Five takeaways from college football’s opening weekend

Week 0 was never going to settle the national championship race. Most of the country has not played yet. Still, Saturday gave us an upset in Dublin, an ugly afternoon for NC State and one FBS newcomer that looked entirely too comfortable.

Here is what stood out.

North Carolina finally looked like a Bill Belichick team

North Carolina did not light up the scoreboard during its 15-10 win over TCU. The Tar Heels won because they avoided beating themselves.

TCU went scoreless across the final three quarters, converted just one of five fourth-down attempts and committed 11 penalties. North Carolina had only three penalties and held the ball for the final four minutes after its defense produced one last stop.

It was not glamorous. Nobody will be making a highlight reel out of a safety, two field goals and a bunch of defensive stands. Yet that is probably the point.

Virginia may be far better than expected

Virginia entered its opener against NC State as a slight favorite. The Cavaliers left looking like a team that had been insulted by the spread.

They won 34-8, piled up 413 yards and held NC State to 168. Virginia also possessed the ball for more than 38 minutes. By the second half, the Wolfpack looked like a group waiting for someone to unplug the scoreboard.

Beau Pribula was the difference. The transfer quarterback ran for 110 yards and threw two touchdowns in his Virginia debut. More importantly, his running ability gave the Cavaliers an offensive identity.

USC still cannot make anything easy

For three quarters, USC looked every bit like the nation’s No. 14 team.

Jayden Maiava completed 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards, threw two touchdowns and ran for another. The Trojans built a 35-3 lead over San Jose State and appeared ready to enjoy a quiet finish.

Then USC allowed 23 fourth-quarter points.

The final score was 42-26, so there is no need to start smashing the emergency button. The offense was sharp, several young players contributed and the outcome was never seriously threatened.

North Dakota State does not look like a newcomer

North Dakota State’s first game as an FBS program ended with a 33-7 victory over Jacksonville State.

So much for needing time to adjust.

Jacksonville State scored on its opening possession. North Dakota State shut it out for the rest of the afternoon and scored 33 unanswered points. Quarterback Nathan Hayes threw two touchdown passes, while the Bison controlled the game without relying on some bizarre collection of turnovers or special-teams accidents.

North Dakota State will encounter tougher opponents and deeper rosters. That comes with the move. But the Bison already have the coaching structure and winning culture that many struggling FBS programs spend years trying to create.

They did not move up to quietly collect a check.

Florida State’s problems did not disappear

Florida State beat New Mexico State 34-17. Read the score quickly enough, and it sounds fine.

Watching the game produced a different conclusion.

New Mexico State twice pulled within three points and remained within striking distance deep into the second half. The Seminoles finally created separation with a 90-yard touchdown drive, but it took much longer than anyone in Tallahassee wanted.

Ashton Daniels accounted for two touchdowns in his Florida State debut, and the Seminoles avoided an embarrassing upset. That is the positive spin.

The less cheerful version is that a team with ACC ambitions spent most of opening day fighting with an opponent it entered favored to beat by more than four touchdowns. Florida State is 1-0. The questions are still there.