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Jackson's Week 2 college football risers and fallers for 2025. Which teams, players, and coaches were the biggest winners and losers from Week 2 of the CFB season?
We're already two weeks into the college football season (three if you count Week 0), and we can start to form opinions about a few programs that have impressed or disappointed thus far. Obviously, it's a long season, and the 12-team College Football Playoff format gives programs extra lives, but some results carry more weight than others.
While Week 2 lacked the big-time matchups that Week 1 had, it still featured plenty of tight games and shocking finishes that made it a must-see slate. In this article, we'll cover eight of the biggest risers and fallers from Week 2 action.
This week's risers and fallers feature John Mateer, Billy Napier, Jeff Lebby, Nico Iamaleava, and more. Let's dive in.
Riser: John Mateer, Oklahoma
John Mateer and Oklahoma impressed in Week 1, but a matchup against Illinois State didn't tell us anything we needed to know. However, Mateer proved he can get it done against the best competition of his career in Norman on Saturday.
The former Washington State quarterback looked poised and delivered strikes in big situations all night long. Against a talented Michigan defense, he tallied 270 passing yards, 74 rushing yards, and three total scores. With Oklahoma failing to get production out of its running backs, he carried the offense. Tory Blaylock, Jovantae Barnes, and Jaydn Ott were limited to just 57 yards on 19 carries (3.0 YPC).
JOHN MATEER WITH ANOTHER RUSHING TD 🔥
Watch Michigan-Oklahoma on ABC and the ESPN App 🏈 pic.twitter.com/lUK4WAurJN
— ESPN (@espn) September 7, 2025
The Sooners still have Auburn, Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, and LSU on the schedule, so it's far too early to set our "Mateer takes" in stone. But he's been an immediate big-time upgrade over what Jackson Arnold provided a year ago.
Faller: Billy Napier, Florida
Billy, Billy, Billy. What are we going to do with you? After saving his job with an impressive winning streak to end last season, the optimism in Gainesville was high, and many viewed the Gators as a dark-horse College Football Playoff team in large part due to quarterback DJ Lagway.
But once again, Napier found a way to disappoint the fan base, and this time it was losing a home game to USF of the American Conference. Listen, the Bulls dominated Boise State and might be the best Group of Five team in the country. However, you can't lose this game if you're Florida, especially with a whopping seven top-20-ranked teams remaining on the schedule.
Florida State and Miami both look dangerous this season, and qualifying for a bowl game might be an uphill battle after Saturday's performance. It's never good when your fans are leaving the stadium chanting "Fire Billy!"
“Fire Billy” chants have broken out at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium after UF falls to USF, 18-16. pic.twitter.com/4OaNw1NWKf
— Riley Orovitz (@rileyorovitz) September 7, 2025
Riser: Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
The Bulldogs looked lifeless for most of last season, and it was unsettling to see Jeff Lebby's squad in a semi-close game against Southern Miss in Week 1. They ended up handling business in the second half in that one, then turned the page quickly to a potential program-changing contest against No. 12 Arizona State in Starkville.
Lebby was brought in to deliver a high-flying offense, and the results were there in the first half on Saturday Night under the lights. State jumped out to a 17-0 lead behind an excellent showing from quarterback Blake Shapen, and Lebby had Arizona State on its heels with several explosives in the passing attack.
Arizona State then dominated the end of the first half and most of the second, scoring 20 unanswered points and taking the lead on a field goal with 1:38 left in the fourth quarter after an impressive 17-play, 95-yard drive.
A young team with a relatively new head coach often fails to respond to that kind of adversity, but the Bulldogs didn't blink. A 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Brenen Thompson in the final 30 seconds propelled Mississippi State to its first non-conference ranked win since 1991.
BRENEN THOMPSON FROM DEEP #HailState || 📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/fiZ9TLW2qe
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 7, 2025
This win could be a great sign of things to come, and the rest of the SEC better be ready when they make the trip to Starkville.
Faller: Clemson
Can you win a game and still lose? Clearly, I think so. Especially in the 12-team CFP era, winning the game is all that matters. But starting with a 16-0 deficit against Troy after a disappointing showing at home against LSU does not exactly exude confidence in the Tigers' long-term goal to win a national championship.
Clemson entered the fourth quarter with just a one-score lead over the Trojans, and the program rushed for under 4.0 yards per carry. Running the football effectively is a recipe for taking care of inferior opponents, but after two games, it's fair to think Clemson simply isn't going to be able to do that this season.
This kind of performance won't fly in Atlanta against the Yellow Jackets in Week 3.
Riser: Beau Pribula, Missouri
When he announced his decision to transfer to Missouri, little was known about Pribula other than that he could be a dynamic runner. He spent the last two seasons as Drew Allar's backup at Penn State, but flashed ability and upside in limited playing time.
In the long-awaited return of the Border War, Pribula was excellent in an exciting shootout. Most importantly, he put up an elite passing performance, proving that he's much more than just a capable runner. He completed 30 of his 39 passing attempts for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Gigantic 50 yard pass and catch from Beau Pribula and Kevin Coleman Jr. to put the Tigers on the goal line. pic.twitter.com/h1SrAEOD5u
— Killian Wright (@KillianMWright) September 6, 2025
Eliah Drinkwitz's offense is firing on all cylinders, and the Tigers have a workable schedule compared to their SEC counterparts. Seeing Pribula make big plays down the stretch when it mattered was a promising sign.
Faller: SMU
Despite the opening-day loss to Auburn, I think Baylor is a solid team. Losing to the Bears isn't the worst thing in the world without context. However, losing to Baylor at home with a 14-point lead in the late fourth quarter is. Before Sawyer Robertson threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Josh Cameron with 5:23 left in the game, SMU had a 98.9% win probability per ESPN analytics.
As a reigning College Football Playoff team with the victory in hand, finding a way to lose this ACC vs. Big 12 showdown was back-breaking. Unlike last season, the Mustangs do not avoid Clemson and Miami in ACC play this year. Games against TCU on the road and Louisville at home are far from easy wins, too.
Will we look back on this choke job as a reason SMU failed to make the CFP? It's possible.
Riser: Vanderbilt
It was fair to question whether Vanderbilt could sustain its success from last year, and while we don't have an answer yet, the Week 2 road win over Virginia Tech was a good start. After trailing 10-0 at the end of the first quarter and 20-10 at halftime, Vandy scored 34 unanswered points, and it was not just Diego Pavia carrying the team on his back.
Five different Commodores scored a touchdown from scrimmage, and Clark Lea's defense harassed the Hokies in the second half. While Vanderbilt won't have more overall talent than most of its opponents, the program has learned how to deal with adversity and make game-winning plays.
BERLOWITZ TO STOWERS FOR SIX pic.twitter.com/7AHlVi21Zl
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) September 7, 2025
Once again, Vanderbilt might not be an easy win for the SEC foes like it has been for most of its existence. You'll have to come ready to play them.
Faller: Nico Iamaleava
When Nico Iamaleava decided to leave Tennessee, many believed it was a mistake. After two weeks as a UCLA Bruin, that is becoming more apparent. While Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar is lighting up scoreboards and is set to play in a game where ESPN's College Gameday is setting up shop, Iamaleava is out to a 0-2 record, including a loss to UNLV.
The former five-star recruit out of high school and in the Spring transfer portal has thrown for 391 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. And it's clear his supporting cast is abysmal. Iamaleava might be a decent quarterback, but he's not going to be able to prove it on a disaster of a team.
Nico Iamaleava gets PICKED OFF by @UNLVFootball in a pivotal drive 🤯 pic.twitter.com/iKezinycyE
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 7, 2025
Surely, the Bruins can handle New Mexico, but it's difficult to imagine UCLA winning more than one or two Big Ten contests.
