We have only scratched the surface of the 2024-25 college football season, and it has already delivered surprises.
Florida State, picked by many to win the ACC and make the revamped 12-team College Football Playoff, flew all the way to Ireland to get beat by Georgia Tech.
Elsewhere in the ACC, SMU nearly lost to Nevada after opening as 28-point favorites.
Here are Week 0’s biggest winners and losers:
Winners
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Picked by many to finish near the bottom of the ACC, the Yellow Jackets notched a conference victory over a ranked opponent – and they didn’t even play their best game.
The offense was stagnant at times and quarterback Haynes King struggled to throw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage. He picked it up in the second half, though, utilizing both his arm and his legs to convert several third downs. After Florida State tied the game at 21 with 6:33 remaining, King managed the clock and got his team into field goal range with five second remaining, where kicker Aidan Birr finished the job.
SMU Mustangs
The Mustangs were discombobulated for over three quarters of their game against Nevada. Quarterback Preston Stone’s first throw was an interception, which prompted the coaching staff to turn to their backup, Kevin Jennings. The sophomore was efficient, but SMU gave the keys back to Stone after a couple of drives.
Trailing 24-23 with 3:31 remaining and the ball deep in their own territory, Stone engineered a game-winning drive that was punctuated by a 34-yard pass to RJ Maryland.
SMU is fortunate to have escaped, and they’ll need to play better if they wish to compete with the big dogs in the ACC.
Losers
No. 10 Florida State Seminoles
DJ Uiagalelei, a fifth-year transfer from Oregon State, was supposed to bring stability to the quarterback position for the Seminoles. Instead, they could hardly move the ball after jumping out to an 8-0 lead.
To Uiagalelei’s credit, he marched his team down the field in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 21, but it was too little too late. The Noles’ defense allowed Georgia Tech to convert two third downs and move the ball into field goal range, costing them the game.
Fortunately for Florida State, there are plenty of opportunities for redemption on their schedule. They will need to be almost perfect, though.
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Wolf Pack almost don’t belong in the “losers” category, as the 28-point underdogs lost to a Power Four team by just five points. Nevada had lost 20 of its last 22 games coming into this matchup, and nobody gave them a fighting chance.
In ten games last season, quarterback Brendon Lewis threw for two touchdowns and six interceptions. Last night, he equaled his 2023 touchdown total and didn’t turn the ball over. In addition to his pair of passing scores, Lewis threw for 132 yards and ran for 77.
Even though Nevada blew a 24-13 lead in the fourth quarter, the Wolf Pack should be encouraged as they travel to Troy next Saturday.
In the Shadows Sports 
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