Week 3 Sparks: Mensah Dominates, Vanderbilt Upsets NC State, and Ole Miss Holds the Line

Week 3 of the 2026 college football season delivered chaos and standout performances: Miami QB Darian Mensah shredded defenses and set an ACC completion record (30-of-34 for 220 yards and 3 TDs); NC State suffered a shocking late-fumble loss to Vanderbilt in a 35-31 upset; Louisville emerged as an ACC threat with a 41-31 win over SMU; Kentucky upset Texas A&M to dash the Aggies’ CFP hopes; rising SEC QBs Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State) and Keelon Russell (Alabama) impressed as both teams sit at 3-0; Ole Miss beat LSU 32-24 in Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford; Virginia dropped after West Virginia’s 38-27 upset.