College football always brings action on the field. But off the field it rarely disappoints.
From midweek fireworks to undershirts spread in Pittsburgh, Week 12 brought another series of games with plenty of entertainment – much of it away from the ball.
As always, we’ve compiled a list of non-traditional superlatives that honors the weird and wild moments that help make college football our favorite sport.
The saddest pyrotechnics in sports: Massachusetts
To say that the season has been tough for Massachusetts would be an understatement, as the Minutemen lost their 10th consecutive game on Wednesday night. northern illinoisThe loss certainly came in brutal fashion, with the Huskies leading 45–0 midway through the third quarter,
When Massachusetts finally got on the board, the score produced an unfortunate viral moment. rioter derek morris Converted a 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter…that started fireworks from the back of the end zone. The pyrotechnic display, it won’t surprise you to learn, didn’t match the furious 42-point comeback in the final minutes of the game.
Location trends of the week: baseball stadium
Generally, football is reserved for bowl seasons played in non-football stadiums. However, in Week 12, Major League Baseball venues hosted not one but two college football games.
Nearly 1,000 miles apart, two of the game’s most historic ballparks traded bats for pigskins on Saturday. at fenway parkThe Secretaries’ Cup rivalry between the Coast Guard Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy was played at a neutral venue for the first time. Meanwhile, in Chicago, Northwestern welcomed michigan to wrigley field — and brought A home run-themed celebration To suit the occasion.
Drama of the Week “You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do”: Sam Carpenter
Dramas don’t always need to be pretty to be effective. pittsburgh Kicker Sam Carpenter embodied that mentality on Saturday. Notre Dame The Panthers led 21–3 at halftime, and things threatened to go from bad to worse hastily on the opening kickoff of the second half when Fighting Irish return man jadarian price He turned to the side and in front of him was a lot of green grass.
Carpenter had other plans. Kicker managed to grab Price’s undershirt and proceeded to simply hold on to him for dear life. The shirt was stretched several field yards, as Carpenter did enough to slow Price down and set up a teammate. zion fergusonTackle of.
However, the effort delayed matters – Notre Dame proceeded to score later in the drive.
Big-Man Touchdown of the Week: donte bishop
Conventional wisdom says that if you want to use a defensive lineman to get to the end zone in a short-yardage game, the best way to do so is to put the ball directly into his hands and give him the power to move quickly. Such intelligence was ignored Rhode IslandWhich used a much more playful approach: Why wasn’t he thrown away?
The Rams lined up Bishop with his toes in the dirt, and the 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman started as a blocker before leaking to the back of the field at the line of scrimmage. quarterback Devin Farrell The pitch-and-catch proceeded to find a completely unprotected Bishop for the touchdown, leading to a particularly enthusiastic celebration in the end zone.
This is amazing 😊#3More legs pic.twitter.com/3RzJlDN1Q3
– Rhody Football (@RhodyFootball) 15 November 2025
Best Social Media Management: Texas A&M
With the home team trailing 30-3 at the halftime break, you can’t blame yourself for the mood being pretty sour at Kyle Field on Saturday. With excitement building, Texas A&M’s social media administrator opted to keep things factual and brief with a simple message on the team account’s halftime score update: “There will be a second half.”
The blunt line proved prophetic. Like all games, it was really the second half, and the Aggies caught fire in the final 30 minutes. quarterback marcel reid Scored three touchdowns in the third quarter alone, leading Texas A&M to a remarkable 31–30 victory, keeping their undefeated season alive.
Did the social media administrator’s message have any impact on the team’s second half play? Probably not. But still credit goes to him for keeping things calm and hitting accurate shots.
Strangest Interception: USC
When you’re in a one-score conference game, you take the big plays as they come. Such was the case with his tilt against USC iowa this weekend. At the end of the third quarter, the Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski Pulled it out of the pocket and fired what looked like a pinpoint pass to move the chains. the ball hit the wide receiver seth anderson Square in the chest… and then driven backwards into the lucky hands of a Trojans defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart,
USC made the most of its good fortune. The Trojans mounted a touchdown drive on their ensuing possession to take the lead, and then held the lead for the remainder of the quarter. win 26-21,
Thanos!!!!
@bigtennetwork pic.twitter.com/yDj0veTjiN
– USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) 15 November 2025
