College Football | Top 25 Roundup
Published 11:38 pm Saturday, September 20, 2008
No. 4 Florida 30, Tennessee 6: At Knoxville, Tenn., Tim Tebow threw two TD passes and helped Gators coach Urban Meyer improve to 4-0 against the mistake-prone Vols (1-2, 0-1 SEC). Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) took control on the first play of the game with a 52-yard kickoff return by Brandon James that kick-started the Gators’ second consecutive lopsided victory over their SEC East rivals.
No. 5 Missouri 42, Buffalo 21: At Columbia, Mo., Chase Daniel passed for a career-high 439 yards and set a Big 12 record with 20 consecutive completions, helping the Tigers (4-0) overcome a rash of errors in their win over the Bulls (2-2). Missouri lost three fumbles in Buffalo territory and special teams mistakes led to two of the Bulls’ TDs, keeping the game close well into the second half against a 33.5-point underdog.
No. 6 LSU 26, No. 10 Auburn: At Auburn, Ala., quarterback Jarret Lee and receiver Brandon LaFell connected on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 1:03 to play to lift LSU (3-0, 1-0 SEC) to yet another dramatic comeback win over Auburn (3-1, 1-1) in an SEC West showdown that once again produced a fantastic finish and wild momentum swings.
No. 7 Texas 52, Rice 10: At Austin, Texas, Colt McCoy threw four TD passes, setting the Texas career record, as the Longhorns (3-0) romped over Rice (2-2). McCoy finished with 329 yards passing and led the Longhorns in rushing for the second time this season with 83 yards on eight carries. His 5-yard scoring toss to Quan Cosby in the third broke the previous record of 60 TD passses set by Major Applewhite from 1998-2001. Applewhite is now the Longhorns’ running backs coach.
No. 9 Alabama 49, Arkansas 14: At Fayetteville, Ark., Javier Arenas and Justin Woodall scored on long interception returns as the Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0) opened Southeastern Conference play with a rout of the Razorbacks (2-1, 0-1). Alabama led 35-7 at halftime, and six of the Crimson Tide’s seven TDs covered at least 25 yards.
No. 11 Texas Tech 56, Massachusetts 14: At Lubbock, Texas, Graham Harrell threw for 322 yards and four TDs to help the Red Raiders (4-0) dominate the Minutemen (2-2) from the outset.
No. 12 South Florida 17, Florida International 9: At Miami, Mike Ford ran for two short TD and Matt Grothe completed 14 of 22 passes for 137 yards as the Bulls (4-0) beat the Golden Panthers (0-3).
No. 13 Ohio State 28, Troy 10: At Columbus, Ohio, Terrelle Pryor became the first true freshman to start for the Buckeyes (3-1) in 30 years — since Art Schlichter in 1978 — and threw four TD passes against the Trojans (2-1). Pryor played all but two snaps until the game was decided. In the wake of an ugly 35-3 defeat last week at top-ranked USC, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel had said that the nation’s top quarterback recruit last spring and fifth-year senior Todd Boeckman would split the job 50-50 against Troy. Pryor, a 6-foot-6 standout from Jeannette, Pa., who won’t attend his first college class until next week, completed 10 of 16 passes for 139 yards with one interception. He also ran 14 times for 66 yards.
No. 14 BYU 44, Wyoming 0: At Provo, Utah, Max Hall threw three TD passes and the Cougars (4-0, 1-0 MWC) extended the nation’s longest winning streak by beating the Cowboys (2-2, 0-2) and posting their second straight shutout. BYU, coming off a 59-0 win over UCLA last week, has won 14 straight, matching its longest winning streak of the decade and got back-to-back shutouts for the first time in 23 years.
North Carolina St. 30, No. 15 East Carolina 24 (OT): At Raleigh, N.C., Andre Brown’s 10-yard TD run in overtime lifted the Wolfpack (2-2), seven-point underdogs, over the Pirates (3-1). Russell Wilson threw three TD passes — including a score-tying 5-yarder to George Bryan with 1:12 to play in regulation for N.C. St., which never trailed by more than a touchdown.
No. 16 Penn State 45, Temple 3: At State College, Pa., the Nittany Lions (4-0) built another huge halftime lead, then cruised to an easy win over over the Owls (1-3) with Hall of Famer Joe Paterno coaching from the press box in the second half. The 81-year-old Paterno walked gingerly at times along the sideline in the first half as Penn State built a 31-0 lead. He had been complaining this week of a sore right leg.
No. 18 Wake Forest 12, No. 24 Florida St. 3: At Tallahassee, Fla., Sam Swank kicked four field goals and the Demon Deacons (3-0, 1-0 ACC) forced seven turnovers by the Seminoles (2-1, 0-1).
No. 19 Kansas 38, Sam Houston St. 14: At Lawrence, Kan., Todd Reesing threw for 356 yards and two TDs and ran for another score to lead the Jayhawks (3-1) over the Bearkats (1-1).
No. 20 Utah 30, Air Force 23: At Air Force Academy, Colo., Darrell Mack scored three second-half TDs, including a 9-yard run up the middle with 58 seconds remaining, to help the Utes (4-0, 2-0 MWC) rally past the Falcons (3-1, 1-1). Utah kept Air Force’s vaunted ground game in check, allowing just 53 yards. The Falcons entered the game with the second-best rushing offense in the nation, averaging 358 yards a game.
No. 23 Clemson 54, South Carolina St. 0: At Clemson, S.C., James Davis rushed for three TDs to lead the Tigers (3-1) in a rout of the Bulldogs (2-2), a Championship Subdivision team.
No. 25 Fresno St. 55, Toledo 54 (2 OT): At Toledo, Ohio, Nico Herron knocked down Aaron Opelt’s 2-point conversion pass as the Bulldogs (2-1) held on to beat the Rockets 1-2 in two overtimes on Saturday night. Toledo coach Tom Amstutz decided to go for the win after the Rockets scored on Opelt’s 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Allen on fourth down. Opelt was pressured on the final play and forced the ball into coverage. Both teams scored easily in the first overtime.
