Fall College Sports Take Center Stage: A look at the end of September and What’s Ahead

September brought rivalry wins, dramatic finishes and breakout performances across college sports. Some teams made early statements, while others worked through tough schedules and searched for consistency.

With October underway, conference races are taking shape. Here are the highlights from the teams and sports I’m following, along with what I’ll be watching next.

College football

Florida State: After losses to SMU and Alabama, the Seminoles rebounded with wins over Central Arkansas and Virginia. Ashton Daniels led the 38-7 victory over Virginia with 136 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, plus 183 passing yards.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes earned two memorable wins, defeating rival Iowa State 16-13 and escaping Michigan with a 20-19 victory. A 31-14 loss to Ohio State interrupted that momentum, but Iowa has important results to build on.

Illinois: Wins over UAB and Southern Illinois gave the Illini a strong start before losses to Duke, Ohio State and Purdue. Finding consistency will be important as the Big Ten schedule continues.

Illinois State: The Redbirds followed their national runner-up season with victories over St. Francis, Western Illinois and Northern Illinois. Conference play will help determine their postseason position.

BYU: The Cougars remained undefeated with a 17-10 win at TCU. After running back LJ Martin was injured, Bear Bachmeier scored twice on the ground, including the winning touchdown with 2:06 remaining.

Penn State: Three opening victories gave way to losses against Wisconsin and Northwestern. The October 10 White Out against USC offers the Nittany Lions a chance to respond.

UCLA: The Bruins’ offense powered wins over Cal, San Diego State, Purdue and Maryland. A matchup with Oregon will provide an important test as Big Ten play continues.

Women’s college soccer

North Carolina won its eighth consecutive match with a 4-1 victory over Notre Dame. Bella Devey scored twice, bringing her season total to 14 goals. The Tar Heels’ October schedule includes a meeting with Florida State, which entered the month at 4-1-3. Sam Erbach scored both goals in the Seminoles’ 2-1 win over Georgia.

Illinois defeated Oregon 2-0 before entering a demanding conference stretch. Illinois State began October at 7-1-3 overall and 2-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play, with Maggie Dowling scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Western Illinois.

BYU entered October at 7-2-2. Freshman Anna Neff earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week recognition after contributing two assists in a 2-0 win over TCU. Texas A&M, meanwhile, looked to regroup after a 2-1 loss at Georgia.

Penn State earned wins over Maryland and USC before drawing with Iowa and Purdue. UCLA continued its shutout streak with a 1-0 win over Oregon, decided by Kara Croone’s late penalty kick. Paloma Daubert has also stood out defensively for the Bruins.

Men’s college soccer

North Carolina found momentum with wins over Lipscomb, West Florida and Boston College. Joschi Schelb earned a spot on the MAC Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List.

Penn State faced a difficult start to Big Ten play, including a late loss to Ohio State. Grant McIntosh remains a player to watch as the Nittany Lions continue their conference schedule.

Locally, SIUE edged Saint Louis 1-0 in the Bronze Boot rivalry. Ryley Gibbs scored in the 37th minute, and a potential Saint Louis equalizer was ruled to have come after time expired.

UCLA defeated Penn State 4-2, with defender Shakir Nixon scoring twice from the penalty spot. Nixon has emerged as the Bruins’ leading scorer and joined the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List.

Women’s college volleyball

Nebraska continued its strong start with sweeps of Rutgers, Ohio State, Penn State and Maryland. Harper Murray and Andi Jackson have led the way, while the Huskers set a Bob Devaney Sports Center record with 13 service aces against North Carolina.

Illinois swept ranked USC and Washington teams, extending its winning streak to seven matches. Illinois State entered October with five consecutive Missouri Valley Conference wins, while freshman Jillian Ferrill earned Oakland Classic MVP honors.

No. 18 BYU defeated Kansas State 3-1 behind Elli Mortensen’s 19 kills and 12 digs. No. 14 Texas A&M extended its winning streak to six matches with sweeps of Alabama and Mississippi State.

Saint Louis snapped Duquesne’s five-match winning streak with a 3-1 victory. Penn State earned wins over Stanford and Michigan while also facing setbacks against Michigan State and Nebraska. UCLA gained momentum with its first Big Ten victory, a sweep of Northwestern, ahead of an October 22 matchup with Nebraska.

College field hockey

Iowa delivered two dramatic wins: a 2-1 overtime victory over Michigan, decided by Fréderique van Cleef’s golden goal, and a 4-3 comeback against Michigan State.

North Carolina responded to a loss against Virginia by defeating California 4-0. Grace Pottebaum earned ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week recognition. Saint Louis secured its first Atlantic 10 win against Lock Haven, while Penn State defeated Rutgers 1-0.

College ice hockey

Penn State is the school where I’m following both men’s and women’s hockey.

The women opened with two close 2-1 losses to Ohio State before sweeping Robert Morris. A 5-3 comeback win featured first collegiate goals from Sofia Ismael and Lorelai Nelson, along with freshman goaltender Morgan Stickney’s first college victory.

Ismael then recorded a hat trick and an assist in the 4-1 series finale. Alongside junior captain Grace Outwater, these newcomers have given Penn State plenty to be excited about. The Nittany Lions visit Syracuse October 9-10 before hosting Lindenwood October 16-17.

The men begin their season October 9 against UConn in the Ice Breaker, followed by Sacred Heart. Their Big Ten schedule opens with a trip to Minnesota October 30-31.

October matchups to watch

● October 9: BYU vs. Iowa State football; Florida State at North Carolina women’s soccer

● October 10: Penn State vs. USC football; UCLA at Oregon football; Nebraska vs. Wisconsin volleyball

● October 11: Illinois at UCLA women’s soccer

● October 18: Illinois vs. Michigan volleyball; Penn State vs. Michigan field hockey

● October 22: Nebraska vs. UCLA volleyball

● October 25: Penn State at Iowa field hockey

● October 30-31: Penn State men’s hockey at Minnesota

September gave us plenty to talk about. Now I’m watching to see which teams carry that momentum into October, which players continue to stand out and how the conference races develop as the postseason approaches.