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Kent State 41 AKRON 38
Kent held Akron to 40 yards rushing on 30 carries (1.3 ypc) while running up 181 yards on 44 carries themselves (4.1 ypc). Charlie Frye completed 36 of 46 passes for 407 yards for Akron in the losing effort. Kent converted their last 3 possessions in the 4th quarter into 17 points on 118 yards while holding Akron to –4 yards in their final 2 possessions.
(3) Miami-Florida 48 LOUISIANA TECH 9
Miami doubled the Bulldogs first downs, 26-13 and scored touchdowns on a punt return, an interception return and a fumble return. 8 of the 12 Louisiana Tech drives consisted of 4 plays or less while the Hurricanes had 5 drives of 10 plays or more. The highlight for the Bulldogs was kicker Josh Scobee going 3-3 including a 52-yarder.
NORTHERN ILL 20 (15) Maryland 13
The Huskies held Maryland to 12 first downs and the Terps were just 3-13 on 3rd down conversions. Maryland did well against the run, allowing only 59 net yards on 43 carries (1.4 ypc). Kickers Nick Novak for Maryland and Steve Azar for Northern Illinois both hit field goals from over 50 yards
UTAH 40 Utah State 20
Utah outyarded Utah St. 202-77 on the ground thus controlling the time of possession by over 13 more minutes. Utah scored the first 13 points of the 4th quarter to break the game open after Utah St. pulled within 9 points at the end of the 3rd. Travis Cox threw for 280 yards in his first career start but only completed 46% of his attempts.
B-Y-U 24 Georgia Tech 13
The revamped BYU defense allowed just 243 total yards and 15 first downs to Georgia Tech. They nearly doubled the time of possession (39:00-21:00) while not allowing a touchdown from the Yellow Jackets offense. Geirgia Tech was inside the BYU 30-yard line their last 3 possessions but was intercepted once and fumbled twice. Prior to that, their longest drive consisted of only 38 yards.
U-N-L-V 28 Toledo 18
UNLV put up two 4th quarter touchdowns in getting the win. After taking the lead 21-18, they recovered a Toledo fumble on the next play and scored another touchdown one play later. The Rebels outyarded the Rockets 458-239 but 13 penalties cut down on a lot more scoring chances. Kurt Nantkes was very efficient in his first 2003 start, going 27-41 for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns.
(21) Wisconsin 24 WEST VIRGINIA 17
Wisconsin scored the last 17 points in pulling out the win on the road. They held the Mountaineers to 14 first downs and 300 total yards while they racked up 438 yards of offense and grabbed 26 first downs. The Badgers were in West Virginia territory in 10 of their 13 drives but 2 missed field goals and a turnover on downs stopped 3 drives in the first half alone. West Virginia only penetrated Badger territory 4 times and after scoring on their opening drive in the 3rd quarter, they managed just 65 yards of offense the remainder of the half
(11) Georgia 30 CLEMSON 0
Georgia held Clemson to 35 yards rushing on 24 carries and only 199 yards of total offense. Clemson had just 1 drive total more than 50 yards and that resulted in a turnover on downs at the Georgia 4 yard line. Georgia penetrated Tiger territory in 9 of their 12 drives and two of the times they didn’t were due to the end of each half. 8 of the 11 Clemson drives were 2:00 or less.
Missouri 22 ILLINOIS 15
Missouri won despite just 223 yards of offense and 12 first downs. They were able to stop Illinois on 3rd down at the right times, making them settle for 3 field goals. Illinois got the ball with 2:03 remaining in the game and drove 67 yards down to the Missouri 23 yard line but failed to convert on a 4th down play thus ending the game.
CONNECTICUT 34 Indiana 10
Connecticut racked up 507 yards of offense – Indiana allowed more than 500 yards only once all of last season. The Hoosiers were only 3 of 17 on 3rd down and their last 4 drives ended in Connecticut territory (avg. 16-yard line) but 2 fumbles and 2 turnovers on downs resulted in 0 points. Indiana was held to 74 total yards I the first half.
IOWA 21 Miami-Ohio 3
Miami had just 54 yards rushing on 29 attempts (1.9 ypc) while the Hawkeyes piled up 232 yards on the ground on 40 carries (5.8 ypc), 167 yards from Fred Russell alone. Roethlisberger was intercepted a career high 4 times two interceptions in the red zone and another that was returned to Miami's two-yard line and eventually converted into a Hawkeye touchdown.
(4) MICHIGAN 45 Central Michigan 7
Michigan rushed for 342 yards on 46 attempts (7.4 ypc) while racking up 615 yards in total offense, 137 yards more than their highest output from last season. The Wolverines made it into Central Michigan territory in all but one of their 13 drives. The Chippewas were in Michigan territory 4 times in the first half but got nothing due to a fumble, an interception, loss on downs and a punt. Michigan K Adam Finley missed 2 of his 3 FG attempts, including a 25 yarder.
Ole Miss 24 VANDERBILT 21
Both teams finished with a 5.6 ypp and 19 first downs showing how close this game really was. Vanderbilt was held to 55 total yards in the 4th quarter after taking the lead to start the period. Mississippi won the game on a Jonathan Nichols 54 yd field goal his 2nd field goal of more than 50 yards on the day. Tolga Ertugral of Vanderbilt missed his lone field goal attempt from 30 yards.
Wake Forest 32 BOSTON COLLEGE 28
The Deacons scored 20 fourth quarter points in their come from behind victory. Boston College outyarded Wake Forest 443 to 309 and had 12 more first downs. The Eagles lost 3 fumbles including one that was returned for a touchdown. Boston College was also hurt by 14 penalties for 107 yards.
ALABAMA 40 So Florida 17
Alabama finished the game with 33 unanswered points. They held the Bulls to 69 total yards in the 2nd half and 6:54 time of possession. South Florida ran 16 plays in half #2 compared to 42 in the 1st half. The Bulls rushed for just 51 yards on 22 carries (2.3 ypc).
(12) TENNESSEE 24 Fresno State 6
Tennessee held Fresno St. to an amazing 4 first downs and 117 yards of offense. The only score Fresno St. got was an 81-yard interception return in the 4th quarter that blew the cover for Tennessee backers. 10 of the 13 Bulldog drives were 3 and out. James Wilhoit missed two short field goals for the Volunteers, who rushed for 274 yards on 44 carries (6.2 ypc).
NEBRASKA 17 (24) Oklahoma State 7
The Huskers defense looks to be back in form after allowing just 183 yards and 11 first downs to the Cowboys. QB Josh Fields ended up 13-28 for only 97 yards and 3 interceptions. Oklahoma St. made it past the 50 yard line only 2 times after the first quarter which resulted in a missed field goal and a punt. Nebraska missed two field goals from 34 yards, one in which was blocked and they also fumbled at the Cowboy 11 yard line so they could have easily has more points on the board.
PENN STATE 23 Temple 10
Temple held tough in this game as they outyarded Penn St. 357-310 and had 5 more first downs. They made it inside the Nittany Lion red zone 3 times in the first 3 quarters but only walked out with 3 points thanks to 2 missed field goals. Zack Mills struggled, going 6-17 for 79 yards and 56 of those yards came on one throw, his only TD pass of the game.
MICHIGAN ST 26 Western Michigan 21
The two teams combined for just 25 first downs thanks to a 6-32 3rd down conversion percentage (WMU 3-17 MSU 3-15). The Broncos punted the ball their first 6 possessions of the second half before scoring a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining.
CALIFORNIA 34 Southern Miss 2
Cal rushed for 260 yards on 48 carries (5.4 ypc) while holding Southern Miss to 65 yards on 36 carries (1.8 ypc). The Golden Bears got their first touchdown on a blocked punt return. Southern Miss had their chances as they the ball inside the Cal 30 yard line on 3 straight occasions but came up short each time as they were stopped by the end of the first half and stopped on loss of downs twice
(8) U-S-C 23 (6) AUBURN 0
USC dominated from start to finish as they held the Tigers to 11 first downs and 164 total yards. Auburn crossed the 50-yard line only 3 times in their 13 drives as they were forced to punt 10 times. Their longest drive of the day was only 24 yards. Ryan Killeen was 3-3 on his field goals for the Trojans.
FLORIDA 65 San Jose St 3
Florida held the Spartans to only 11 first downs and 185 total yards while racking up 524 yards of offense themselves. The Gators also returned 2 interceptions for touchdowns. San Jose St. had a punt blocked that led to a 2-yard scoring drive and fumbled a punt return that directly resulted in another six points for Florida. Florida freshman QB Chris Leak was very impressive going 10-14 for 111 yards and 1 touchdown.
RUTGERS 24 Buffalo 10
Rutgers outyarded Buffalo 410-259 thanks in part to holding the Bulls to only 58 yards through the air. Buffalo did rush for 217 yards but 75 of those came on a 75-yard scamper in the 3rd quarter by Dave Dawson. Rutgers got on the board first by returning a punt for a touchdown. Buffalo was only 2-11 on 3rd down.
(1) OKLAHOMA 37 North Texas 3
The Sooners held North Texas to 11 first downs and 154 total yards. Offensively, Oklahoma failed to enter North Texas territory only 3 times in their 14 drives. The Mean Green did do a decent job against the Sooners rushing attack allowing 105 yards on 35 carries (3 ypc).
TEXAS TECH 58 S-M-U 10
Texas Tech piled up 437 yards of offense and benefited from a punt return and an interception return for their last 2 touchdowns. Surprisingly, SMU controlled the clock by more than 20 minutes but 12 penalties for 100 yards took away any chances of getting into the end zone more often. B.J. Symons was 23-38 for 297 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in his first career start.
SO CAROLINA 14 UL Lafayette 7
South Carolina kept the Cajuns out of the endzone as Lafayette scored their only touchdown on a blocked field goal return. The Gamecocks buckled down when necessary as the Cajuns only got into SC territory 5 times. La-Lafayette shot themselves in the foot by fumbling on their first two possessions, once at the SC 1 yard line and another at their own 22-yard line, a 14 point turnaround.
(18) VIRGINIA 27 Duke 0
Virginia only had 6 more first downs and 100 more total yards but were able to keep Duke off the scoreboard. Duke was just 3-15 on third down but their real problem was that they average starting position was at their own 16-yard line while Virginia started from their own 37-yard line on average. Of Tom Hagan’s 7 punts, 5 were downed inside the 20 while 4 of those were downed inside the 7- yard line.
MINNESOTA 49 Tulsa 10
The Gophers doubled up Tulsa in total yards 531-265 and had 12 more first downs, 26-14. Minnesota used a very balanced attack with 254 rushing yards 277 passing yards. Tulsa scored their 10 points in garbage time as 110 of their 265 yards came on those two drives. The Gophers turned the ball over on downs in their first possession but them proceeded to score a touchdown on their next 6 drives.
Northwestern 28 KANSAS 20
Northwestern put up 467 total yards and got 25 first downs in holding off a late Kansas rally. Kansas scored 3 touchdowns the non-conventional way on a 74-yard pass, an interception return and a blocked punt return. The Jayhawks had a stretch of 4 straight possessions in the first half where they turned the ball over which led to 14 Northwestern points. Kansas missed a 20-yard field goal and ended the game with a fumble at the Northwestern 22 yard line.
U-A-B 24 BAYLOR 19
Baylor lost a heartbreaker as UAB scored on a 50-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds remaining. The Bears started out good with an 80-yard touchdown drive and then followed that up with a 65-yard drive before a fumble stalled it. UAB then scored the next 17 points before Baylor battled back to take the lead only to lose it in the last seconds.
(7) KANSAS STATE 41 Troy State 5
Troy St. jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Wildcats scored the last 41 points. The Trojans finished with only 10 first downs and 138 total yards, 27 of those coming in the first half. Kansas St. only scored once in their final 9 possessions.
Colorado 42 (23) COLORADO ST 35
The Rams outyarded Colorado 585-504 and had more first downs 24-18 but fell short in their comeback bid. Colorado St. tied the game in the 4th quarter after trailing by 14 points but they allowed a 6 play, 75-yard drive in the final 2 minutes. The Rams had more opportunities in the second half but missed 2 field goals, fumbled once and were intercepted once.
TEXAS A&M 26 Arkansas State 11
The Aggies only gained 49 more yards and had just 2 more first downs against the Indians. Arkansas St.’s only touchdown came on a fumble return although they did have their opportunities. They were stopped at the Texas A&M 4-yard line and had to settle for a field goal and they were intercepted at the Aggies 29-yard line in the 3rd quarter.
(14) L-S-U 49 UL Monroe 7
After a sluggish start, LSU came to life in the 2nd quarter scoring 42 unanswered points before UL-Monroe got on the board. The Tigers doubled up the Indians in first downs 23-11 and total yards 474-240. UL-Monroe made it into LSU territory only 3 times in their 15 drives, coming away with just the one touchdown. Meanwhile, the Tigers crossed midfield in all but one of their drives (14-15).
HOUSTON 48 Rice 14
Houston held Rice to 14 first downs and 242 total yards, with 55 of those yards coming late in the 4th quarter when the game was well decided. Houston had scoring opportunities in 9 of their first 10 drives, converting on 8 of those. Rice made it into Houston territory in 4 of their first 5 drives but an interception and a turnover on downs stopped any scoring chances.
(13) Florida State 37 NO CAROLINA 0
The Seminoles piled up 553 yards of offense as they made it into North Carolina territory in 12 of their 14 drives. 2 missed field goals and 3 turnovers by the Tar Heels led to 24 Florida St. points. The Seminoles finished with 236 rushing yards on 42 carries (5.6 ypc) while holding North Carolina to 72 yards on 27 attempts (2.7 ypc).
(2) OHIO STATE 28 (17) Washington 9
The Buckeyes held Washington to 7 yards on the ground on 24 carries (0.3 ypc) and stopping them in 15 of their 17 3rd down attempts. The Huskies got 122 of their 262 total yards in the 4th quarter when the game was already out of reach. Ohio St. crossed midfield in 8 of their first 9 drives but only converted 4 of those into scores.
ARIZONA 42 Texas-El Paso 7
Arizona scored a touchdown on 6 of their first 9 drives but only got into UTEP territory once more in their remaining 7 drives. The Wildcats held the Miners to 71 yards on the ground on 33 carries (2.2 ypc) while rushing for 217 yards on 43 carries (5.0 ypc) themselves. UTEP crossed midfield in 4 of their 8 first half drives but went to halftime with 0 points.
Oregon 42 MISS STATE 34
The Ducks put up 28 first quarter points and held off a Mississippi St. 4th quarter rally to get the road win. Oregon racked up 556 yards of offense while holding the ball 14 minutes more than the Bulldogs. In their first 4 touchdown drives, each one tallied exactly 5 plays each and averaged 67 yards per drive. Mississippi St. entered Oregon territory in their last 6 drives but an interception, a fumble and a missed field goal stalled 3 of those.
WASHINGTON ST 25 Idaho 0
Washington St. held the Vandals to 250 yards of offense and 14 first downs in recording their first shutout since 1999. The Cougars gained 466 yards of offense including 339 yards on the ground on 50 carries (6.8 ypc). The teams were flagged for 17 penalties combined. Idaho was in Cougar territory in ½ of their drives but 3 interceptions, 2 missed field goals and a turnover on down kept them off the board.
(9) VIRGINIA TECH 49 U-C-F 28
Virginia Tech piled up 532 yards of offense, including a surprising 380 yards through the air. They held the Golden Knights to 76 yards rushing on 19 carries (4.0 ypc), but Central Florida was forced to throw the ball more often than not after falling behind 28-0. The Hokies entered Central Florida territory in all but 2 of their 12 drives.
Louisville 40 KENTUCKY 24
Louisville ran for 240 yards on 44 carries (5.5 ypc) and benefited from some Kentucky miscues to help with the win. A blocked punt and a muffed punt led to 9 Cardinals points in addition to 2 interceptions that led to another 2 touchdowns. Louisville was able to score on 5 of their 6 drives that crossed midfield.
(5) TEXAS 66 New Mexico St 7
The Aggies put the first touchdown on the board but Texas then scored the next 66 points. The Longhorns had a stretch of scoring in 10 of 11 consecutive drives. Surprisingly, Texas only had 17 first downs to New Mexico St.’s 16 and the Aggies controlled the clock by more than 15 minutes. 11 penalties, 3 interceptions and 7 fumbles did them in however.
CINCINNATI 40 East Carolina 3
The Bearcats rushed for 361 yards on 56 carries (6.5 ypc) while holding East Carolina to 57 yards on 32 carries (1.8 ypc). The Pirates only gained 203 yards of total offense and had only 8 first downs, compared to 24 for Cincinnati. The Bearcats were 11-19 on 3rd down conversions while East Carolina was just 2-15. East Carolina’s longest drive was 3:25.
(25) TCU 38 TULANE 35
TCU had a comfortable 31-7 lead in the 4th quarter until Tulane mounted a huge comeback and had a chance to take the lead late in the game but threw an interception in TCU territory. The Horned Frogs held Tulane to 66 yards rushing on 26 carries (2.5 ypc) but they did allow over 300 yards through the air. TCU was able to control the clock by nearly 15 minutes longer than the Green Wave.
Kent held Akron to 40 yards rushing on 30 carries (1.3 ypc) while running up 181 yards on 44 carries themselves (4.1 ypc). Charlie Frye completed 36 of 46 passes for 407 yards for Akron in the losing effort. Kent converted their last 3 possessions in the 4th quarter into 17 points on 118 yards while holding Akron to –4 yards in their final 2 possessions.
(3) Miami-Florida 48 LOUISIANA TECH 9
Miami doubled the Bulldogs first downs, 26-13 and scored touchdowns on a punt return, an interception return and a fumble return. 8 of the 12 Louisiana Tech drives consisted of 4 plays or less while the Hurricanes had 5 drives of 10 plays or more. The highlight for the Bulldogs was kicker Josh Scobee going 3-3 including a 52-yarder.
NORTHERN ILL 20 (15) Maryland 13
The Huskies held Maryland to 12 first downs and the Terps were just 3-13 on 3rd down conversions. Maryland did well against the run, allowing only 59 net yards on 43 carries (1.4 ypc). Kickers Nick Novak for Maryland and Steve Azar for Northern Illinois both hit field goals from over 50 yards
UTAH 40 Utah State 20
Utah outyarded Utah St. 202-77 on the ground thus controlling the time of possession by over 13 more minutes. Utah scored the first 13 points of the 4th quarter to break the game open after Utah St. pulled within 9 points at the end of the 3rd. Travis Cox threw for 280 yards in his first career start but only completed 46% of his attempts.
B-Y-U 24 Georgia Tech 13
The revamped BYU defense allowed just 243 total yards and 15 first downs to Georgia Tech. They nearly doubled the time of possession (39:00-21:00) while not allowing a touchdown from the Yellow Jackets offense. Geirgia Tech was inside the BYU 30-yard line their last 3 possessions but was intercepted once and fumbled twice. Prior to that, their longest drive consisted of only 38 yards.
U-N-L-V 28 Toledo 18
UNLV put up two 4th quarter touchdowns in getting the win. After taking the lead 21-18, they recovered a Toledo fumble on the next play and scored another touchdown one play later. The Rebels outyarded the Rockets 458-239 but 13 penalties cut down on a lot more scoring chances. Kurt Nantkes was very efficient in his first 2003 start, going 27-41 for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns.
(21) Wisconsin 24 WEST VIRGINIA 17
Wisconsin scored the last 17 points in pulling out the win on the road. They held the Mountaineers to 14 first downs and 300 total yards while they racked up 438 yards of offense and grabbed 26 first downs. The Badgers were in West Virginia territory in 10 of their 13 drives but 2 missed field goals and a turnover on downs stopped 3 drives in the first half alone. West Virginia only penetrated Badger territory 4 times and after scoring on their opening drive in the 3rd quarter, they managed just 65 yards of offense the remainder of the half
(11) Georgia 30 CLEMSON 0
Georgia held Clemson to 35 yards rushing on 24 carries and only 199 yards of total offense. Clemson had just 1 drive total more than 50 yards and that resulted in a turnover on downs at the Georgia 4 yard line. Georgia penetrated Tiger territory in 9 of their 12 drives and two of the times they didn’t were due to the end of each half. 8 of the 11 Clemson drives were 2:00 or less.
Missouri 22 ILLINOIS 15
Missouri won despite just 223 yards of offense and 12 first downs. They were able to stop Illinois on 3rd down at the right times, making them settle for 3 field goals. Illinois got the ball with 2:03 remaining in the game and drove 67 yards down to the Missouri 23 yard line but failed to convert on a 4th down play thus ending the game.
CONNECTICUT 34 Indiana 10
Connecticut racked up 507 yards of offense – Indiana allowed more than 500 yards only once all of last season. The Hoosiers were only 3 of 17 on 3rd down and their last 4 drives ended in Connecticut territory (avg. 16-yard line) but 2 fumbles and 2 turnovers on downs resulted in 0 points. Indiana was held to 74 total yards I the first half.
IOWA 21 Miami-Ohio 3
Miami had just 54 yards rushing on 29 attempts (1.9 ypc) while the Hawkeyes piled up 232 yards on the ground on 40 carries (5.8 ypc), 167 yards from Fred Russell alone. Roethlisberger was intercepted a career high 4 times two interceptions in the red zone and another that was returned to Miami's two-yard line and eventually converted into a Hawkeye touchdown.
(4) MICHIGAN 45 Central Michigan 7
Michigan rushed for 342 yards on 46 attempts (7.4 ypc) while racking up 615 yards in total offense, 137 yards more than their highest output from last season. The Wolverines made it into Central Michigan territory in all but one of their 13 drives. The Chippewas were in Michigan territory 4 times in the first half but got nothing due to a fumble, an interception, loss on downs and a punt. Michigan K Adam Finley missed 2 of his 3 FG attempts, including a 25 yarder.
Ole Miss 24 VANDERBILT 21
Both teams finished with a 5.6 ypp and 19 first downs showing how close this game really was. Vanderbilt was held to 55 total yards in the 4th quarter after taking the lead to start the period. Mississippi won the game on a Jonathan Nichols 54 yd field goal his 2nd field goal of more than 50 yards on the day. Tolga Ertugral of Vanderbilt missed his lone field goal attempt from 30 yards.
Wake Forest 32 BOSTON COLLEGE 28
The Deacons scored 20 fourth quarter points in their come from behind victory. Boston College outyarded Wake Forest 443 to 309 and had 12 more first downs. The Eagles lost 3 fumbles including one that was returned for a touchdown. Boston College was also hurt by 14 penalties for 107 yards.
ALABAMA 40 So Florida 17
Alabama finished the game with 33 unanswered points. They held the Bulls to 69 total yards in the 2nd half and 6:54 time of possession. South Florida ran 16 plays in half #2 compared to 42 in the 1st half. The Bulls rushed for just 51 yards on 22 carries (2.3 ypc).
(12) TENNESSEE 24 Fresno State 6
Tennessee held Fresno St. to an amazing 4 first downs and 117 yards of offense. The only score Fresno St. got was an 81-yard interception return in the 4th quarter that blew the cover for Tennessee backers. 10 of the 13 Bulldog drives were 3 and out. James Wilhoit missed two short field goals for the Volunteers, who rushed for 274 yards on 44 carries (6.2 ypc).
NEBRASKA 17 (24) Oklahoma State 7
The Huskers defense looks to be back in form after allowing just 183 yards and 11 first downs to the Cowboys. QB Josh Fields ended up 13-28 for only 97 yards and 3 interceptions. Oklahoma St. made it past the 50 yard line only 2 times after the first quarter which resulted in a missed field goal and a punt. Nebraska missed two field goals from 34 yards, one in which was blocked and they also fumbled at the Cowboy 11 yard line so they could have easily has more points on the board.
PENN STATE 23 Temple 10
Temple held tough in this game as they outyarded Penn St. 357-310 and had 5 more first downs. They made it inside the Nittany Lion red zone 3 times in the first 3 quarters but only walked out with 3 points thanks to 2 missed field goals. Zack Mills struggled, going 6-17 for 79 yards and 56 of those yards came on one throw, his only TD pass of the game.
MICHIGAN ST 26 Western Michigan 21
The two teams combined for just 25 first downs thanks to a 6-32 3rd down conversion percentage (WMU 3-17 MSU 3-15). The Broncos punted the ball their first 6 possessions of the second half before scoring a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining.
CALIFORNIA 34 Southern Miss 2
Cal rushed for 260 yards on 48 carries (5.4 ypc) while holding Southern Miss to 65 yards on 36 carries (1.8 ypc). The Golden Bears got their first touchdown on a blocked punt return. Southern Miss had their chances as they the ball inside the Cal 30 yard line on 3 straight occasions but came up short each time as they were stopped by the end of the first half and stopped on loss of downs twice
(8) U-S-C 23 (6) AUBURN 0
USC dominated from start to finish as they held the Tigers to 11 first downs and 164 total yards. Auburn crossed the 50-yard line only 3 times in their 13 drives as they were forced to punt 10 times. Their longest drive of the day was only 24 yards. Ryan Killeen was 3-3 on his field goals for the Trojans.
FLORIDA 65 San Jose St 3
Florida held the Spartans to only 11 first downs and 185 total yards while racking up 524 yards of offense themselves. The Gators also returned 2 interceptions for touchdowns. San Jose St. had a punt blocked that led to a 2-yard scoring drive and fumbled a punt return that directly resulted in another six points for Florida. Florida freshman QB Chris Leak was very impressive going 10-14 for 111 yards and 1 touchdown.
RUTGERS 24 Buffalo 10
Rutgers outyarded Buffalo 410-259 thanks in part to holding the Bulls to only 58 yards through the air. Buffalo did rush for 217 yards but 75 of those came on a 75-yard scamper in the 3rd quarter by Dave Dawson. Rutgers got on the board first by returning a punt for a touchdown. Buffalo was only 2-11 on 3rd down.
(1) OKLAHOMA 37 North Texas 3
The Sooners held North Texas to 11 first downs and 154 total yards. Offensively, Oklahoma failed to enter North Texas territory only 3 times in their 14 drives. The Mean Green did do a decent job against the Sooners rushing attack allowing 105 yards on 35 carries (3 ypc).
TEXAS TECH 58 S-M-U 10
Texas Tech piled up 437 yards of offense and benefited from a punt return and an interception return for their last 2 touchdowns. Surprisingly, SMU controlled the clock by more than 20 minutes but 12 penalties for 100 yards took away any chances of getting into the end zone more often. B.J. Symons was 23-38 for 297 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in his first career start.
SO CAROLINA 14 UL Lafayette 7
South Carolina kept the Cajuns out of the endzone as Lafayette scored their only touchdown on a blocked field goal return. The Gamecocks buckled down when necessary as the Cajuns only got into SC territory 5 times. La-Lafayette shot themselves in the foot by fumbling on their first two possessions, once at the SC 1 yard line and another at their own 22-yard line, a 14 point turnaround.
(18) VIRGINIA 27 Duke 0
Virginia only had 6 more first downs and 100 more total yards but were able to keep Duke off the scoreboard. Duke was just 3-15 on third down but their real problem was that they average starting position was at their own 16-yard line while Virginia started from their own 37-yard line on average. Of Tom Hagan’s 7 punts, 5 were downed inside the 20 while 4 of those were downed inside the 7- yard line.
MINNESOTA 49 Tulsa 10
The Gophers doubled up Tulsa in total yards 531-265 and had 12 more first downs, 26-14. Minnesota used a very balanced attack with 254 rushing yards 277 passing yards. Tulsa scored their 10 points in garbage time as 110 of their 265 yards came on those two drives. The Gophers turned the ball over on downs in their first possession but them proceeded to score a touchdown on their next 6 drives.
Northwestern 28 KANSAS 20
Northwestern put up 467 total yards and got 25 first downs in holding off a late Kansas rally. Kansas scored 3 touchdowns the non-conventional way on a 74-yard pass, an interception return and a blocked punt return. The Jayhawks had a stretch of 4 straight possessions in the first half where they turned the ball over which led to 14 Northwestern points. Kansas missed a 20-yard field goal and ended the game with a fumble at the Northwestern 22 yard line.
U-A-B 24 BAYLOR 19
Baylor lost a heartbreaker as UAB scored on a 50-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds remaining. The Bears started out good with an 80-yard touchdown drive and then followed that up with a 65-yard drive before a fumble stalled it. UAB then scored the next 17 points before Baylor battled back to take the lead only to lose it in the last seconds.
(7) KANSAS STATE 41 Troy State 5
Troy St. jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Wildcats scored the last 41 points. The Trojans finished with only 10 first downs and 138 total yards, 27 of those coming in the first half. Kansas St. only scored once in their final 9 possessions.
Colorado 42 (23) COLORADO ST 35
The Rams outyarded Colorado 585-504 and had more first downs 24-18 but fell short in their comeback bid. Colorado St. tied the game in the 4th quarter after trailing by 14 points but they allowed a 6 play, 75-yard drive in the final 2 minutes. The Rams had more opportunities in the second half but missed 2 field goals, fumbled once and were intercepted once.
TEXAS A&M 26 Arkansas State 11
The Aggies only gained 49 more yards and had just 2 more first downs against the Indians. Arkansas St.’s only touchdown came on a fumble return although they did have their opportunities. They were stopped at the Texas A&M 4-yard line and had to settle for a field goal and they were intercepted at the Aggies 29-yard line in the 3rd quarter.
(14) L-S-U 49 UL Monroe 7
After a sluggish start, LSU came to life in the 2nd quarter scoring 42 unanswered points before UL-Monroe got on the board. The Tigers doubled up the Indians in first downs 23-11 and total yards 474-240. UL-Monroe made it into LSU territory only 3 times in their 15 drives, coming away with just the one touchdown. Meanwhile, the Tigers crossed midfield in all but one of their drives (14-15).
HOUSTON 48 Rice 14
Houston held Rice to 14 first downs and 242 total yards, with 55 of those yards coming late in the 4th quarter when the game was well decided. Houston had scoring opportunities in 9 of their first 10 drives, converting on 8 of those. Rice made it into Houston territory in 4 of their first 5 drives but an interception and a turnover on downs stopped any scoring chances.
(13) Florida State 37 NO CAROLINA 0
The Seminoles piled up 553 yards of offense as they made it into North Carolina territory in 12 of their 14 drives. 2 missed field goals and 3 turnovers by the Tar Heels led to 24 Florida St. points. The Seminoles finished with 236 rushing yards on 42 carries (5.6 ypc) while holding North Carolina to 72 yards on 27 attempts (2.7 ypc).
(2) OHIO STATE 28 (17) Washington 9
The Buckeyes held Washington to 7 yards on the ground on 24 carries (0.3 ypc) and stopping them in 15 of their 17 3rd down attempts. The Huskies got 122 of their 262 total yards in the 4th quarter when the game was already out of reach. Ohio St. crossed midfield in 8 of their first 9 drives but only converted 4 of those into scores.
ARIZONA 42 Texas-El Paso 7
Arizona scored a touchdown on 6 of their first 9 drives but only got into UTEP territory once more in their remaining 7 drives. The Wildcats held the Miners to 71 yards on the ground on 33 carries (2.2 ypc) while rushing for 217 yards on 43 carries (5.0 ypc) themselves. UTEP crossed midfield in 4 of their 8 first half drives but went to halftime with 0 points.
Oregon 42 MISS STATE 34
The Ducks put up 28 first quarter points and held off a Mississippi St. 4th quarter rally to get the road win. Oregon racked up 556 yards of offense while holding the ball 14 minutes more than the Bulldogs. In their first 4 touchdown drives, each one tallied exactly 5 plays each and averaged 67 yards per drive. Mississippi St. entered Oregon territory in their last 6 drives but an interception, a fumble and a missed field goal stalled 3 of those.
WASHINGTON ST 25 Idaho 0
Washington St. held the Vandals to 250 yards of offense and 14 first downs in recording their first shutout since 1999. The Cougars gained 466 yards of offense including 339 yards on the ground on 50 carries (6.8 ypc). The teams were flagged for 17 penalties combined. Idaho was in Cougar territory in ½ of their drives but 3 interceptions, 2 missed field goals and a turnover on down kept them off the board.
(9) VIRGINIA TECH 49 U-C-F 28
Virginia Tech piled up 532 yards of offense, including a surprising 380 yards through the air. They held the Golden Knights to 76 yards rushing on 19 carries (4.0 ypc), but Central Florida was forced to throw the ball more often than not after falling behind 28-0. The Hokies entered Central Florida territory in all but 2 of their 12 drives.
Louisville 40 KENTUCKY 24
Louisville ran for 240 yards on 44 carries (5.5 ypc) and benefited from some Kentucky miscues to help with the win. A blocked punt and a muffed punt led to 9 Cardinals points in addition to 2 interceptions that led to another 2 touchdowns. Louisville was able to score on 5 of their 6 drives that crossed midfield.
(5) TEXAS 66 New Mexico St 7
The Aggies put the first touchdown on the board but Texas then scored the next 66 points. The Longhorns had a stretch of scoring in 10 of 11 consecutive drives. Surprisingly, Texas only had 17 first downs to New Mexico St.’s 16 and the Aggies controlled the clock by more than 15 minutes. 11 penalties, 3 interceptions and 7 fumbles did them in however.
CINCINNATI 40 East Carolina 3
The Bearcats rushed for 361 yards on 56 carries (6.5 ypc) while holding East Carolina to 57 yards on 32 carries (1.8 ypc). The Pirates only gained 203 yards of total offense and had only 8 first downs, compared to 24 for Cincinnati. The Bearcats were 11-19 on 3rd down conversions while East Carolina was just 2-15. East Carolina’s longest drive was 3:25.
(25) TCU 38 TULANE 35
TCU had a comfortable 31-7 lead in the 4th quarter until Tulane mounted a huge comeback and had a chance to take the lead late in the game but threw an interception in TCU territory. The Horned Frogs held Tulane to 66 yards rushing on 26 carries (2.5 ypc) but they did allow over 300 yards through the air. TCU was able to control the clock by nearly 15 minutes longer than the Green Wave.