Top-25 College Football Game Capsules

Tuscaloosa, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – AJ McCarron tied a personal best with four touchdown passes in limited action, and the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide pounded an overmatched Georgia State squad, 45-3. McCarron played only five series and finished with 166 yards on 15-of-16 passing. T.J. Yeldon had 51 yards and a touchdown on six carries for Alabama (5-0), which has won nine games in a row. Blake Sims completed 14-of-18 passes for 130 yards and a score in relief of McCarron. The Crimson Tide produced points on each of their first seven drives. The run ended when Adam Griffith missed a 30- yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Georgia State quarterback Ronnie Bell accumulated 146 yards while connecting on 11-of-20 passes. The Panthers (0-5), playing their inaugural FBS season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, totaled only nine first downs and 15 yards rushing.

Final Score: (2) Oregon 57, Colorado 16

Boulder, CO (SportsNetwork.com) – Marcus Mariota threw five touchdown passes to lead second-ranked Oregon to a 57-16 drubbing of Colorado at Folsom Field. Mariota completed 16-of-27 passes for 355 yards and also rushed for a pair of scores for the Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12), who have won each game this season by at least 39 points. Bralon Addison caught five passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Huff finished with five catches for 103 yards and two scores and Byron Marshall picked up 122 yards on the ground in the win. Connor Wood was 11-for-33 passing for 205 yards and two interceptions. Paul Richardson finished with 134 yards receiving and also threw a 75-yard touchdown pass for the Buffaloes (2-2, 0-2), who have dropped back-to-back games.

Final Score: (3) Clemson 49, Syracuse 14

Syracuse, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Tajh Boyd threw for a career-high 455 yards along with five touchdowns, as No. 3 Clemson provided a rude introduction into the ACC for Syracuse with a 49-14 rout at Carrier Dome. Boyd finished at 20- of-27 efficiency despite two interceptions and four sacks for the Tigers (5-0, 3-0 ACC), who host Boston College next Saturday. Sammy Watkins racked up 126 yards and a score on four catches, Adam Humphries reached the end zone twice on three catches for 118 yards, while Martavis Bryant and Stanton Seckinger also hauled in a TD pass each. Zac Brooks and C.J. Davidson each posted a rushing score for Clemson. Terrel Hunt was limited to 8-of-24 passing for 52 yards and three picks for the Orange (2-3, 0-1), who entered the conference this season after playing in the Big East since 1991. Ashton Broyld totaled 64 yards on five grabs, while Jerome Smith gained 125 yards on 18 carries which included a 66-yard touchdown run. Prince-Tyson Gulley added a 28-yard scamper to paydirt.

Final Score: (4) Ohio State 40, (16) Northwestern 30

Evanston, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Carlos Hyde put the Buckeyes on his back, rushing for a career-high 168 yards and scoring three second-half touchdowns to help No. 4 Ohio State escape with a 40-30 victory over 16th-ranked Northwestern on a humid night at Ryan Field. With quarterback Braxton Miller bottled up most of the contest, Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) called Hyde’s number 26 times out of the backfield and the senior responded with an explosive performance and scored each of the team’s offensive touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 38 yards. Corey Brown caught six passes for 127 yards and was the security blanket for Miller, who endured a rough first half with two turnovers but finished 15- of-26 passing for 203 yards in Ohio State’s nation-best 18th straight win. Trevor Siemian threw for two touchdowns and 245 yards on 13-of-18 efficiency, but had a fourth quarter interception. Kain Colter did a little bit of everything, completing all 12 of his throws and adding receiving and rushing scores, but botched a snap on 4th-and-1 late in the game and it all but sealed a 29th loss in 30 games for the Wildcats (4-1, 0-1) against their conference foe. Ryan Lawrence had 149 yards receiving on eight catches for the Wildcats, who were seeking a second straight 5-0 start to a season for the first time since 1904-05.

Final Score: (5) Stanford 31, (15) Washington 28

Stanford, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Ty Montgomery returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a score and added a touchdown grab, while Stanford’s defense stood tall down the stretch, as the fifth-ranked Cardinal edged No. 15 Washington, 31-28, in a Pac-12 clash at Stanford Stadium. Washington’s Keith Price put forth a valiant effort, throwing for 350 yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard scoring strike to Jaydon Mickens that brought the Huskies within three with 2:38 left in the contest. Following a Stanford three-and- out, Price moved the Huskies into Stanford territory and on 4th-and-10 from the 49-yard line, the Washington quarterback evaded a number of defenders behind the line before firing a strike to Kevin Smith, who appeared to make a diving grab along the right sideline for a first down. However, video review showed the ball slipped through Smith’s hands and hit the ground, giving possession back to the Cardinal, who ran out the remainder of the clock with a pair of kneel downs. Stanford signal-caller Kevin Hogan completed 12-of-20 passes for 105 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while adding 37 yards and a score on 10 carries for the Cardinal (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12), who extended their winning streak to 13 games. Price connected on 33-of-48 throws with an interception, while Bishop Sankey carried the ball 27 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns for the Huskies (4-1, 1-1), who were looking for their first 5-0 start since 1992.

Final Score: (6) Georgia 34, Tennessee 31 (OT)

Knoxville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) – Marshall Morgan made a 42-yard field goal in the first overtime to give the sixth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs a hard-fought 34-31 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. Morgan’s game-winner came after Tennessee’s Alton Howard fumbled the ball out of the end zone to start overtime. Aaron Murray completed 19-of-35 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs (4-1, 3-0 SEC), who lost four key players to injuries in the game. The senior quarterback became the SEC’s all-time leader in passing yards (11,625), surpassing former Bulldog David Greene. J.J. Green carried the ball 17 times for 129 yards for Georgia, which has won four in a row since opening the season with a loss to Clemson. Rantavious Wooten hauled in six passes for 38 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs saw running back Keith Marshall (knee), wide receivers Michael Bennett (knee) and Justin Scott-Wesley (knee) and punter Collin Barber (concussion) exit the game. Justin Worley connected on 17-of-31 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown for the Volunteers (3-3, 0-2), who came close to pulling off their first win over a top 10 team since Oct. 7, 2006 when they beat Georgia. Rajion Neal carried the ball 28 times for 148 yards and two scores. Marquez North hauled in four passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Final Score: (7) Louisville 30, Temple 7

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Teddy Bridgewater completed 24-of-34 passes with 348 yards and two touchdowns to lead the seventh-ranked Louisville Cardinals to a 30-7 win over the Temple Owls in American Athletic Conference action. Louisville (5-0, 1-0 AAC) started the scoring early. Bridgewater and the Cardinals offense marched down the field on their first drive. The Heisman hopeful rolled out to his right and found a wide open Gerald Christian for a one-yard score. Eli Rogers caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown to lead Louisville’s receiving corps, while Dominique Brown fronted the rushing attack with 11 carries for 74 yards and a score to help the Cardinals reach 5-0 for a second straight season. P.J. Walker stepped in as quarterback in the second quarter after starter Connor Reilly failed to push the Temple (0-5, 0-2) offense down the field. The freshman went 11-for-20 on 182 yards passing with a touchdown. The young signal-caller also rushed for 28 yards.

Final Score: (8) Florida State 63, (25) Maryland 0

Tallahassee, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Redshirt freshman Jameis Winston threw five touchdown passes, as the eighth-ranked Florida State Seminoles humbled No. 25 Maryland in a 63-0 dismantling at Doak Campbell Stadium. Winston played until the early stages of the fourth quarter and finished with a career-high 393 yards on 23-of-32 passing. Kelvin Benjamin and Nick O’Leary both caught two touchdown passes in the rout, and Karlos Williams added two scores on the ground for Florida State (5-0, 3-0 ACC), which reached the end zone on eight consecutive drives at one point. Maryland senior quarterback C.J. Brown exited in the second quarter and did not return after being shaken up on an unpenalized hit by defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel. Sophomore Caleb Rowe connected on 9-of-17 passes for 119 yards for the Terrapins (4-1, 0-1), who are playing their last season in the ACC before joining the Big Ten. Maryland, which was limited to nine first downs and 234 total yards on offense, was off to its best start since opening the 2001 campaign with seven straight wins.

Final Score: (10) LSU 59, Mississippi State 26

Starkville, MS (SportsNetwork.com) – Tenth-ranked LSU needed to put its heart- breaking 44-41 loss to Georgia last Saturday quickly in the rear view mirror. Odell Beckham made sure the Tigers did. Beckham caught nine passes for a career-high 179 yards and two touchdowns in LSU’s 59-26 triumph over Mississippi State. With the Tigers nursing a 31-26 lead after three quarters of play, LSU scored 28 points in the fourth, which included a pair of scores in the first 39 seconds of the frame. On the first play of the period, Zach Mettenberger hit Beckham on a comeback route and Beckham broke through the rest of the secondary for a 33-yard score. Tre’Davious White intercepted Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott three plays later and returned the pick 40 yards to the Mississippi State 5-yard line. Jeremy Hill ran in for the touchdown a play later to make it 45-26. Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard rushed for touchdowns of nine and four yards, respectively, later in the fourth to cap the scoring. Mettenberger was 25-of-29 for 340 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Tigers (5-1, 2-1 SEC), who ran for 223 yards.

Final Score: (11) Oklahoma 20, TCU 17

Norman, OK (SportsNetwork.com) – Brennan Clay rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown as No. 11 Oklahoma downed TCU, 20-17, on Saturday. With the Sooners (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) leading just 13-10 with under five minutes left, Clay broke off a 76-yard touchdown run to make it a 10-point game. The Horned Frogs (2-3, 0-2) answered back with a 5-play, 74-yard drive that ended with an 8-yard Trevone Boykin touchdown run. After completions of 45 and 21 yards brought the ball to the Oklahoma 10, B.J. Catalon was stopped for a 2-yard gain. On the next play, Boykin was flushed out of the pocket to the right sideline, but was able to beat a series of defenders to the goal line and pull TCU within 20-17. Oklahoma, though, couldn’t be stopped as Blake Bell broke off a 17-yard run as he carried a pair of defenders on his back past the first down marker and the Sooners were able to run out the clock.

Final Score: (13) South Carolina 35, Kentucky 28

Columbia, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Connor Shaw’s touchdown run in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference as No. 13 South Carolina hung on for a 35-28 victory over Kentucky on Saturday. Shaw went 17-for-20 for 262 yards and a score and added nine carries for 50 yards for the Gamecocks (4-1, 2-1 SEC), who have won three straight since a loss to Georgia on Sept. 7. Mike Davis had 21 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Jalen Whitlow was 17- for-24 for 178 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats (1-4, 0-2), who have lost three straight. Whitlow also had 17 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Final Score: (14) Miami-Florida 45, Georgia Tech 30

Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Stephen Morris had three touchdown passes as No. 14 Miami-Florida took a 45-30 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday. Morris was 17-for-22 for 324 yards and two interceptions, while Allen Hurns caught four passes for 108 yards and a score for the Hurricanes (5-0, 1-0 ACC), who got 184 yards on 22 carries from Duke Johnson. Dallas Crawford had a pair of touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Vad Lee had just 63 yards on 5-of-13 passing and threw a critical fourth quarter interception for the Yellow Jackets (3-2, 2-2), who have dropped their past two games. David Sims had two touchdowns and 77 yards on 16 carries.

Final Score: (17) Baylor 73, West Virginia 42

Waco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Lache Seastrunk rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns and Bryce Petty threw a pair of touchdowns and also rushed for one as No. 17 Baylor cruised to a 73-42 win over West Virginia on Saturday. Shock Linwood rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown and Glasco Martin ran for 63 yards and two scores for Baylor (4-0, 1-0 Big 12), which finished with 476 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Petty completed 17-of-25 passes for 347 yards and an interception and Antwan Goodley caught seven passes for 170 yards and a touchdown in the triumph. WVU (3-3, 1-2) starting quarterback Clint Trickett completed just 9-of-28 passes for 161 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Paul Millard was 8- for-13 passing for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Charles Sims rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown for the Mountaineers.

Final Score: (18) Florida 30, Arkansas 10

Gainesville, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Tyler Murphy threw three touchdown passes, two of them going to Solomon Patton, as 18th-ranked Florida topped Arkansas, 30-10, Saturday night. Murphy, pressed into action after Jeff Driskel broke his leg in a Sept. 21 win over Tennessee, completed 16-of-22 passes for 240 yards. Patton had a career- high 124 yards on six receptions. Loucheiz Purifoy returned an interception 42 yards for a score for the Gators (4-1, 3-0 SEC), who took control with a dominating second quarter to win for the third straight time since a loss to in-state rival Miami on Sept. 7. The Gators have a rough schedule ahead of them over the next month with road contests against current No. 10 LSU, undefeated Missouri, and a game versus No. 6 Georgia in Jacksonville. Florida won’t play at home again until Nov. 9 versus Vanderbilt. Brandon Allen finished 17-of-41 for 164 yards through the air for the Razorbacks (3-3,0-2), who lost their third straight contest. Jonathan Williams scored the lone touchdown, on a 4-yard run in the opening quarter.

Final Score: (19) Michigan 42, Minnesota 13

Ann Arbor, MI (SportsNetwork.com) – Fitzgerald Toussaint carried 17 times for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead No. 19 Michigan to a 42-13 win over Minnesota and claim its sixth straight Little Brown Jug. The Wolverines have now beaten the Gophers, who were without head coach Jerry Kill after he suffered a seizure early Saturday morning, in 22 of the last 23 meetings in this historic rivalry. They improved to 73-24-3 all-time over the Gophers. Kill, who has epilepsy, started feeling ill Friday night and had his fifth seizure since being hired as head coach of Minnesota (4-2, 0-2 Big Ten) in 2011. Kill was not hospitalized but stayed home to recover and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys served as acting head coach for Saturday’s tilt. Devin Gardner was efficient in leading the Michigan (5-0, 1-0) attack, completing 13-of-17 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown. Gardner also rushed for a score and did not commit a turnover for the first time this season. Tight end Devin Funchess had a career day for the Wolverines, hauling in seven catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Jeremy Gallon had just two catches for 39 yards but extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 31, fourth-best in program history. Mitch Leidner went 14-of-21 with a touchdown and an interception in his second collegiate start for the visitors. The redshirt freshman also ran 18 times for 66 yards in defeat.

Final Score: (20) Texas Tech 54, Kansas 16

Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – The 20th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders rolled past the Kansas Jayhawks by a 54-16 margin on Saturday, but lost starting quarterback Baker Mayfield to an injury in the process. Mayfield completed 33-of-51 passes for 368 yards and an interception before suffering an apparent right knee injury at the end of the third quarter. Davis Webb came on in relief and connected on 3-of-6 passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns. Kenny Williams carried the ball 12 times for 42 yards and a score for the Red Raiders (5-0, 2-0 Big 12), who are off to a 5-0 start for the first time since the 2008 season. DeAndre Washington rushed for 16 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Eric Ward caught seven passes for 122 yards and a score for Texas Tech, which improved to 14-1 all-time against Kansas. Jace Amaro hauled in nine passes for 96 yards. Jake Heaps completed 16-of-32 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Jayhawks (2-2, 0-1), who went 0-9 in Big 12 play in 2012. Tony Pierson caught six passes for 118 yards for Kansas.

Final Score: (21) Oklahoma State 33, Kansas State 29

Stillwater, OK (SportsNetwork.com) – J.W. Walsh completed 24-of-38 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown to push the 21st-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys over the Kansas State Wildcats, 33-29, at Boone Pickens Stadium. Walsh led Oklahoma State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) on a 75-yard fourth quarter drive that was capped off by a six-yard TD catch from Charlie Moore to put the Cowboys up 30-29. Ben Grogan kicked a 28-yard field goal with 2:24 left in the game to account for the final score. Walsh and Jeremy Smith each rushed for a touchdown in Oklahoma State’s sixth straight home win. Daniel Sams connected on 15-of-21 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Kansas State (2-3, 0-2) signal-caller also ran for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Final Score: Notre Dame 37, (22) Arizona State 34

Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Notre Dame’s stingy defense stifled the red-hot Taylor Kelly and the high-powered Arizona State offense just enough. It was a performance the Irish had been waiting for all season. Prince Shembo tallied three of Notre Dame’s four sacks as the Irish topped No. 22 Arizona State, 37-34, in the 2013 Shamrock Series. The game was tied 27-27 midway through the fourth before Tommy Rees engineered a 10-play, 56-yard drive that was capped on Kyle Brindza’s go-ahead 25-yard field goal with 3:03 to go. Mathias Farley intercepted Kelly on a 4th-and-13 on the Sun Devils’ ensuing series, and after Arizona State forced a three-and-out, Dan Fox intercepted Kelly on the first play of ASU’s next sequence and returned it 14 yards for the game-clinching score with 1:16 left. After its defense keyed Notre Dame’s run to the BCS title game a year ago, the Irish came in with just four sacks and were among the nation’s worst with 110 first downs allowed.

Final Score: (23) Fresno State 61, Idaho 14

Moscow, ID (SportsNetwork.com) – Derek Carr completed 37-of-48 passes for 419 yards and five touchdowns in the 23rd-ranked Fresno State Bulldogs’ 61-14 rout of the Idaho Vandals. Marteze Waller carried the ball 19 times for 157 yards and two scores for the Bulldogs (5-0), who are off to a 5-0 start for the first time since the 2001 season. Davante Adams caught 16 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Chad Chalich connected on 14-of-32 passes for 100 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for the Vandals (1-5), who failed to build off last week’s win over Temple. Joshua McCain completed 3-of-8 passes for 77 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Final Score: Auburn 30, (24) Ole Miss 22

Auburn, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – Nick Marshall ran circles around the Ole Miss defense, with the Auburn quarterback scrambling for 140 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers outplayed the No. 24 Rebels in a 30-22 victory on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Marshall also completed 11-of-17 passes for 93 yards, but was aided tremendously by an outstanding effort from the Auburn defense, which had a pair of interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — and six sacks on the evening. Tre Mason rushed for 77 yards and a score on 21 carries and also hauled in three passes for 62 yards in the win for the Tigers (4-1, 2-1 SEC), who looked rejuvenated coming off their bye week following a loss to LSU. Ole Miss (3-2, 1-2), which was shut out last week by top-ranked Alabama, sputtered offensively for the second straight game. The Rebels managed just six first-half points, their receivers combined for six drops and the team finished 5-for-19 on third downs for the game. Bo Wallace had a difficult time under center, matching two touchdowns with two bad interceptions. He ended 25-of-48 passing for 336 yards in the setback, while Donte Moncrief caught both his touchdowns and had 122 yards receiving.

Categorized in: NCAA Football