The wildest plays and moments from college football’s Week 4
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ESPN staff
Week 4 gave us plenty of moments to write home about. From Kansas reaching a 4-0 status (yes, the Jayhawks are in fact the real deal), to one of the most incredible plays of the entire year, we got a little bit of everything that makes college football great.
Wildest play
Watch this play. Then watch it over and over and over again. Not only is it incredible, but it might have saved Texas A&M’s season, as the Aggies held on for a 23-21 win over Arkansas.
1:32
Tyreek Chappell comes away with a fumble recovery and hands it off to Demani Richardson, who takes it 81 yards to the crib for the Aggies.
It’s one of the wildest plays not just of the weekend but the entire 2022 season.
Let the Heisman campaigning begin
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels made no preseason watch lists before the season began. But through four games, he is making everyone sit up and take notice. Daniels has emerged as an efficient, prolific dual-threat quarterback who can do it all — run, throw, and yes, even kick.
He literally does it all ?@JalonDaniels6 pins Duke inside the 10 with a beautiful punt pic.twitter.com/IvaQAv9lcK
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) September 24, 2022
“I was able to punt the ball my freshman year once and I’ve just been waiting for them to call that play again,” Daniels said. “So it felt nice to be able to show that I’m able to do a few more things.”
He has already done plenty. Against Duke, Daniels threw for 324 yards and ran for another 83, scoring five times. He scored five times the week before in an upset win over Houston, making him the first quarterback in school history with multiple games scoring five or more touchdowns. The fast start to the season has all led to some early Heisman talk and a little creativity from the Kansas social media team.
— Kansas Jayhawks (@KUAthletics) September 24, 2022
After the game, coach Lance Leipold was asked whether Daniels and Heisman should be said in the same sentence. Leipold had to stop himself after starting, “That’s not for …” before changing course and saying, “You know, he’s a heck of a player. So yeah, I’m all for it. Who’s ever running the campaign? Let’s get it going. I don’t vote. I just say this: He’s done a heck of a job getting a lot of people to take notice and take this program seriously.” — Andrea Adelson
Best upset
Middle Tennessee’s 45-31 victory over Miami was consequential in the way that a major upset — Miami was a 25.5-point favorite — always is. It became even more so with the way that three different plays or clips ended up going viral.
First, you had an atrocious run play that was most noteworthy for how much worse it could have been.
How there wasn’t a fumble, or some sort of desperate heave returned for a touchdown at the end, is beyond me. It seemed that’s where things were headed. Either way, this play summarized Miami’s general level of synchronicity — or complete and total lack thereof — for most of the first three quarters or so as the Canes fell behind by three touchdowns on two occasions.
Then you had the knockout blow, a spectacular 1-2 combination of a fourth-and-goal stop and a 98-yard touchdown pass that put the game out of reach just as Miami looked like it was getting its act together.
98 YARDS FROM THEIR OWN END ZONE‼️ pic.twitter.com/7QGxcqilg2
— ESPN (@espn) September 24, 2022
Finally, you had the postgame interview, in which a fired-up Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee’s coach and a proud former Florida State quarterback, said, “I know [in] Tallahassee, I know they’re pretty excited about the mighty Blue Raiders kicking the Hurricanes’ tail. ‘Cause we kicked their tail, I ain’t afraid to say it.” — Bill Connelly
SAY IT LOUDER @CoachStock ?#BLUEnited | #EATT pic.twitter.com/HK36kIjC8b
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) September 25, 2022
Best fan moment of the week
SMU honored late fan Paul Layne before Saturday’s rivalry game with TCU, celebrating the life of a devoted supporter who didn’t miss a Mustangs game for 50 years.
Paul Layne – forever present. pic.twitter.com/UiVgXlm7Oz
— SMU FootbaIl (@SMUFB) September 17, 2022
Layne was a freshman cheerleader at SMU in 1972, and didn’t miss a single game until this season — making 542 straight Mustangs games, even in the bleak post-NCAA Death Penalty years — and was permitted to watch games in person during the pandemic to keep the streak intact, often taking his place alongside the cardboard cutouts of fans.
Layne missed his first game on Sept. 3, when he was hospitalized with a blood clot. His family and friends wore “I am Paul Layne” shirts in his place in the first two games of the season. Layne died on Sept. 12 at 68.
On Saturday, before first the Mustangs’ first home game since his passing, SMU passed out stickers and pins featuring a megaphone that said “542” with Layne’s name on them in the press box and honored his family during a pregame ceremony.
SMU coach Rhett Lashley said last week that Layne was one of the first people he met when he was hired at SMU in 2018, and that he will be missed.
Paul Layne’s streak of games attended — through the rain and shine, the good and the bad, a pandemic, even — is frankly unfathomable. As @AD_RickHart wrote, “his love and loyalty for [the SMU Mustangs] will never be surpassed.”
(Photos via SMU) pic.twitter.com/IEkLnMXcJu
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) September 12, 2022
“Whether it was [former coach] Sonny [Dykes] or others, there was an outpouring of love and support for his family,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “He will be missed, but boy, he made an impact on everybody he touched.”
Lashlee marveled at Layne’s dedication.
“It’s incredible. Whether it’s just a normal illness or a canceled flight, there’s all kinds of things that could prevent it. But 542 straight games is remarkable,” Lashlee said. “A very familiar face we’re going to miss.” — Dave Wilson
A wild day in Texas
As the Lone Star State turns, it was a wild day for the state’s Top 25 teams. We’ll start out in Lubbock, first-year Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire landed a win over No. 22 Texas as Red Raiders fans stormed the field after a 37-34 overtime win over Texas in what is likely the Longhorns’ last visit to Lubbock for the foreseeable future with an SEC departure on the horizon.
It was a short honeymoon for the Longhorns, who felt like they were turning the corner after a close loss to Alabama and then a gritty win over UTSA. The Red Raiders are now 3-1 after wins over No. 25 Houston, No. 22 Texas, and a 27-14 loss on the road at No. 16 NC State. McGuire, known for his energy, was animated after the win.
“I told you they were gonna break.
The country’s gonna find out. EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH LUBBOCK.” pic.twitter.com/5k1atLU4l2
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 25, 2022
No. 23 Texas A&M grabbed a victory over No. 10 Arkansas, helped in large part by Demani Richardson ripping the ball from a teammate after a fumble recovery and racing 82 yards to kick-start the Aggies, who had sleepwalked through the first quarter without making a first down and having only 28 total yards before scoring 23 consecutive points. Then, they watched Arkansas line up for a potential game-winning field goal with 1:30 left, before it hit the top of the upright and bounced into the air, falling short of the crossbar.
No. 17 Baylor survived a trip to Iowa State, beating the Cyclones 31-24 to end ISU’s streak of 11 straight home wins over Big 12 teams. The Bears’ defense held Iowa State to 2.4 yards per carry and picked off two passes by Hunter Dekker. Even the normally stoic Dave Aranda was amped during this one. — Wilson
FIRED UP DAVE ARANDA pic.twitter.com/jG0Zv2udhv
— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) September 24, 2022
Was that score really 98-0?
When Lamar elected to return to the Southland Conference this past summer, after just one year in the Western Athletic Conference, other WAC teams had to scramble to fill holes in the schedule. There are only so many options available for such a thing, so for Family Weekend in Nacogdoches, Stephen F. Austin arranged to play the NAIA’s Warner University.
Warner isn’t just any NAIA team, however. The Royals rank 89th out of 98 teams in my NAIA SP+ rankings. They had lost to two other NAIA teams by a combined 93-29 and had fallen to Division II power West Florida 52-3 in a game they trailed 45-0 at halftime. This was destined to be a massive blowout.
It was even worse than expected. SFA scored 28 points — two off of long touchdown passes, two off of fumble returns — in the game’s first six minutes, then added 31 more points before halftime. Four different Lumberjack quarterbacks threw touchdown passes, and after a punt return score made it 85-0 with 6:58 left, Warner immediately threw an interception, and SFA made it 92-0 with 6:32 left. And then Warner fumbled the kickoff. And SFA scored again. They kneeled out a 2-point conversion to stop at 98 points, and Warner stopped self-destructing long enough for the clock to run out. SFA fell seven points short of the FCS single-game scoring record (set by Portland State in 1980), but everyone involved seemed OK with that. — Connelly
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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