Week 1 of the college football season is in the books, and what a week it was.
From thrilling and controversial finishes to stunning upsets and incredible individual performances, the opening week delivered plenty of memorable moments.
A pair of Miami superstars delivered record-breaking performances while Jayden Maiava and Jeremiah Smith put their names right into the Heisman conversation.Â
With that, let’s dive into the top offensive performances from Week 1 of the CFB season.
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In his first start with the Hurricanes, Darian Mensah balled out. He finished Friday night’s win over Stanford with 401 passing yards and five touchdowns, becoming just the sixth quarterback since 2000 to complete at least 90% of his passes while throwing for 400-plus yards and five touchdowns in a game. After his dominant Week 1 performance, Mensah is now the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at +600. No player’s stock went up more than Mensah in Week 1.Â
In Week 1 against Miami Ohio, Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Heintschel completed 31 of 41 passes for 453 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, seven. Heintschel became just the 26th player in college football since 2000 to throw for at least 450 yards and seven touchdowns in a game, leading Pitt to a dominant 59-14 win and a dream start to the 2026 season. Heintschel introduced himself to the college football world on Saturday and immediately put his name on the map.
In Week 1 against Fresno State, Jayden Maiava completed 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, leading USC to a dominant 39-0 win. His 92% completion rate was the highest in USC history in a game with at least 25 pass attempts and the second-highest overall with at least 20 attempts, trailing only Matt Barkley’s 95% mark in 2012. Maiava’s performance also tied for the 10th-highest completion percentage in an FBS game with at least 25 attempts and 300 passing yards since 2000. The Trojans’ quarterback has put himself right into the Heisman race as his odds sit at +1750 to win the award.Â
Against Northern Illinois, Iowa running back Kamari Moulton rushed 11 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a ridiculous 16.64 yards per carry. The senior set an Iowa single-game record for yards per carry with at least 10 attempts, shattering Fred Russell’s previous mark of 12.14 in 2002. Moulton’s 16.64 yards per carry also ranks fifth among Big Ten players since 2000 with at least 10 carries in a game. His 183 rushing yards are tied for the 10th-most by an FBS player on 11 or fewer carries since 2000.
Jaylin Carter rushed 19 times for 183 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 9.63 yards per carry, while adding an 18-yard reception to finish with 201 total yards. Carter became just the fifth player in Tigers program history to rush for at least four touchdowns in a single game. Through the first two games of his sophomore season, Carter has already racked up 280 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries, averaging an impressive 8.24 yards per carry.
Against Tulane, Duke running back Nate Sheppard rushed 35 times for 227 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.49 yards per carry. His 227 rushing yards were the most by any FBS player in Week 1 of the 2026 season. After earning second-team All-ACC honors and rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season, Sheppard looks poised for another big year in the Blue Devils’ backfield.
On Friday night, Malachi Toney hauled in 12 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns against Stanford, setting Miami’s single-game receiving yards record. The historic performance continued Toney’s incredible start to his co
