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UL LAFAYETTE 26 New Mexico St 24
The Aggies outgained the Cajuns 438-380 but a costly interception at the La-Lafayette 48-yard line with 2:21 remaining set up the winning field goal. Field position played a key role as New Mexico St. averaged just 35 yards on their 5 punts while the Cajuns netted 46.6 yards on their 5 punts. The Aggies entered La-Lafayette territory in 9 of the 13 drives but 5 of those drives resulted in 0 points.
NC STATE 17 Clemson 15
The Wolfpack won the defensive battle even though they were outyarded 323-283. Clemson held NC State to 70 yards rushing on 36 carries (2.0 ypc). The Tigers were 4-4 in the redzone but 3 of those scores ended up being field goals. They missed the game tying 2-point conversion with 6:01 remaining and a tipped pass was intercepted on their next drive. The Wolfpack picked up 3 first downs and ran out the clock.
COLORADO ST 30 Air Force 20
The Rams racked up 564 yards of offense and outrushed the Falcons 320-293. Colorado St. was in Air Force territory in every one of their 11 drives but a missed field goal, a fumble and a turnover on downs, all inside the 30-yard line, cut down their scoring chances. Air Force turned the ball over near midfield on their last 2 drives and couldn’t get closer to get the cover.
LOUISVILLE 47 Tulane 28
Louisville gained 500 yards of offense including 288 yards rushing on 42 carries (6.9 ypc). Tulane committed 4 turnovers that led to 17 Cardinals points. What’s surprising is that the home team was flagged 10 times for 71 yards while the Green Wave didn’t commit one penalty. The Cardinals broke open a 13-point game with 2 touchdowns in 17 seconds to start the 4th quarter.
SYRACUSE 39 Boston College 14
The Orangemen outgained the Eagles 407-319, including a 192-70 advantage on the ground. They finished the game 14-19 on third down while controlling nearly 10 more minutes of the clock. The Syracuse defense recorded five sacks versus the Eagles, two more than its season total entering the game.
(2) MIAMI-FLORIDA 52 Temple 14
The Hurricanes dominated with a 601-171 yardage advantage and they had a 28-6 first down edge. Temple got on the board first thanks to a Miami fumble and their only other touchdown came on a 69-yard run meaning they barely eclipsed 100 yards of offense the rest of the game. In 9 of the Owls 12 drives, they went 3 and out or worse.
Wake Forest 42 DUKE 13
Duke actually outgained the Deacons 386-334 but turnovers killed them early on. Wake Forest intercepted a pass that was returned for a touchdown and also forced a fumble that set up a 1-yard touchdown drive. They also sacked Duke 4 times. The Blue Devils only averaged 33.8 yards on their punts allowing the Deacons to work from a short field.
(17) MICHIGAN 56 Illinois 14
Michigan jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead as they rushed for 275 yards on 49 carries (5.6 ypc). The Wolverines registered 30 first downs while holding Illinois to only 13. The Illini finished 1-11 on third down as they gained only 61 yards of offense on their first 8 drives and they ran 3 plays or less in 11 of their 14 total drives.
(15) Michigan St 44 (25) MINNESOTA 38
The Gophers outgained Michigan St. 525-413 but they lost 3 fumbles and allowed a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Their 3 fumbles led to 17 points and the Spartans built a 37-17 lead in the third quarter. Minnesota made the score look respectable as they gained 291 of their yards on their last 4 drives when the game was all but decided. The Gophers finished 3-14 on third down.
(13) Purdue 26 (14) WISCONSIN 23
Wisconsin returned a punt for a touchdown with 2:55 remaining to tie the score but Purdue was able to drive 82 yards to set up the game winning field goal with :03 remaining. Purdue held significant advantages in yardage - 477-293, first downs - 27-12 and TOP - 36:24-23:36 but the Badgers also recovered a fumble for a touchdown. Wisconsin entered Boilermakers territory in only 3 of their 12 drives.
(20) Texas 40 IOWA STATE 19
Texas rolled as they outyarded the Cyclones 578-277 and had a 28-16 first down edge. Iowa St. tried to close the 27-0 halftime gap with 11 points in the third quarter but Texas responded with 2 more touchdowns. The Cyclones only had 1 drive that was more than 30 yards in the first half and that resulted in a missed field goal. They finished with 35 total yards in the half.
(18 ) NEBRASKA 48 Texas A&M 12
Nebraska ran the ball 68 times, gaining 333 yards (4.9 ypc) and their defense allowed only 2 field goals. The only Aggies touchdown came on an 89-yard kickoff return. The Texas A&M offense turned the ball over 8 times leading to 35 Nebraska points. Even when they did have the ball, they couldn’t so anything with it as they finished 0-12 on third down.
OLE MISS 43 Alabama 28
Mississippi used a very balanced attack as they rushed for 216 yards and passed for another 230 yards. The Rebels scored on their first 4 drives as they built a 24-0 first quarter lead and never looked back. The one bright spot for Alabama was their punting unit that averaged 52.4 yards per kick.
Toledo 31 CENTRAL MICH 13
Toledo more than doubled the yardage of the Chippewas, 643-313 while registering 20 more first downs, 35-15. The Rockets were able to rush for 422 yards on 62 carries (6.8 ypc). Toledo controlled the clock over 17 minutes longer and ran 98 plays from scrimmage compared to 69 by Central Michigan. The reason Toledo barely escaped by covering was that 4 drives ended deep in CMU territory (2, 20, 29 and 10 yard lines) where 238 yards turned into 0 points.
Marshall 26 BUFFALO 16
In what looked like was going to be a blowout, the Bulls came out in the 2nd half to make a game of it. Marshall outyarded Buffalo 273-88 in the first half as they built a 19-3 halftime lead. The Bulls came back with 2 touchdowns in the 2nd half, pulling to within 3 points but Marshall took advantage of good field position to drive 44 yards and put the game away.
East Carolina 38 ARMY 32
The Pirates picked up their first win of the season as they held off a late Army charge. The Cadets trailed 38-14 with 13 minutes remaining but they put up 18 points to make the game look respectable. They gained 153 of their 323 yards on those 3 drives as East Carolina put a clamp on them most of the game. Army was held to 88 yards rushing on 32 carries (2.6 ypc).
Pittsburgh 42 RUTGERS 32
This was the tale of two games. Pittsburgh led 42-7 at the break by amassing a 417-147 yardage advantage. Rutgers didn’t go away though as they came storming back and shutout the Panthers 25-0 in the second half by outgaining them 369-77 and once again getting a backdoor cover. The Scarlet Knights might have actually pulled this one off if not for 3 turnovers on their last 4 drives.
Arizona State 33 NO CAROLINA 31
The Sun Devils had to score the game-winning touchdown as time expired even though they dominated this game. Arizona St. outyarded the Tar Heels 598-331 and had 11 more first downs. They finished 10-21 on 3rd while holding North Carolina to 3-11 on their 3rd down attempts. The problem was that they were held to two field goals of 21 and 24 yards while missing a third attempt. A fumble at their own 11-yard line set up North Carolina’s second touchdown. The refs gave the home team the breaks as the Sun Devils were penalized 16 times for 153 yards while the Tar Heels were flagged just 3 times.
KANSAS 28 Baylor 21
Kansas outgained Baylor 384-285 but the Bears used a blocked punt for a touchdown to keep the game close early. Baylor scored a late touchdown to make the final close although the cover was never in doubt. The Bears had the ball with a chance to tie the game to they were picked off and Kansas held on to go 5-2 for the first time since 1985.
(4) Georgia 27 VANDERBILT 8
It took 30 minutes for Georgia to wake up as they went to the break trailing 2-0. The teams combined for only 70 first half yards but the Bulldogs pulled away by scoring on 5 of their 6 second half possessions. Vanderbilt entered Georgia territory on 4 of their 6 second half drives but only came away with 7 points.
Connecticut 34 KENT STATE 31
Connecticut outyarded the Golden Flashes 515-319 but needed overtime to get the win. The Huskies were in Kent territory on all but 2 of their 12 drives but 2 turnovers and a missed field goal gave the Flashed the opportunities they needed. Kent opened overtime with a field goal but the Huskies were able to get the ball into the endzone to pull out the victory.
KANSAS STATE 49 Colorado 20
Colorado actually outyarded the Wildcats 420-371 but Kansas St. used a blocked punt to open up the game early in the third quarter. Kansas St. scored the first 4 touchdowns of the second half to open up a 29-point lead after just leading by a safety at the break. The Wildcats scored their final touchdown with :35 remaining even though they were instructed to just take a knee.
(5) U-S-C 45 NOTRE DAME 14
USC broke open a close game by scoring the final 31 points en route to the rout. The Trojans piled up 551 yards of offense while holding Notre Dame to 279 total yards - 103 total yards during the final 3 quarters. USC was forced to punt only once as they entered Irish territory on 11 of their 13 drives.
(19) AUBURN 45 Miss State 13
The announcement by Jackie Sherrill that he was retired certainly didn’t inspire his team as the Bulldogs were throttled by auburn. The Tigers racked up 553 yards of offense including 405 yards rushing on 56 carries (7.2 ypc). Mississippi St. scored their first touchdown on a 77-yard run play while their second came late in the 4th quarter against the reserves. The Bulldogs finished 1-12 on 3rd down.
Utah 28 U-N-L-V 10
Utah jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a UNLV fumble and the defense never gave the Rebels a chance to catch up. UNLV entered Utes territory only 2 times out of their 14 total drives and they gained just 104 total yards in the other 12 drives. In couldn’t get much more balanced for Utah as they rushed for 220 yards and passed for 221 yards.
Hawaii 44 LOUISIANA TECH 41
A back and forth game that saw 1,261 yards of offense went in favor of Hawaii. The Warriors overcame 5 turnovers and used an 80-yard drive to score the games final points. The Bulldogs scored on 4 of their last 5 drives but they missed a 53-yard field with 1:22 remaining that ended the game. Louisiana Tech missed 3 of their 5 field goal attempts, which ultimately ended up being the difference. The Bulldogs held the ball for over 14 minutes longer.
Boise State 45 S-M-U 3
The Broncos completely dominated as they outgained SMU 641-214 and held a 26-14 first down edge. They averaged 8.2 ypp while the Mustangs could only muster 2.9 ypp. The only blemishes for Boise St. were 7 penalties, going 0-4 on 4th down and rushing for just 81 yards on 32 carries (2.5 ypc).
Nevada 28 TULSA 21
Only 1 first down and 2 yards separated these teams. Nevada jumped ahead 21-7 but Tulsa ran off two 4th quarter touchdowns to tie the game with 6 minutes remaining. The Wolfpack then marched 64 yards on their next drive to score the game winner on just 2 plays. The golden Hurricane committed 5 turnovers, which ended up being the difference
Navy 38 RICE 6
Navy continues to run over the opposition as they rushed for 366 yards on 69 carries (5.3 ypc). The defense held the Owls to only 223 total yards and 14 first downs. They finished 3-13 on third down while the Navy offense converted 13 of their 19 attempts. The Midshipmen scored touchdowns on their first 4 drives and never looked back.
Miami-Ohio 49 BALL STATE 3
Ball St. was able to gain just 182 total yards and grab only 10 first downs. Miami put up 403 total yards on offense and they turned 4 interceptions into 21 points on the defensive side. The defense held the Cardinals rushing game to just 29 yards on 31 carries (0.9 ypc).
(23) OKLAHOMA STATE 51 Texas Tech 49
The Cowboys had this game locked up leading by 27 points entering the 4th quarter. The Red Raiders then scored four 4th quarter touchdowns and had the ball in Cowboys territory but Oklahoma St. came away with the interception with 1:05 remaining to preserve the win. The Cowboys were stopped at the Texas Tech 1-yard line with less than 6 minutes left and had to settle for the field goal. If they got that in the endzone, they get the cover.
Florida 33 (11) ARKANSAS 28
Florida survived an Arkansas 4th quarter comeback to hold on for the win. The Hogs outgained Florida 529-411 and had a 26-19 first down edge. However, 3 interceptions led to 17 points for the Gators. Arkansas put up 21 points in just over 4 minutes but they were not able to get the ball back as they committed a costly personal foul giving Florida a first down and the Gators just ran out the clock.
U-C-L-A 23 California 20
Cal scored a touchdown with :11 remaining to send the game into overtime but their 50-yard field goal attempt in the extra session was missed and UCLA walked out with the win. The Bears outgained the Bruins 397-228 but 2 missed field goals led to 14 UCLA points. UCLA took and 8-point lead in the 4th quarter after returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown. The Bruins overcame poor field position all day as their drives started on average at their own 18-yard line.
(8 ) OHIO STATE 19 (9) Iowa 10
Special teams were responsible for both Ohio St. touchdowns as they returned a punt 54 yards and blocked another punt for a touchdown. The offenses combined for just 404 total yards and only 122 yards on the ground. The Buckeyes longest drive on the day was 38 yards, which resulted in a fumble.
NORTH TEXAS 37 Utah State 27
Utah St. scored a late touchdown with 2:29 remaining to get the cover. The game was much closer than the score indicated as the Mean Green only had 10 more total yards and 1 more first down. North Texas scored touchdowns on 5 of their first 6 drives with the longest being only 47 yards thanks to great special teams. Their drives started from the 47-yard line on average for the game.
(12) NORTHERN ILL 37 Western Mich 10
Northern Illinois used a balanced attack as they rushed for 238 yards and passed for 276 yards in outyarding the Broncos 514-227. Western Michigan was held to –2 yards on the ground on 18 carries. The Huskies controlled the clock for over 19 minutes longer and their defense used 7 sacks in slowing down the high-powered Broncos offense. Western Michigan was also guilty of 11 penalties.
(6) Washington St 24 STANFORD 14
Stanford hung tough despite getting outgained 401-259. The Cardinal scored a touchdown with 6 minutes remaining to pull within 7 points but the Huskies responded with a 37-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to close out the win. The teams combined for 21 punts and 26 penalties.
Mid Tenn St 28 IDAHO 21
The Blue Raiders scored a touchdown and the 2-point conversion with 4 minutes remaining to send the game into overtime. They then scored on their OT possession and the Vandals were stopped at the goal line in their attempt. Idaho missed a field goal at the end of regulation that would have won it for them. Middle Tennessee St. deserved it as they outgained the Vandals 520-391 that included 222 yards rushing and 298 yards passing.
AKRON 38 U-C-F 24
Akron outgained the Golden Knights 504-317 and held them to 58 yards rushing on 20 carries (2.9 ypc). The defense also forced 3 turnovers that led to 17 points including their first 2 touchdowns of the game. The Zips were in Central Florida territory in all but 3 of their 12 drives. Akron doubled up the Knights on first downs 30-15.
WYOMING 13 B-Y-U 10
BYU outgained the Cowboys 328-225 but they committed 3 turnovers in the loss. Wyoming returned an interception for a touchdown to open up a 13-0 halftime lead and held off a late BYU charge but pull off the upset. BYU was guilty of 10 penalties while Wyoming was flagged just once.
Bowling Green 33 EASTERN MICH 20
Bowling Green survived a lethargic effort, as the Eagles wouldn’t go away. The Falcons were able to rush for 305 yards on 46 carries (6.6 ypc) and they scored on 5 of their first 6 possessions but were only able to put point up on 1 second half drive. Eastern Michigan was in Bowling Green territory on their last 4 drives but they had to settle for 2 field goals while turning the ball over on downs the other two times.
(1) OKLAHOMA 34 (24) Missouri 13
The Oklahoma defense came up big holding the Tigers to only 77 yards rushing on 35 carries (2.2 ypc). The offense started strong with 325 first half yards and also a punt return for a touchdown but they were held to 99 yards in the second half. Missouri gained only 69 yards in the second half.
KENTUCKY 35 Ohio U 14
Kentucky only outgained the Bobcats by 26 yards and had just 2 more first downs. The Wildcats blocked a punt and recovered a fumble that set up two easy scores and later scored thanks to another fumble in the 4th quarter. Ohio had a chance to tie the game at the end of the 3rd quarter but they were stopped at the Kentucky 1-yard line.
(16) T-C-U 27 U-A-B 24
TCU overcame a 24-19 3rd quarter deficit with a 49-yard field goal and a touchdown early in the 4th quarter to pull out the win to remain undefeated. The Horned Frogs had 9 more first downs but only 12 more total yards than UAB. The Blazers could do nothing on their final 5 drives of the game as they were forced to punt 4 times and threw an interception on their last drive to end the game.
(10) L-S-U 33 SO CAROLINA 7
LSU rushed for 263 yards on 52 carries (5.1 ypc) while holding the Gamecocks to 0 net yards on the ground. South Carolina’s only touchdown came on a 77-yard pass play and other than that, they totaled only another 177 yards. The tigers finished the game 11-17 on third down, while holding the ball for over 23 minutes longer.
(7) Florida State 19 VIRGINIA 14
The Seminoles held Virginia to –5 yards rushing on 9 carries. The Cavs passed the ball on 86% of their plays and while they were successful in completing 73% of their passes, they couldn’t keep drives going as they went 5-14 on third down. Florida St. controlled 11:41 of the clock in the 4th quarter, as Virginia was able to get the ball only 1 time and managed only 4 yards on 4 plays.
Memphis 45 HOUSTON 14
Memphis kept Houston off balance all night as they rushed for 255 yards and passed for another 232 yards. After punting on their first two drives, the Tigers scored touchdowns on their next 4 possessions and also returned an interception for another score. They would have gone a perfect 8-8 in scoring but they missed 2 field goals. The Cougars scored their only 2 touchdowns after they trailed 45-0, gaining nearly 50% of their total yardage in those drives.
New Mexico 30 SAN DIEGO ST 7
Very misleading as San Diego St. outgained New Mexico 392-326 but 6 turnovers led to 13 Lobos points and took away points of their own as 3 of those miscues were inside the New Mexico redzone. The Aztecs finished 1-6 in the redzone as they also missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs the other trip.
Washington 38 (22) OREGON STATE 17
Another misleading final as the Beavers outgained Washington 390-374 but the Huskies took advantage of 3 interceptions. Washington started the scoring by returning a punt for 86 yards. They extended a 4-point halftime lead by scoring 24 unanswered points to start the 2nd half. Oregon St. scored a late garbage touchdown. The Beavers were hurt yet again with penalties as they were flagged 15 times for 141 yards.
The Aggies outgained the Cajuns 438-380 but a costly interception at the La-Lafayette 48-yard line with 2:21 remaining set up the winning field goal. Field position played a key role as New Mexico St. averaged just 35 yards on their 5 punts while the Cajuns netted 46.6 yards on their 5 punts. The Aggies entered La-Lafayette territory in 9 of the 13 drives but 5 of those drives resulted in 0 points.
NC STATE 17 Clemson 15
The Wolfpack won the defensive battle even though they were outyarded 323-283. Clemson held NC State to 70 yards rushing on 36 carries (2.0 ypc). The Tigers were 4-4 in the redzone but 3 of those scores ended up being field goals. They missed the game tying 2-point conversion with 6:01 remaining and a tipped pass was intercepted on their next drive. The Wolfpack picked up 3 first downs and ran out the clock.
COLORADO ST 30 Air Force 20
The Rams racked up 564 yards of offense and outrushed the Falcons 320-293. Colorado St. was in Air Force territory in every one of their 11 drives but a missed field goal, a fumble and a turnover on downs, all inside the 30-yard line, cut down their scoring chances. Air Force turned the ball over near midfield on their last 2 drives and couldn’t get closer to get the cover.
LOUISVILLE 47 Tulane 28
Louisville gained 500 yards of offense including 288 yards rushing on 42 carries (6.9 ypc). Tulane committed 4 turnovers that led to 17 Cardinals points. What’s surprising is that the home team was flagged 10 times for 71 yards while the Green Wave didn’t commit one penalty. The Cardinals broke open a 13-point game with 2 touchdowns in 17 seconds to start the 4th quarter.
SYRACUSE 39 Boston College 14
The Orangemen outgained the Eagles 407-319, including a 192-70 advantage on the ground. They finished the game 14-19 on third down while controlling nearly 10 more minutes of the clock. The Syracuse defense recorded five sacks versus the Eagles, two more than its season total entering the game.
(2) MIAMI-FLORIDA 52 Temple 14
The Hurricanes dominated with a 601-171 yardage advantage and they had a 28-6 first down edge. Temple got on the board first thanks to a Miami fumble and their only other touchdown came on a 69-yard run meaning they barely eclipsed 100 yards of offense the rest of the game. In 9 of the Owls 12 drives, they went 3 and out or worse.
Wake Forest 42 DUKE 13
Duke actually outgained the Deacons 386-334 but turnovers killed them early on. Wake Forest intercepted a pass that was returned for a touchdown and also forced a fumble that set up a 1-yard touchdown drive. They also sacked Duke 4 times. The Blue Devils only averaged 33.8 yards on their punts allowing the Deacons to work from a short field.
(17) MICHIGAN 56 Illinois 14
Michigan jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead as they rushed for 275 yards on 49 carries (5.6 ypc). The Wolverines registered 30 first downs while holding Illinois to only 13. The Illini finished 1-11 on third down as they gained only 61 yards of offense on their first 8 drives and they ran 3 plays or less in 11 of their 14 total drives.
(15) Michigan St 44 (25) MINNESOTA 38
The Gophers outgained Michigan St. 525-413 but they lost 3 fumbles and allowed a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Their 3 fumbles led to 17 points and the Spartans built a 37-17 lead in the third quarter. Minnesota made the score look respectable as they gained 291 of their yards on their last 4 drives when the game was all but decided. The Gophers finished 3-14 on third down.
(13) Purdue 26 (14) WISCONSIN 23
Wisconsin returned a punt for a touchdown with 2:55 remaining to tie the score but Purdue was able to drive 82 yards to set up the game winning field goal with :03 remaining. Purdue held significant advantages in yardage - 477-293, first downs - 27-12 and TOP - 36:24-23:36 but the Badgers also recovered a fumble for a touchdown. Wisconsin entered Boilermakers territory in only 3 of their 12 drives.
(20) Texas 40 IOWA STATE 19
Texas rolled as they outyarded the Cyclones 578-277 and had a 28-16 first down edge. Iowa St. tried to close the 27-0 halftime gap with 11 points in the third quarter but Texas responded with 2 more touchdowns. The Cyclones only had 1 drive that was more than 30 yards in the first half and that resulted in a missed field goal. They finished with 35 total yards in the half.
(18 ) NEBRASKA 48 Texas A&M 12
Nebraska ran the ball 68 times, gaining 333 yards (4.9 ypc) and their defense allowed only 2 field goals. The only Aggies touchdown came on an 89-yard kickoff return. The Texas A&M offense turned the ball over 8 times leading to 35 Nebraska points. Even when they did have the ball, they couldn’t so anything with it as they finished 0-12 on third down.
OLE MISS 43 Alabama 28
Mississippi used a very balanced attack as they rushed for 216 yards and passed for another 230 yards. The Rebels scored on their first 4 drives as they built a 24-0 first quarter lead and never looked back. The one bright spot for Alabama was their punting unit that averaged 52.4 yards per kick.
Toledo 31 CENTRAL MICH 13
Toledo more than doubled the yardage of the Chippewas, 643-313 while registering 20 more first downs, 35-15. The Rockets were able to rush for 422 yards on 62 carries (6.8 ypc). Toledo controlled the clock over 17 minutes longer and ran 98 plays from scrimmage compared to 69 by Central Michigan. The reason Toledo barely escaped by covering was that 4 drives ended deep in CMU territory (2, 20, 29 and 10 yard lines) where 238 yards turned into 0 points.
Marshall 26 BUFFALO 16
In what looked like was going to be a blowout, the Bulls came out in the 2nd half to make a game of it. Marshall outyarded Buffalo 273-88 in the first half as they built a 19-3 halftime lead. The Bulls came back with 2 touchdowns in the 2nd half, pulling to within 3 points but Marshall took advantage of good field position to drive 44 yards and put the game away.
East Carolina 38 ARMY 32
The Pirates picked up their first win of the season as they held off a late Army charge. The Cadets trailed 38-14 with 13 minutes remaining but they put up 18 points to make the game look respectable. They gained 153 of their 323 yards on those 3 drives as East Carolina put a clamp on them most of the game. Army was held to 88 yards rushing on 32 carries (2.6 ypc).
Pittsburgh 42 RUTGERS 32
This was the tale of two games. Pittsburgh led 42-7 at the break by amassing a 417-147 yardage advantage. Rutgers didn’t go away though as they came storming back and shutout the Panthers 25-0 in the second half by outgaining them 369-77 and once again getting a backdoor cover. The Scarlet Knights might have actually pulled this one off if not for 3 turnovers on their last 4 drives.
Arizona State 33 NO CAROLINA 31
The Sun Devils had to score the game-winning touchdown as time expired even though they dominated this game. Arizona St. outyarded the Tar Heels 598-331 and had 11 more first downs. They finished 10-21 on 3rd while holding North Carolina to 3-11 on their 3rd down attempts. The problem was that they were held to two field goals of 21 and 24 yards while missing a third attempt. A fumble at their own 11-yard line set up North Carolina’s second touchdown. The refs gave the home team the breaks as the Sun Devils were penalized 16 times for 153 yards while the Tar Heels were flagged just 3 times.
KANSAS 28 Baylor 21
Kansas outgained Baylor 384-285 but the Bears used a blocked punt for a touchdown to keep the game close early. Baylor scored a late touchdown to make the final close although the cover was never in doubt. The Bears had the ball with a chance to tie the game to they were picked off and Kansas held on to go 5-2 for the first time since 1985.
(4) Georgia 27 VANDERBILT 8
It took 30 minutes for Georgia to wake up as they went to the break trailing 2-0. The teams combined for only 70 first half yards but the Bulldogs pulled away by scoring on 5 of their 6 second half possessions. Vanderbilt entered Georgia territory on 4 of their 6 second half drives but only came away with 7 points.
Connecticut 34 KENT STATE 31
Connecticut outyarded the Golden Flashes 515-319 but needed overtime to get the win. The Huskies were in Kent territory on all but 2 of their 12 drives but 2 turnovers and a missed field goal gave the Flashed the opportunities they needed. Kent opened overtime with a field goal but the Huskies were able to get the ball into the endzone to pull out the victory.
KANSAS STATE 49 Colorado 20
Colorado actually outyarded the Wildcats 420-371 but Kansas St. used a blocked punt to open up the game early in the third quarter. Kansas St. scored the first 4 touchdowns of the second half to open up a 29-point lead after just leading by a safety at the break. The Wildcats scored their final touchdown with :35 remaining even though they were instructed to just take a knee.
(5) U-S-C 45 NOTRE DAME 14
USC broke open a close game by scoring the final 31 points en route to the rout. The Trojans piled up 551 yards of offense while holding Notre Dame to 279 total yards - 103 total yards during the final 3 quarters. USC was forced to punt only once as they entered Irish territory on 11 of their 13 drives.
(19) AUBURN 45 Miss State 13
The announcement by Jackie Sherrill that he was retired certainly didn’t inspire his team as the Bulldogs were throttled by auburn. The Tigers racked up 553 yards of offense including 405 yards rushing on 56 carries (7.2 ypc). Mississippi St. scored their first touchdown on a 77-yard run play while their second came late in the 4th quarter against the reserves. The Bulldogs finished 1-12 on 3rd down.
Utah 28 U-N-L-V 10
Utah jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a UNLV fumble and the defense never gave the Rebels a chance to catch up. UNLV entered Utes territory only 2 times out of their 14 total drives and they gained just 104 total yards in the other 12 drives. In couldn’t get much more balanced for Utah as they rushed for 220 yards and passed for 221 yards.
Hawaii 44 LOUISIANA TECH 41
A back and forth game that saw 1,261 yards of offense went in favor of Hawaii. The Warriors overcame 5 turnovers and used an 80-yard drive to score the games final points. The Bulldogs scored on 4 of their last 5 drives but they missed a 53-yard field with 1:22 remaining that ended the game. Louisiana Tech missed 3 of their 5 field goal attempts, which ultimately ended up being the difference. The Bulldogs held the ball for over 14 minutes longer.
Boise State 45 S-M-U 3
The Broncos completely dominated as they outgained SMU 641-214 and held a 26-14 first down edge. They averaged 8.2 ypp while the Mustangs could only muster 2.9 ypp. The only blemishes for Boise St. were 7 penalties, going 0-4 on 4th down and rushing for just 81 yards on 32 carries (2.5 ypc).
Nevada 28 TULSA 21
Only 1 first down and 2 yards separated these teams. Nevada jumped ahead 21-7 but Tulsa ran off two 4th quarter touchdowns to tie the game with 6 minutes remaining. The Wolfpack then marched 64 yards on their next drive to score the game winner on just 2 plays. The golden Hurricane committed 5 turnovers, which ended up being the difference
Navy 38 RICE 6
Navy continues to run over the opposition as they rushed for 366 yards on 69 carries (5.3 ypc). The defense held the Owls to only 223 total yards and 14 first downs. They finished 3-13 on third down while the Navy offense converted 13 of their 19 attempts. The Midshipmen scored touchdowns on their first 4 drives and never looked back.
Miami-Ohio 49 BALL STATE 3
Ball St. was able to gain just 182 total yards and grab only 10 first downs. Miami put up 403 total yards on offense and they turned 4 interceptions into 21 points on the defensive side. The defense held the Cardinals rushing game to just 29 yards on 31 carries (0.9 ypc).
(23) OKLAHOMA STATE 51 Texas Tech 49
The Cowboys had this game locked up leading by 27 points entering the 4th quarter. The Red Raiders then scored four 4th quarter touchdowns and had the ball in Cowboys territory but Oklahoma St. came away with the interception with 1:05 remaining to preserve the win. The Cowboys were stopped at the Texas Tech 1-yard line with less than 6 minutes left and had to settle for the field goal. If they got that in the endzone, they get the cover.
Florida 33 (11) ARKANSAS 28
Florida survived an Arkansas 4th quarter comeback to hold on for the win. The Hogs outgained Florida 529-411 and had a 26-19 first down edge. However, 3 interceptions led to 17 points for the Gators. Arkansas put up 21 points in just over 4 minutes but they were not able to get the ball back as they committed a costly personal foul giving Florida a first down and the Gators just ran out the clock.
U-C-L-A 23 California 20
Cal scored a touchdown with :11 remaining to send the game into overtime but their 50-yard field goal attempt in the extra session was missed and UCLA walked out with the win. The Bears outgained the Bruins 397-228 but 2 missed field goals led to 14 UCLA points. UCLA took and 8-point lead in the 4th quarter after returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown. The Bruins overcame poor field position all day as their drives started on average at their own 18-yard line.
(8 ) OHIO STATE 19 (9) Iowa 10
Special teams were responsible for both Ohio St. touchdowns as they returned a punt 54 yards and blocked another punt for a touchdown. The offenses combined for just 404 total yards and only 122 yards on the ground. The Buckeyes longest drive on the day was 38 yards, which resulted in a fumble.
NORTH TEXAS 37 Utah State 27
Utah St. scored a late touchdown with 2:29 remaining to get the cover. The game was much closer than the score indicated as the Mean Green only had 10 more total yards and 1 more first down. North Texas scored touchdowns on 5 of their first 6 drives with the longest being only 47 yards thanks to great special teams. Their drives started from the 47-yard line on average for the game.
(12) NORTHERN ILL 37 Western Mich 10
Northern Illinois used a balanced attack as they rushed for 238 yards and passed for 276 yards in outyarding the Broncos 514-227. Western Michigan was held to –2 yards on the ground on 18 carries. The Huskies controlled the clock for over 19 minutes longer and their defense used 7 sacks in slowing down the high-powered Broncos offense. Western Michigan was also guilty of 11 penalties.
(6) Washington St 24 STANFORD 14
Stanford hung tough despite getting outgained 401-259. The Cardinal scored a touchdown with 6 minutes remaining to pull within 7 points but the Huskies responded with a 37-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to close out the win. The teams combined for 21 punts and 26 penalties.
Mid Tenn St 28 IDAHO 21
The Blue Raiders scored a touchdown and the 2-point conversion with 4 minutes remaining to send the game into overtime. They then scored on their OT possession and the Vandals were stopped at the goal line in their attempt. Idaho missed a field goal at the end of regulation that would have won it for them. Middle Tennessee St. deserved it as they outgained the Vandals 520-391 that included 222 yards rushing and 298 yards passing.
AKRON 38 U-C-F 24
Akron outgained the Golden Knights 504-317 and held them to 58 yards rushing on 20 carries (2.9 ypc). The defense also forced 3 turnovers that led to 17 points including their first 2 touchdowns of the game. The Zips were in Central Florida territory in all but 3 of their 12 drives. Akron doubled up the Knights on first downs 30-15.
WYOMING 13 B-Y-U 10
BYU outgained the Cowboys 328-225 but they committed 3 turnovers in the loss. Wyoming returned an interception for a touchdown to open up a 13-0 halftime lead and held off a late BYU charge but pull off the upset. BYU was guilty of 10 penalties while Wyoming was flagged just once.
Bowling Green 33 EASTERN MICH 20
Bowling Green survived a lethargic effort, as the Eagles wouldn’t go away. The Falcons were able to rush for 305 yards on 46 carries (6.6 ypc) and they scored on 5 of their first 6 possessions but were only able to put point up on 1 second half drive. Eastern Michigan was in Bowling Green territory on their last 4 drives but they had to settle for 2 field goals while turning the ball over on downs the other two times.
(1) OKLAHOMA 34 (24) Missouri 13
The Oklahoma defense came up big holding the Tigers to only 77 yards rushing on 35 carries (2.2 ypc). The offense started strong with 325 first half yards and also a punt return for a touchdown but they were held to 99 yards in the second half. Missouri gained only 69 yards in the second half.
KENTUCKY 35 Ohio U 14
Kentucky only outgained the Bobcats by 26 yards and had just 2 more first downs. The Wildcats blocked a punt and recovered a fumble that set up two easy scores and later scored thanks to another fumble in the 4th quarter. Ohio had a chance to tie the game at the end of the 3rd quarter but they were stopped at the Kentucky 1-yard line.
(16) T-C-U 27 U-A-B 24
TCU overcame a 24-19 3rd quarter deficit with a 49-yard field goal and a touchdown early in the 4th quarter to pull out the win to remain undefeated. The Horned Frogs had 9 more first downs but only 12 more total yards than UAB. The Blazers could do nothing on their final 5 drives of the game as they were forced to punt 4 times and threw an interception on their last drive to end the game.
(10) L-S-U 33 SO CAROLINA 7
LSU rushed for 263 yards on 52 carries (5.1 ypc) while holding the Gamecocks to 0 net yards on the ground. South Carolina’s only touchdown came on a 77-yard pass play and other than that, they totaled only another 177 yards. The tigers finished the game 11-17 on third down, while holding the ball for over 23 minutes longer.
(7) Florida State 19 VIRGINIA 14
The Seminoles held Virginia to –5 yards rushing on 9 carries. The Cavs passed the ball on 86% of their plays and while they were successful in completing 73% of their passes, they couldn’t keep drives going as they went 5-14 on third down. Florida St. controlled 11:41 of the clock in the 4th quarter, as Virginia was able to get the ball only 1 time and managed only 4 yards on 4 plays.
Memphis 45 HOUSTON 14
Memphis kept Houston off balance all night as they rushed for 255 yards and passed for another 232 yards. After punting on their first two drives, the Tigers scored touchdowns on their next 4 possessions and also returned an interception for another score. They would have gone a perfect 8-8 in scoring but they missed 2 field goals. The Cougars scored their only 2 touchdowns after they trailed 45-0, gaining nearly 50% of their total yardage in those drives.
New Mexico 30 SAN DIEGO ST 7
Very misleading as San Diego St. outgained New Mexico 392-326 but 6 turnovers led to 13 Lobos points and took away points of their own as 3 of those miscues were inside the New Mexico redzone. The Aztecs finished 1-6 in the redzone as they also missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs the other trip.
Washington 38 (22) OREGON STATE 17
Another misleading final as the Beavers outgained Washington 390-374 but the Huskies took advantage of 3 interceptions. Washington started the scoring by returning a punt for 86 yards. They extended a 4-point halftime lead by scoring 24 unanswered points to start the 2nd half. Oregon St. scored a late garbage touchdown. The Beavers were hurt yet again with penalties as they were flagged 15 times for 141 yards.