Top-25 College Football Game Capsules

Tuscaloosa, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – Another week, another blowout win for No. 1 Alabama. T.J. Yeldon ran for three touchdowns and AJ McCarron threw for two more as the Crimson Tide humbled the Tennessee Volunteers, 45-10, at Bryant- Denny Stadium. Yeldon gained 72 yards on 15 carries while McCarron was an efficient 19-of-27 for 275 yards, hitting Kevin Norwood six times for 112 yards and a score. Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) has a week off before hosting nationally-ranked LSU. Tennessee’s Justin Worley completed 8-of-15 attempts for 120 yards, and one of the two interceptions he threw was returned for a touchdown by Landon Collins. Joshua Dobbs took over for Worley in the second half and totaled 75 yards on 5-of-12 passing in his collegiate debut. The Volunteers (4-4, 1-3) halted their 19-game losing streak against ranked opponents last week by knocking off South Carolina, but ending Alabama’s 11- game win streak proved an impossible task.

Final Score: (2) Oregon 42, (12) UCLA 14

Eugene, OR (SportsNetwork.com) – Byron Marshall rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns and No. 2 Oregon scored 28 unanswered points in the second half on Saturday to pull away for a 42-14 win over No. 12 UCLA. UCLA scored two first- half touchdowns off an Oregon fumble and a blocked punt and recovered a fumbled snap deep in its own territory in the third quarter. But the Bruins punted and the Ducks — who had beaten their first seven opponents this season by an average of 40 points — took a 21-14 lead on Marshall’s 11-yard touchdown run. The score opened the floodgates a little later than usual for Oregon (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12), which was held to its lowest point total of the season. Heisman Trophy candidate Marcus Mariota — averaging 363 yards of total offense per game coming in — threw for 230 yards with a touchdown pass to Bralon Addison and rushed for 18, falling well short of that number. De’Anthony Thomas returned to rush for 31 yards and a touchdown after missing the last three games with an ankle injury and linebacker Rodney Hardrick ran 67 yards on a fake punt to set up Oregon’s first touchdown. Brett Hundley threw for just 64 yards with a touchdown pass to Thomas Duarte and also ran for 72 yards and a score for the Bruins (5-2, 2-2), who have lost two in a row after falling at Stanford last week. Paul Perkins rushed for 93 yards in the loss.

Final Score: (3) Florida State 49, North Carolina State 17

Tallahassee, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Jameis Winston totaled 292 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-26 efficiency, as No. 3 Florida State showed no signs of slowing down after a 49-17 demolition of North Carolina State at Doak Campbell Stadium. Devonta Freeman crossed into the end zone twice, part of a 92-yard, 12-carry performance for the Seminoles (7-0, 5-0 ACC), who rolled to victory thanks to a 35-point first quarter and will clash with 7-0 Miami- Florida at home in prime time one week from now. Rashad Greene totaled a game- high 137 yards on eight receptions with a score, Kelvin Benjamin and Nick O’Leary added TD catches, while Karlos Williams and Kermit Whitfield posted a rushing touchdown each. Brandon Mitchell was limited to 128 yards on 17-of-33 passing for the Wolfpack (3-4, 0-4), who have dropped three in a row overall. He was picked off twice and sacked three times. Shardrach Thornton recorded NC State’s two touchdowns on the ground, finishing with a game-best 173 yards on 23 totes.

Final Score: (4) Ohio State 63, Penn State 14

Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Quarterback Braxton Miller accounted for five touchdowns — three passing and two rushing — and No. 4 Ohio State rolled to a 63-14 win over Penn State on Saturday. Miller threw for 252 yards and touchdown passes to Chris Fields, Corey Brown and Dontre Wilson. Carlos Hyde rushed for 147 yards with two scores for Ohio State (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten). The Buckeyes, No. 4 in the first BCS standings released this week, moved to 20-0 under coach Urban Meyer. Freshman Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg threw an interception in the end zone and had another pick lead to an Ohio State touchdown. He passed for 112 yards and a touchdown but came out in the third quarter. Sophomore Tyler Ferguson passed for 125 yards and a score after that. Brandon Felder had a 12-yard touchdown catch for the Nittany Lions (4-3, 1-2) and Allen Robinson added a 65-yard touchdown reception. Bill Belton rushed for 98 yards.

Final Score: (20) South Carolina 27, (5) Missouri 24 (2-OT)

Columbia, MO (SportsNetwork.com) – Connor Shaw threw three touchdown passes in a superb relief effort that brought South Carolina back from a 17-point deficit, and the 20th-ranked Gamecocks remained alive in the SEC title chase with a thrilling 27-24 double-overtime triumph over No. 5 Missouri. Playing through a sprained left knee that prompted Dylan Thompson to start the game at quarterback, Shaw completed 20-of-29 throws for 201 yards upon relieving his teammate with the Gamecocks trailing 17-0 in the third quarter. The senior’s second TD strike, a 2-yarder to Nick Jones with 42 seconds in regulation, forged a 17-17 tie and brought about overtime. Missouri (7-1, 3-1 SEC) was able to force a successful 40-yard field goal attempt from Elliott Fry during the second OT, then had a chance to bring on a third when Andrew Baggett lined up for a 24-yard try that struck the left upright and sent the Tigers to their first loss of the season. The Tigers, coming off huge divisional wins over Georgia and Florida over the past two weeks, do still remain in the driver’s seat in the SEC East race, with South Carolina (6-2, 4-2) one game back in the loss column along with the Bulldogs and Gators.

Final Score: (6) Baylor 59, Kansas 14

Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – Bryce Petty threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another as sixth-ranked Baylor matched its best start in school history with a 59-14 win over Kansas on Saturday. Petty completed 20-of-32 passes for 430 yards and Lache Seastrunk rushed for 109 yards and a score for the Bears (7-0, 4-0 Big 12), winners in 11 straight dating back to last season. Tevin Reese caught four passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns, Shock Linwood finished with 106 yards and a pair of scores on nine carries and Glasco Martin rushed for 55 yards and a TD in the win. The Bears, who started 7-0 in 1980, will have a week to rest and prepare for their big meeting against nationally-ranked Oklahoma on Thursday Nov. 7. Jake Heaps was just 7- for-19 passing for 85 yards and a touchdown pass to Rodriguez Coleman, who caught two passes for 75 yards for the Jayhawks (2-5, 0-4), losers in four straight.

Final Score: (7) Miami-Florida 24, Wake Forest 21

Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Duke Johnson’s second rushing touchdown of the contest came inside the final minute of regulation, helping No. 7 Miami- Florida fend off Wake Forest and claim a 24-21 victory in an ACC clash on Saturday. Johnson finished with a game-best 168 yards on 30 carries for the Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0 ACC), who face a big test next week in a primetime matchup at third- ranked Florida State. Stephen Morris completed 17-of-28 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown to Herb Waters, who finished with 47 yards on four grabs for Miami. Tanner Price ended up with 302 yards, two touchdowns and a late interception for the Demon Deacons (4-4, 2-3), whose two-game win streak came to an end despite a valiant effort. Michael Campanaro finished with 88 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 10 receptions and Dominique Gibson recorded a 44-yard TD with 4:02 left which gave Wake Forest a four-point edge it could not maintain. The Demon Deacons were bidding for their first win over Miami since 1944 and only their second victory against a top-10 opponent in program history, but fell tantalizingly short.

Final Score: (8) Stanford 20, Oregon State 12

Corvallis, OR (SportsNetwork.com) – Tyler Gaffney rushed for 145 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on 22 carries, and Stanford’s defense came up with a big stand in the final seconds, as the eighth-ranked Cardinal held off Oregon State, 20-12, on Saturday at Reser Stadium. Gaffney’s third score of the night came on a 32-yard scamper early in the fourth and staked Stanford to a 20-9 cushion. After forcing back-to-back punts from the Beavers, Gaffney had a chance to ice the game for the Cardinal, but fumbled at his own 20-yard line, setting up Trevor Romaine’s 39-yard field goal that brought Oregon State within 20-12. With all three of their timeouts, the Beavers elected to kick it deep and then stopped Gaffney for no gain on 3rd-and-1 after using two of their timeouts. Brandin Cooks returned the ensuing punt 28 yards to the Stanford 43 before a defensive pass interference call moved the Beavers to the 32-yard line. Cooks came up with a pair of receptions to give Oregon State a 1st-and-goal from the 7, but Sean Mannion misfired on his next three passes to leave the Beavers with one play and only seven ticks left on the clock. With the game on the line, Mannion fired a strike to Kevin Cummings in the end zone, but Cardinal safety Ed Reynolds jarred the ball loose, allowing Stanford (7-1, 5-1 Pac-12) to escape with the victory. Kevin Hogan finished 8-for-18 passing for 88 yards for the Cardinal, who have won two straight heading into their Nov. 7 matchup with No. 2 Oregon. Mannion completed 41-of-57 passes for 271 yards and threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Cooks, who hauled in a game- high nine passes for 80 yards in the setback, which snapped Oregon State’s (6-2, 4-1) six-game winning streak.

Final Score: (9) Clemson 40, Maryland 27

College Park, MD (SportsNetwork.com) – It wasn’t always pretty, but Clemson found a way to bounce back from a dismantling by Florida State a week ago that all but ended its national championship hopes. The ninth-ranked Tigers overcame three second half turnovers to beat the depleted Maryland Terrapins, 40-27, in the final meeting as ACC foes on Saturday from Byrd Stadium. Tajh Boyd threw for 304 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 28-of-41 passing for Clemson (7-1, 5-1 ACC), which has won seven games in a row on the road. Roderick McDowell carried 30 times for 161 yards and a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns and Sammy Watkins had 163 yards on a school-record 14 catches. Last season, Maryland (5-1, 1-3) was decimated with injuries at the quarterback position. The top four signal callers on the depth chart all suffered season-ending injuries, leaving true freshman linebacker Shawn Petty under center against the Tigers. Petty and the Terrapins lost, 45-10.

Final Score: (17) Oklahoma 38, (10) Texas Tech 30

Norman, OK (SportsNetwork.com) – Jalen Saunders caught a pair of touchdown passes and had 153 yards receiving to lead 17th-ranked Oklahoma to a 38-30 victory over No. 10 Texas Tech. Blake Bell threw for 249 yards and the two TDs on 14-of-22 efficiency. Damien Williams led the rushing attack with 97 yards on 19 touches and two touchdowns to extend the Sooners’ (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) winning streak at home to seven games. Davis Webb went 33-of-53 for 385 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Eric Ward had nine catches for 106 yards and two scores, as the Red Raiders (7-1, 4-1) were handed their first loss of the season. The start of the game was delayed for over an hour due to rain in the area.

Final Score: (11) Auburn 45, Florida Atlantic 10

Auburn, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – Freshman quarterback Jeremy Johnson replaced an injured Nick Marshall early in the second quarter and threw two touchdown passes to lead No. 11 Auburn to a 45-10 rout of Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Marshall completed his only pass and rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on six carries before leaving after he took a hard hit to his right shoulder while absorbing a sack. He did not return. Johnson, who finished 10-of-16 passing for 192 yards with an interception, took over under center and hit Sammie Coates for a 36-yard touchdown on his first pass before going back to Coates for a 67-yard score later in the frame to help Auburn (7-1) jump out to a comfortable 38-0 cushion. Cameron Artis-Payne racked up 93 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and Corey Grant and Tre Mason both added a TD run for the Tigers, who have won four straight, including a 45-41 upset of then-No. 7 Texas A&M last week. Jaquez Johnson accounted for the majority of Florida Atlantic’s offense, completing 9-of-20 passes for 133 yards while rushing nine times for 58 yards and the only touchdown of the game for the Owls (2-6), who have lost four of their last five games.

Final Score: (13) LSU 48, Furman 16

Baton Rouge, LA (SportsNetwork.com) – Jeremy Hill and Terrence Magee rushed for two touchdowns apiece as 13th-ranked LSU overcame a difficult first half to rout Furman, 48-16, on Saturday. LSU (7-2) led just 20-16 at halftime against the FCS-opponent, but outscored Furman 28-0 in a dominant second half. The Tigers won their 45th straight game against non-SEC opponents. Hill carried 14 times for 143 yards while Magee needed just seven rushes for 108 yards in the triumph. Zach Mettenberger completed 16-of-24 passes for 328 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions as LSU improved to 22-1 under Les Miles following a loss. Odell Beckham hauled in six receptions for two touchdowns and a career-best 204 yards. Reese Hannon threw for 104 yards on 16-for-28 efficiency for Furman (3-5), which has lost eight in a row to standing members of the SEC. Hank McCloud ran for 79 yards on 15 carries.

Final Score: (14) Texas A&M 56, Vanderbilt 24

College Station, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Johnny Manziel looked perfectly fine Saturday. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, who was limited in practice this week because of an injury to his throwing shoulder, was his usual productive self with 305 yards and four touchdowns through the air as No. 14 Texas A&M downed Vanderbilt, 56-24, at Kyle Field. Manziel completed 25-of-35 passes but did throw an interception, one of four consecutive turnovers at one point by the Aggies (6-2, 3-2 SEC), who were coming off a last-second loss to Auburn. Howard Matthews made sure there wasn’t another letdown, totaling 14 tackles and returning an interception for a score on the first play of the second half. Mike Evans and Derel Walker each caught a pair of touchdowns passes against a Vanderbilt (4-4, 1-4) team coming off an upset win over then 15th-ranked Georgia. Patton Robinette, who filled in admirably for injured starter Austyn Carta-Samuels last week, finished with 216 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions on 15-of-28 attempts in the loss.

Final Score: (15) Fresno State 35, San Diego State 28 (OT)

San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Marcel Jensen blocked a field goal try on the final play of regulation and Marteze Waller scored on a 1-yard run in overtime, as 15th-ranked Fresno State remained unbeaten with a 35-28 win over San Diego State. The Aztecs (3-4, 2-1 MWC) had an opportunity to pull out the win after rallying from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter. San Diego native Seamus McMorrow, who has never made a field goal for the Aztecs, came on to attempt a 37-yarder with three seconds left. Jensen, though, timed his jump perfectly and the ball fluttered short of the crossbar. The Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0) fought off a chop block penalty on offensive lineman Cody Wichmann in OT and Derek Carr found Waller for 26 yards on a 1st-and-25 play. Even after a circus catch by Josh Harper in the end zone was overturned by replay, the Bulldogs still managed to move in front. On 3rd-and-8, Waller rumbled 11 yards with a shovel pass and he then scored up the middle. Quinn Kaehler’s fourth down pass was knocked away by Derron Smith in the end zone to seal the outcome.

Final Score: Duke 13, (16) Virginia Tech 10

Blacksburg, VA (SportsNetwork.com) – An opportunistic defensive effort and two long field goals from Ross Martin helped Duke to its first road win over a ranked opponent in 42 years, a 13-10 shocker over No. 16 Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium. Despite being outgained by a 387-198 margin in total yards, the Blue Devils prevailed by intercepting Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas four times and getting clutch kicks of 51 and 53 yards out of Martin. Duke (6-2, 2-2 ACC), which came in 0-7 lifetime in Blacksburg, knocked off a Top 25 foe on the road for the first time since a 9-7 decision at Stanford on Oct. 2, 1971. The Blue Devils also notched their first victory over the Hokies (6-2, 3-1) since 1981 and became bowl eligible for a second straight year for the first time in school history. Duke signal-caller Anthony Boone also threw four picks — three to VT freshman Kendall Fuller — while completing just 7-of-25 attempts for 107 yards, but delivered a key 9-yard touchdown run that gave Duke a 13-0 third-quarter lead it held onto. Thomas rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and added 214 yards on 21-of-38 passing in the loss, Virginia Tech’s first since a season-opening 35-10 setback to No. 1 Alabama in Atlanta.

Final Score: (18) Louisville 34, South Florida 3

Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – The 18th-ranked Louisville Cardinals did not blow a big lead this week. Teddy Bridgewater was an efficient 25-of-29 passing for 344 yards and three touchdowns in Louisville’s 34-3 victory over the South Florida Bulls on Saturday. The Cardinals were cruising along, leading 28-7, midway through the third quarter at home against UCF last Friday night. Then the unthinkable happened. The Cardinals were unable to slow down the Knights in the second half as they fell in a 38-35 decision. Gerald Christian, Damian Copeland and Dominique Brown each caught touchdown passes on Saturday for the Cardinals (7-1, 3-1 AAC), who racked up 485 yards of total offense. Brown also carried the ball 18 times for 125 yards. Bobby Eveld completed 3-of-5 passes for 22 yards before leaving at the end of the first half with a left ankle injury for the Bulls (2-5, 2-1), who had a two- game winning streak snapped. Steven Bench connected on 4-of-12 passes for 68 yards and an interception in relief.

Final Score: (19) Oklahoma State 58, Iowa State 27

Ames, IA (SportsNetwork.com) – Oklahoma State had its perfect season undone at Jack Trice Stadium two years ago. This time around, the 19th-ranked Cowboys rode Desmond Roland to the tune of 219 yards and four touchdowns to put a 58-27 hurting on the already-struggling Iowa State Cyclones. Roland’s effort on the ground, along with two defensive touchdowns, made up for a subpar showing from Clint Chelf, who completed just 10-of-26 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in windy conditions. The Cowboys (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) have won three in a row on the heels of their lone loss at West Virginia, while Iowa State (1-6, 0-4) has dropped four straight and remains winless in Big 12 play. Grant Rohach took over under center after Sam B. Richardson suffered a head injury in the second quarter, and the freshman quarterback threw a touchdown pass to Quenton Bundrage to pull the Cyclones within 28-20 at halftime. But Iowa State, which was coming off an embarrassing 71-7 loss at Baylor, couldn’t get anything going in the second half, amassing just 99 yards after a 247-yard showing in the first 30 minutes.

Final Score: (21) UCF 62, Connecticut 17

Orlando, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Blake Bortles threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in the 21st-ranked UCF Knights’ 62-17 victory over the Connecticut Huskies. Bortles completed 20-of-24 passes for 286 yards for the Knights (6-1, 3-0 AAC), who moved into the Top-25 for the first time since 2010 with a thrilling 38-35 win over Louisville last week. Rannell Hall carried the ball five times for 45 yards and a score for UCF, which racked up 527 yards of total offense. Storm Johnson added a receiving and rushing touchdown, J.J. Worton caught six passes for 119 yards and a score and Jeff Godfrey hauled in six passes for 54 yards and three touchdowns. Tim Boyle connected on just 7-of-21 passes for 47 yards and two interceptions for the Huskies (0-7, 0-3). Casey Cochran completed 7-of-11 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. Lyle McCombs carried the ball 14 times for 88 yards and a score, while Brian Lemelle hauled in three passes for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Final Score: (23) Northern Illinois 59, Eastern Michigan 20

DeKalb, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Jordan Lynch did it all Saturday, throwing four touchdowns, rushing for a score and catching another to lead 23rd-ranked Northern Illinois past Eastern Michigan, 59-20, at Huskie Stadium. Lynch completed 16-of-20 passes for 223 yards and also rushed for 99 yards on 18 carries. Tommylee Lewis finished with 188 total yards and also threw a touchdown pass to Lynch and Da’Ron Brown added a pair of touchdown receptions for the Huskies (8-0, 4-0 MAC), who are off to their first 8-0 start since 1965. Juwan Brescacin, Ricky Connors and Joel Bouagnon each finished with a touchdown catch in the victory. Tyreese Russell caught four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown and Ryan Brumfield added 13 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles (1-7, 0-4), losers in seven straight.

Final Score: Minnesota 34, (25) Nebraska 23

Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) – Philip Nelson went 7-for-15 for 152 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 55 yards and two touchdowns to power the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a 34-23 victory over the 25th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. David Cobb ran 31 times for 138 yards for Minnesota and Mitch Leidner added a rushing touchdown. Derrick Engel had two receptions and a touchdown for the Gophers (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten). Ameer Abdullah carried the load for the Cornhuskers (5-2, 2-1) with 19 carries for 165 yards, while Taylor Martinez completed 16-of-30 passes for 139 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Sam Cotton and Imani Cross notched the only touchdowns for Nebraska.

Categorized in: NCAA Football