College Football Week 2 Scores: Blowouts, Breakouts, and Early Statements (Sept. 7, 2025)

Scoreboard and standout performances

The scoreboard had no chill this weekend. Across campuses, ranked teams put up video-game numbers and gave their fans exactly what they came for: rhythm, reps, and reassurance. And yes, it’s early September—still Week 2. Any talk of Week 8? Not here, not yet. This was College Football Week 2, and it delivered a clear theme: handle business, build depth, move on.

No. 23 Indiana set the tone with a 56-9 demolition of Kennesaw State. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was sharp and efficient—18-of-25 for 245 yards and four touchdowns. His top target, Elijah Sarratt, stole the show with 9 catches for 97 yards and three scores, winning matchups all over the field. It looked like a program leaning into a modern passing identity and getting payoff early.

No. 24 Texas Tech didn’t blink either, rolling Kent State 62-14. Behren Morton ran the operation with command, going 18-of-26 for 258 yards and three touchdowns. The Red Raiders played at their preferred tempo, spread the ball around, and never let the game drift into a slog. You want clean September football? This was close.

Penn State kept it straightforward and suffocating in a 34-7 win over FIU. The defense controlled the line of scrimmage and squeezed out explosive plays before they could happen. LSU took a more methodical route against Louisiana Tech, winning 23-6. It wasn’t flashy, but it was steady—no panic, no drama, just field position, tackles in space, and enough offense to keep things comfortable.

Georgia got what it needed from its defense in a 28-3 win over Austin Peay. The Bulldogs kept the Governors out of the end zone and leaned on their front seven to unlock short fields. Miami (FL) blistered Bethune-Cookman 45-3 with raw speed and chunk plays. Oregon dropped the hammer on San Jose State, 69-7, pushing pace and testing the full playbook. And Nebraska delivered a statement shutout, 68-0, the kind of margin that tells you the defense was locked in and the depth chart was engaged late.

• Indiana 56, Kennesaw State 9 — Fernando Mendoza: 245 yards, 4 TDs; Elijah Sarratt: 9 rec, 97 yards, 3 TDs
• Texas Tech 62, Kent State 14 — Behren Morton: 258 yards, 3 TDs
• Penn State 34, FIU 7
• LSU 23, Louisiana Tech 6
• Georgia 28, Austin Peay 3
• Miami (FL) 45, Bethune-Cookman 3
• Oregon 69, San Jose State 7
• Nebraska 68, 0 (shutout)

If you’re counting, that’s a lot of lopsided scores. September often looks like this—Power Four rosters tuning up against overmatched opponents. Coaches use these games to settle rotations, test new packages, and stress their edge players. The goal is boring: stack clean snaps, avoid injuries, and reveal just enough for film without giving away October.

What Week 2 tells us—and what it doesn’t

Week 2 doesn’t decide titles, but it does show habits. Indiana’s passing rhythm, Texas Tech’s pace, and Oregon’s explosive depth are early signals worth tracking. Penn State’s defensive shape looked organized and fast, and Georgia’s standard on that side of the ball remains what it’s supposed to be. LSU’s win was less electric but no less useful—teams win a lot of games by playing patient, low-error football.

Poll-wise, big blowouts grab attention, but voters also look under the hood. Efficiency, third-down success, red-zone execution, and the dreaded penalties-and-miscues column matter. That’s why some 20-point wins feel stronger than some 40-point wins. Style matters, but stability matters more.

The larger backdrop is changing too. This is year two of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. That shifts incentives from “survive and advance” to “optimize for seeding.” Nonconference schedules are still a mix of buy games and brand games, but the committee rewards teams that pair wins with proof. Strength of schedule, quality road trips, and late-season form will separate the top four from the at-larges.

Realignment continues to make September weirder. Programs are carrying new conference labels, traveling to new venues, and facing new styles. That means some of these tune-ups are more than dress rehearsals—they’re system checks before unfamiliar league opponents. Coaches want to see communication on defense, pre-snap control on offense, and special teams that travel.

Quarterbacks often define Septembers, and a few trends popped. Indiana and Texas Tech both showed quarterbacks comfortable in structure, not just freelancing when plays break. That travels. You also saw rotations at receiver and tailback on the deeper rosters—Oregon, Georgia, Miami—because October is about legs as much as schemes. Nebraska’s shutout speaks to identity: fit, tackle, finish. Fans love points, but coaches sleep better after clean tackling tape.

One more calendar note: the season kicked off in Week Zero on August 23 and runs its familiar course through conference play, rivalry week, bowls, and the playoff. We’re a long way from the finish line. Week 2 is about planting flags without pretending they’re monuments. The tape from this weekend will travel with teams into their first true road games and the opening stretch of conference play, where the scores won’t be so forgiving and little mistakes grow teeth.