Texas Tech's win over No. 11 Iowa State is the latest notable upset in college football

November 3, 2024 ndowd

Few sports can deliver classic endings the way college football can.

Iowa State entered Saturday on the brink of the program’s first 8-0 start to a season. With the first College Football Playoff rankings in the 12-team era to be revealed Tuesday, the Cyclones seemed to be in position to boast a top-12 ranking heading down the stretch of the season. All they had to do was handle business at home against Texas Tech.

Unfortunately, things are rarely as easy as they seem in college football.

The Red Raiders led for most of the fourth quarter, but a 44-yard touchdown pass from Rocco Becht to Carson Brown with just over two minutes left inched Iowa State back ahead. But Texas Tech wasn’t done. A 12-play, 71-yard winning drive ended with Tahj Brooks finding the end zone for the Red Raiders with 20 seconds left to clinch a 23-22 upset for the visitors.

Texas Tech’s triumph wasn’t the first upset of the season overall, nor was it the biggest. But it was the first of the season’s final month, which often has a heightened propensity for chaos. We’re tracking all of the biggest upsets of the 2024 college football season throughout the fall.

Nov. 2: South Carolina 44, Texas A&M 20

No. 10 Texas A&M was tied with 4-3 South Carolina at halftime, and it looked as if this would just be one of those games where the better team, after letting the lesser one hang around for a bit, would find a second gear in the third quarter and return to form.

The reverse happened in this game. South Carolina roared out of the gate after the break, with Raheim Sanders storming down the field for a 52-yard touchdown with 9:19 left in the third. LaNorris Sellers hit Joshua Simon for a 57-yard pass TD late in the fourth, and the Gamecocks turned their upset into a rout.

Oct. 5: Vanderbilt 40, Alabama 35

Alabama was riding high after an incredible Week 4 victory over Georgia — a victory that propelled them into the No. 1 ranking in the nation.

But then came 2-2 Vanderbilt.

The Commodores roared to a 23-14 lead at halftime and never let up, answering the Crimson Tide with a score every time Alabama came close. Diego Pavia threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns as the Commodores pulled off the biggest upset of the season to date.

Oct. 5: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14

The second upset of a top-five team on Oct. 5, the game between Arkansas and Tennessee, was a lower-scoring affair than the Alabama-Vanderbilt barnburner — but no less exciting.

The score was only 3-0 at halftime, but No. 4 Tennessee went ahead after two touchdowns in the third quarter by running back Dylan Sampson. But Arkansas kept pace and went ahead for good on a Malachi Singleton rushing touchdown with 1:17 remaining. Tennessee knocked on the door in the final seconds but was unable to score as Arkansas pulled off the upset.

Sept. 28: Kentucky 20, Ole Miss 17

Two weeks after Kentucky saw its upset bid against top-ranked Georgia fall heartbreakingly short, they got a second chance at a statement win … and took it.

Facing off against No. 6 Ole Miss on the road in Oxford, the Wildcats went up 20-17 with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter thanks to a touchdown run by Josh Kattus. The Wildcats’ defense would bend — allowing the Rebels into field goal range with a chance to send the game to overtime — but didn’t break. Caden Davis‘ 48-yard attempt at an equalizing field goal drifted wide as time expired.

Sept. 7: Northern Illinois 16, Notre Dame 14

The Huskies’ defense won the day at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame was held to just 286 yards of total offense as Northern Illinois eventually put through the decisive field goal late in the fourth quarter.

The win was the Huskies’ first in program history against a top-10 opponent. NIU had been 0-14 in previous attempts, according to ESPN Research.

Aug. 24: George Tech 24, Florida State 21

College football returned with a bang, as Georgia Tech pulled off an immediate stunner in Ireland. Florida State entered the 2024 season ranked No. 10 in the AP poll but couldn’t find traction after an unbeaten regular season in 2023.

The game in Dublin came down to the leg of Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr. The redshirt sophomore kept his cool, driving a winning field goal through the uprights as the clock struck zero.