Top-25 College Football Game Capsules

Tallahassee, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Jameis Winston threw two touchdown passes and the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles disposed of The Citadel, 37-12, to extend the best win streak in program history to 18 games. Winston completed 22-of-27 passes for 256 yards in just 2 1/2 quarters of work, exiting midway through the third period with his Seminoles leading comfortably. Dalvin Cook and Karlos Williams picked up 67 and 66 yards, respectively, on the ground. Both runners added a touchdown in the rout. The defending champion Seminoles (2-0) overcame a shaky first half last week against Oklahoma State to top the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, the home of January’s national title game. Roberto Aguayo kicked three field goals for the second straight week for Florida State, which will have a week off before hosting No. 23 Clemson. The Citadel (0-2) ran its triple option attack with some success against the stout FSU front, racking up 250 yards on the ground. Quarterback Aaron Miller led the group with 61 yards on 14 carries. Miller and backup Dominique Allen each threw touchdowns to account for the 12 Bulldogs points.

Final Score: (2) Alabama 41, Florida Atlantic 0

Tuscaloosa, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – Blake Sims threw for 214 yards with a pair of touchdowns and ran for a score, as second-ranked Alabama opened its home schedule Saturday with a 41-0 rout of Florida Atlantic. The game was stopped with 7:53 remaining in the fourth quarter because of lightning and did not resume. Sims started at quarterback for the second straight week and led the Crimson Tide to 21 points in the first quarter. He finished the contest 11-of-13 passing and added 14 rushing yards on three carries. Jake Coker also saw plenty of time under center for Alabama (2-0), which was coming off a 33-23 win over West Virginia last week in Atlanta, and completed 15-of-24 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown. Amari Cooper was the main target of both quarterbacks, tying a school record with 13 catches for a career-best 189 yards with a touchdown in the lopsided victory. The Tide outgained the Owls 620-145. It was a rough opening two weeks for Florida Atlantic (0-2), which began the season last Saturday with a 55-7 loss at Nebraska. The Owls surrendered 784 yards against the Huskers. Florida Atlantic played without quarterback Jaquez Johnson because of a shoulder injury he sustained last week. Greg Hankerson got the start and threw for 88 yards on 12-of-19 passing.

Final Score: (3) Oregon 46, (7) Michigan State 27

Eugene, OR (SportsNetwork.com) – Marcus Mariota and Oregon rose to the occasion in the biggest non-conference game in Autzen Stadium history, with the star quarterback directing a second-half comeback that vaulted the third- ranked Ducks to a 46-27 victory over No. 7 Michigan State. Mariota threw a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter and Royce Freeman ran for two more in the fourth, part of a 28-point swing that brought Oregon (2-0) back from a 27-18 deficit and enhanced its credentials for a possible berth in the College Football Playoff down the line. Mariota finished with 317 yards and three touchdowns on a 17-of-28 completion rate. Devon Allen hauled in two of those scoring strikes while amassing 109 yards on three catches. Michigan State (1-1) dug itself out of an early hole by scoring 20 straight points between the second and third quarters and received career efforts from quarterback Connor Cook and wideout Tony Lippett, but stumbled down the stretch to have an 11-game win streak come to an end. Cook completed 29-of-47 attempts for a personal-best 352 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Lippett racked up 11 catches totaling 134 yards with a touchdown in the setback.

Final Score: (4) Oklahoma 52, Tulsa 7

Tulsa, OK (SportsNetwork.com) – Trevor Knight threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners’ 52-7 rout of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday. Knight completed 21-of-34 passes for 299 yards for the Sooners (2-0), who opened the season with a 48-16 victory over Louisiana Tech. He also carried the ball five times for 35 yards. Keith Ford rushed for 87 yards and two scores on 10 carries for Oklahoma, which racked up 580 yards of total offense. Alex Ross carried the ball five times for 90 yards and a touchdown. Sterling Shepard caught eight passes for a career-high 177 yards and a score for Oklahoma, which lost star cornerback Zack Sanchez to a shoulder injury. Dane Evans connected on 23-of-43 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Golden Hurricane (1-1), who needed two overtimes to slip past Tulane in their opener. Keevan Lucas caught 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown for Tulsa.

Final Score: (5) Auburn 59, San Jose State 13

Auburn, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – Cameron Artis-Payne ran for three touchdowns as No. 5 Auburn routed San Jose State, 59-13, on Saturday night. After San Jose State’s Tyler Ervin tip-toed the left sideline en route to a 75-yard touchdown reception that tied the game at 7-7 midway through the first quarter, Auburn ripped off 28 unanswered points and never looked back. Artis- Payne carried the ball 16 times for 112 yards, while Nick Marshall was 10- of-19 for 101 yards with a touchdown and added 103 yards and a score on the ground for the Tigers (2-0), who defeated Arkansas last Saturday. Auburn ran for 358 yards in the triumph. Blake Jurich completed 16-of-27 passes for 218 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for San Jose State (1-1), which beat North Dakota in its opener.

Final Score: Virginia Tech 35, (8) Ohio State 21

Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Michael Brewer threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Virginia Tech defense came up huge in the fourth quarter as the visiting Hokies stunned No. 8 Ohio State, 35-21, on Saturday. Ohio State (1-1) trailed 21-7 at halftime but scored 14 unanswered points to tie the game early in the fourth quarter. Brewer came back and found Bucky Hodges for a 10-yard score at the 8:44 mark of the fourth, and the defense made the lead hold up. The Hokies sacked OSU quarterback J.T. Barrett six times in the fourth period and intercepted him twice to secure the win. Donovan Riley picked off a poor throw with less than a minute remaining while the Buckeyes were driving and took it 63 yards to the end zone to put the game away. Barrett, making his second collegiate start, completed just 9-of-29 for 219 yards and a touchdown but was picked off three times in total. He also ran for 70 yards and a score. The loss marked OSU’s first setback at home against an unranked, non- conference foe in 65 games. Brewer went 23-for-36 for Virginia Tech (2-0), racking up 199 yards and two touchdowns. Marshawn Williams and Shai McKenzie each had a touchdown run.

Final Score: (9) Texas A&M 73, Lamar 3

College Station, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Kenny Hill threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns, and the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies cruised past the Lamar Cardinals, 73-7, on Saturday. Hill followed up his monster effort in the Aggies’ 52-28 season-opening win over South Carolina by converting 17-of-26 passes. The sensational sophomore has now passed for 794 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two collegiate starts. He didn’t play in the final series of the second quarter and sat the entire fourth quarter in the lopsided win. Kyle Allen went 12-of-16 for 122 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in his College Station debut in relief of Hill. Brice Dolezal led Texas A&M (2-0) with 86 yards rushing and added a touchdown, while James White rushed for 62 yards and two scores. Caleb Berry had a rough night for Lamar (1-1), converting just 16-of-42 passes for 153 yards with an interception in the setback.

Final Score: (10) Baylor 70, Northwestern State 6

Waco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Seth Russell completed 16-of-25 passes for 438 yards and five touchdowns in just one half as 10th-ranked Baylor routed Northwestern State, 70-6, on Saturday night. Russell started in place of Bryce Petty, who missed the game with a back injury. Petty suffered two cracked vertebrae as he was hit while running for a touchdown in Baylor’s win over SMU last Sunday. KD Cannon caught six passes for 223 yards and three scores, Johnny Jefferson carried the ball 20 times for 107 yards and a touchdown and Silas Nacita added 104 yards and two scores on the ground for the Bears (2-0). Zach Adkins was 7-of-17 for 112 yards with an interception for FCS Northwestern State (0-2).

Final Score: (11) UCLA 42, Memphis 35

Pasadena, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Brett Hundley threw three touchdown passes and Paul Perkins ran for a pair of scores as No. 11 UCLA held off Memphis, 42-35, at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Hundley completed 33-of-44 passes for 396 yards to bounce back from a rocky season opener and lead a potent UCLA attack, which accumulated 540 yards of total offense. Hundley, who was on the preseason Heisman Trophy watch list, didn’t throw a touchdown pass in the Bruins’ 28-20 win over Virginia a week ago. Perkins gained 98 yards on 23 carries, and two UCLA receivers surpassed 100 yards in the triumph. Thomas Duarte made four catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and Jordan Payton had seven grabs for 104. UCLA (2-0) has won nine of its last 10 non-conference home games. Paxton Lynch passed for 299 yards and a touchdown for the visiting Tigers (1-1), which lost for the 15th straight time to a ranked opponent. Lynch, Doroland Dorceus and Sam Craft all had touchdowns on the ground.

Final Score: (12) LSU 56, Sam Houston State 0

Baton Rouge, LA (SportsNetwork.com) – Travin Dural caught three touchdown passes in the first half and 12th-ranked LSU defeated Sam Houston State. 56-0, on Saturday. Anthony Jennings was 7-of-13 for 188 yards with three touchdowns and backup Brandon Harris completed four of his five passes for 62 yards and a score. Dural had three catches for 140 yards and Malachi Dupree also hauled in a catch for the Tigers (2-0), who extended their non-conference winning streak to 47 games. Leonard Fournette rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries and a score, while Darrel Williams, Brandon Harris and Kenny Hilliard each ran for a touchdown during the win. Jared Johnson threw for 142 yards on 8-of-25 passing for the Bearkats (1-2) and Yedidiah Louis compiled a team-high 102 receiving yards on four catches.

Final Score: (14) Southern California 13, (13) Stanford 10

Stanford, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Andre Heidari kicked USC past Stanford for a second straight year, as his late 53-yard field goal sent the 14th-ranked Trojans past the 13th-ranked Cardinal, 13-10, in a tight Pac-12 tussle. Heidari booted a 47-yarder near the end of regulation to knock off a one-loss Stanford team last November and continued to be a thorn in the Cardinal’s side Saturday with a go-ahead kick that was good from about 60 with 2:30 remaining. Stanford, which moved into USC territory in all nine of its possessions, reached the opposing 22-yard line with time winding down but came away empty. J.R. Tavai forced a strip-sack of Kevin Hogan in the closing seconds, and USC (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) recovered the fumble to snap the nation’s longest home winning streak at 17. Javorius Allen ran for 154 yards and Cody Kessler tossed for just 135 for the victorious Trojans, whose only touchdown came on their opening possession. Stanford (1-1, 0-1) gained 413 yards to USC’s 291 but could not overcome their ineffectiveness when crossing midfield. Hogan threw for 285 yards on 22-of-30 passes, while Ty Montgomery caught nine passes for 83 yards and added 113 yards on kickoff and punt returns.

Final Score: (15) Ole Miss 41, Vanderbilt 3

Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) – Bo Wallace’s last four quarters have been far better than his first three. Wallace was 23-of-30 for 320 yards and a touchdown in three quarters of work as 15th-ranked Mississippi routed Vanderbilt, 41-3, on Saturday afternoon. Wallace tossed three interceptions in the first half against Boise State last Thursday and Ole Miss (2-0, 1-0 SEC) was up just 7-6 heading into the fourth before pulling away for a 35-13 victory. Wallace fired a trio of touchdown passes on consecutive throws in that final frame, completing 6-of-7 passes for 175 yards in the fourth. The senior picked up right where he left off on Saturday, leading the Rebels on four consecutive scoring drives to start the game as they opened up a 20-0 cushion at the break. The Rebels tallied the game’s first 41 points. Evan Engram caught seven passes for 112 yards, while Cody Core hauled in four receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown for Ole Miss, which outgained the Commodores, 547-167. Stephen Rivers, who didn’t complete his first pass until the midway point of the second quarter, finished 6-of-25 for 60 yards and an interception for the Commodores (0-2, 0-1), who have been outscored 78-10 in two games. Ralph Webb carried the ball 18 times for 95 yards in defeat.

Final Score: (16) Notre Dame 31, Michigan 0

South Bend, IN (SportsNetwork.com) – The final scheduled meeting between Notre Dame and Michigan was a one-sided affair. The 16th-ranked Fighting Irish shut out the Wolverines for the first time in the series’ history, 31-0, on Saturday night. Everett Golson had three touchdown passes and Cam McDaniel added a rushing score for Notre Dame (2-0). Devin Gardner committed three second-half turnovers that foiled any chance of the Wolverines (1-1) erasing a 21-0 halftime deficit.

Final Score: (17) Arizona State 58, New Mexico 23

Albuquerque, NM (SportsNetwork.com) – Taylor Kelly threw two touchdown passes and ran another one in as No. 17 Arizona State rolled to a 58-23 win over New Mexico. Kelly went 11-for-20 for 192 yards while adding 84 yards on 10 carries for the Sun Devils (2-0), who had opened the season with a win over Weber State. D.J. Foster totaled 216 yards and a score on 19 carries. Lamar Jordan went 7-for-11 for 130 yards and a touchdown for the Lobos (0-2), who lost three fumbles in the game. Teryion Gipson caught a touchdown pass, while Jhurell Pressley and Crusoe Gongbay each ran one in.

Final Score: (18) Wisconsin 37, Western Illinois 3

Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) – Camp Randall Stadium was relatively quiet during an unlikely tight first half between Wisconsin and Western Illinois, but the 18th-ranked Badgers later riled up the crowd with 28 unanswered points to upend the overmatched FCS program, 37-3, on Saturday. Wisconsin (1-1) was in need of an easy rebound win after blowing a 17-point lead in a season- opening loss to LSU last weekend, but Western Illinois did everything but play that role for the first 30 minutes. Tanner McEvoy, though, threw three touchdown passes after the break to turn a 9-3 halftime lead into a blowout victory. McEvoy passed for 283 yards with an interception and added a rushing score while his top target, Alex Erickson, caught 10 balls for 122 yards and a TD. The Leathernecks (1-1) gifted the Badgers two easy points with a mistake on the opening kickoff, were outgained 456-162 and saw quarterback Trenton Norvell pass for only 108 yards with an interception.

Final Score: (19) Nebraska 31, McNeese State 24

Lincoln, NE (SportsNetwork.com) – Ameer Abdullah saved Nebraska from the ignominy of losing to an FCS program, as his scintillating 58-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in regulation helped the 19th-ranked Cornhuskers escape with a 31-24 win over upset-minded McNeese State on Saturday. McNeese State, ranked No. 7 in the FCS poll, was on the brink of pulling of a huge upset at Memorial Stadium and even pulled ahead for a brief moment late in the fourth quarter, only to have a penalty negate a go-ahead touchdown. After settling for a tying field goal, the Cowboys got the ball back with 2:40 remaining but quickly went three-and-out. Nebraska (2-0) took over at its own 38-yard line, and Abdullah, bottled up for the better part of first 59 minutes, took a short pass in the flat, cut past several defenders, bounced off three others and spun his way to daylight en route to the deciding touchdown. Abdullah, a week after gaining 232 yards from scrimmage in last week’s 55-7 thumping of Florida Atlantic, finished with 150 total yards with two scores. Tommy Armstrong Jr. passed for 242 yards and two touchdowns and added 131 yards and a score on the ground for Nebraska, which has never lost to an FCS program. Tyler Bolfing and Kansas State transfer Daniel Sams split time under center in the season opener for McNeese State (0-1) and combined for 160 passing yards.

Final Score: (20) Kansas State 32, Iowa State 28

Ames, IA (SportsNetwork.com) – Jake Waters’ 8-yard touchdown run with 90 seconds left in regulation lifted 20th-Kansas State to a 32-28 decision over Iowa State in Saturday’s Big 12 battle. Waters ended up 16-of-29 for 239 yards and rushed 20 times for 138 yards and two scores for the Wildcats (2-0, 1-0 Big 12), who were coming off a season-opening 55-16 victory against Stephen F. Austin. Tyler Lockett racked up 136 yards on six receptions, while Charles Jones added 75 yards and a pair of TDs on 13 rushes. Sam Richardson completed 21-of-30 passes for 185 yards with one touchdown and an interception for the Cyclones (0-2, 0-1), who couldn’t close the deal despite scoring 28 straight points in the first half to overcome an early 13-0 deficit. Jarvis West picked up 75 yards and a score on eight grabs and threw for another touchdown, with Allen Lazard posting a receiving score and DeVondrick Nealy adding a rushing TD in defeat.

Final Score: (21) South Carolina 33, East Carolina 23

Columbia, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Mike Davis rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 21 South Carolina to a 33-23 win over East Carolina on Saturday. Dylan Thompson passed for 266 yards with a touchdown and interception for the Gamecocks (1-1), who responded from last week’s 52-28 drubbing to Texas A&M that snapped their 18-game home winning streak. Shaq Roland hauled in seven passes for 94 yards, while K.J. Brent had a touchdown reception in the win. Shane Carden threw for 321 yards on 32-of-46 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Pirates (1-1).

Final Score: (21) North Carolina 31, San Diego State 27

Chapel Hill, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Elijah Hood ran for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and Tim Scott’s interception in the end zone sealed a 31-27 come-from-behind victory for 21st-ranked North Carolina over San Diego State. Marquise Williams threw two touchdown passes for the Tar Heels (2-0), who overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. Brian Walker picked off San Diego State quarterback Quinn Kaehler twice and returned one 100 yards for the game’s opening touchdown. His second led to a 23-yard Nick Weiler field goal that gave North Carolina a 31-27 lead with four minutes remaining. Kaehler finished with 341 yards and a touchdown, while Donnel Pumphrey amassed 100 yards and two scores on 17 carries for the Aztecs (1-1).

Final Score: (23) Clemson 73, South Carolina State 7

Clemson, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Cole Stoudt threw for 302 yards with a touchdown and Deshaun Watson added three scoring passes, as 23rd-ranked Clemson rolled to a 73-7 victory over South Carolina State Saturday at Death Valley. Stoudt completed 22-of-31 passes and Watson was 8-of-9 for 154 yards, as both quarterbacks had their way with the overmatched Bulldogs of the FCS. Artavis Scott hauled in six passes for 164 yards with two touchdowns for Clemson (1-1), which bounced back from last Saturday’s 45-21 loss at Georgia and has next week off before visiting defending national champion Florida State in its ACC opener on Sept. 20. The Tigers rolled up 735 yards of total offense, amassing 467 through the air and 268 on the ground. Wayne Gallman ran for 77 yards on 10 carries and Adam Choice added 74 yards with a touchdown on 12 attempts. Dominique Mitchell returned a fumble 35 yards in the fourth quarter for South Carolina State’s lone touchdown. The Bulldogs (1-1), coming off a 63-0 win over Division II Benedict College last week, managed just 44 yards of total offense on Saturday.

Final Score: (24) Missouri 49, Toledo 24

Toledo, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Maty Mauk threw five touchdown passes and rushed for another in the 24th-ranked Missouri Tigers’ 49-24 victory over the Toledo Rockets on Saturday. Mauk completed 21-of-32 passes for 325 yards and two interceptions for the Tigers (2-0), who beat FCS foe South Dakota State last weekend. He also carried the ball 12 times for 36 yards. Russell Hansbrough rushed for 84 yards and a score on 18 carries for Missouri, which racked up 502 yards of total offense. Jimmie Hunt caught six passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel coached Toledo from 1991-2000 before taking over at Missouri. He is the winningest coach at both schools. Phillip Ely connected on 17-of-34 passes for 204 yards and an interception for the Rockets (1-1), who opened the season with a win over New Hampshire. He left the game in the third quarter with a leg injury and did not return. Kareem Hunt carried the ball 15 times for 148 yards and three scores in defeat.

Final Score: (25) Louisville 66, Murray State 21

Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Will Gardner’s two touchdown passes helped lead the No. 25 Louisville Cardinals to a 66-21 rout of the Murray State Racers on Saturday. Gardner went 13-of-22 for 133 yards and backup quarterback Reggie Bonnafon was solid, completing eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown with two rushing scores. L.J. Scott led all Louisville rushers with 126 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, while Brandon Radcliff ran the ball 15 times for 97 yards and two scores. Kai De La Cruz, Michaelee Harris and Gerald Christian each caught a touchdown for the Cardinals (2-0), who defeated Miami, 31-13, in their season opener. Backup quarterback KD Humphries went 13-of-19 for 158 yards and two touchdowns for the Racers (1-1), who had starter CJ Bennett convert just eight of his 19 throws for 93 yards with a touchdown and interception. Janawski Davis led all receivers with 100 yards on five receptions and two touchdowns and Jeremy Harness hauled in a TD pass in defeat.

Categorized in: NCAA Football