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          Syracuse's postgame sprints lead college football Week 2 superlatives

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          Syracuse players forced to run sprints despite win (0:26)

          syracuse running sprints (0:26)

          • ESPN staffSep 9, 2025, 09:00 AM ET

          From unlikely referee interactions to celebrations with the cheerleaders, Week 2 of the college football season had a little bit of everything.

          Of course, there was the compelling action on the field -- Mississippi State pulled off a thrilling upset in Starkville, while Iowa State and Missouri each earned wins in rivalry games. But sometimes the most enthralling bits of a college football Saturday come when you look away from the ball.

          Here are some of our favorite nontraditional superlatives from Week 2:

          Most likely to make you nostalgic: Bo Jackson

          Remember when Devin Hester Jr. (of no relation to the Chicago Bears star of the late 2000s) posted a highlight reel return in Week 1? Well, something similar happened in Week 2.

          On Saturday, Ohio State Buckeyes freshman running back Bo Jackson scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career. Also surprising: Jackson has no relation to the 62-year-old former dual-sport star of the same name.

          Most likely to surpass pyrotechnic expectations: Minnesota

          The Minnesota Golden Gophers were absolutely dominant in their 66-0 rout of Northwestern State, holding the visitors to just 42 yards of total offense. They were so dominant, in fact, that Huntington Bank Stadium ran out of fireworks used to celebrate Golden Gophers scores. The stadium's scoreboard apologized in typically polite Midwest fashion.

          Read more: Minnesota football apologizes to fans for fireworks shortage

          Most unlikely defensive stalwart: The referee in SMU-Baylor

          An improbable source contributed to the Baylor defense in its game against SMU on Saturday: a referee.

          In the third quarter, SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings dropped back to pass, but as he started to roll out and look downfield, he was tripped up by an official.

          Jennings ended up fumbling, though he picked up the ball himself and played on.

          Most likely to get caught on a hot mic: Ryan Berger

          In the third quarter of Oregon State's game against Fresno State, offensive lineman Ryan Berger was called for a run-of-the-mill holding penalty. Berger, presumably, had a run-of-the-mill reaction to the call.

          The only problem? Berger was evidently a little closer to the referee's microphone than usual. His reaction was heard ... loud and clear.

          Most likely to stay after class: Syracuse

          Syracuse beat UConn at home in overtime to move to 1-1 on the season, but coach Fran Brown was evidently not satisfied.

          After the game, the Orange got in some additional running. Brown didn't mince words about his mood: "I just want to celebrate the win with the people, but I'm so pissed. I'm mad as heck right now."

          Read more: Syracuse beats UConn in OT, then runs sprints due to play

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          Syracuse players forced to run sprints despite win

          syracuse running sprints

          Most likely to excel in another extracurricular: Demond Claiborne

          Running back Demond Claiborne had himself a day for Wake Forest in Week 2, with 10 carries for 193 yards and three touchdowns. His celebration game was on point, too.

          After his third score of the day, an 85-yard dash, Claiborne turned his celebration into a group affair -- though not with his teammates, but Wake Forest's cheerleaders. The running back raced to the crowd of cheerleaders and jumped for joy, holding the football in the air as if it were a pom-pom.

          Most meaningful stat line: Luke Lindenmeyer

          Nebraska tight end Luke Lindenmeyer's numbers from his squad's Week 2 game against Akron were as follows: three catches, 44 yards, one touchdown (the first of his career) ... and one engagement.

          After Nebraska's 68-0 win, Lindenmeyer proposed to his girlfriend, Kailyn Storovich, on the field, getting a few words of encouragement from coach Matt Rhule beforehand and cheers from teammates afterward.