance their classroom experience, Fiesta Sports Foundation and developed a program to aid educators in that effort. This year, the program culminates by granting $2,500 in classroom wishes to a record 540 teachers across Arizona.
Applications for the Wishes for Teachers program are open now and close on September 30. Arizona K-12 public or charter school employees can apply at wishesforteachers.org.
Fiesta Sports Foundation Chief Impact Officer Kristina Chumpol joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the program.
Click the graphic below to listen!
