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          JMU's icy white threads top best Week 2 college football uniforms

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          • ESPN
          Sep 5, 2025, 04:00 PM ET

          When you're looking to make a statement in the College Football Playoff race, it's always wise to keep style in mind.

          The James Madison Dukes cruised in their Week 1 opener against Weber State, but will hit the road for a major test against the Louisville Cardinals in Week 2. Playing under the lights Friday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2), the Sun Belt contenders will look to pull off a power conference upset and assert themselves as an early contender for the top Group of 5 team in the country.

          The Dukes will contrast the Friday night sky with their uniforms -- a simple but clean all-white look.

          Accenting the white threads will be the school's primary colors, purple and gold, featured on the jersey's numbers and nameplate as well as on a stripe running down the center of the helmets.

          James Madison won't be the only team bringing uniform heat this weekend. Here are some of the top uniforms from Week 2 of the college football season.

          Local pride

          You might have heard of the Idaho Vandals. But how about the Idaho Fightin' Taters?

          No? Don't worry, it's a limited-time moniker -- in its Week 2 home opener against the St. Thomas-Minnesota Tommies, Idaho football will don helmets that feature the text "Fightin' Taters." The helmet pays homage to the state's deep connection with the potato industry. The distinctive black lid will be paired with a matching all-black jersey and pants set, completing a look that's memorable and sleek.

          Speaking of a school honoring its location, the SMU Mustangs are making clear what city their program represents with their uniforms.

          The Mustangs' Dallas threads come with a number of unique elements -- most noticeably, the jersey has the city's name in script on the front, as opposed to the customary "SMU." Dallas is honored on the helmets as well, as the school's red mustang motif is placed inside the negative space of a "D" outline.

          The UTEP Miners call El Paso, Texas -- nicknamed the Sun City -- home, and the team is paying homage to the city's moniker on its helmets this week.

          The lids feature a unique logo design that includes the nickname positioned under a mountain sunset, with the negative space between the "Sun City" text and sunset forming the Miners' traditional pickaxe emblem. The sun rays take inspiration from El Paso's city flag.

          It's a standard blue and white uniform for the Buffalo Bulls this week, but with one notable twist on the helmet art.

          This week's helmets for the Bulls will prominently feature the numbers 716 on one side, an homage to the city of Buffalo's traditional area code.

          Slick threads

          You won't find many color schemes as pretty as the one the Rice Owls are rolling with this Saturday.

          The light blue the Owls are repping is already easy on the eyes, but what really makes the uniform are the colors accenting that shade. Navy complements the baby blue on helmets and shoulder sleeves, and the numbers are outlined in red, creating a look akin to the powder blue threads once donned by the Houston Oilers.

          The Mississippi State Bulldogs host the No. 12 Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, seeking to pull off a major upset in a prime-time kickoff.

          The Bulldogs' uniforms reflect the nighttime kickoff -- the team is going with an all-black look for the SEC vs. Big 12 matchup. The black helmet, jersey and pants are complemented by maroon stripes that run across the shoulder sleeves and down the center of the helmet.

          It's easy to score a hit with all-white threads, and the Liberty Flames are rolling with their own variation of the classic look against Jacksonville State.

          In addition to a clean script "Liberty" on the front of the jersey, the distinguishing feature of the Flames' uniforms comes on the helmet. Instead of the school's name or logo, the helmet features a cartoon eagle in mid-throwing motion.

          After an all-gold Week 1, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are sticking with the color-rush style theme for Week 2.

          This time, Minnesota is going all-in on the school's other primary color, maroon. The Golden Gophers will don maroon pants, jerseys and helmets this week, with the helmet featuring an outline of Goldy Gopher as opposed to the standard block M design.