It did not take long for Kennesaw State to show improvement. Major improvement. The 2025 season was the Owls’ second in the FBS and followed a 2-10 debut at the highest level and as a member of Conference USA. Jerry Mack, a former NFL assistant and head coach at North Carolina Central, took over for Brian Bohannon and things instantly looked better in a 10-9 season-opening loss at Wake Forest. Though that was followed by a 56-9 blowout at Indiana, KSU rattled off seven straight wins. It didn’t stop there.
Kennesaw State: Plus 7 Games | 2025: 10-4 | 2024: 2-10
The Owls lost to Jacksonville State in the regular season and got payback by defeating the Gamecocks in the CUSA championship game. A blowout loss to Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl made for a 10-4 finish that included an 8-1 conference mark, including the title game. Mack’s team won the close games as seven of their conference matchups were decided by single digits with the Owls winning six, including a last-minute victory over Missouri State and a double-overtime affair at Liberty to clinch a berth in the championship game.
A major difference could be seen on the scoreboard as the Owls averaged 26.7 points per game compared to 16.5 in 2024. Quarterback Amari Odom, a Wofford transfer, ultimately won the job from Dexter Williams III and totaled 26 touchdowns. Odom was one-and-done at Kennesaw as he transferred to Syracuse.
Houston: Plus 5.5 Games | 2025: 10-3 | 2024: 4-8
Willie Fritz’s Cougars had a shot at becoming bowl eligible in 2024, his first season in Houston after a successful run at Tulane. At 4-5, the Cougars needed to win two of their final three games. They proceeded to lose all three by double digits to finish 4-8. There was no such disappointment this past season in what equaled the largest turnaround among power conference teams.
Fritz bulked up on offense through portal acquisitions that included quarterback Conner Weigman (36 total TDs) from Texas A&M, receiver Amare Thomas (12 TDs) from UAB and running back Dean Conners (977 yards) from Rice. Thanks largely to Weigman’s right arm and legs, Houston scored at least 30 points eight times after only two such games in 2024.
On the other side of scrimmage, defensive lineman Eddie Walls (team high 7 sacks) arrived from FIU and had an immediate impact for a team that became bowl eligible in mid-October. The Cougars defeated LSU in the Texas Bowl to cap a 10-win season in the program’s third in the Big 12 after arriving from the American.
North Texas: Plus 5.5 Games | 2025: 12-2 | 2024: 6-7
A pair of freshmen led the way for UNT, which led the nation in scoring (45.1) and total offense (512 yards). Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who redshirted in 2024, topped the nation in passing yards per game (313), tied for second in touchdown passes (34) and was fourth in pass efficiency. Running back Caleb Hawkins led the nation in rushing touchdowns (25) and total touchdowns (29) and was fifth in rushing yards per game (110).
Add the production of receiver Wyatt Young (1,264 yards, 10 TDs) and it led to a turnaround for a team that was No. 25 in the final CFP ranking, scored 50-plus points seven times and won its most games in program history. Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young were among those who followed coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State from Denton.
San Diego State: Plus 5.5 Games | 2025: 9-4 | 2024: 3-9
What prevented the Aztecs from adding another notch in their turnaround was a bowl loss to North Texas. That did not tarnish in the least what took place in Sean Lewis’ second season in San Diego after his initial year leading the program resulted in only three wins and five of the nine losses by at least 21 points. Still, Lewis put his stamp on a program that returned several starters on a defense that showed considerable improvement for a team that was the sixth stingiest (15.4) in points allowed while allowing less than 10 points seven times.
Defensive backs Chris Johnson and Dwayne McDougal each intercepted four passes with the former returning a pair for touchdowns. Trey White came off the edge to record seven sacks, 10.5 TFLs and 17 quarterback hurries. Though SDSU quarterbacks combined for all of 10 touchdown passes, the running game averaged 199 yards per game with Lucky Sutton (1,297 yards, 10 TDs) emerging as one of the Mountain West’s top running backs.
Southern Miss: Plus-5.5 Games | 2025: 7-6 | 2024: 1-11
Charles Huff took a good chunk of his roster with him from Marshall to Hattiesburg and the transformation was unmistakable. What might have been disappointing about the Golden Eagles’ season is that it could have been better, and perhaps topped this list. USM stood at 7-2 before the wheels fell off in the form of four straight losses to close the season. Still, a one-win season in 2024 was quickly forgotten.
The wealth was spread pretty far in erasing the offensive (15.3 points) and defensive (37.8 points) ineptitude under Will Hall in 2024. Among the players Huff brought to USM was quarterback Braylon Braxton (3,054 yards, 24 TDs), receiver Elijah Metcalf (54 receptions) and corner Josh Moten (5 INTs, 10 PD), each of whom had a major role in the turnaround. While Huff had a tremendous impact on the program, it was rather brief as he left to take over at Memphis and brought several players with him.
Utah: Plus-5.5 Games | 2025: 11-2 | 2024: 5-7
Beat BYU in the Holy War in mid-October and it could have been the Utes gettimg a second shot at Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game, and not the Cougars. We will never know, of course. Utah was No. 15 in the final CFP ranking and checked in at No. 14 in the final AP poll following a bowl win against Nebraska. So, it was a nice final season in Salt Lake City for Kyle Whittingham, his eighth double-digit win season.
A year after the Utes saw a 4-0 start dissolve with a seven-game losing streak while being held to 24 or fewer points in six of the setbacks, a revamped offense scored at least 40 points nine times in 13 games and averaged 41.2 to rank fourth nationally. The quarterback duo of Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin, the latter used on a situational basis to take advantage of his legs, combined to total 47 touchdowns. Both quarterbacks, who are returning, ran for 10 touchdowns to pace a ground game that tied Navy for the nation’s lead in rushing TDs with 41.
The other side of scrimmage was not too shabby, either, in holding seven opponents to 14 or fewer points. Before missing the last couple of games due to injury, John Henry Daley, who joined Whittingham in Ann Arbor, was a wrecking ball off the edge with 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. Five Utes intercepted at least two passes, including safety Jackson Bennee, who returned two of his four picks for touchdowns.