College football returned in full force Saturday, August 29, with eight FBS games opening the 2026 season. Week 0 included games from Dublin to Las Vegas and featured the FBS debuts of North Dakota State and Sacramento State.
No. 14 USC was the only AP Top 25 team in action Saturday, but some of the day's biggest stories came elsewhere. North Carolina opened Bill Belichick's second season with a victory over TCU, Virginia dominated NC State in an ACC matchup, and North Dakota State immediately showed it could compete at the FBS level.
North Carolina 15, TCU 10
North Carolina opened the season with a notable 15-10 victory over TCU at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
TCU appeared to be in control early, scoring on its first two possessions and building a 10-3 advantage. But the Horned Frogs failed to score again.
North Carolina quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 232 yards, while Aeron Burrell made two field goals. A safety late in the second quarter gave the Tar Heels a 12-10 halftime lead before another field goal provided the game's final points.
TCU had opportunities to retake the lead late but was stopped on fourth down on each of its final two possessions in North Carolina territory. Horned Frogs running back Jeremy Payne was one of the game's brightest performers, rushing for 142 yards on 25 carries.
The win gave North Carolina a measure of revenge after TCU defeated the Tar Heels 48-14 in Belichick's college coaching debut a year earlier.
No. 14 USC 42, San Jose State 26
USC opened its season with a 42-26 victory over San Jose State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring on a one-yard run. USC accumulated 505 total yards and controlled possession for more than 37 minutes.
Trent Mosley led the Trojans with seven receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, while King Miller rushed for 63 yards and a score.
USC built a commanding 28-0 halftime lead and extended the advantage to 35-3 during the third quarter. San Jose State refused to disappear, however, scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter to make the final score considerably closer.
Spartans quarterback Luke Weaver finished with 234 passing yards, two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown.
Virginia 34, NC State 8
Virginia delivered one of the most convincing victories of Week 0, beating ACC opponent NC State 34-8 in front of a sellout crowd at Scott Stadium.
The Cavaliers scored the game's first 24 points and completely controlled the first half, taking a 17-0 advantage into the locker room while outgaining NC State 220-83.
Quarterback Beau Pribula was particularly effective, rushing for 110 yards while throwing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Virginia finished with 413 yards of offense, including 258 rushing yards.
One of the game's defining sequences was a massive 23-play, 75-yard Virginia touchdown drive that consumed more than 12 minutes across the third and fourth quarters.
The announced crowd of 62,779 was the eighth-largest in Scott Stadium history and the stadium's first sellout since 2008.
North Dakota State 33, Jacksonville State 7
North Dakota State could hardly have scripted a better introduction to FBS football.
Playing its first game as an FBS program and a football member of the Mountain West, the longtime FCS powerhouse crushed Jacksonville State 33-7 at the Fargodome.
Jacksonville State tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter on an eight-yard Caden Creel touchdown run. It never scored again.
North Dakota State quarterback Nathan Hayes threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Myles Mitchell led the Bison with 74 rushing yards, while Jackson Williams recorded 58 receiving yards.
Drew Klein added four field goals, including kicks from 44, 42 and 48 yards during the second half.
The Bison held Jacksonville State to just 170 total yards — 85 passing and 85 rushing — and won their historic FBS opener in front of more than 18,500 fans.
Eastern Michigan 28, Sacramento State 17
Sacramento State also made its FBS debut Saturday, but its first game at the new level ended differently.
Eastern Michigan defeated the Hornets 28-17 in Ypsilanti in a game that also counted as the first Mid-American Conference matchup of the season.
Quarterback Noah Kim led Eastern Michigan, throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a score.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Eastern Michigan exploded for 21 points in the second. Kim scored on a five-yard run and later connected with Kozy Isaac on a 40-yard touchdown.
Sacramento State quarterback Carson Conklin passed for 222 yards, but the Hornets never recovered from their 21-10 halftime deficit.
The victory carried additional significance for Eastern Michigan: it was the 500th win in program history.
Stanford 37, Hawaii 27
Stanford survived a furious fourth-quarter Hawaii comeback to earn a 37-27 victory in the first game under head coach Tavita Pritchard.
Stanford held a 23-7 advantage entering the fourth quarter before Hawaii scored three touchdowns and suddenly moved ahead 27-23.
The Cardinal responded.
Quarterback Davis Warren directed the decisive drive, completing all five of his passes for 58 yards before Micah Ford scored on a two-yard run with 1:41 remaining.
Ford finished with three rushing touchdowns, while Warren threw for 310 yards and a score.
Hawaii's final comeback attempt ended when quarterback Micah Alejado fumbled and Tevarua Tafiti returned it 31 yards for a game-sealing Stanford touchdown.
Alejado threw for 269 yards for Hawaii, which scored 20 points in the fourth quarter but couldn't finish the comeback.
Florida State 34, New Mexico State 17
Florida State opened its season with a 34-17 home victory over New Mexico State, although the Seminoles had to work considerably harder than the final margin might suggest.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels completed 17 of 27 passes for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception while also scoring on the ground.
Running back Ousmane Kromah rushed for 115 yards, while Samuel Singleton Jr. contributed both a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown.
Florida State generated 419 total yards and finished a perfect 6-for-6 in the red zone. Defensively, the Seminoles recorded three sacks, intercepted a pass and limited New Mexico State to 47 rushing yards.
New Mexico State remained within striking distance for much of the game before Florida State pulled away with a 90-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
The Seminoles improved to 1-0 with the victory after entering the season looking to rebound from consecutive disappointing campaigns.
Memphis 27, UNLV 21
The final FBS game of Saturday produced one of the day's better finishes as Memphis went into Allegiant Stadium and defeated UNLV 27-21.
UNLV led 14-7 at halftime before the game opened up in the third quarter.
Memphis quarterback Malik Stokes connected with Sutton Burnside for a 48-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. UNLV answered when Jackson Arnold threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Kayden McGee.
Memphis responded almost immediately, with Jamarion Carter breaking a 36-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 21.
Parker LaFarge then became the difference, kicking a 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter and a 35-yarder early in the fourth. Those six unanswered points accounted for the final margin.
Stokes finished with 223 passing yards, two touchdown passes and 45 rushing yards. Carter rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Arnold had a productive night despite the loss, throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns while adding 54 rushing yards and another score. UNLV actually outgained Memphis 460-418, but the Rebels were held scoreless throughout the fourth quarter.
Week 0 Final Scores
North Carolina 15, TCU 10
No. 14 USC 42, San Jose State 26
Virginia 34, NC State 8
North Dakota State 33, Jacksonville State 7
Eastern Michigan 28, Sacramento State 17
Stanford 37, Hawaii 27
Florida State 34, New Mexico State 17
Memphis 27, UNLV 21
Biggest Stories From the Opening Saturday
North Dakota State's performance may have been the most significant result of the day. The Bison spent years as the dominant program in the FCS, winning 10 national championships between 2011 and 2024, and immediately announced their arrival at the FBS level with a 26-point victory.
North Carolina also produced an important early win for Belichick after his difficult first season with the Tar Heels, while Virginia's 34-8 demolition of NC State was one of Week 0's strongest performances by a Power Four program.
USC took care of business as the only ranked team playing Saturday, although allowing San Jose State to score 23 fourth-quarter points gives the Trojans something to address before the schedule becomes more difficult.
And in the final game of the night, Memphis strengthened its early position among teams hoping to compete for a Group of Six berth in the College Football Playoff by earning a road victory over UNLV.
Week 0 provided only a preview of what is coming. The first full weekend of the 2026 college football season begins next week, when most of the country's major programs enter the schedule.