The Majesty of College Football in the Year 2024

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From the Emerald Isle to the western mountain ranges of the United States, college football is back, and it is better than ever. The Yellow Jackets, Bobcats and Mustangs of Georgia Tech, Montana State and SMU delivered Week 0 winning performances in thrilling contests that reinforce the enduring majesty of college football.

Georgia Tech was a conspicuous underdog against the Florida State Seminoles. FCS representative Montana State was pitted against New Mexico of the lofty Football Bowl Subdivision. SMU was favored by nearly four touchdowns over the Nevada Wolf Pack. Yet somehow, all of these Week 0 contests were undecided until the final few seconds.

Aug. 24 was a truly tremendous kickoff of the 2024 college football season. No doubt, more is in store.

The Drama

Georgia Tech punter David Shanahan hails from County Kerry, Ireland. He returned to his native land, traveling across the pond with his fellow Yellow Jackets to commence the 2024 season in Dublin's Aer Lingus Classic.

The matchup between the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets was wrapped in drama before it began. Snubbed by the College Football Playoff Committee in December 2023, the Seminoles have initiated a controversial legal action in furtherance of an effort to avoid their contractual obligation to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, Georgia Tech, the commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and other member universities, including newcomers SMU, Cal and Stanford, are endeavoring to preserve and strengthen the conference.

FSU entered the Irish contest ranked No. 10 in The Associated Press preseason poll. But the unranked Yellow Jackets never flinched. Equaling the Seminoles' strength on the offensive and defensive lines, Georgia Tech fought toe-to-toe with Florida State the whole way, then kicked a dramatic 44-yard field goal as time expired to prevail 24-21. This prompted ESPN broadcaster Joe Tessitore to exclaim, "Welcome back to college football! Reserve your Saturdays from here on out!" It was a pitch-perfect encapsulation of an ideal Irish initiation of the 2024 season.

The Intrigue

The 134 FBS teams are the highest-level programs in Division I of the NCAA. The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) is the second-highest level of college football in NCAA Division I. Thirteen conferences and 129 teams comprise the FCS.

Based in Bozeman, Mont., the Montana State Bobcats are one of the preeminent FCS teams. The Bobcats have reached the FCS playoffs every season since 2018, including a run to the championship game in 2021. However, heading into the season-opening clash with the Lobos, the Bobcats lost their last 13 contests against FBS opponents.

FCS wins over FBS teams are fairly rare. In 2022, FCS teams prevailed in only 6.7 percent of their matchups against FBS teams (8 wins, 120 losses). In 2023, FCS teams triumphed in just 3.5 percent of their clashes with FBS teams (4 wins, 118 losses). In conformity with these statistics, New Mexico won its previous nine games against FCS foes.

The Bobcats defied the odds on Aug. 24 in Albuquerque, N.M., stunning the New Mexico Lobos of the Mountain West Conference with a thrilling 35-31 come-from-behind victory. Remarkably, Montana State won despite New Mexico scoring twice on scoop-and-score fumble recoveries.

The Bobcats outscored the Lobos 21-0 in the fourth quarter to overcome a 17-point deficit. Despite falling behind early, Montana State stuck with its potent rushing attack, gaining 362 yards on the ground. Running back Scottre Humphrey scored the game-winning touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining. In the apt words of MontanaSports.com, the Bobcats "snatched victory from the jaws of defeat."

Majestic College Football

The SMU Mustangs kicked off their inaugural ACC season in Reno, Nev. against head coach Jeff Choate and his Wolf Pack. Choate coached Montana State from 2016 through 2020 and was named head coach of the Wolf Pack in December 2023.

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Coming off a dismal 2-10 record last season, little was expected of Nevada this year. But, the Wolf Pack roster has ample talent, including running back Sean Dollar, who transferred to Nevada from Oregon, wide receiver Cortez Braham Jr., who transferred from West Virginia, and Texas Longhorns transfer RB Savion Red. They came to play in this Week 0 tilt.

August evenings in Reno are notoriously warm. However, this game was played in anomalous conditions. Fans and players donned beanies and hoodies in temperatures hovering around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Wolf Pack led much of the way and went into the fourth quarter ahead 24-13. But the Mustangs secured the victory by outscoring Nevada 16-0 in the final stanza, including a last-minute touchdown. Speaking to reporters after the game, Choate credited his players, saying that "they played their tails off tonight." He also complimented the Mustangs: "I got to give credit to SMU; that's a championship-level team," Choate said. "When their back's to the wall, they find ways to make plays—a veteran group like that. Credit to Rhett (Lashlee) and his team."

Highly regarded SMU quarterback Preston Stone struggled to get going early in the game. His first pass was intercepted, and he completed only 3 of his first 10 attempts. However, Stone turned things around in the second half, connecting frequently with tight end RJ Maryland, who hauled in 8 receptions for 162 yards and 1 touchdown.

Describing the game as "a thrilling season opener," Sports Illustrated recapped SMU's path to victory as follows: "The Mustangs' relentless pursuit of victory, fueled by key plays on both sides, ultimately tipped the scales in their favor. A combination of clutch touchdowns, a crucial safety and a game-winning pass secured a hard-fought 29-24 win for SMU."

The 2024 season is off to a tremendous start. College football shone brightly on Aug. 24, and fans of the majestic sport are in for many more thrills and drams over the coming months.