Forde-Yard Dash: Buy or Sell the Hype on These 10 Undefeated Teams

A handful of unheralded squads have made early noise this college football season, and we look at whether the success is sustainable.

Washington State is among on of college football's early-season darling, starting off 3–0 headed into a matchup against San Jose State. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football (late-game stat-padding sold separately in Boulder). First Quarter: Twelve Angry Men.

Second Quarter: Buy the Hype or Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Congratulations, your unheralded team is undefeated and has scored at least one upset and/or road victory against a power-conference opponent. How excited should you be? Let’s check The Dash Enthusiasm Meter:

Arizona State Sun Devils (13) are 3–0 for the first time since 2019. Signature wins: an authoritative victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, followed by winning as a 3-point underdog, per BetMGM, at the Texas State Bobcats last Thursday. The Sun Devils have covered the point spread every game so far. Player to know: running back Cam Skattebo. He goes through tacklers, not around them, emblematic of the hard edge this team is playing with. Skattebo is seventh nationally in rushing yards per game at 124.3.

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: Tilt toward Gus, if only because that will mirror coach Kenny Dillingham’s ardor. In Year 2 of a major rebuild, Dillingham is ahead of schedule with a team picked to finish 16th and last in the Big 12. Arizona State probably isn’t built to win the league, but with good health and good breaks, it could finish in the upper half.

BYU Cougars (14) are 3–0, 2–0 on the road after going 1–5 away from Provo, Utah, last season. Signature win: an 18–15 slugfest at the SMU Mustangs as a 12.5-point underdog, per BetMGM, keeping the Mustangs out of the end zone all game. Like Arizona State, the Cougars have covered all three games. Player to know: The BYU defense has been outstanding, but quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been the primary entertainment. After beating out transfer Gerry Bohanon, Retzlaff has made all the plays—good and bad. There have been interceptions and fumbles, but he also leads the Cougars in rushing and has a respectable 153.99 pass efficiency rating.

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: Keep it guarded for now, until we see how BYU fares at home against the No. 13 Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday.

California Golden Bears (15) are 3–0 for the first time since 2019 and look pretty good matching that. The upset: winning at the Auburn Tigers as a 12-point underdog, per BetMGM. Fittingly for a Justin Wilcox–coached team, the under has hit in all three Cal games to date. Player to know: Defensive back Nohl Williams leads the nation in interceptions with four and passes defended with seven (four picks and three broken up). He had two interceptions in the win at Auburn. Also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the opening win over the UC Davis Aggies.

Williams (left) has been one of the most effective defensive players in the country amid Cal's hot start. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: The Cal fan base generally keeps things pretty chill, but there is a lot to like about these Bears so far. Going to Tallahassee on Saturday for their ACC debut undefeated, while the Florida State Seminoles are winless, puts a new spin on things. If Cal wins there and then has 14 days to prepare for the Miami Hurricanes in Berkeley, that could be a most intriguing game.

Central Florida Knights (16) are 3–0 and leading the Big 12 in scoring (45.7 points per game) and total offense (570.7 yards per game), as Gus Malzahn has kicked the operation into high gear. The over has hit every game. Signature win: at the TCU Horned Frogs as a 2.5-point underdog, per BetMGM, on Saturday, rallying from a 21-point deficit in the second half. Player to know: Running back RJ Harvey was a 2,000-yard career rusher heading into the season, and he’s currently fourth nationally in rushing yards per game at 149.33 with eight rushing touchdowns.

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: Go ahead and get giddy. The next three games are all in Florida (home against the Colorado Buffaloes, at the Florida Gators and home against the Cincinnati Bearcats) and present a manageable path for the Knights to be 6–0 going to the Iowa State Cyclones on Oct. 19.

Duke Blue Devils (17) are 3–0 after consecutive nip-and-tuck wins over the Northwestern Wildcats and Connecticut Huskies. Duke trailed in the fourth quarter of both games but found ways to win. The upset: winning in Evanston, Ill., as a two-point underdog, per BetMGM. Player to know: Linebacker Alex Howard, a transfer from Youngstown State Penguins, leads the team with 28 tackles and five tackles for loss. This has been a defense-first effort in Year 1 under Manny Diaz, and Howard has been in the middle of it.

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: The Blue Devils are tied for 14th in the ACC in scoring and 16th in yards per play, so keep expectations in check. They should get past the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday, setting up a potential clash of modest unbeatens against the rival North Carolina Tar Heels on Sept. 28.

Illinois Fighting Illini (18) are 3–0 for the first time since 2011, believe it or not. (Who doesn’t have fond memories of the Ron Zook era in Champaign?) The Illini have allowed just 10 second-half points so far this season. The upset: won as a 5.5-point home ’dog, per BetMGM, against the Kansas Jayhawks. Player to know: Illinois has had some defensive backs of note in recent years, and Xavier Scott is producing with the best of them. He had two interceptions, including a pick-six against Kansas, and also had eight solo tackles in that game. 

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: Given the length of time since the last 3–0 start, this is pretty, pretty, pretty good. But the next two games will present a clearer picture: at the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night and at the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sept. 28.

Indiana Hoosiers (19) are 3–0 and coming off their first win in the Rose Bowl ever. Their only previous appearance was in the actual Rose Bowl game on Jan. 1, 1968, when the Hoosiers lost to the USC Trojans. They’d never been back until spanking the UCLA Bruins on Saturday. Signature win: Never trailing in beating the Bruins, 42–13. Player to know: Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, an Ohio Bobcats transfer, has been on point thus far—his 191.24 pass efficiency rating is second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.

Rourke, a transfer from Ohio, has been one of the country's most efficient passers through three games. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: Indiana fans are welcome to follow the lead of their big-talking, first-year coach Curt Cignetti, who came in barking about going to the Big Ten championship game. It won’t come to that, but after averaging 50 points per game up to this point, why not get excited? There is a reasonable path to being 6–0 when Nebraska comes to Bloomington, Ind., on Oct. 19, but Indiana fans should know not to think ahead.

San Jose State Spartans (20) are 3–0 for the first time since 2020, navigating an involuntary coaching change with ease so far. The upset: the Spartans won at the Air Force Falcons, 17–7, as a three-point ’dog, per BetMGM, with first-year coach Ken Niumatalolo digging into his old Navy playbook to shut down the Falcons. But Niumatalolo has gone modern offensively, with San Jose State passing the ball 107 times in three games. Player to know: Former quarterback Nick Nash leads the nation in receiving with 11.3 catches and 161.7 yards per game. But he can still sling it on occasion, as shown by the 26-yard touchdown he threw in the opener against the Sacramento State Hornets.

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: A trip to play another team on this list (see No. 22) Friday night will provide greater context.

UNLV Rebels (21) are 3–0 for the first time since—get this—1984. And UNLV wound up having to vacate all of those victories for using ineligible players. In terms of wins they could keep, the Rebels haven’t done this since ’76. Signature wins: At the Houston Cougars as a 3.5-point ’dog and at Kansas as a 7.5-point ’dog, per BetMGM. Player to know: Quarterback Matthew Sluka, a transfer from the Holy Cross Crusaders, is getting it done with minimal artistry and maximal willpower. Sluka is completing only 44% of his passes and has thrown for a total of 157 yards in the two big wins, but he’s run for 253 yards, ducking and dodging like someone running late to catch a subway train in Manhattan.

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: Full Gus, given the length of time between 3–0 starts in Vegas. At this point, The Dash would rank Barry Odom as the national Coach of the Year, with two upset wins over power-conference opponents on the road. The offense does not appear equipped to sustain it, but it could be difficult to score on the Rebels all season.

Washington State Cougars (22) are 3–0 on the field and 1–0 off it, given the revival of the Pac-12 last week. Signature wins: Wazzu beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 37–16, as a 2.5-point ’dog and beat Washington in Seattle as a six-point ’dog, per BetMGM. The Cougs have covered in all three games to date. Player to know: Quarterback John Mateer was a three-star recruit out of Texas with no other FBS offers when Washington State stepped forward. After appearing largely as a change-of-pace backup last season behind Cam Ward, Mateer has taken over the job and played great, a dual-force threat who has led Wazzu to an average of 31.3 first-half points.

Enthusiasm Meter, on a scale of Larry David to Gus Johnson: Full Gus. It’s fair to say that no program has had a better September than Washington State, going undefeated, manifesting new conference life and beating the hated Huskies. The rest of September is no cakewalk, with San Jose State on Friday and a trip to the Boise State Broncos, but the Cougars look ready for the challenge.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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