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It didn’t take long for Kennesaw State to show improvement. Big improvement. The 2025 season was the Owls’ second in the FBS and followed a 2-10 debut at the top 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 immediately looked better after a 10-9 season-opening win at Wake Forest. Although that was followed by a 56-9 blowout of Indiana, KSU reeled 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 revenge by defeating the Gamecocks in the CUSA championship game. A blowout loss to Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl produced a 10-4 finish, including 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 win over Missouri State and a double-overtime win at Liberty to clinch a spot in the championship game.
A big difference was seen on the scoreboard, as the Owls averaged 26.7 points per game, up from 16.5 in 2024. Quarterback Amari Odom, a transfer from Wofford, ultimately won the job over Dexter Williams III, totaling 26 touchdowns. Odom was a fact at Kennesaw when he moved to Syracuse.
Houston: Plus 5.5 games | 2025: 10-3 | 2024: 4-8
Willie Fritz’s Cougars had a chance to become bowl eligible in 2024, his first season in Houston after a successful run at Tulane. At 4-5, the Cougars had to win two of their last three games. They went on to lose all three by double figures, finishing 4-8. There was no such disappointment this past season in what equated to the biggest turnaround among power conference teams.
Fritz grew into the offense through portal acquisitions, including quarterback Conner Weigman (36 total touchdowns) from Texas A&M, receiver Amare Thomas (12 touchdowns) from UAB and running back Dean Conners (977 yards) from Rice. Thanks in large part to Weigman’s right arm and legs, Houston scored at least 30 points eight times after just two such games in 2024.
On the other side of the scrimmage, FIU defensive lineman Eddie Walls (team high 7 sacks) arrived and made an immediate impact for a team that became bowl eligible in mid-October. The Cougars defeated LSU in the Texas Bowl to end a 10-win season in the program’s third in the Big 12 after the American’s arrival.
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, led the nation in passing yards per game (313), ranked second in touchdown passes (34) and was fourth in passing 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 in 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 rankings, scored more than 50 points seven times and won the most games in program history. Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young were among those who followed coach Eric Morris State of Oklahoma from Denton.
San Diego State: Plus 5.5 games | 2025: 9-4 | 2024: 3-9
What kept the Aztecs from taking their turnaround one step further was a bowl loss to North Texas. That didn’t change what happened in Sean Lewis’ second season in San Diego, after his first year leading the program produced just three wins and five of nine losses by at least 21 points. Still, Lewis left his mark on a program that produced several starters on a defense that showed significant improvement for a team that was the sixth-stingiest (15.4) in points allowed while allowing fewer than 10 points seven times.
Defensive backs Chris Johnson and Dwayne McDougal each intercepted four passes, with the former returning a pair for touchdowns. Coming off the edge, Trey White recorded seven sacks, 10.5 TFLs and 17 quarterback hurries. Although SDSU quarterbacks combined for all 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 brought much of his roster from Marshall to Hattiesburg and the transformation was undeniable. What may have been disappointing about the Golden Eagles’ season is that it could have been better and perhaps topped this list. USM was 7-2 before the wheels fell off in the form of four straight losses to end the season. Still, a one-win season in 2024 was quickly forgotten.
The riches were 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 were quarterback Braylon Braxton (3,054 yards, 24 TDs), receiver Elijah Metcalf (54 receptions) and corner Josh Moten (5 INTs, 10 PD), each of whom played key roles in the turnaround. Although Huff had a huge impact on the program, it was rather short-lived upon his departure Taking over Memphis and brought along several players.
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 who got a second chance at Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game, not the Cougars. Of course we’ll never know. Utah was No. 15 in the final CFP rankings and checked in at No. 14 in the final AP poll after a bowl win against Nebraska. So it was a nice final season in Salt Lake City for Kyle Whittingham, his eighth season with double figures.
A year after seeing the Utes get off to a 4-0 start and snap a seven-game losing streak while being held to 24 or fewer points in six of the setbacks, a revamped offense has 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 for a combined 47 touchdowns. Both quarterbacks, who return, 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 the scrimmage wasn’t too shabby either, holding seven opponents to 14 or fewer points. Before John Henry Daley, who joined Whittingham in Ann Arbor, missed the last few games due to injury, he 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.
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