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SO CAROLINA 27 Kentucky 21
Kentucky pulled out the backdoor cover after trailing by 20 in the 4th quarter. The Gamecocks controlled the TOP 33:26-26:34 and were 50% on 3rd down (8-16) while holding Kentucky to 23% (3-13). The South Carolina defense allowed 153 yards in the 4th quarter while the offense mustered only 27 yards.
Colorado St 58 B-Y-U 13
The Rams dominated, outyarding the Cougars 446-269 and the defense forced 4 turnovers which lewd to 21 points. Besides their scoring drives, BYU had only one drive more than 25 yards. Colorado St.’s averaged starting position was at their own 46-yard line thanks to 142 return yards.
(20) Michigan 38 (17) MINNESOTA 35
The Wolverines pulled out the win and cover thanks to a 31 point 4th quarter. The Gophers were able to run all over Michigan, gaining 424 yards on 53 carries (8.0 ypc) but the defense allowed 261 yards in the 4th quarter alone, 54% of Michigan’s total yardage. The Wolverines were held to 94 yards rushing on 31 carries (3.0 ypc).
(19) T-C-U 13 SO FLORIDA 10
The TCU defense stepped up as they held South Florida to only 126 total yards. They registered 10 sacks and allowed only 22 yards rushing (includes –77 yards in sacks) on 35 carries (0.6 ypc). Both of the Horned Frogs field goals came on a short field after a missed fourth down and a fumble.
WEST VIRGINIA 34 Rutgers 19
Rutgers ran into another huge rushing team for the second consecutive week but were able to get the cover. The Mountaineers rushed for 254 yards on 59 carries (4.3 ypc). Rutgers scored on 3 of their last 4 possessions after gaining just 160 yards on their first 8 possessions.
(4) VIRGINIA TECH 51 Syracuse 7
Virginia Tech used 2 punt returns for touchdowns in the first quarter, as they were able to get their revenge from a year ago. The Hokies held the high-powered Orangemen rushing attack to just 81 yards on 35 carries (2.3 ypc) while rushing for 337 yards on 45 carries (7.5 ypc) themselves. Syracuse’s only score came off a fumble recovery and the offense registered only 6 first downs on the day.
CLEMSON 30 (25) Virginia 27
Clemson won the overtime battle as they held the Cavs to a field goal in the extra session. The Tigers finished with 12 more first downs and a 488-324 total yardage advantage. They controlled the clock for over 9 minutes longer but they had to score two late 4th quarter touchdowns to get the lead. After a long kickoff return, Virginia answered with less than a minute remaining to send the game into overtime.
(2) Miami-Florida 22 (5) FLORIDA STATE 14
Miami got the outright win as a dog in the heavy rain on Florida. Each team committed 5 turnovers but the Hurricanes were able to take more advantage as they scored 16 points off of them while the Seminoles only scored 7 points. Florida St. was in Miami territory in all but 1 possession of the second half but 2 turnovers on 4th down, including one at the Miami 4-yard line, kept them off the scoreboard.
(21) Michigan St 49 ILLINOIS 14
The Spartans rolled despite outgaining Illinois by only 48 yards. Michigan St. scored 21 points off turnovers and other 14 points off a missed field goal and a loss of down turnover. The Spartans were 6-6 in the redzone while averaging 7.0 ypp while holding the Illini to 4.5 ypp.
Northwestern 37 INDIANA 31
The Wildcats jumped out to a 17-0 lead but Indiana went on a 31-7 to take the lead. Northwestern ties the game and then picked off the Hoosiers in overtime to get the win. Indiana racked up 531 total yards, including 327 yards rushing on 58 carries (5.6 ypc). Northwestern tallied 248 yards in their first 4 drives but managed just 135 yards the rest of the game.
OKLAHOMA STATE 38 (22) Kansas State 34
Kansas St. outgained the Cowboys 478-381 but 3 interceptions cost them. Oklahoma St. had control of the game but the Wildcats made a charge as they scored 2 touchdowns late in the 4th to pull within 4 points. They couldn’t recover the onsides kick however and the Cowboys ran out the clock to pull out the win.
Auburn 10 (7) ARKANSAS 3
Arkansas outgained the Tigers 341-278 but a costly fumble at the Auburn 8-yard line with 6 minutes remaining kept them from tying the game. The defense held on the next drive but they were stopped on 4th down inside Tigers territory once again. Auburn entered Arkansas territory only 3 times on the day while the Razorbacks were inside the Tigers redzone 3 times but came away with just 3 points.
(16) Northern Ill 40 CENTRAL MICH 24
Central Michigan jumped out to a 17-0 lead but barely held on to get the cover. The Chippewas were outgained by just 44 yards but 4 interceptions led to 16-points, the difference in the game. The Huskies had 3 scoring drives that were less than 10 yards and 5 scoring drives under 40 yards. The Central Michigan defense was tough early, forcing 4 punts and stopping a 4th down run in the Huskies first 5 possessions but Northern Illinois punted only once the rest of the game.
NC STATE 31 Connecticut 24
The Huskies lost a heartbreaker as they rallied from 14 points down with less than 6 minutes remaining to tie the game only to watch the Wolfpack return an interception for a touchdown with :05 seconds left. Connecticut outgained NC State 452-323 but both of their turnovers were costly, leading to 14 points. NS State used a 46.1 punting average to make the Huskies work a long field the whole game.
TEXAS A&M 73 Baylor 10
Texas A&M completely dominated with a 719-184 yardage advantage and a 32-12 first down edge. The Aggies rushed for 437 yards on 49 carries (8.9 ypc) and they averaged 9.8 ypp while holding the Bears to 2.6 ypp. With the exception of their first 2 touchdowns, which were because of turnovers, every scoring drive was at least 54 yards and all 10 averaged 67 yards per drive.
OLE MISS 55 Arkansas State 0
Another complete domination as the Rebels outyarded the Indians 582-235 and had a 33-15 first down advantage. Mississippi was 10-14 on first down and they were forced to punt just once. Arkansas St. crossed the 50-yard line only 4 times, punting once, missing a field goal and turning the ball over on downs twice. The Rebels hot midfield on every possession but one, where they were stopped at their own 47 becasue of an interception.
Navy 37 VANDERBILT 27
Navy dominated on the ground, outrushing the Commodores 342-146 while running 21 more plays from scrimmage. They held the ball for nearly 14 minutes longer and were 11-19 on 3rd and 4th down. The Midshipmen entered Vanderbilt territory in 8 of their 10 drives with 5 of those drives lasting more than 10 plays.
MIAMI-OHIO 59 Buffalo 3
Miami gained 487 yards of offense, not as many as one would think for a team with 59 points. Special teams played a big part as the Redhawks returned 2 punts for touchdowns. They also started their drives from their own 40 yard line on average thanks to the Bulls whose 10 punts averaged only 34 yards. Buffalo had 10 penalties for 106 yards.
OHIO U 28 U-C-F 0
The Ohio defense was at its best as they allowed Central Florida just 8 first downs and 98 total yards of offense. The Golden Knights finished with -6 yards rushing on 22 attempts (-0.3 ypc). The Bobcats ran for 246 yards on 63 attempts (3.9 ypc) and true freshman QB was a perfect 4-4 passing for 118 yards and a TD for run oriented Ohio. Central Florida only got as far as the Ohio 33-yard line while their longest drive of the day was 34 yards.
Bowling Green 32 WESTERN MICH 21
Bowling Green racked up 510 yards of offense and had a 29-13 first down edge. They controlled the clock nearly 20 minutes longer than the Broncos thanks to running 32 more plays from scrimmage. Western Michigan finished 1-13 on 3rd and 4th down. Twice in the last eight minutes Western Michigan was sacked on fourth-down plays.
MISS STATE 35 Memphis 27
Memphis outgained the Bulldogs 568-381 but Mississippi used 210 return yards to lead them to the win. Almost half of those return yards came on a 100-yard kickoff return after Memphis had knotted the score at 14. The Tigers trailed by 18 at the end of the 3rd quarter but scored 10 points to pull within a possession but their final two drives stalled deep in Bulldogs territory on an interception and a turnover on downs.
Houston 45 TULANE 42
The Cougars used balance as they rushed for 256 yards and passed for 283 yards in holding off a late Tigers run. Houston held the ball for almost 26 minutes longer as they finished the game 14-21 on 3rd down. Tulane scored the final 14 points to pull within 3 and got the ball back with :58 remaining but the drive stalled at their own 47-yard line as time expired.
AIR FORCE 24 U-N-L-V 7
Air Force held the Rebels to only 84 yards through the air as they used their rushing attack to gain 261 yards on 59 carries (4.4 ypc). The Falcons scored 10 points off UNLV turnovers and another 7 points off a missed field goal. The Rebels started the game with two solid drives but missed a field goal and had another blocked. They didn’t cross the 50-yard line again until the middle of the 3rd quarter.
LOUISVILLE 34 Army 10
Louisville totaled 619 yards of offense while gaining 9.0 ypp. Army scored their only touchdown on an interception return in the 2nd quarter. After the interception, the Cardinals scored 24 points on 4 consecutive drives. The Cadets finished with only 97 yards rushing on 26 carries (3.7 ypc).
MID TENN ST 35 New Mexico St 18
New Mexico St. outyarded the Blue Raiders 525-293 as they rushed for 318 yards on 54 carries (5.9 ypc). However, 4 turnovers led to 21 points including the game clincher. The Aggies trailed by 10 with over 4 minutes remaining but were picked off at the Middle Tennessee St. 11-yard line, which was returned for a touchdown. They entered Blue Raiders territory on their last 5 drives, including the redzone 4 times but only managed 1 touchdown.
ALABAMA 17 Southern Miss 3
Southern Miss outyarded the Tide 261-255 but they managed only 17 yards rushing on 35 carries (0.5 ypc). Alabama ran the ball on 50 of their 57 plays from scrimmage as they averages 4.9 ypc. The Golden Eagles entered Alabama territory on only 2 of their first 10 drives but made it deep in Tide territory on their last 2 drives. They fumbled both times.
COLORADO 50 Kansas 47
Kansas had the game in their hands as they took a 47-41 lead but their extra point was blocked. Colorado then scored 2 field goals to send the game into overtime. The Jayhawks had to settle for a field goal and the Buffaloes then took their overtime possession into the endzone to get the win. The teams combined for 1,148 yards of offense as the lead changes hands 6 times in the game.
(1) Oklahoma 65 (11) TEXAS 13
Oklahoma racked up 552 yards of offense while holding the Longhorns to 327 total yards. Texas cut the Sooners lead to 27-13 near the end of the 2nd quarter but the Sooners ran off the next 38 points to blow away Texas. The Longhorns committed 6 turnovers that led to 31 Oklahoma points. Texas finished with only 133 yards in the 2nd half.
Boston College 38 TEMPLE 13
Boston College racked up 648 yards of offense while holding the Owls to 277 yards. The Eagles rushed for 298 yards on 41 carries (7.3 ypc) and they entered Temple territory in all but 2 of their 13 drives. Two fumbles, two missed field goals and two 4th down stops cut down on their point total. Temple gained just 115 yards in the first half.
ARIZONA STATE 59 Oregon 14
The sun Devils dominated from start to finish as they started the game by returning 50-yard interception for a touchdown and never looked back. They finished with 497 yards of offense, they were 6-6 in the redzone and they ended up 11-15 on 3rd down. Oregon scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the 2nd and 3rd quarters but managed to enter Arizona St. territory only once in their 11 other drives.
Nevada 28 WASHINGTON 17
The Wolfpack pulled off the big upset as they took advantage of 5 Huskies turnovers. Washington outgained Nevada 447-397 and they had 11 more first downs but they were held scoreless in the final quarter. The Wolfpack pulled this out despite 17 penalties for 149 yards.
Florida 19 (6) L-S-U 7
Neither team ran the ball well as Florida rushed for only 2.0 ypc and LSU only 2.3 ypc. The Tigers only score came on an 80-yard punt return to give them a 7-0 lead. LSU had three 4th quarter drives that entered Florida territory but a fumble, an interception and a turnover on downs killed any chance of a comeback. LSU only had 130 yards of offense through the first 3 quarters.
Georgia Tech 24 WAKE FOREST 7
Georgia Tech outyarded the Deacons 441-277 and held Wake forest to only 11 first downs. The Deacons finished only 1-13 on 3rd down. The Yellow Jackets used a very balanced attack with 216 yards rushing and 225 yards passing and they controlled the clock for over 7 minutes longer than Wake. Wake Forest's only sustained drive of the first half came late in the second quarter, ended in a field goal attempt that was blocked.
No Carolina 28 EAST CAROLINA 17
The north Carolina defense held the Pirates to 289 yards and only 2-11 on 3rd down attempts. East Carolina gained just 41 yards in quarters #1 and #3 combined. The Tar Heels started their drives from the 38-yards line while the Pirates played on a long field most of the day, starting from their own 20-yard line. East Carolina committed 11 penalties
(18 ) PURDUE 28 Penn State 14
Purdue held the Nittany Lions to just 204 yards of offense and they held the ball for nearly 15 minute longer. They also held Penn St. to only 3-13 on 3rd down. The Nittany Lions could get nothing going on offense as only 3 of their 14 total drives were more than 2 minutes long. Purdue scored on a 76-yard punt return in the second quarter that put them ahead to stay.
U-A-B 31 Cincinnati 14
UAB has 2 less first downs and only 63 more total yards but the Blazers used the big play to pull out the win. They scored on pass plays of 95 yards and 56 yards and they blocked a punt that set up a 1-yard touchdown run. Cincinnati had a chance on their first possession in the 3rd quarter as they drove to the Blazers 3-yard line but a penalty and a sack sent them back to the 33-yard line where the 4th down pass was broken up.
MARSHALL 49 Kent State 33
Marshall piled up 604 yards of offense but the Golden Flashes scored two garbage touchdowns in the 4th quarter to get the cover, with the last coming on a 97-yard touchdown pass. The Herd made it inside the Kent 37-yard line on their last 2 drives but they were stopped each time and were forced to punt. Marshall ended up committing 13 penalties for 113 yards.
UL Monroe 45 UL LAFAYETTE 42
La-Lafayette trailed most of this game and fought back from a 28-7 deficit and a 42-28 deficit to tie the game both times. After tying the game at 42, the Cajuns let La-Monroe drive 60 yards to set up the game winning field goal. La-Lafayette got the ball back with 1:46 remaining but they were stopped 1 yard short of a first down at the Indians 42-yard line to end the game.
Notre Dame 20 (15) PITTSBURGH 14
The Notre Dame defense stepped up allowing just 9 first downs and 175 total yards. They finished with 8 sacks and gave up only 8 net yards rushing. The Irish were able to rush for 352 yards on 56 carries (6.3 ypc). Pitt was forced to punt on their last 4 possessions and Notre Dame ate up the last 9:14 of the game with a 68-yard drive to end the game.
MARYLAND 33 Duke 20
Duke actually outyarded the Terps 413-369, had 6 more first downs and controlled 13 more minutes of the clock. However, most of the yardage came at the end of the 3rd quarter and the whole 4th quarter when the game was well decided. The Blue Devils gained 59% of their yardage during that span. Maryland forced 7 punts, 2 turnovers and 2 turnovers on downs in Duke’s first 11 possessions of the game.
U-C-L-A 24 ARIZONA 21
The Bruins rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and scored the only points in the 2nd half. Arizona won the yardage battle 519-333 and they had 5 more first downs but 4 interceptions let to 14 UCLA points. 4 of the Wildcats 9 penalties kept drives going for the Bruins. Arizona was in UCLA territory in 3 of their last 5 drives but 2 interceptions, a punt and a missed field goal shut them out on the scoreboard.
TEXAS TECH 52 Iowa State 21
The Red Raiders did it with offense once again as they racked up 775 yards of offense. They were an amazing 13-17 on 3rd down and if not for 3 turnovers in Cyclones territory in the first half, the score could have been even worse. The defense held Iowa St. to 85 yards rushing on 30 carries (2.8 ypc). Texas Tech ran 111 plays from scrimmage compared to 63 for the Cyclones thus controlling nearly 2/3 of the clock.
MISSOURI 41 (10) Nebraska 24
Missouri rallied from a 10-point 4th quarter deficit by scoring 27 unanswered 4th quarter points. 14 of those points came off Nebraska turnovers where they have to drive only 16 yards combined to score the 2 touchdowns. The Huskers finished the 4th quarter with –48 total yards after putting up 447 yards through 3 quarters.
UTAH 27 San Diego St 6
San Diego St. held a 6-0 halftime lead but Utes got their offense going in the 2nd half by scoring 27 points. The Aztecs won the yardage battle in the first half 132-54 but the Utes dominated half #2 with a 361-120 yardage advantage. Utah scored on every 2nd half possession with the exception of their last one where they ran out the clock. San Diego St. was held to 49 yards rushing on 24 carries (2.1 ypc).
North Texas 24 IDAHO 14
Patrick Cobbs exploded for a school-record 249 yards rushing for the Mean Green. Idaho outyarded North Texas 402-370 but they were only 1-4 in the redzone. They missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs twice. The Mean Green averaged 45 yards per punt and allowed negative return yardage. North Texas scored with 2:34 remaining to get the cover.
TOLEDO 49 Eastern Mich 14
Toledo used a 479-247 yardage advantage and they forced 3 turnovers in the rout. They entered the Eagles rezone on their first 7 possessions, scoring 6 touchdowns and turning the ball over on down the other time. They only gained 85 yards in the 2nd half with 75 of those yards coming in their last drive. Their only score in the half came on an 80-yard punt return.
(8 ) Georgia 41 (13) TENNESSEE 14
Georgia held the Vols to 248 total yards, which is a bit skewed as 90 yards came on one pass play while another 43 yards came in the last 3 minutes of the game. Tennessee was ready to take the lead just before halftime but they fumbled and Georgia returned it 92 yards to give them a 13-point lead at the break. The Vols finished with only 61 yards rushing on 27 carries (2.3 ypc).
Wyoming 48 UTAH STATE 21
Wyoming took advantage of 3 Aggies turnovers and used a potent rushing attack by gaining 239 yards on 47 carries (5.1 ypc) to get their first road win in over 2 years. Utah St. trailed 34-21 in the 3rd quarter but they were stopped on a third and one and a fourth and one inside the 30-yard line halting their drive. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on each of their first four drives of the first half.
BOISE STATE 27 Tulsa 20
Tulsa rallied from a 20-0 deficit but their comeback fell short. They scored on an 80-yard touchdown pass with :38 remaining but failed to recover the onsides kick. The Broncos were held to just 38 yards in the 3rd quarter while Tulsa scored 2 touchdowns to pull within 6 points. Tulsa was hurt by getting flagged 8 times for 93 yards.
Louisiana Tech 38 TEXAS-EL PASO 35
UTEP outgained the Bulldogs 535-493 but two 4th quarter interceptions, one at the La Tech 20 yard line and the other deep in their own territory kept them from the win. The Bulldogs scored 25 unanswered points after trailing 28-13 in the 3rd quarter. The Miners drove 77 yards in under a minute to pull within 3 points but could not recover the onsides kick thus ending the game.
(23) WISCONSIN 17 (3) Ohio State 10
Ohio St. tied the game at 10 with a little over 6 minutes remaining but the Badgers scored on a 79-yard touchdown pass just 2 plays later to get the win. Ohio St. got the ball only one more time and they were forced to punt. Wisconsin then ran out the last 3:27 to preserve the win. The Badgers held the Buckeyes to 69 yards rushing on 26 carries (2.7 ypc).
(9) U-S-C 44 Stanford 21
The Trojans outgained the Cardinal 493-242 and scored 41 of their 44 points in the first half. Stanford scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the 2nd quarter and on a late garbage touchdown. USC doubled the Cardinal on average yards per play (6.8-3.4) while going 7-8 in the redzone with a turnover on downs their only blemish.
SAN JOSE ST 31 S-M-U 14
The Spartans held SMU to only 11 first downs and shut down their potent rushing attack by allowing only 69 yards on 30 carries (2.3 ypc). The Mustangs pulled to within 10 points after 3 quarters but San Jose St. solidified the cover with the only points of the 4th quarter. The first SMU drive set the tone of the game as the Mustangs drove to the Spartans 11-yard line only to be stopped on 4th down.
HAWAII 55 Fresno State 28
Hawaii racked up 549 yards of offense and had a 32-20 first down edge while taking advantage of 3 Fresno St. fumbles by turning them into 17 points. After Fresno St. took a 14-10 lead, Hawaii scored the next 35 points to put the game away. The Warriors were in Bulldogs territory in all but 1 of their 8 first half drives. The Hawaii defense registered 5 sacks.
Kentucky pulled out the backdoor cover after trailing by 20 in the 4th quarter. The Gamecocks controlled the TOP 33:26-26:34 and were 50% on 3rd down (8-16) while holding Kentucky to 23% (3-13). The South Carolina defense allowed 153 yards in the 4th quarter while the offense mustered only 27 yards.
Colorado St 58 B-Y-U 13
The Rams dominated, outyarding the Cougars 446-269 and the defense forced 4 turnovers which lewd to 21 points. Besides their scoring drives, BYU had only one drive more than 25 yards. Colorado St.’s averaged starting position was at their own 46-yard line thanks to 142 return yards.
(20) Michigan 38 (17) MINNESOTA 35
The Wolverines pulled out the win and cover thanks to a 31 point 4th quarter. The Gophers were able to run all over Michigan, gaining 424 yards on 53 carries (8.0 ypc) but the defense allowed 261 yards in the 4th quarter alone, 54% of Michigan’s total yardage. The Wolverines were held to 94 yards rushing on 31 carries (3.0 ypc).
(19) T-C-U 13 SO FLORIDA 10
The TCU defense stepped up as they held South Florida to only 126 total yards. They registered 10 sacks and allowed only 22 yards rushing (includes –77 yards in sacks) on 35 carries (0.6 ypc). Both of the Horned Frogs field goals came on a short field after a missed fourth down and a fumble.
WEST VIRGINIA 34 Rutgers 19
Rutgers ran into another huge rushing team for the second consecutive week but were able to get the cover. The Mountaineers rushed for 254 yards on 59 carries (4.3 ypc). Rutgers scored on 3 of their last 4 possessions after gaining just 160 yards on their first 8 possessions.
(4) VIRGINIA TECH 51 Syracuse 7
Virginia Tech used 2 punt returns for touchdowns in the first quarter, as they were able to get their revenge from a year ago. The Hokies held the high-powered Orangemen rushing attack to just 81 yards on 35 carries (2.3 ypc) while rushing for 337 yards on 45 carries (7.5 ypc) themselves. Syracuse’s only score came off a fumble recovery and the offense registered only 6 first downs on the day.
CLEMSON 30 (25) Virginia 27
Clemson won the overtime battle as they held the Cavs to a field goal in the extra session. The Tigers finished with 12 more first downs and a 488-324 total yardage advantage. They controlled the clock for over 9 minutes longer but they had to score two late 4th quarter touchdowns to get the lead. After a long kickoff return, Virginia answered with less than a minute remaining to send the game into overtime.
(2) Miami-Florida 22 (5) FLORIDA STATE 14
Miami got the outright win as a dog in the heavy rain on Florida. Each team committed 5 turnovers but the Hurricanes were able to take more advantage as they scored 16 points off of them while the Seminoles only scored 7 points. Florida St. was in Miami territory in all but 1 possession of the second half but 2 turnovers on 4th down, including one at the Miami 4-yard line, kept them off the scoreboard.
(21) Michigan St 49 ILLINOIS 14
The Spartans rolled despite outgaining Illinois by only 48 yards. Michigan St. scored 21 points off turnovers and other 14 points off a missed field goal and a loss of down turnover. The Spartans were 6-6 in the redzone while averaging 7.0 ypp while holding the Illini to 4.5 ypp.
Northwestern 37 INDIANA 31
The Wildcats jumped out to a 17-0 lead but Indiana went on a 31-7 to take the lead. Northwestern ties the game and then picked off the Hoosiers in overtime to get the win. Indiana racked up 531 total yards, including 327 yards rushing on 58 carries (5.6 ypc). Northwestern tallied 248 yards in their first 4 drives but managed just 135 yards the rest of the game.
OKLAHOMA STATE 38 (22) Kansas State 34
Kansas St. outgained the Cowboys 478-381 but 3 interceptions cost them. Oklahoma St. had control of the game but the Wildcats made a charge as they scored 2 touchdowns late in the 4th to pull within 4 points. They couldn’t recover the onsides kick however and the Cowboys ran out the clock to pull out the win.
Auburn 10 (7) ARKANSAS 3
Arkansas outgained the Tigers 341-278 but a costly fumble at the Auburn 8-yard line with 6 minutes remaining kept them from tying the game. The defense held on the next drive but they were stopped on 4th down inside Tigers territory once again. Auburn entered Arkansas territory only 3 times on the day while the Razorbacks were inside the Tigers redzone 3 times but came away with just 3 points.
(16) Northern Ill 40 CENTRAL MICH 24
Central Michigan jumped out to a 17-0 lead but barely held on to get the cover. The Chippewas were outgained by just 44 yards but 4 interceptions led to 16-points, the difference in the game. The Huskies had 3 scoring drives that were less than 10 yards and 5 scoring drives under 40 yards. The Central Michigan defense was tough early, forcing 4 punts and stopping a 4th down run in the Huskies first 5 possessions but Northern Illinois punted only once the rest of the game.
NC STATE 31 Connecticut 24
The Huskies lost a heartbreaker as they rallied from 14 points down with less than 6 minutes remaining to tie the game only to watch the Wolfpack return an interception for a touchdown with :05 seconds left. Connecticut outgained NC State 452-323 but both of their turnovers were costly, leading to 14 points. NS State used a 46.1 punting average to make the Huskies work a long field the whole game.
TEXAS A&M 73 Baylor 10
Texas A&M completely dominated with a 719-184 yardage advantage and a 32-12 first down edge. The Aggies rushed for 437 yards on 49 carries (8.9 ypc) and they averaged 9.8 ypp while holding the Bears to 2.6 ypp. With the exception of their first 2 touchdowns, which were because of turnovers, every scoring drive was at least 54 yards and all 10 averaged 67 yards per drive.
OLE MISS 55 Arkansas State 0
Another complete domination as the Rebels outyarded the Indians 582-235 and had a 33-15 first down advantage. Mississippi was 10-14 on first down and they were forced to punt just once. Arkansas St. crossed the 50-yard line only 4 times, punting once, missing a field goal and turning the ball over on downs twice. The Rebels hot midfield on every possession but one, where they were stopped at their own 47 becasue of an interception.
Navy 37 VANDERBILT 27
Navy dominated on the ground, outrushing the Commodores 342-146 while running 21 more plays from scrimmage. They held the ball for nearly 14 minutes longer and were 11-19 on 3rd and 4th down. The Midshipmen entered Vanderbilt territory in 8 of their 10 drives with 5 of those drives lasting more than 10 plays.
MIAMI-OHIO 59 Buffalo 3
Miami gained 487 yards of offense, not as many as one would think for a team with 59 points. Special teams played a big part as the Redhawks returned 2 punts for touchdowns. They also started their drives from their own 40 yard line on average thanks to the Bulls whose 10 punts averaged only 34 yards. Buffalo had 10 penalties for 106 yards.
OHIO U 28 U-C-F 0
The Ohio defense was at its best as they allowed Central Florida just 8 first downs and 98 total yards of offense. The Golden Knights finished with -6 yards rushing on 22 attempts (-0.3 ypc). The Bobcats ran for 246 yards on 63 attempts (3.9 ypc) and true freshman QB was a perfect 4-4 passing for 118 yards and a TD for run oriented Ohio. Central Florida only got as far as the Ohio 33-yard line while their longest drive of the day was 34 yards.
Bowling Green 32 WESTERN MICH 21
Bowling Green racked up 510 yards of offense and had a 29-13 first down edge. They controlled the clock nearly 20 minutes longer than the Broncos thanks to running 32 more plays from scrimmage. Western Michigan finished 1-13 on 3rd and 4th down. Twice in the last eight minutes Western Michigan was sacked on fourth-down plays.
MISS STATE 35 Memphis 27
Memphis outgained the Bulldogs 568-381 but Mississippi used 210 return yards to lead them to the win. Almost half of those return yards came on a 100-yard kickoff return after Memphis had knotted the score at 14. The Tigers trailed by 18 at the end of the 3rd quarter but scored 10 points to pull within a possession but their final two drives stalled deep in Bulldogs territory on an interception and a turnover on downs.
Houston 45 TULANE 42
The Cougars used balance as they rushed for 256 yards and passed for 283 yards in holding off a late Tigers run. Houston held the ball for almost 26 minutes longer as they finished the game 14-21 on 3rd down. Tulane scored the final 14 points to pull within 3 and got the ball back with :58 remaining but the drive stalled at their own 47-yard line as time expired.
AIR FORCE 24 U-N-L-V 7
Air Force held the Rebels to only 84 yards through the air as they used their rushing attack to gain 261 yards on 59 carries (4.4 ypc). The Falcons scored 10 points off UNLV turnovers and another 7 points off a missed field goal. The Rebels started the game with two solid drives but missed a field goal and had another blocked. They didn’t cross the 50-yard line again until the middle of the 3rd quarter.
LOUISVILLE 34 Army 10
Louisville totaled 619 yards of offense while gaining 9.0 ypp. Army scored their only touchdown on an interception return in the 2nd quarter. After the interception, the Cardinals scored 24 points on 4 consecutive drives. The Cadets finished with only 97 yards rushing on 26 carries (3.7 ypc).
MID TENN ST 35 New Mexico St 18
New Mexico St. outyarded the Blue Raiders 525-293 as they rushed for 318 yards on 54 carries (5.9 ypc). However, 4 turnovers led to 21 points including the game clincher. The Aggies trailed by 10 with over 4 minutes remaining but were picked off at the Middle Tennessee St. 11-yard line, which was returned for a touchdown. They entered Blue Raiders territory on their last 5 drives, including the redzone 4 times but only managed 1 touchdown.
ALABAMA 17 Southern Miss 3
Southern Miss outyarded the Tide 261-255 but they managed only 17 yards rushing on 35 carries (0.5 ypc). Alabama ran the ball on 50 of their 57 plays from scrimmage as they averages 4.9 ypc. The Golden Eagles entered Alabama territory on only 2 of their first 10 drives but made it deep in Tide territory on their last 2 drives. They fumbled both times.
COLORADO 50 Kansas 47
Kansas had the game in their hands as they took a 47-41 lead but their extra point was blocked. Colorado then scored 2 field goals to send the game into overtime. The Jayhawks had to settle for a field goal and the Buffaloes then took their overtime possession into the endzone to get the win. The teams combined for 1,148 yards of offense as the lead changes hands 6 times in the game.
(1) Oklahoma 65 (11) TEXAS 13
Oklahoma racked up 552 yards of offense while holding the Longhorns to 327 total yards. Texas cut the Sooners lead to 27-13 near the end of the 2nd quarter but the Sooners ran off the next 38 points to blow away Texas. The Longhorns committed 6 turnovers that led to 31 Oklahoma points. Texas finished with only 133 yards in the 2nd half.
Boston College 38 TEMPLE 13
Boston College racked up 648 yards of offense while holding the Owls to 277 yards. The Eagles rushed for 298 yards on 41 carries (7.3 ypc) and they entered Temple territory in all but 2 of their 13 drives. Two fumbles, two missed field goals and two 4th down stops cut down on their point total. Temple gained just 115 yards in the first half.
ARIZONA STATE 59 Oregon 14
The sun Devils dominated from start to finish as they started the game by returning 50-yard interception for a touchdown and never looked back. They finished with 497 yards of offense, they were 6-6 in the redzone and they ended up 11-15 on 3rd down. Oregon scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the 2nd and 3rd quarters but managed to enter Arizona St. territory only once in their 11 other drives.
Nevada 28 WASHINGTON 17
The Wolfpack pulled off the big upset as they took advantage of 5 Huskies turnovers. Washington outgained Nevada 447-397 and they had 11 more first downs but they were held scoreless in the final quarter. The Wolfpack pulled this out despite 17 penalties for 149 yards.
Florida 19 (6) L-S-U 7
Neither team ran the ball well as Florida rushed for only 2.0 ypc and LSU only 2.3 ypc. The Tigers only score came on an 80-yard punt return to give them a 7-0 lead. LSU had three 4th quarter drives that entered Florida territory but a fumble, an interception and a turnover on downs killed any chance of a comeback. LSU only had 130 yards of offense through the first 3 quarters.
Georgia Tech 24 WAKE FOREST 7
Georgia Tech outyarded the Deacons 441-277 and held Wake forest to only 11 first downs. The Deacons finished only 1-13 on 3rd down. The Yellow Jackets used a very balanced attack with 216 yards rushing and 225 yards passing and they controlled the clock for over 7 minutes longer than Wake. Wake Forest's only sustained drive of the first half came late in the second quarter, ended in a field goal attempt that was blocked.
No Carolina 28 EAST CAROLINA 17
The north Carolina defense held the Pirates to 289 yards and only 2-11 on 3rd down attempts. East Carolina gained just 41 yards in quarters #1 and #3 combined. The Tar Heels started their drives from the 38-yards line while the Pirates played on a long field most of the day, starting from their own 20-yard line. East Carolina committed 11 penalties
(18 ) PURDUE 28 Penn State 14
Purdue held the Nittany Lions to just 204 yards of offense and they held the ball for nearly 15 minute longer. They also held Penn St. to only 3-13 on 3rd down. The Nittany Lions could get nothing going on offense as only 3 of their 14 total drives were more than 2 minutes long. Purdue scored on a 76-yard punt return in the second quarter that put them ahead to stay.
U-A-B 31 Cincinnati 14
UAB has 2 less first downs and only 63 more total yards but the Blazers used the big play to pull out the win. They scored on pass plays of 95 yards and 56 yards and they blocked a punt that set up a 1-yard touchdown run. Cincinnati had a chance on their first possession in the 3rd quarter as they drove to the Blazers 3-yard line but a penalty and a sack sent them back to the 33-yard line where the 4th down pass was broken up.
MARSHALL 49 Kent State 33
Marshall piled up 604 yards of offense but the Golden Flashes scored two garbage touchdowns in the 4th quarter to get the cover, with the last coming on a 97-yard touchdown pass. The Herd made it inside the Kent 37-yard line on their last 2 drives but they were stopped each time and were forced to punt. Marshall ended up committing 13 penalties for 113 yards.
UL Monroe 45 UL LAFAYETTE 42
La-Lafayette trailed most of this game and fought back from a 28-7 deficit and a 42-28 deficit to tie the game both times. After tying the game at 42, the Cajuns let La-Monroe drive 60 yards to set up the game winning field goal. La-Lafayette got the ball back with 1:46 remaining but they were stopped 1 yard short of a first down at the Indians 42-yard line to end the game.
Notre Dame 20 (15) PITTSBURGH 14
The Notre Dame defense stepped up allowing just 9 first downs and 175 total yards. They finished with 8 sacks and gave up only 8 net yards rushing. The Irish were able to rush for 352 yards on 56 carries (6.3 ypc). Pitt was forced to punt on their last 4 possessions and Notre Dame ate up the last 9:14 of the game with a 68-yard drive to end the game.
MARYLAND 33 Duke 20
Duke actually outyarded the Terps 413-369, had 6 more first downs and controlled 13 more minutes of the clock. However, most of the yardage came at the end of the 3rd quarter and the whole 4th quarter when the game was well decided. The Blue Devils gained 59% of their yardage during that span. Maryland forced 7 punts, 2 turnovers and 2 turnovers on downs in Duke’s first 11 possessions of the game.
U-C-L-A 24 ARIZONA 21
The Bruins rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and scored the only points in the 2nd half. Arizona won the yardage battle 519-333 and they had 5 more first downs but 4 interceptions let to 14 UCLA points. 4 of the Wildcats 9 penalties kept drives going for the Bruins. Arizona was in UCLA territory in 3 of their last 5 drives but 2 interceptions, a punt and a missed field goal shut them out on the scoreboard.
TEXAS TECH 52 Iowa State 21
The Red Raiders did it with offense once again as they racked up 775 yards of offense. They were an amazing 13-17 on 3rd down and if not for 3 turnovers in Cyclones territory in the first half, the score could have been even worse. The defense held Iowa St. to 85 yards rushing on 30 carries (2.8 ypc). Texas Tech ran 111 plays from scrimmage compared to 63 for the Cyclones thus controlling nearly 2/3 of the clock.
MISSOURI 41 (10) Nebraska 24
Missouri rallied from a 10-point 4th quarter deficit by scoring 27 unanswered 4th quarter points. 14 of those points came off Nebraska turnovers where they have to drive only 16 yards combined to score the 2 touchdowns. The Huskers finished the 4th quarter with –48 total yards after putting up 447 yards through 3 quarters.
UTAH 27 San Diego St 6
San Diego St. held a 6-0 halftime lead but Utes got their offense going in the 2nd half by scoring 27 points. The Aztecs won the yardage battle in the first half 132-54 but the Utes dominated half #2 with a 361-120 yardage advantage. Utah scored on every 2nd half possession with the exception of their last one where they ran out the clock. San Diego St. was held to 49 yards rushing on 24 carries (2.1 ypc).
North Texas 24 IDAHO 14
Patrick Cobbs exploded for a school-record 249 yards rushing for the Mean Green. Idaho outyarded North Texas 402-370 but they were only 1-4 in the redzone. They missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs twice. The Mean Green averaged 45 yards per punt and allowed negative return yardage. North Texas scored with 2:34 remaining to get the cover.
TOLEDO 49 Eastern Mich 14
Toledo used a 479-247 yardage advantage and they forced 3 turnovers in the rout. They entered the Eagles rezone on their first 7 possessions, scoring 6 touchdowns and turning the ball over on down the other time. They only gained 85 yards in the 2nd half with 75 of those yards coming in their last drive. Their only score in the half came on an 80-yard punt return.
(8 ) Georgia 41 (13) TENNESSEE 14
Georgia held the Vols to 248 total yards, which is a bit skewed as 90 yards came on one pass play while another 43 yards came in the last 3 minutes of the game. Tennessee was ready to take the lead just before halftime but they fumbled and Georgia returned it 92 yards to give them a 13-point lead at the break. The Vols finished with only 61 yards rushing on 27 carries (2.3 ypc).
Wyoming 48 UTAH STATE 21
Wyoming took advantage of 3 Aggies turnovers and used a potent rushing attack by gaining 239 yards on 47 carries (5.1 ypc) to get their first road win in over 2 years. Utah St. trailed 34-21 in the 3rd quarter but they were stopped on a third and one and a fourth and one inside the 30-yard line halting their drive. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on each of their first four drives of the first half.
BOISE STATE 27 Tulsa 20
Tulsa rallied from a 20-0 deficit but their comeback fell short. They scored on an 80-yard touchdown pass with :38 remaining but failed to recover the onsides kick. The Broncos were held to just 38 yards in the 3rd quarter while Tulsa scored 2 touchdowns to pull within 6 points. Tulsa was hurt by getting flagged 8 times for 93 yards.
Louisiana Tech 38 TEXAS-EL PASO 35
UTEP outgained the Bulldogs 535-493 but two 4th quarter interceptions, one at the La Tech 20 yard line and the other deep in their own territory kept them from the win. The Bulldogs scored 25 unanswered points after trailing 28-13 in the 3rd quarter. The Miners drove 77 yards in under a minute to pull within 3 points but could not recover the onsides kick thus ending the game.
(23) WISCONSIN 17 (3) Ohio State 10
Ohio St. tied the game at 10 with a little over 6 minutes remaining but the Badgers scored on a 79-yard touchdown pass just 2 plays later to get the win. Ohio St. got the ball only one more time and they were forced to punt. Wisconsin then ran out the last 3:27 to preserve the win. The Badgers held the Buckeyes to 69 yards rushing on 26 carries (2.7 ypc).
(9) U-S-C 44 Stanford 21
The Trojans outgained the Cardinal 493-242 and scored 41 of their 44 points in the first half. Stanford scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the 2nd quarter and on a late garbage touchdown. USC doubled the Cardinal on average yards per play (6.8-3.4) while going 7-8 in the redzone with a turnover on downs their only blemish.
SAN JOSE ST 31 S-M-U 14
The Spartans held SMU to only 11 first downs and shut down their potent rushing attack by allowing only 69 yards on 30 carries (2.3 ypc). The Mustangs pulled to within 10 points after 3 quarters but San Jose St. solidified the cover with the only points of the 4th quarter. The first SMU drive set the tone of the game as the Mustangs drove to the Spartans 11-yard line only to be stopped on 4th down.
HAWAII 55 Fresno State 28
Hawaii racked up 549 yards of offense and had a 32-20 first down edge while taking advantage of 3 Fresno St. fumbles by turning them into 17 points. After Fresno St. took a 14-10 lead, Hawaii scored the next 35 points to put the game away. The Warriors were in Bulldogs territory in all but 1 of their 8 first half drives. The Hawaii defense registered 5 sacks.