College Football Scores, Week 1: Thursday Night Recaps From Around The NCAA

It happens every year. We all get excited for the first wave of college football games on Thursday night, and we all forget how bad the games usually are. This is the first week, and cupcakes are the rule, not the exception, here. As a result, blowouts are always on the menu and, if we’re lucky, a close game falls into our laps.

That’s exactly how it played out on Thursday night. The two ranked teams easily took care of business, with Wisconsin handing UNLV a 51-17 loss and Mississippi State cruising past Memphis, 59-14. Those games stuck to the script and all went according to plan.

In the surprise close game category, Syracuse fell asleep for three quarters against Wake Forest, then suddenly lurched to life in the fourth to rattle off 22 unanswered points, including a touchdown in overtime, to win its opener, 36-21. Special teams were a disaster as Wake Forest missed a field goal and an extra point, and Syracuse had its attempt to take the lead late in regulation blocked. But at least we had drama.

In the end, it was college football and beggars can’t be choosers. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and our starved bellies were filled to the brim on Thursday night. The food may have been nearly inedible, but dammit it was food nonetheless. And for that, we are grateful.

In other action...

Louisville 21, Murray State 9. Resounding victory for Sunny Will.

Central Michigan 21, South Carolina State 6. Like a Michigan-South Carolina knock-off.

Temple 42, Villanova 7. If a team wins a season-opener and nobody was there to see it, did it really happen?

Toledo 58, New Hampshire 22. Had no idea New Hampshire had a football team.

Florida International 41, North Texas 16. FIU ready to take over for Miami as The U.

Georgia Tech 63, Western Carolina 21. Georgia Tech learns the forward pass, profits.

Rutgers 48, North Carolina Central 0. Now you’re just inventing schools.

Utah 27, Montana State 10. Utes get the first-ever Pac-12 win and make history.

Syracuse 36, Wake Forest 29. Bonus football!

Bowling Green 32, Idaho 15. Would’ve been a tastier matchup in the Kibbeh Dome.

Kentucky 14, Western Kentucky 3. No, forget it. This game never happened.

To relive all the action, visit our Thursday night football StoryStream. You’ll find pictures, gifs, video and thousands of beautiful words, ushering in the dawn of a new season.