I couldn’t help but feel — for the first time in a while — fully underwhelmed by Week 4 of the 2025 college football season.
Watching Jackson Arnold struggle in his return to Norman made for good TV, but none of the heavy hitters that looked so promising on Friday ever delivered. Texas Tech demolished Utah. Indiana bulldozed Illinois. And even if nobody expected it to be a good game, Miami suffocated a hapless Florida squad in the prime-time slot. Only 2 games involving at least one top 25 team – Auburn/Oklahoma and Nebraska/Michigan – were decided by one score or less.
Yuck. We need to liven things up here. Let’s hand out some stars.
First Star: Ahmad Hardy
OK, sure, a few top 25 matchups didn’t live up to the hype. But did you see Mizzou running back Ahmad Hardy absolutely embarrass South Carolina‘s defense for 60 minutes straight?
Like this?
Or like this?
I’ve seen a few folks ask online whether Hardy is the best running back in college football. The answer by everyone watching the games should be a resounding ‘yes.’ The eye test should tell you all you need to know about the former Louisiana-Monroe running back, but let me throw some numbers your way:
Hardy currently leads all SEC rushers with 600 yards through 4 games. Second place is Jeremiah Cobb, who has 375 rushing yards. Hardy is averaging 7.59 yards per attempt despite having attempted 79 rushes — tied for the most in the league with Kewan Lacy. And among running backs in the SEC who have attempted 20+ carries, 7.59 yards per attempt is the best.
Ahmad Hardy is appointment television, folks.
Second Star: Oklahoma’s pass rush
Allow me to show you my favorite image from all of Week 4:
Did it bring you as much amusement as it did me?
It’s especially funny for those who watched this one, because it’s a perfect encapsulation of the afternoon Auburn had at Memorial Stadium in Norman.
Jackson Arnold was sacked 9 times by Oklahoma’s pass rush, which tied a Sooners program record. Originally, the count for Saturday’s game was a program record 10 sacks – but late stat corrections determined that Marvin Jones’ horse collar sack was incorrectly counted.
Arnold, thanks in part to Oklahoma’s pass rush, was mostly ineffective against his former team. He couldn’t get anything going on the ground, his rushing total was -11 for the afternoon. He also saw minimal success as a passer – completing just 21 of his 32 attempts for 220 yards and 1 touchdown.
The former Sooners quarterback did end the game in the end zone, though! Just one problem; it was his own end zone. The Sooners defense finished the game with not one, but 2 straight sacks – the last of which ended up as a safety.
As you could probably guess, Oklahoma now leads the SEC in total sacks with 16. Tennessee is the only team in the immediate area of that number with 15.
Third Star: Lane Kiffin’s basketball hoop
Ole Miss dunked on Tulane in more ways than one on Saturday.
There was the metaphorical dunking that took place on the field – a 45-10 thrashing of good G5 opponent that was and will still be receiving buzz for a potential Playoff spot.
Then there was the literal dunking that took place on Ole Miss’s sideline with a few minutes remaining in the game. After Deuce Alexander scored a touchdown, he was set up to dunk on a basketball hoop that Ole Miss sets up on the sideline for celebrations. Kiffin wanted in on this one though – he ran over, assisted the 360 dunk by Alexander, then ran back to continue overseeing Ole Miss’s win.
Having fun is fun. I love everything about this.
Team Statistical Leaders (Week 4)
Most points scored: 70 – Vanderbilt (vs. Georgia State)
Fewest points scored: 7 – Florida (vs. Miami)
Fewest points allowed: 0 – Texas (vs. Sam Houston State)
Most points allowed: 32 – Arkansas (vs. Memphis)
Most rushing yards: 292 – Mississippi State (vs. Northern Illinois)
Fewest rushing yards: -9 – South Carolina (vs. Mizzou)
Fewest rushing yards allowed: -9 – Mizzou
Most rushing yards allowed: 294 – Arkansas
Fewest passing yards allowed: 86 – Texas
Most passing yards allowed: 371 – Tennessee (vs. UAB)
Most total yards: 636 – Vanderbilt
Fewest total yards: 141 – Florida
Fewest yards allowed: 113 – Texas
Most yards allowed: 493 – Arkansas
Most penalty yardage accumulated:103 – Mississippi State
Fewest penalty yardage accumulated: 20 – Florida
Best turnover margin: 1 – Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas, Vanderbilt
Worst turnover margin: -1 – Oklahoma, Mizzou
Most first downs: 32 – LSU (vs. Southeastern Louisiana)
Fewest first downs: 7 – Florida
Tackles for loss: 14 – Oklahoma (vs. Auburn)
Sacks: 9 – Oklahoma
Individual Statistical Leaders (Week 4)
Passing touchdowns: 3 – Joey Aguilar (Tennessee), Arch Manning (Texas), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)
Passing yards: 325 – Taylen Green (Arkansas)
Receiving touchdowns: 2 – Ryan Wingo (Texas)
Receiving yards: 128 – Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina)
Receptions: 9 – Eric Singleton (Auburn), Isaiah Sategna III (Oklahoma)
Rushing touchdowns: 2 – DeSean Bishop (Tennessee), Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), Davon Booth (Mississippi State), AJ Newberry (Vanderbilt), Ja’Juan Johnson (LSU), Arch Manning (Texas)
Rushing yards: 138 – Ahmad Hardy (Mizzou)
Yards per carry (min. 10 carries): 8 – Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)
Tackles: 11 – Jaden Yates (Ole Miss), Josiah Trotter (Mizzou)
Sacks: 2.5 – Jayden Jackson (Oklahoma)
PBU: 2 – Gentry Williams (Oklahoma), Peyton Bowen (Oklahoma), Nicholas Rodriguez (Mizzou)
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
