Top-25 College Football Game Capsules
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) – Christion Jones was a multi-purpose threat, scoring three touchdowns, and the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide began their quest for a three-peat with a 35-10 win over Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome. Jones returned a punt and a kickoff for scores and caught a touchdown pass from quarterback AJ McCarron. McCarron completed just 10-of-23 passes and finished with a mere 110 yards for Alabama (1-0), which routed Notre Dame back in January to capture its second straight BCS national championship. The Crimson Tide secondary also got in on the scoring, as defensive back Vinnie Sunseri returned a Logan Thomas interception for a touchdown. Thomas struggled mightily against the Alabama defense, connecting on only 5-of-26 throws for 59 yards. Trey Edmunds totaled 132 yards on the ground for the Hokies (0-1), 77 coming on a first-quarter touchdown.
Final Score: (2) Ohio State 40, Buffalo 20
Columbus, OH (Sports Network) – Urban Meyer is still perfect at Ohio State. Braxton Miller threw for 178 yards with a pair of touchdowns and Jordan Hall ran for 159 yards with two scores, as the second-ranked Buckeyes used an early burst to claim a 40-20 victory over Buffalo in the 2013 season opener at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes (1-0) finished 12-0 last year in Meyer’s debut season, but were ineligible for postseason play because of NCAA sanctions. This year, they’re expected to be national title contenders and looked the part early with 23 first-quarter points. Miller, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and a strong Heisman Trophy candidate, is among the reasons. He completed 15-of-22 passes with an interception while adding 77 yards on the ground.
Final Score: (3) Oregon 66, Nicholls 3
Eugene, OR (Sports Network) – It looks like Oregon’s prolific offense can still motor at full speed even without the guidance of Chip Kelly, as the No. 3 Ducks racked up a school record 772 total yards in a 66-3 trouncing of the Nicholls State Colonels in their 2013 opener at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. Coming off a 12-1 season — which ended with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl over Kansas State — and a change in leadership on the sideline, Oregon (1-0) cruised to victory in record-breaking fashion in its opening game thanks to a combined five first half touchdowns by Marcus Mariota and De’Anthony Thomas. The duo spearheaded a rushing attack for Oregon that netted an astonishing 500 yards, with each running for two scores and Mariota accumulating 113 yards and Thomas garnering 128 on 18 carries. Mariota also threw for a touchdown and 234 yards on an efficient 12-of-21. Mark Helfrich was the offensive coordinator for Kelly during his successful four-year tenure in Eugene, and took over the head coaching reigns after Kelly left to take the open vacancy with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Final Score: (8) Clemson 38, (5) Georgia 35
Clemson, SC (Sports Network) – Death Valley claimed another victim Saturday, as Tajh Boyd totaled five touchdowns to carry No. 8 Clemson past No.5 Georgia, 38-35, on a humid night at Memorial Stadium. The anticipated season opener between these top-ranked interconference foes began as a shootout and ended with the Tigers recovering a late onside kick to secure their first win over Georgia since 1990. Clemson (1-0) finished last season with a win over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and with Saturday’s nail biter became the first non-SEC team to upend top-10 SEC teams in consecutive games. Boyd, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, ran for two touchdowns and threw for three more while completing 18-of-30 passes for 270 yards.
Final Score: (7) Texas A&M 52, Rice 31
College Station, TX (Sports Network) – No. 7 Texas A&M started slowly with its star quarterback on the sidelines, but pulled away when Johnny Manziel returned to the field in the second half to produce a 52-31 season-opening victory over Rice at Kyle Field. Manziel, suspended for the first two quarters following an NCAA investigation into several sports memorabilia pieces that the reigning Heisman Trophy recipient autographed during the offseason, threw three touchdown passes after entering the game to help the Aggies (1-0) pull away after holding a slim 28-21 lead at halftime. The dynamic sophomore completed 6-of-8 throws for 94 yards during his abbreviated stint. Mike Evans hauled in two of Manziel’s scoring strikes and finished with 84 yards on six catches, while Tra Carson ran for a pair of touchdowns in the win. Matt Joeckel, who started under center in Manziel’s place, put up 190 yards on 14-of-19 passing and hooked up with Ricky Seals- Jones on a 71-yard score.
Final Score: (10) Florida 24, Toledo 6
Gainesville, FL (Sports Network) – Mack Brown ran for 112 yards with a pair of touchdowns, leading 10th-ranked Florida to a 24-6 victory over Toledo in the season opener at the Swamp. Jeff Driskel was an efficient 17-of-22 passing for 153 yards with a score for the Gators (1-0), who were 11-2 last season with a Sugar Bowl loss to Louisville. A stout Florida defense kept Toledo out of the end zone, as a pair of Jeremiah Detmer field goals accounted for the Rockets’ only scoring. Toledo (0-1) was 9-4 last year with a loss to Utah State in the Potato Bowl.
Final Score: (12) LSU 37, (20) TCU 27
Arlington, TX (Sports Network) – Terrence Magee had two touchdowns on the ground in the second half as No. 12 LSU outlasted No. 20 TCU, 37-27, in the Cowboy Classic at AT&T Stadium. Magee carried the ball 13 times for 95 yards, while Zach Mettenberger passed for 251 yards and a touchdown on 16- of-32 efficiency for the Tigers (1-0), who went 10-3 last season, but dropped a 25-24 contest to Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. B.J. Catalon and Waymon James each had a score on the ground for the Horned Frogs (0-1), who went 7-6 last season and 4-5 in conference play during their first season in the Big 12. The team fell to Michigan State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 17-16.
Final Score: (13) Oklahoma State 21, Mississippi State 3
Houston, TX (Sports Network) – Jeremy Smith had two second-half touchdown runs to back the stifling efforts of the Oklahoma State defense, as the 13th-ranked Cowboys posted a 21-3 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2013 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff at Reliant Stadium. Smith finished with 102 yards on 15 carries for the Cowboys (1-0), while J.W. Walsh completed 18-of-27 passes for 135 yards and added a touchdown on a quarterback keeper. Walsh totaled 125 yards on the ground. Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell threw for 133 yards before departing late in the third quarter after absorbing a blow to the head.
Final Score: (14) Notre Dame 28, Temple 6
South Bend, IN (Sports Network) – Tommy Rees’ return to the starting quarterback’s role was a smashing success, with the Notre Dame senior throwing for a career-best 346 yards along with three touchdowns to lead the 14th- ranked Fighting Irish to a convincing 28-6 season-opening win over Temple. Rees, a 12-game starter in 2011 who backed up Everett Golson during the Irish’s run to the BCS National Championship Game last season, completed 16- of-23 passes and fired a pair of 32-yard scoring strikes to DaVarris Daniels to help Notre Dame (1-0) head coach Brian Kelly earn his 200th career victory. After the game, the school announced Kelly agreed to a contract extension through the 2017 season. T.J. Jones came up with a big game as well for the Fighting Irish, amassing a personal-best 138 yards on six receptions. Golson was suspended for the fall semester for failing to fill academic obligations.
Final Score: (15) Texas 56, New Mexico State 7
Austin, TX (Sports Network) – David Ash had four touchdown passes as No. 15 Texas thumped New Mexico State, 56-7, in the opener for both schools. Ash was 20-of-28 for 343 yards and two interceptions, while adding 91 yards and a score on eight carries for the Longhorns (1-0), who were 9-4 last season and beat Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl. Malcolm Brown caught three passes for 109 yards and a score, while Daje Johnson, Mike Davis and John Harris each had a touchdown receiving. Johnson also had a touchdown on the ground, while Jalen Overstreet added two rushing touchdowns. Andrew McDonald was 32- of-46 for 242 yards, one score and one interception for the Aggies (0-1), who come into the season as an Independent following the dissolution of the Western Athletic Conference.
Final Score: (16) Oklahoma 34, UL-Monroe 0
Norman, OK (Sports Network) – Oklahoma needed to fine-tune its defense after it floundered down the stretch last season, especially after losing its star quarterback Landry Jones to the pros. The defense stifled one of last year’s giant killers in the season opener. Oklahoma ran for 305 yards and held the Warhawks to 166 total yards in the No. 16 Sooner’s 34-0 thrashing of Louisiana-Monroe. Oklahoma’s defense allowed 37.8 points per game over its last five tilts a year ago, including giving up a staggering 633 yards to Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M in a 41-13 loss in the Cotton Bowl. The Sooners (1-0), who outgained the Warhawks (0-1) 429-166, held ULM to a 1-of-15 efficiency on third down. The Warhawks crossed midfield on just two occassions and recorded only nine first downs.
Final Score: (17) Michigan 59, Central Michigan 9
Ann Arbor, MI (Sports Network) – Devin Gardner threw for 162 yards and one touchdown, while rushing for a pair of scores, as No. 17 Michigan demolished Central Michigan, 59-9, at Michigan Stadium. Despite being picked off twice, Gardner completed 10-of-15 passes, and gained 52 yards on seven carries for the Wolverines (1-0), who were coming off an 8-5 campaign in 2012 which included an Outback Bowl defeat against South Carolina. Fitzgerald Toussaint crossed the goal line twice on the ground en route to a 57-yard, 14-carry performance, Derrick Green and Thomas Rawls added a rushing TD apiece, and Jeremy Gallon registered a touchdown catch among his four grabs for 47 yards. Alex Niznak went 11-of-22 for 131 yards and was picked off once for the Chippewas (0-1), who went 7-6 a season ago which ended with a Little Caesars Bowl victory over Western Kentucky.
Final Score: (18) Nebraska 37, Wyoming 34
Lincoln, NE (Sports Network) – Taylor Martinez hurled three touchdown passes and Imani Cross ran for two as the No. 18 Nebraska Cornhuskers won their 27th straight season opener with a 37-34 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys. Martinez, the first Nebraska (1-0) quarterback to start four consecutive season openers, went 17-for-22 for 155 yards, three scores and an interception. He also picked up 80 yards on the ground while Ameer Abdullah led the Cornhuskers’ rushing attack with 114 yards on 19 carries and Cross earned 105. Brett Smith was terrific in defeat, racking up a career-high 383 yards and four touchdowns through the air and 92 yards on eight carries. Shaun Wick ran for 101 and a touchdown, and Dominic Rufran caught 11 passes for 120 yards while Jalen Claiborne caught a pair of touchdowns. The Cowboys (0-1), who finished 4-8 in 2012, gained 602 yards of total offense.
Final Score: Washington 38, (19) Boise State 6
Seattle, WA (Sports Network) – Washington re-opened Husky Stadium Saturday with an emphatic 38-6 thumping of 19th-ranked Boise State, as the Huskies racked up 592 total yards and scored 28 unanswered points to win going away. Keith Price threw for 324 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while Bishop Sankey rushed for 161 yards and two scores on 25 carries for the Huskies (1-0), who avenged last seasons’s Las Vegas Bowl loss to the Broncos. Boise State (0-1) dropped its season opener for the second straight season, though Saturday’s loss was much more humbling than its 17-13 setback at Michigan State a year ago. Joe Southwick threw for just 152 yards and an interception on 25-of-40 passes.
Final Score: (21) UCLA 58, Nevada 20
Pasadena, CA (Sports Network) – Jim Mora took over UCLA’s sputtering football program last season and made it relevant again. And with key pieces returning, expectations in Pasadena are high. The Bruins got off to a soaring start. Brett Hundley, one of those key returning pieces, threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores in No. 21 UCLA’s 58-20 thumping of Nevada. The Bruins (1-0) scored 41 points in the second half to turn the game into a laugher. Hundley, whose 4,095 yards of total offense last year as a freshman broke Cade McNown’s single-season school record, was 22- of-33 and added 61 yards on the ground for the Bruins, who won the Pac-12 South title last year, but fell to Stanford, 27-24, in the conference’s title game. UCLA won nine games last year, the most since 2005. The Bruins haven’t won at least nine games in back-to-back seasons since 1997 and 1998. The Bruins had gone 10-16 over their previous two seasons prior to Mora’s arrival. Jordon James carried the ball 21 times for 155 yards and a touchdown and Shaquelle Evans caught six passes for 81 yards and a TD in the triumph.
Final Score: (22) Northwestern 44, California 30
Berkeley, CA (Sports Network) – Collin Ellis returned each of his two interceptions for a touchdown to lead the 22nd-ranked Northwestern Wildcats over the Sonny Dykes-led California Golden Bears, 44-30, in the 2013 opener for both teams. Trevor Siemian completed 18-of-29 passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Wildcats (1-0), who are coming off a 10-win season and a victory over SEC school Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. The bowl victory was the program’s first in a 64-year stretch dating back to the 1949 Rose Bowl, which also happened to be the last time these two teams squared off on the gridiron. The news was not all good for Northwestern, which lost starting quarterback Kain Colter to an upper-body injury after its second play from scrimmage.
Final Score: (23) Wisconsin 45, Massachusetts 0
Madison, WI (Sports Network) – Melvin Gordon and James White combined for 287 yards and two scores, as 23rd-ranked Wisconsin whipped Massachusetts 45-0, in the first-ever meeting between the programs at Camp Randall Stadium. Gordon struck for 144 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while White totaled 143 yards and a ground score on 11 totes, part of the victors’ 393 yards rushing on Saturday. Jared Abbrederis caught a pair of Joel Stave touchdowns en route to 122 yards receiving for the Badgers (1-0), who finished 8-6 in 2012 with a loss in the Rose Bowl to Stanford. Stave finished 9-of-17 for 197 yards and added a rushing score as Gary Andersen picked up an easy win in his coaching debut for the Big Ten stalwart.
Final Score: Eastern Washington 49, (25) Oregon State 46
Corvallis, OR (Sports Network) – After a back-and-forth contest which featured eight lead changes, Vernon Adams’ two-yard rushing touchdown with 18 seconds remaining lifted the Eastern Washington Eagles to a 49-46 win over the Oregon State Beavers from Reser Stadium. After Oregon State (0-1) took a 46-43 lead late in the fourth, Adams led the Eagles (1-0) on an 11-play, 75-yard drive, which resulted in his second rushing and sixth total touchdown of the game. The ensuing extra point snap was fumbled, leaving the door open for the Beavers to try and tie the score. OSU’s quarterback Sean Mannion completed two long passes to give his team a last-second field goal try, but Trevor Romaine’s 52-yard attempt missed wide right, and the Eagles defeated a Pac-12 team for the first time in program history.
Categorized in: NCAA Football