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WEST VIRGINIA 28 (3) Virginia Tech 7
West Virginia held the Hokies to only 65 yards rushing on 29 carries (2.3 ypc) and just 211 total yards. The Mountaineers scored their first 2 touchdowns off Virginia Tech turnovers. The Hokies got their only score on a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown. They were also guilty of 13 penalties for 116 yards.
GEORGIA TECH 7 Maryland 3
Obviously this was a defensive battle but the outcome was decided by turnovers. Maryland fumbled the ball deep in their own territory setting up the Yellow Jackets only touchdown, an 18-yard drive. The Terps could get nothing going after Scott McBrien left the game. Maryland forced Georgia Tech to punt in 8 of their first 9 possessions while grabbing an interception in the other.
PITTSBURGH 34 Syracuse 14
The Panthers held Syracuse to only 9 first downs and 195 total yards and pitching a shutout over the final 3 quarters. The Orangemen opened the scoring by returning a fumble 7 yards for a touchdown and later took the lead back on an 80-yard touchdown drive. The Panthers then reeled off the next 27 points and forced 3 turnovers on defense.
BOSTON COLLEGE 27 Notre Dame 25
Notre Dame rallied from an 18-point 2nd half deficit to take a 25-24 lead following a blocked punt for a touchdown. The Eagles then took advantage of a long kickoff return to set up the game winning field goal with :38 remaining. Boston College held Notre Dame to 47 yards rushing on 34 carries (1.4 ypc).
CLEMSON 36 No Carolina 28
Clemson scored the final 13 points in rallying at home against the Tar Heels behind a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. North Carolina was on the verge of a possible tie but fumbled the ball at the Clemson goal line with :42 remaining. The Tar Heels finished with 287 yards on the ground on 40 carries (7.2 ypc).
Minnesota 36 ILLINOIS 10
Minnesota ran all over the Illini rushing for 338 yards on 57 carries (5.9 ypc) as they amassed 575 yards of offense. 5 of the Gophers 6 scoring drives were 78 yards or longer. Illinois had a chance to pull within 3 points before halftime but they were intercepted at the Minnesota 10 yard line. The Gophers controlled most of the second half clock as Illinois only had 5 possessions the whole half.
(8 ) Ohio State 35 INDIANA 6
The Buckeyes racked up 603 yards of offense while holding Indiana to just 131 yards. Ohio St. was in Hoosiers territory in all but one of their drives but they committed costly mistakes that kept this score more respectable. They committed 3 turnovers inside the redzone and also missed a short 35-yard field goal. Indiana scored their only touchdown in garbage time as they drove the ball 58 yards for the score, by far their longest drive of the day.
NORTHWESTERN 16 (20) Wisconsin 7
Northwestern had a 9-7 halftime lead and the defense shutout the Badgers in the second half by holding them to only 137 total yards. After throwing an interception early in the 4th quarter deep in their own territory, the Wildcats held Wisconsin to a field goal attempt which they ended up missing. Northwestern put up 252 yards rushing on 52 carries (4.7 ypc).
CONNECTICUT 38 Akron 37
Connecticut hit the winning field goal as time expired to pull off the come from behind victory. The Huskies outgained Akron 477-383 but 3 turnovers and a Zips kickoff return for a touchdown kept the game close. The Huskies missed a field goal on their previous possession but held Akron to a 3 and out to get the ball back. Akron kicker Jason Swinger missed 3 of his 4 attempts and was pulled after 3 quarters.
(16) IOWA 26 Penn State 14
Iowa held Penn St. to 9 first downs and 176 total yards. The Nittany Lions scored first on an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown nut they didn’t score on offense until 1:36 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Iowa started slowly with 2 interceptions in their first 3 possessions and a fumble set up the other Penn St. score. Penn St. had only 47 first half yards.
MISSOURI 62 Texas Tech 31
Missouri rushed for 469 yards on 55 carries (8.5 ypc) and the defense picked off the Red Raiders 4 times and forced 1 fumble. The Tigers were a perfect 8-8 in the redzone as they scored on every first half possession. Texas Tech cut the lead to 10 points early in the 4th quarter but Brad Smith scored the next 3 touchdowns to seal the game.
KENTUCKY 42 Miss State 17
The Wildcats spotted Mississippi St. a 17-0 lead before scoring 42 unanswered points. Kentucky gained only 52 yards on their first 6 possessions but put up 358 yards on their final 7 possessions. Not included in that was a punt return for a touchdown by Derek Abney, tying the NCAA career record for kick return touchdowns.
(14) NEBRASKA 28 Iowa State 0
Nebraska gained only 317 yards of offense but they were helped by the special teams who blocked a punt for a touchdown. Of the Huskers other 3 touchdowns, 2 of them were drives of 21 and 19 yards. Iowa St. didn’t cross midfield until late in the 3rd quarter and the further they got was the 20-yard line, where they were intercepted ending the game.
Rutgers 30 TEMPLE 14
Rutgers jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead as they outgained Temple 182-76 in the first half. Temple committed 2 turnovers and missed a field goal in the opening half and also turned it over on downs twice. Rutgers had great field position the whole game as their averaging starting position was their own 40-yard line. The teams combined for only 83 yards rushing.
(4) GEORGIA 16 U-A-B 13
Georgia held UAB to 198 yards and 12 first downs but needed to late field goals to avoid the major upset. The Blazers finished with only 2 drives over 22 yards long but it was their defense that kept them in this game. The Bulldogs crossed midfield 6 times and were only able to score 4 times, with 3 of those being field goals.
NC State 28 DUKE 21
Duke rallied late for new coach Ted Roof but fell short. They were able to control the clock for 11 minutes longer thanks to 214 yards rushing. The Blue Devils put up 11 points late in the 4th quarter in less than 1 minute. They then failed to score after getting the ball back deep in their own territory with 53 seconds and no timeouts left. Duke lost a chance late in the first half with a first and goal at the NC State 3 yard line when they fumbled it away before the half.
BUFFALO 26 Ohio U 17
Ohio took a 17-10 lead into the fourth quarter but they completely imploded on offense in the last 15 minutes. They gained only 35 yards in the quarter and turned the ball over 4 times - a fumble, a blocked punt and two losses on downs. That set up 16 Buffalo points and their first win of the season. The Bulls held the Bobcats to only 118 yards on the ground.
Miami-Ohio 38 KENT STATE 30
Miami piled up 648 yards of offense and doubled the Kent first downs 36-18. They held the ball for nearly 16 minutes longer as they ran 29 more plays from scrimmage. Miami scored on their final 4 possessions of the first half as they took a 10 point lead at the break. Kent rallied by putting up the next 13 points to take the lead but Miami scored two more touchdowns to put it away. The Redhawks were hurt by 13 penalties for 131 yards.
BALL STATE 38 Toledo 14
Ball St. only finished with 65 more total yards but they were helped by Toledo mistakes to pull out the big win. The Rockets only had 9 possessions but they entered Ball St. territory in 8 of those. However, 2 punts, 2 interceptions a fumble and a turnover on downs limited them to only 2 scores. The Cardinals finished 12-15 on third down.
Louisville 36 EAST CAROLINA 20
Louisville only outgained the Pirates by 35 yards but they managed just enough to get the cover. They scored 23 fourth quarter points including a 42-yard touchdown run as time expired shortly after East Carolina pulled within 10 points with :24 remaining. On 4 different occasions, the Pirates were inside the Louisville 40-yard line but failed to score each time.
KANSAS STATE 42 Kansas 6
Kansas lost any hopes of winning this game when QB Bill Whittemore left the game late in the first quarter with a broken collarbone. The Jayhawks could muster only 7 first down and 170 total yards. The Wildcats rushed for 257 yards on 51 carries (5.1 ypc) and they ended the first half with a punt return for a touchdown.
Marshall 41 WESTERN MICH 21
Marshall put up 565 yards of offense while holding the Broncos to only 202 yards. Western Michigan struck first thanks to a 63-yard punt return that set up a 3-yard touchdown run. The Herd then took over as the defense allowed only 1 drive longer than 40 yards. The Broncos scored their final touchdown off a Marshall fumble to make the score appear much closer than it actually was.
Memphis 41 TULANE 9
Memphis used 288 yards rushing on 46 carries (6.3 ypc) as they scored the first 35 points of the game. The defense held Tulane to just 137 total yards in the first half while forcing 6 punts and grabbing two interceptions. Memphis finished 9-15 on third down while the Green Wave were only 4-15 on their attempts.
New Mexico 47 (24) UTAH 35
The Lobos more than doubled the offensive output of Utah 633-300 and they had a 26-14 first down edge. New Mexico rushed for 407 yards on 60 carries (6.8 ypc) on a defense that came in allowing only 105 ypg. New Mexico built a 44-20 lead heading into the 4th quarter but the Utes tried to make it look more respectable with a cou0le garbage touchdowns. The Lobos scored on 8 straight possessions between the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
CINCINNATI 33 Army 29
Army had a chance to pull out their first win of the season as they led midway through the 4th quarter but the Bearcats scored the final touchdown to eek out the win. Army drove to the Cincinnati 36-yard line on their final possession but they were picked off with 1:43 remaining. Army finished with only 132 total yards and 6 yards rushing. They blocked a punt for a touchdown while their first 2 touchdowns came on 2 drives that totaled only 18 yards thank to 2 Bearcats miscues.
UTAH STATE 49 Arkansas State 0
Utah St. only outyarded the Indians 366-272 but they took advantage of many mistakes in getting the blowout win. 4 of their touchdowns came on drives of 35-yards or less. Arkansas St. entered Aggies territory 9 times but they were forced to punt 5 times, turned the ball over on downs once and committed 3 turnovers.
TULSA 35 S-M-U 16
Tulsa finished with just 48 more total yards and had the ball nearly 12 minutes less but the defense held when needed. SMU finished 2-5 on 4th down and after scoring the game’s first touchdown, the offense could not get back in the endzone. Their only other touchdown came on a 14-yard interception return. 4 of the 5 Tulsa touchdowns came on drives of 6 plays or less.
VIRGINIA 24 Troy State 0
All of the Virginia scoring came in the first half as the Trojans played solid second half defense, allowing only 96 total yards in the final 30 minutes. The problem was the offense couldn’t finish their drives. They entered Cavs territory 5 times but a missed field goal, an interception, a fumble and two turnovers on downs kept them off the scoreboard.
SOUTHERN MISS 27 So Florida 6
South Florida actually outgained the Golden Eagles 386-337 and had 4 more first downs. Southern Miss scored their first touchdown on an 80-yard pass play, their second on a returned field goal attempt and their third on a short 29-yard drive. The Bulls were in Southern Miss territory on their first 5 drives, but a fumble, a missed field goal and two punts left them with only 3 points. The Bulls were guilty of 13 penalties for 129 yards.
BOISE STATE 77 San Jose St 14
Complete domination by the Broncos as they outyarded San Jose St. 571-293 even though the Spartans held the ball for over 12 minutes longer. This was due to the big plays by Boise St., who averaged 8.8 ypp compared to 3.6 for the Spartans. San Jose St. gained 163 of their yards in the last quarter and a half against the reserves. The Broncos scored on 11 of their 14 total drives with only one field goal coming on their first score.
(18 ) Oklahoma State 38 TEXAS A&M 10
Oklahoma jumped out to a 31-0 lead as the defense allowed only 185 yards in the first 3 quarters. The Aggies gained another 182 in the final quarter when the reserves were in. The Cowboys used a balanced attack of 235 yards rushing and 208 yards passing as they took an early 14-0 lead after their first 2 possessions.
CALIFORNIA 42 Arizona 14
Cal only finished with 42 more yards but they controlled the clock for nearly 12 minutes longer thanks to 327 yards rushing on 59 carries (5.5 ypc). Arizona had plenty of chances in the first half but they missed 2 field goals and threw an interception at the Bears 8 yard line. Cal scored 14 points off turnovers and finished 10-16 on third down.
OREGON 35 Stanford 0
Oregon finished with 458 yards of offense and the defense forced 4 turnovers, scoring 14 points off of them. Stanford made it inside the Stanford 30-yard line 4 times but turned it over on downs twice, threw an interception and missed a field goal. The two Ducks quarterbacks, Fife and Clemens, finished a combined 23-27 for 268 yards.
(5) U-S-C 43 WASHINGTON 23
USC racked up 565 yards of offense while the defense held the Huskies to 87 yards rushing on 32 carries (2.7 ypc). They also returned an interception for a touchdown giving them their first lead of the game which they never surrendered. The only downside for the Trojan was their kicking game as they missed an extra point and 2 field goals in the first half.
(22) Tennessee 51 ALABAMA 43
Alabama seemed to have locked this game up as they took a 20-13 lead with 4:47 remaining but the Vols responded with an 86-yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass with :25 remaining to send the game into overtime, an overtime that saw 54 points being scored. The Tide controlled the ball for nearly 13 minutes longer in the regular session but they finished 8-22 on 3rd down. Alabama had a chance to win in the third overtime but they failed on their 2-point conversion attempt.
(6) FLORIDA STATE 48 Wake Forest 24
The Seminoles piled up 505 yards on offense while the defense held Wake Forest to 326 yards. Florida St. took a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. The Seminoles also benefited from a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown.
(13) MICHIGAN 31 (10) Purdue 3
The Michigan defense held the potent Purdue offense to 242 total yards and 13 first downs. They also returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Boilermakers were forced to punt on their first 7 possessions with 6 of those being 3 and out. Purdue made it inside the redzone just twice, scoring a field goal and throwing an interception. The Wolverines weren't able to muster much offense themselves, gaining just 105 yards on the ground on 38 carries (2.8 ypc).
U-C-F 31 Central Mich 13
Central Florida overcame 3 first half interceptions by gaining 461 yards of offense and the defense held the Chippewas to only 26 third quarter yards while stopping them on downs twice in the fourth quarter. The Golden Knights held the ball for nearly 15 minutes longer overcoming 10 penalties for 101 yards.
(23) BOWLING GREEN 34 (12) Northern Ill 18
Bowling Green completely dominated as they outgained the Huskies 634-227 and had 17 more first downs. The Falcons held the ball for nearly twice as long and finished the game 10-17 on third down while holding Northern Illinois to 2-11 on their third down tries. Bowling Green finished with only 5 penalties but 3 of those led to Northern Illinois first downs keeping their drives going longer than they should have.
Louisiana Tech 42 NEVADA 34
The teams combined for 1,028 yards of offense as both teams fought back from deficits. Nevada trailed 28-21 but scored the next 2 touchdowns to take the lead early in the 4th quarter. However, the Bulldogs responded with 2 touchdowns to regain the lead. Nevada had 3 more possessions but failed to cross midfield in any of them.
UL LAFAYETTE 31 Idaho 20
Idaho outgained the Cajuns 392-371 but 4 turnovers led to 14 points. The Vandals turned the ball over on 2 of their first 3 possessions as they fell behind 14-0. La-Lafayette entered Idaho territory only 6 times in their 14 drives but they did manage to score on 5 of those.
(7) WASHINGTON ST 36 Oregon State 30
Oregon St. took a 28-16 lead into the 4th quarter Washington St. scored 3 touchdowns in just over 5 minutes to take the lead and hold on to the win. The final 2 touchdowns were set up by Beavers turnovers deep in their own territory. Oregon St. turned the ball over in 4 of their 5 fourth quarter possessions after scoring in 5 of their previous 6 possessions entering the quarter. Oregon St. backers caught a break as Washington St. ran out of their own end zone as time expired for the safety.
(19) Texas 56 BAYLOR 0
Texas rolled with 477 yards of offense while the defense used a bend don't break effort in scoring the shutout. The Bears got their yards but they only crossed midfield 4 times making it no closer than the Texas 35-yard line thank to 8 sacks by Texas. The Longhorns had a very balanced attack with 248 yards rushing and 229 yards passing.
(1) Oklahoma 34 COLORADO 20
Oklahoma held the Buffaloes to only 227 yards and 15 first downs but they were hurt by 3 fumbles that kept the game closer than it should have been. Colorado cut the Sooners lead to 7 points late in the fourth quarter but Oklahoma converted a 3rd down play into a 59-yard touchdown to seal the game. The Sooners held Colorado to 40 yards rushing on 25 attempts (1.6 ypc).
B-Y-U 27 U-N-L-V 20
BYU scored with :29 remaining to send the game into overtime and then scored first to take their first lead of the game. The defense then didn't allow the Rebels a first down on their overtime possession. BYU overcame 5 turnovers as the offense was held to 58 yards on 37 carries (1.6 ypc).
North Texas 33 MID TENN ST 28
North Texas dominated the first half as they entered Blue Raiders territory on all 5 of their possessions but they were held to 3 field goal attempts, missing one of those. Middle Tennessee St. pulled within 5 points with 1:31 remaining after a Mean Green fumble but North Texas was able to run out the clock. The Blue Raiders were held to 75 yards rushing on 37 carries (2.0 ypc).
FRESNO STATE 31 Rice 28
Fresno St. rallied from an 8-point fourth quarter deficit as they kicked the game winning field goal as time expired. Rice had plenty of opportunities as they made it to at least the Bulldogs 33-yard line on their last 4 possessions but they missed 2 field goals inside 27 yards, fumbled once and turned the ball over on downs. Fresno St. registered only 31 second half yards before their final two scoring possessions.
SO CAROLINA 35 Vanderbilt 24
Vanderbilt actually outgained the Gamecocks 456-379 but three turnovers led to 14 South Carolina points. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 28-3 lead but the Commodores didn't fold as they scored touchdown on 3 straight possessions to make a game of it. Both teams finished 4-4 in the redzone.
OLE MISS 19 (21) Arkansas 7
The Mississippi defense shutout the Hogs for the final 2 1/2 quarters while the offense gained just enough yards to set up 4 field goals. The only Arkansas touchdown was set up by a Mississippi fumble that led to a 12-yard scoring drive. Arkansas had the ball at the Rebels 23-yard line on both of their final 2 possessions but an interception stalled the first drive while the game ended on the second. The Hogs were forced to punt on 9 of their first 10 possessions.
(9) L-S-U 31 (17) Auburn 7
LSU held the Auburn high-powered rushing attack to just 50 yards on 34 carries (1.5 ypc) and held the offense to only 193 total yards. LSU scored touchdowns on their first 3 possessions and coasted the rest of the way. Auburn had only 19 yards in the second half before their final drive that came against the reserves as they went 53 yards for their only score.
New Mexico St 21 UL MONROE 14
The Aggies held UL-Monroe to only 148 total yards and 9 first downs while putting up 444 yards of offense and registering 25 first downs themselves. New Mexico St. had a 15-0 lead at halftime before the Indians returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown. The Indians then put together their only lengthy drive of the night to pull with in 1 point but the Aggies defense held the rest of the way. New Mexico St. controlled the clock for nearly 18 minutes longer.
(15) T-C-U 62 HOUSTON 55
A surprisingly high scoring game that saw 1,466 total yards between the two teams. TCU had the ball for over 13 minutes longer and finished the game 8-8 in the redzone. Houston never led and trailed by as many as 19 points but rallied a number of times to keep within striking distance throughout. The
Horned Frogs rushed for 407 yards on 65 carries (6.3 ypc).
U-C-L-A 20 Arizona State 13
UCLA scored the only 10 points of the second half as they rallied for the win. The go ahead touchdown came on an 83-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. After gaining 221 first half yards, the Sun Devils only mustered 32 yards in the second half. The teams combined for 20 punts.
SAN DIEGO ST 25 Wyoming 20
The Aztecs outgained Wyoming 397-292 as they held the Cowboys to 45 yards rushing on 27 carries (1.7 ypc). San Diego St. had a 25-6 lead midway through the 4th quarter but the Cowboys put up two quick touchdowns to cut the lead to 5 points. The Aztecs were able to run out the final 3:39 to preserve the win.
HAWAII 31 Texas-El Paso 15
UTEP finished with 4 more first downs and only 49 less total yards but costly miscues allowed Hawaii to pull away. The Miners were in Hawaii territory on 7 of their final 8 drives but 2 missed field goals and 2 turnovers killed any chance of a win. The Warriors were held to 37 yards rushing on only 11 carries (3.3 ypc). UTEP controlled nearly 12 minutes more of the clock but they committed 11 penalties, 5 in which led to Hawaii first downs.
West Virginia held the Hokies to only 65 yards rushing on 29 carries (2.3 ypc) and just 211 total yards. The Mountaineers scored their first 2 touchdowns off Virginia Tech turnovers. The Hokies got their only score on a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown. They were also guilty of 13 penalties for 116 yards.
GEORGIA TECH 7 Maryland 3
Obviously this was a defensive battle but the outcome was decided by turnovers. Maryland fumbled the ball deep in their own territory setting up the Yellow Jackets only touchdown, an 18-yard drive. The Terps could get nothing going after Scott McBrien left the game. Maryland forced Georgia Tech to punt in 8 of their first 9 possessions while grabbing an interception in the other.
PITTSBURGH 34 Syracuse 14
The Panthers held Syracuse to only 9 first downs and 195 total yards and pitching a shutout over the final 3 quarters. The Orangemen opened the scoring by returning a fumble 7 yards for a touchdown and later took the lead back on an 80-yard touchdown drive. The Panthers then reeled off the next 27 points and forced 3 turnovers on defense.
BOSTON COLLEGE 27 Notre Dame 25
Notre Dame rallied from an 18-point 2nd half deficit to take a 25-24 lead following a blocked punt for a touchdown. The Eagles then took advantage of a long kickoff return to set up the game winning field goal with :38 remaining. Boston College held Notre Dame to 47 yards rushing on 34 carries (1.4 ypc).
CLEMSON 36 No Carolina 28
Clemson scored the final 13 points in rallying at home against the Tar Heels behind a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. North Carolina was on the verge of a possible tie but fumbled the ball at the Clemson goal line with :42 remaining. The Tar Heels finished with 287 yards on the ground on 40 carries (7.2 ypc).
Minnesota 36 ILLINOIS 10
Minnesota ran all over the Illini rushing for 338 yards on 57 carries (5.9 ypc) as they amassed 575 yards of offense. 5 of the Gophers 6 scoring drives were 78 yards or longer. Illinois had a chance to pull within 3 points before halftime but they were intercepted at the Minnesota 10 yard line. The Gophers controlled most of the second half clock as Illinois only had 5 possessions the whole half.
(8 ) Ohio State 35 INDIANA 6
The Buckeyes racked up 603 yards of offense while holding Indiana to just 131 yards. Ohio St. was in Hoosiers territory in all but one of their drives but they committed costly mistakes that kept this score more respectable. They committed 3 turnovers inside the redzone and also missed a short 35-yard field goal. Indiana scored their only touchdown in garbage time as they drove the ball 58 yards for the score, by far their longest drive of the day.
NORTHWESTERN 16 (20) Wisconsin 7
Northwestern had a 9-7 halftime lead and the defense shutout the Badgers in the second half by holding them to only 137 total yards. After throwing an interception early in the 4th quarter deep in their own territory, the Wildcats held Wisconsin to a field goal attempt which they ended up missing. Northwestern put up 252 yards rushing on 52 carries (4.7 ypc).
CONNECTICUT 38 Akron 37
Connecticut hit the winning field goal as time expired to pull off the come from behind victory. The Huskies outgained Akron 477-383 but 3 turnovers and a Zips kickoff return for a touchdown kept the game close. The Huskies missed a field goal on their previous possession but held Akron to a 3 and out to get the ball back. Akron kicker Jason Swinger missed 3 of his 4 attempts and was pulled after 3 quarters.
(16) IOWA 26 Penn State 14
Iowa held Penn St. to 9 first downs and 176 total yards. The Nittany Lions scored first on an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown nut they didn’t score on offense until 1:36 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Iowa started slowly with 2 interceptions in their first 3 possessions and a fumble set up the other Penn St. score. Penn St. had only 47 first half yards.
MISSOURI 62 Texas Tech 31
Missouri rushed for 469 yards on 55 carries (8.5 ypc) and the defense picked off the Red Raiders 4 times and forced 1 fumble. The Tigers were a perfect 8-8 in the redzone as they scored on every first half possession. Texas Tech cut the lead to 10 points early in the 4th quarter but Brad Smith scored the next 3 touchdowns to seal the game.
KENTUCKY 42 Miss State 17
The Wildcats spotted Mississippi St. a 17-0 lead before scoring 42 unanswered points. Kentucky gained only 52 yards on their first 6 possessions but put up 358 yards on their final 7 possessions. Not included in that was a punt return for a touchdown by Derek Abney, tying the NCAA career record for kick return touchdowns.
(14) NEBRASKA 28 Iowa State 0
Nebraska gained only 317 yards of offense but they were helped by the special teams who blocked a punt for a touchdown. Of the Huskers other 3 touchdowns, 2 of them were drives of 21 and 19 yards. Iowa St. didn’t cross midfield until late in the 3rd quarter and the further they got was the 20-yard line, where they were intercepted ending the game.
Rutgers 30 TEMPLE 14
Rutgers jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead as they outgained Temple 182-76 in the first half. Temple committed 2 turnovers and missed a field goal in the opening half and also turned it over on downs twice. Rutgers had great field position the whole game as their averaging starting position was their own 40-yard line. The teams combined for only 83 yards rushing.
(4) GEORGIA 16 U-A-B 13
Georgia held UAB to 198 yards and 12 first downs but needed to late field goals to avoid the major upset. The Blazers finished with only 2 drives over 22 yards long but it was their defense that kept them in this game. The Bulldogs crossed midfield 6 times and were only able to score 4 times, with 3 of those being field goals.
NC State 28 DUKE 21
Duke rallied late for new coach Ted Roof but fell short. They were able to control the clock for 11 minutes longer thanks to 214 yards rushing. The Blue Devils put up 11 points late in the 4th quarter in less than 1 minute. They then failed to score after getting the ball back deep in their own territory with 53 seconds and no timeouts left. Duke lost a chance late in the first half with a first and goal at the NC State 3 yard line when they fumbled it away before the half.
BUFFALO 26 Ohio U 17
Ohio took a 17-10 lead into the fourth quarter but they completely imploded on offense in the last 15 minutes. They gained only 35 yards in the quarter and turned the ball over 4 times - a fumble, a blocked punt and two losses on downs. That set up 16 Buffalo points and their first win of the season. The Bulls held the Bobcats to only 118 yards on the ground.
Miami-Ohio 38 KENT STATE 30
Miami piled up 648 yards of offense and doubled the Kent first downs 36-18. They held the ball for nearly 16 minutes longer as they ran 29 more plays from scrimmage. Miami scored on their final 4 possessions of the first half as they took a 10 point lead at the break. Kent rallied by putting up the next 13 points to take the lead but Miami scored two more touchdowns to put it away. The Redhawks were hurt by 13 penalties for 131 yards.
BALL STATE 38 Toledo 14
Ball St. only finished with 65 more total yards but they were helped by Toledo mistakes to pull out the big win. The Rockets only had 9 possessions but they entered Ball St. territory in 8 of those. However, 2 punts, 2 interceptions a fumble and a turnover on downs limited them to only 2 scores. The Cardinals finished 12-15 on third down.
Louisville 36 EAST CAROLINA 20
Louisville only outgained the Pirates by 35 yards but they managed just enough to get the cover. They scored 23 fourth quarter points including a 42-yard touchdown run as time expired shortly after East Carolina pulled within 10 points with :24 remaining. On 4 different occasions, the Pirates were inside the Louisville 40-yard line but failed to score each time.
KANSAS STATE 42 Kansas 6
Kansas lost any hopes of winning this game when QB Bill Whittemore left the game late in the first quarter with a broken collarbone. The Jayhawks could muster only 7 first down and 170 total yards. The Wildcats rushed for 257 yards on 51 carries (5.1 ypc) and they ended the first half with a punt return for a touchdown.
Marshall 41 WESTERN MICH 21
Marshall put up 565 yards of offense while holding the Broncos to only 202 yards. Western Michigan struck first thanks to a 63-yard punt return that set up a 3-yard touchdown run. The Herd then took over as the defense allowed only 1 drive longer than 40 yards. The Broncos scored their final touchdown off a Marshall fumble to make the score appear much closer than it actually was.
Memphis 41 TULANE 9
Memphis used 288 yards rushing on 46 carries (6.3 ypc) as they scored the first 35 points of the game. The defense held Tulane to just 137 total yards in the first half while forcing 6 punts and grabbing two interceptions. Memphis finished 9-15 on third down while the Green Wave were only 4-15 on their attempts.
New Mexico 47 (24) UTAH 35
The Lobos more than doubled the offensive output of Utah 633-300 and they had a 26-14 first down edge. New Mexico rushed for 407 yards on 60 carries (6.8 ypc) on a defense that came in allowing only 105 ypg. New Mexico built a 44-20 lead heading into the 4th quarter but the Utes tried to make it look more respectable with a cou0le garbage touchdowns. The Lobos scored on 8 straight possessions between the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
CINCINNATI 33 Army 29
Army had a chance to pull out their first win of the season as they led midway through the 4th quarter but the Bearcats scored the final touchdown to eek out the win. Army drove to the Cincinnati 36-yard line on their final possession but they were picked off with 1:43 remaining. Army finished with only 132 total yards and 6 yards rushing. They blocked a punt for a touchdown while their first 2 touchdowns came on 2 drives that totaled only 18 yards thank to 2 Bearcats miscues.
UTAH STATE 49 Arkansas State 0
Utah St. only outyarded the Indians 366-272 but they took advantage of many mistakes in getting the blowout win. 4 of their touchdowns came on drives of 35-yards or less. Arkansas St. entered Aggies territory 9 times but they were forced to punt 5 times, turned the ball over on downs once and committed 3 turnovers.
TULSA 35 S-M-U 16
Tulsa finished with just 48 more total yards and had the ball nearly 12 minutes less but the defense held when needed. SMU finished 2-5 on 4th down and after scoring the game’s first touchdown, the offense could not get back in the endzone. Their only other touchdown came on a 14-yard interception return. 4 of the 5 Tulsa touchdowns came on drives of 6 plays or less.
VIRGINIA 24 Troy State 0
All of the Virginia scoring came in the first half as the Trojans played solid second half defense, allowing only 96 total yards in the final 30 minutes. The problem was the offense couldn’t finish their drives. They entered Cavs territory 5 times but a missed field goal, an interception, a fumble and two turnovers on downs kept them off the scoreboard.
SOUTHERN MISS 27 So Florida 6
South Florida actually outgained the Golden Eagles 386-337 and had 4 more first downs. Southern Miss scored their first touchdown on an 80-yard pass play, their second on a returned field goal attempt and their third on a short 29-yard drive. The Bulls were in Southern Miss territory on their first 5 drives, but a fumble, a missed field goal and two punts left them with only 3 points. The Bulls were guilty of 13 penalties for 129 yards.
BOISE STATE 77 San Jose St 14
Complete domination by the Broncos as they outyarded San Jose St. 571-293 even though the Spartans held the ball for over 12 minutes longer. This was due to the big plays by Boise St., who averaged 8.8 ypp compared to 3.6 for the Spartans. San Jose St. gained 163 of their yards in the last quarter and a half against the reserves. The Broncos scored on 11 of their 14 total drives with only one field goal coming on their first score.
(18 ) Oklahoma State 38 TEXAS A&M 10
Oklahoma jumped out to a 31-0 lead as the defense allowed only 185 yards in the first 3 quarters. The Aggies gained another 182 in the final quarter when the reserves were in. The Cowboys used a balanced attack of 235 yards rushing and 208 yards passing as they took an early 14-0 lead after their first 2 possessions.
CALIFORNIA 42 Arizona 14
Cal only finished with 42 more yards but they controlled the clock for nearly 12 minutes longer thanks to 327 yards rushing on 59 carries (5.5 ypc). Arizona had plenty of chances in the first half but they missed 2 field goals and threw an interception at the Bears 8 yard line. Cal scored 14 points off turnovers and finished 10-16 on third down.
OREGON 35 Stanford 0
Oregon finished with 458 yards of offense and the defense forced 4 turnovers, scoring 14 points off of them. Stanford made it inside the Stanford 30-yard line 4 times but turned it over on downs twice, threw an interception and missed a field goal. The two Ducks quarterbacks, Fife and Clemens, finished a combined 23-27 for 268 yards.
(5) U-S-C 43 WASHINGTON 23
USC racked up 565 yards of offense while the defense held the Huskies to 87 yards rushing on 32 carries (2.7 ypc). They also returned an interception for a touchdown giving them their first lead of the game which they never surrendered. The only downside for the Trojan was their kicking game as they missed an extra point and 2 field goals in the first half.
(22) Tennessee 51 ALABAMA 43
Alabama seemed to have locked this game up as they took a 20-13 lead with 4:47 remaining but the Vols responded with an 86-yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass with :25 remaining to send the game into overtime, an overtime that saw 54 points being scored. The Tide controlled the ball for nearly 13 minutes longer in the regular session but they finished 8-22 on 3rd down. Alabama had a chance to win in the third overtime but they failed on their 2-point conversion attempt.
(6) FLORIDA STATE 48 Wake Forest 24
The Seminoles piled up 505 yards on offense while the defense held Wake Forest to 326 yards. Florida St. took a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. The Seminoles also benefited from a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown.
(13) MICHIGAN 31 (10) Purdue 3
The Michigan defense held the potent Purdue offense to 242 total yards and 13 first downs. They also returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Boilermakers were forced to punt on their first 7 possessions with 6 of those being 3 and out. Purdue made it inside the redzone just twice, scoring a field goal and throwing an interception. The Wolverines weren't able to muster much offense themselves, gaining just 105 yards on the ground on 38 carries (2.8 ypc).
U-C-F 31 Central Mich 13
Central Florida overcame 3 first half interceptions by gaining 461 yards of offense and the defense held the Chippewas to only 26 third quarter yards while stopping them on downs twice in the fourth quarter. The Golden Knights held the ball for nearly 15 minutes longer overcoming 10 penalties for 101 yards.
(23) BOWLING GREEN 34 (12) Northern Ill 18
Bowling Green completely dominated as they outgained the Huskies 634-227 and had 17 more first downs. The Falcons held the ball for nearly twice as long and finished the game 10-17 on third down while holding Northern Illinois to 2-11 on their third down tries. Bowling Green finished with only 5 penalties but 3 of those led to Northern Illinois first downs keeping their drives going longer than they should have.
Louisiana Tech 42 NEVADA 34
The teams combined for 1,028 yards of offense as both teams fought back from deficits. Nevada trailed 28-21 but scored the next 2 touchdowns to take the lead early in the 4th quarter. However, the Bulldogs responded with 2 touchdowns to regain the lead. Nevada had 3 more possessions but failed to cross midfield in any of them.
UL LAFAYETTE 31 Idaho 20
Idaho outgained the Cajuns 392-371 but 4 turnovers led to 14 points. The Vandals turned the ball over on 2 of their first 3 possessions as they fell behind 14-0. La-Lafayette entered Idaho territory only 6 times in their 14 drives but they did manage to score on 5 of those.
(7) WASHINGTON ST 36 Oregon State 30
Oregon St. took a 28-16 lead into the 4th quarter Washington St. scored 3 touchdowns in just over 5 minutes to take the lead and hold on to the win. The final 2 touchdowns were set up by Beavers turnovers deep in their own territory. Oregon St. turned the ball over in 4 of their 5 fourth quarter possessions after scoring in 5 of their previous 6 possessions entering the quarter. Oregon St. backers caught a break as Washington St. ran out of their own end zone as time expired for the safety.
(19) Texas 56 BAYLOR 0
Texas rolled with 477 yards of offense while the defense used a bend don't break effort in scoring the shutout. The Bears got their yards but they only crossed midfield 4 times making it no closer than the Texas 35-yard line thank to 8 sacks by Texas. The Longhorns had a very balanced attack with 248 yards rushing and 229 yards passing.
(1) Oklahoma 34 COLORADO 20
Oklahoma held the Buffaloes to only 227 yards and 15 first downs but they were hurt by 3 fumbles that kept the game closer than it should have been. Colorado cut the Sooners lead to 7 points late in the fourth quarter but Oklahoma converted a 3rd down play into a 59-yard touchdown to seal the game. The Sooners held Colorado to 40 yards rushing on 25 attempts (1.6 ypc).
B-Y-U 27 U-N-L-V 20
BYU scored with :29 remaining to send the game into overtime and then scored first to take their first lead of the game. The defense then didn't allow the Rebels a first down on their overtime possession. BYU overcame 5 turnovers as the offense was held to 58 yards on 37 carries (1.6 ypc).
North Texas 33 MID TENN ST 28
North Texas dominated the first half as they entered Blue Raiders territory on all 5 of their possessions but they were held to 3 field goal attempts, missing one of those. Middle Tennessee St. pulled within 5 points with 1:31 remaining after a Mean Green fumble but North Texas was able to run out the clock. The Blue Raiders were held to 75 yards rushing on 37 carries (2.0 ypc).
FRESNO STATE 31 Rice 28
Fresno St. rallied from an 8-point fourth quarter deficit as they kicked the game winning field goal as time expired. Rice had plenty of opportunities as they made it to at least the Bulldogs 33-yard line on their last 4 possessions but they missed 2 field goals inside 27 yards, fumbled once and turned the ball over on downs. Fresno St. registered only 31 second half yards before their final two scoring possessions.
SO CAROLINA 35 Vanderbilt 24
Vanderbilt actually outgained the Gamecocks 456-379 but three turnovers led to 14 South Carolina points. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 28-3 lead but the Commodores didn't fold as they scored touchdown on 3 straight possessions to make a game of it. Both teams finished 4-4 in the redzone.
OLE MISS 19 (21) Arkansas 7
The Mississippi defense shutout the Hogs for the final 2 1/2 quarters while the offense gained just enough yards to set up 4 field goals. The only Arkansas touchdown was set up by a Mississippi fumble that led to a 12-yard scoring drive. Arkansas had the ball at the Rebels 23-yard line on both of their final 2 possessions but an interception stalled the first drive while the game ended on the second. The Hogs were forced to punt on 9 of their first 10 possessions.
(9) L-S-U 31 (17) Auburn 7
LSU held the Auburn high-powered rushing attack to just 50 yards on 34 carries (1.5 ypc) and held the offense to only 193 total yards. LSU scored touchdowns on their first 3 possessions and coasted the rest of the way. Auburn had only 19 yards in the second half before their final drive that came against the reserves as they went 53 yards for their only score.
New Mexico St 21 UL MONROE 14
The Aggies held UL-Monroe to only 148 total yards and 9 first downs while putting up 444 yards of offense and registering 25 first downs themselves. New Mexico St. had a 15-0 lead at halftime before the Indians returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown. The Indians then put together their only lengthy drive of the night to pull with in 1 point but the Aggies defense held the rest of the way. New Mexico St. controlled the clock for nearly 18 minutes longer.
(15) T-C-U 62 HOUSTON 55
A surprisingly high scoring game that saw 1,466 total yards between the two teams. TCU had the ball for over 13 minutes longer and finished the game 8-8 in the redzone. Houston never led and trailed by as many as 19 points but rallied a number of times to keep within striking distance throughout. The
Horned Frogs rushed for 407 yards on 65 carries (6.3 ypc).
U-C-L-A 20 Arizona State 13
UCLA scored the only 10 points of the second half as they rallied for the win. The go ahead touchdown came on an 83-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. After gaining 221 first half yards, the Sun Devils only mustered 32 yards in the second half. The teams combined for 20 punts.
SAN DIEGO ST 25 Wyoming 20
The Aztecs outgained Wyoming 397-292 as they held the Cowboys to 45 yards rushing on 27 carries (1.7 ypc). San Diego St. had a 25-6 lead midway through the 4th quarter but the Cowboys put up two quick touchdowns to cut the lead to 5 points. The Aztecs were able to run out the final 3:39 to preserve the win.
HAWAII 31 Texas-El Paso 15
UTEP finished with 4 more first downs and only 49 less total yards but costly miscues allowed Hawaii to pull away. The Miners were in Hawaii territory on 7 of their final 8 drives but 2 missed field goals and 2 turnovers killed any chance of a win. The Warriors were held to 37 yards rushing on only 11 carries (3.3 ypc). UTEP controlled nearly 12 minutes more of the clock but they committed 11 penalties, 5 in which led to Hawaii first downs.