Week 3 of the college football season just passed and the mid-majors have given fans plenty to watch so far. Last week saw two top-25 upsets, that really cost Power Five Universities (literally), and this week did not disappoint either. Here are the best mid-major games you might have missed.
The *Big* Ten?
Indiana: 33 Western Kentucky University: 30 (OT)
Ok, I'm a little biased here—I was an athlete at WKU and earned two degrees there, but any time a Conference USA team goes to a Big Ten school, forces overtime, and nearly wins, that's a heck of a game. Unfortunately for the Hilltoppers, Indiana's home team advantage was too much for them to handle and a couple of clutch moves late cost them the game. IU quarterback Connor Bazelak made a couple of key plays, completing a pass to WR Cam Camper with :47 left in regulation to bring the Hoosiers within two points, then nailed the two-point conversion to tie the score at 30 and force overtime. A field goal was all IU needed to seal the win, but this was still a significant game for WKU, a program that has been on a coaching carousel in past years and seems to be finding a rhythm with current head coach, Tyson Helton.
Related: Rate Western Kentucky University
They Don't Call it the Fun Belt for Nothing
Appalachian State: 32, Troy: 28
Sun Belt match ups are usually pretty entertaining but this one was absolute madness (especially at the end). App State has been bringing the energy for days. After upsetting #6 Texas A&M last Saturday, the streets of Boone, North Carolina were flooded with fans and College GameDay decided to pay them a visit on Saturday morning where the signs were about as savage as you could imagine. But Troy came to play—the game itself was back and forth until the fourth quarter when Troy pulled ahead 28-24 with 10:10 to go. But things got dicey for the Trojans with under a minute left. Instead of punting on 4th and 2, Troy went for a first down and ended up running backward for an App State safety, bringing the score to 28-26. App State then tried, and failed, to get to field goal range with :20 seconds. Mountaineer quarterback, Chase Brice, then threw a 53-yard Hail Mary pass to receiver Christian Horn (and several Troy defenders who bounced the pass around) for the win as time expired. App State has been on a lot of people's radars lately and for good reason—they're becoming a high-profile mid-major team that's proving that smaller schools can provide just as much entertainment as Power Five programs.
Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits
Battle in the Swamp
Florida: 31 USF: 28
After falling to the University of Kentucky last week, Florida needed an easy win against USF, but they had their hands full on Saturday night. After jumping on top in the first quarter, the Gators stayed on top for most of the first half until USF scored two key running touchdown to take the lead 28-24 in the fourth quarter. Florida looked to be making a strong drive late in the fourth (and had a late hit penalty on their side) until USF defensive back Amaris Brown intercepted Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson in the red zone and brought it back to the 20 yard line. But the Gators took it right back, when safety Tre'vez Johnson intercepted a tipped pass and Florida drove it back for a touchdown with 5:05 left to lead 31-28. USF had the chance to tie it with a field goal with :23 left, but were thwarted by a bad hold and Florida narrowly held on to their lead to win at home.
Small programs are showing up big every week this fall. Who are you excited to watch during Week 4?
Katie (M.K.) Lever is a former Division 1 athlete and current doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin where she studies NCAA discourse and policy. She is also a freelance sportswriter and creative writer on the side. She is the author of a new book Surviving the Second Tier available on AMAZON. Follow Katie on Twitter and Instagram: @leverfever.
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* Originally published on September 19, 2022, by Katie Lever, Ph. D
