(12) Nebraska 38 SOUTHERN MISS 14
Southern Miss actually outgained the Huskers 319-265 but they committed 5 turnovers that led to 21 Nebraska points. They did a great job slowing the Huskers rushing attack as they held them to 141 yards on 45 carries (3.1 ypc) but it was 2 touchdown passes that caught the Eagles by surprise. In total, Lord only completed 6 passes on the night.
(4) VIRGINIA TECH 47 Connecticut 13
The Hokies jumped out to a 40-0 lead but they were still outyarded by the Huskies 443-368. However, most of Connecticut’s yards came when the game was already decided as 54% of their yardage came from their last 3 drives. Virginia Tech scored by way of an interception return, a kickoff return and a blocked punt return, explaining their low 18:36 TOP.
(21) Minnesota 20 PENN STATE 14
Minnesota ran the ball 78% of their plays yet the Nittany Lions could do nothing to stop them. The Gophers rushed for 250 yards on 52 carries (4.87 ypc). Penn St. had a chance to win the game as they had the ball at the Minnesota 15-yard line with :25 seconds remaining but were stopped on downs.
(9) MICHIGAN 31 Indiana 17
Michigan’s first two scores came on a punt return and an interception return. The Hoosiers did a good job early in the game forcing turnovers as Michigan committed 4 turnovers in their first 5 possessions. Unfortunately, Indiana couldn’t do anything offensively, as the Wolverines held them to 68 total yards in the first half. Indiana scored the final 14 points to preserve the cover.
(25) MICHIGAN ST 20 (23) Iowa 10
A very even game on the stat sheets but Iowa committed 4 turnovers that led to 13 Spartan points. The Hawkeyes held Michigan St. to 45 yards rushing on 32 carries (1.4 ypc). Because of the turnover margin, Michigan St. started their drives from their own 41-yard line while Iowa started from their own 24.
(3) OHIO STATE 20 Northwestern 0
The Buckeyes held the Wildcats to 185 total yards and only 64 yards through the air. Northwestern penetrated Ohio St. territory only twice, both times resulting ion missed field goals. Ohio St. missed the cover by ½ point as 4 of their 4th quarter drives ended in Northwestern territory but they only mustered 3 points out of them.
KANSAS 35 Missouri 14
Kansas opened up a close game by scoring 22 points in the 4th quarter in pulling out the outright win. The Jayhawks did a good job shutting down the potent Tigers, allowing only 196 total yards and 13 first downs. Kansas finished 9-15 on 3rd down while holding Missouri to 3-15 on their conversion attempts. The Jayhawks held Missouri to only 36 total yards on their final 4 drives while gaining 171 yards on their final 3.
(24) Florida 24 KENTUCKY 21
Kentucky had the game in their grasp but three 4th quarter Florida touchdowns, one due to an errant interception, gave the Gators the unlikely win. Kentucky committed 2 turnovers in that quarter and also missed a 49-yard field goal to end the game, which would have tied it up.
BOSTON COLLEGE 53 Ball State 29
The Eagles outgained Ball St. 468-367 but the defense clamped down during an important stretch in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters as they limited the Cardinals to 20 yards on 5 consecutive drives while scoring 24 points during the same time. Boston College rushed for 259 yards on 46 carries (5.6 ypc) while holding the Cardinals to 125 yards on 32 carries (3.9 ypc).
So Florida 28 ARMY 0
The Bulls won their first ever CUSA game in fine fashion as they held Army to 176 total yards. The Cadets only rushed for 17 yards on 28 carries (0.6 ypc) and committed 6 turnovers. South Florida yielded only 2.2 ypp on defense but the offense sputtered somewhat as they were only 4-8 in the redzone.
KENT STATE 36 U-C-F 16
Central Florida actually outgained Kent St. 303-262 but they committed an incredible 8 turnovers that led to 20 points for the Golden Flashes. Kent benefitted from a short field all day long and were able to control the clock over 12 minutes longer than the Golden Knights.
MIAMI-OHIO 42 Cincinnati 37
The Bearcats made another strong 4th quarter comeback but just fell short this time although they did backdoor this one. Even with the big 4th quarter, Miami outgained Cincinnati 475-378. They missed many opportunities though as they were only 6-10 in the redzone. An interception and a blocked 23-yard field goal were the big culprits.
MEMPHIS 38 Arkansas State 16
Memphis came to life in the 4th quarter, scoring 21 points in opening up a close game and getting the cover. The Tigers outgained the Indians 401-276 and they held Arkansas St. to just 14 first downs. The teams combined for 21 penalties.
NC STATE 47 No Carolina 34
North Carolina pulled off their 2nd straight backdoor cover on a big play as they scored on a 76-yard TD pass with 2:30 remaining. There was defense present on this day as NC State won the total yardage battle 615-550 with most of the Tar Heel offense coming through the air in trying to play catchup most of the day. The Wolfpack held the Tar Heels to 81 yards rushing on 27 carries (3.0 ypc).
Air Force 24 B-Y-U 10
BYU held the Falcons to just 194 yards rushing, 144 yards below their average but it was 2 4th quarter touchdowns by Air Force that got them the win. A costly fumble in Falcon territory by BYU stopped a possible game tying drive and secured the win for Air Force.
LOUISVILLE 21 Temple 12
Temple outyarded the Cardinals 415-384 but costly mistakes kept them scoreless in the first half. Their defense picked it up in the 2nd half, not allowing any points and giving up just 78 total yards in the half. 2 missed extra points, a fumble at the Louisville 30-yard line with 1:25 remaining and an interception at the Louisville 4-yard line as time expired killed any chance of a win, but the opportunities were there.
(15) Pittsburgh 37 TEXAS A&M 26
The Aggies outyarded the Panthers 544-478 but they lost 3 fumbles that led to 17 Pittsburgh points. Pittsburgh penetrated Texas A&M territory on all 7 of their 2nd half drives. The Aggies hurt the Pitt rushing defense for 227 yards on 39 carries (5.8 ypc)
(18 ) WASHINGTON 28 Stanford 17
Washington scored the final 14 points that turned a 3-point deficit into an 11-point win. The last touchdown came on a 36-yard interception return late in the 4th quarter. After the Huskies first touchdown of the 2nd half, the Cardinal held them to 39 total yards the rest of the game.
(14) Washington St 55 (19) OREGON 16
The Ducks outyarded Washington St. but Oregon committed 9 turnovers (7 interceptions) that led to 28 Cougar points. Oregon went on a string of 5 straight drives with a turnover and 7 of 9 drives with a turnover. The teams combined for only 138 yards rushing.
(8 ) Arkansas 34 ALABAMA 31
Arkansas made an improbable comeback as they scored the last 21 point in regulation to send the game to overtime. The Razorbacks finished with 11 more first downs and 107 more total yards but 4 turnovers and 2 missed field goals put them in an early hole. Alabama had a chance in overtime but a missed field goal followed by an interception on their next possession gave Arkansas the opening to kick the game winner.
VIRGINIA 27 Wake Forest 24
Virginia outscored the Deacons 14-3 in the final quarter including a 38-yard field goal with :10 remaining to pull out the win. The Cavs outgained Wake Forest 477-392 but they committed 5 turnovers including 2 in the 4th quarter. But it was Wake Forest with the biggest turnover as they threw an interception with :32 remaining that was returned to the 33 yard line setting up the game winning field goal.
(22) PURDUE 23 Notre Dame 10
Notre Dame finished with more yards, 446-223 but 4 interceptions, all in their own territory, made the difference. The Irish rushing defense was good, allowing 96 yards on 41 carries (2.4 ypc) but Purdue’s was even better as they allowed just 49 yards on 25 carries (2.0 ypc). Notre Dame was helped by an 85 yard touchdown pass right before halftime for their only touchdown of the game.
Western Mich 39 OHIO U 32
Western Michigan scored the go ahead touchdown with 7:39 remaining and held on for the 7-point win at Ohio. The Broncos used a very balanced attack with 38 rushes and 39 passes en route to 443 yards of total offense. They held the high powered Bobcats rushing attack to just 170 yards on 48 carries (3.6 ypc).
(17) NORTHERN ILL 24 Iowa State 16
Iowa St. finished with more first downs, 22-18 and more total yards, 355-334 but the Huskies hung tough late. They allowed only 5 yards in total on Iowa St.’s final 2 drives. Northern Illinois accounted for 1/3 of their yards in their final two drives which resulted in 10 points.
Maryland 37 EASTERN MICH 13
Maryland held Eastern Michigan to only 13 first downs as the Eagles were just 2-14 on 3rd down conversions. Maryland piled up 467 yards of offense but it took them a quarter to get going. Their first touchdown came on a 44-yard interception return and the offense gained only 34 yards on their first 4 drives of the game.
Wisconsin 38 ILLINOIS 20
Wisconsin outscored Illinois 24-0 in the first and fourth quarters as they were held to 101 total yards in the two middle quarters. Wisconsin finished 10-15 on 3rd down as they rushed for 307 yards on 63 carries (4.9 ypc) while holding the Illini to 64 yards rushing on 21 carries (3.1 ypc).
Akron 38 BUFFALO 21
The Zips completely dominated with 527 yards of offense while allowing the Bulls 227 yards. Buffalo scored their first touchdown on a 66-yard fumble return and their other two touchdowns were their only drives more than 33 yards. Akron was in Buffalo territory in 11 of their 14 drives but 2 turnovers and a missed field goal kept the score closer than it should have been.
SYRACUSE 34 Toledo 7
The rushing game of Syracuse continues to impress as they rumbled for 303 yards on 47 carries (6.5 ypc) while the defense held the Rockets to 76 yards on 23 carries (3.3 ypc). All but 1 of the Orangemen’s first 6 drives were over 67 yards in length. Toledo gained nearly 50% of their yards at the end of the 3rd quarter and the 4th quarter in garbage time.
CALIFORNIA 34 (10) U-S-C 31
Cal won a close game despite outgaining USC 469-376 and having the ball for nearly 17 minutes longer. Cal made a 33-yard field goal at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime and then kicked the game winner from 38 yards after USC missed their 39-yard attempt. Cal entered USC territory in all but 2 of their drives.
Utah 28 COLORADO ST 21
Utah returned a fumble 80 yards for the go ahead touchdown with 1:33 remaining in pulling off the road upset. Colorado St. won the yardage battle 369-284 and had 7 more first downs but 6 turnovers cost them the game. The Rams turned the ball over on their first 4 possessions of the game, 3 of which were in Ute territory.
RUTGERS 48 Navy 27
Navy put up 373 rushing yards on 55 carries (6.8 ypc) and outgained Rutgers in total yards 490-404. The Scarlet Knights benefitted from 3 Navy fumbles and they also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown.
Texas Tech 49 OLE MISS 45
A offensive battle as the teams combined for 1070 passing yards (661 by Tech) and 65 first downs. The difference in this game was the fact that the Red Raiders stepped up defensively on 3rd down at just the right time. Even thought the Rebels were 10-18 on 3rd down, they were forced to settle for 6 field goals, which ultimately ended up being the difference.
(5) Florida State 56 DUKE 7
Florida St. dominated despite holding the ball for over 12 minutes less than the Blue Devils. The Seminoles defense is starting to look like the defense of old as they held Duke to 275 total yards and 17 first downs. The only downfall for Florida St. was their 96 rushing yards on 31 carries (3.1 ypc).
Georgia Tech 24 VANDERBILT 17
Georgia Tech pulled out a victory by scoring the tying touchdown with :32 remaining and then scoring on their first play in overtime. They then intercepted the Commodores on their first play in overtime to clinch the victory. The Jackets finished 3-15 on 3rd and 4th down and managed just 13 first downs in the game.
TROY STATE 33 Marshall 24
Marshall outgained Troy St. 417-349 but 4 turnovers led to 17 points for the Trojans. Troy St. ran for 254 yards on 48 carries (5.3 ypc) while holding the Herd to 98 yards on 27 carries (3.6 ypc). All that solid running but the Trojans finished only 1-15 on 3rd down. Troy St. also returned an interception 70 yards for a score.
(13) TEXAS 63 Tulane 18
Texas built a 49-6 halftime lead as they scored a touchdown on 7 of their first 8 possessions. The other possession ended in a fumble at the Tulane 16-yard line. The Longhorns rushed for 302 yards on 52 carries (5.8 ypc). They benifteed from a short field, starting at their own 49-yard line while Tulane was forced to start their drives at their own 17-yard line.
(7) TENNESSEE 23 So Carolina 20
South Carolina lost yet another heartbreaker in Knoxville. The Gamecocks held Tennessee to 266 total yards and 13 first downs. Excluding overtime, the Vols gained just 76 yards in the 2nd half and entered South Carolina territory just 4 times in the whole game, two of which came on their first 2 drives. The Gamecocks were backed up the whole game, starting their drives from the 15-yard line.
NEW MEXICO 24 New Mexico St 17
New Mexico rallied from a 7-point halftime deficit to defeat their in-state rivals. The Aggies outgained New Mexico 364-228 and had 6 more first downs but they also had 5 turnovers and 2 missed field goals which led to all 24 Lobos points. New Mexico only had one drive of more than 33 yards and they gained just 66 total yards in the second half despite scoring 17 points.
NORTH TEXAS 44 UL Lafayette 23
It’s not very often a team registers back-to-back safeties but North Texas did it, scoring 4 points in the 3rd quarter and they finished the game with 3 safeties in total. The Mean Green outyarded the Cajuns 451-227 and had 9 more first downs. The rushing defense was most impressive holding La-Lafayette to 27 yards on 31 carries (0.9 ypc). The Cajuns had negative yardage on 5 of their first 8 drives.
UTAH STATE 28 UL Monroe 10
Utah St. held the Indians to 45 yards rushing on 34 carries (1.3 ypc) and held them to 257 total yards. The Aggies rushed for 201 yards on 40 carries (5.0 ypc) themselves but 11 penalties slowed them down. Three turnovers by La-Monroe led to 14 Utah st. points.
BOISE STATE 33 Wyoming 17
Boise St. finished with 18 more first downs and held the Cowboys to 273 total yards. Wyoming scored their two touchdowns on 2 long pass plays and were held to only 32 yards rushing on 25 carries (1.3 ypc). The Broncos ran 88 plays compared to just 59 for Wyoming.
(20) T-C-U 13 ARIZONA 10
TCU racked up 452 yards of offense but only managed 10 points in regulation. They had a lot of long drives, 5 of more than 50 yards, but they missed 2 short field goal and were forced to punt 9 times as they were only 4-19 on 3rd down. Arizona scored their only touchdown on a 58-yard pass play and ended the game rushing for only 33 yards on 29 carries (1.1 ypc).
(6) L-S-U 41 MISS STATE 6
LSU held the Bulldogs to 239 yards of offense and forced 4 turnovers that led to 21 points. Mississippi scored their only touchdown in garbage time on a 92 yard drive, which was 38% of their total for the game. The Bulldogs rushed for only 31 yards on 30 carries (1.0 ypc). LSU finished 5-5 in the redzone.
OREGON STATE 45 Arizona State 17
Arizona St. was outgained by only 16 yards but they committed 6 turnovers that led to 21 Oregon St. points. The Beavers finished 9-17 on 3rd down while the Sun Devils managed only 2 first downs on 16 3rd down attempts. Oregon St. was hurt by penalties once again as they were flagged 10 times.
U-C-L-A 20 San Diego St 10
The Bruins held San Diego St. to 230 yards of offense but the Aztecs scored with 6:57 remaining to get the push. UCLA had 4 fumbles, 2 in which led to both Aztecs scores. The first 2 plays from scrimmage were fumbles by each team but no harm was done. The Bruins entered San Diego St. territory in their last 5 drives but managed jsut 10 points.
NEVADA 12 S-M-U 9
Nevada rallied from a 9-0 halftime deficit as they held the Mustangs to 96 total yards in the 2nd half. The teams combined for only 196 yards passing. The Wolfpack missed a field goal and had 3 turnovers in their first 6 possessions. SMU held a 40:49-19:11 TOP advantage.
HAWAII 41 Rice 21
Hawaii scored the only 17 point in the 2nd half as they pulled away late. The Warriors finished with 516 yards of offense and 29 first downs and had a 15 minute TOP advantage. They entered Rice territory in 12 of their 15 drives and benefitted from 5 Owls turnovers that led to 24 points. Two of Rice’s touchdowns were fumble returns.
Southern Miss actually outgained the Huskers 319-265 but they committed 5 turnovers that led to 21 Nebraska points. They did a great job slowing the Huskers rushing attack as they held them to 141 yards on 45 carries (3.1 ypc) but it was 2 touchdown passes that caught the Eagles by surprise. In total, Lord only completed 6 passes on the night.
(4) VIRGINIA TECH 47 Connecticut 13
The Hokies jumped out to a 40-0 lead but they were still outyarded by the Huskies 443-368. However, most of Connecticut’s yards came when the game was already decided as 54% of their yardage came from their last 3 drives. Virginia Tech scored by way of an interception return, a kickoff return and a blocked punt return, explaining their low 18:36 TOP.
(21) Minnesota 20 PENN STATE 14
Minnesota ran the ball 78% of their plays yet the Nittany Lions could do nothing to stop them. The Gophers rushed for 250 yards on 52 carries (4.87 ypc). Penn St. had a chance to win the game as they had the ball at the Minnesota 15-yard line with :25 seconds remaining but were stopped on downs.
(9) MICHIGAN 31 Indiana 17
Michigan’s first two scores came on a punt return and an interception return. The Hoosiers did a good job early in the game forcing turnovers as Michigan committed 4 turnovers in their first 5 possessions. Unfortunately, Indiana couldn’t do anything offensively, as the Wolverines held them to 68 total yards in the first half. Indiana scored the final 14 points to preserve the cover.
(25) MICHIGAN ST 20 (23) Iowa 10
A very even game on the stat sheets but Iowa committed 4 turnovers that led to 13 Spartan points. The Hawkeyes held Michigan St. to 45 yards rushing on 32 carries (1.4 ypc). Because of the turnover margin, Michigan St. started their drives from their own 41-yard line while Iowa started from their own 24.
(3) OHIO STATE 20 Northwestern 0
The Buckeyes held the Wildcats to 185 total yards and only 64 yards through the air. Northwestern penetrated Ohio St. territory only twice, both times resulting ion missed field goals. Ohio St. missed the cover by ½ point as 4 of their 4th quarter drives ended in Northwestern territory but they only mustered 3 points out of them.
KANSAS 35 Missouri 14
Kansas opened up a close game by scoring 22 points in the 4th quarter in pulling out the outright win. The Jayhawks did a good job shutting down the potent Tigers, allowing only 196 total yards and 13 first downs. Kansas finished 9-15 on 3rd down while holding Missouri to 3-15 on their conversion attempts. The Jayhawks held Missouri to only 36 total yards on their final 4 drives while gaining 171 yards on their final 3.
(24) Florida 24 KENTUCKY 21
Kentucky had the game in their grasp but three 4th quarter Florida touchdowns, one due to an errant interception, gave the Gators the unlikely win. Kentucky committed 2 turnovers in that quarter and also missed a 49-yard field goal to end the game, which would have tied it up.
BOSTON COLLEGE 53 Ball State 29
The Eagles outgained Ball St. 468-367 but the defense clamped down during an important stretch in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters as they limited the Cardinals to 20 yards on 5 consecutive drives while scoring 24 points during the same time. Boston College rushed for 259 yards on 46 carries (5.6 ypc) while holding the Cardinals to 125 yards on 32 carries (3.9 ypc).
So Florida 28 ARMY 0
The Bulls won their first ever CUSA game in fine fashion as they held Army to 176 total yards. The Cadets only rushed for 17 yards on 28 carries (0.6 ypc) and committed 6 turnovers. South Florida yielded only 2.2 ypp on defense but the offense sputtered somewhat as they were only 4-8 in the redzone.
KENT STATE 36 U-C-F 16
Central Florida actually outgained Kent St. 303-262 but they committed an incredible 8 turnovers that led to 20 points for the Golden Flashes. Kent benefitted from a short field all day long and were able to control the clock over 12 minutes longer than the Golden Knights.
MIAMI-OHIO 42 Cincinnati 37
The Bearcats made another strong 4th quarter comeback but just fell short this time although they did backdoor this one. Even with the big 4th quarter, Miami outgained Cincinnati 475-378. They missed many opportunities though as they were only 6-10 in the redzone. An interception and a blocked 23-yard field goal were the big culprits.
MEMPHIS 38 Arkansas State 16
Memphis came to life in the 4th quarter, scoring 21 points in opening up a close game and getting the cover. The Tigers outgained the Indians 401-276 and they held Arkansas St. to just 14 first downs. The teams combined for 21 penalties.
NC STATE 47 No Carolina 34
North Carolina pulled off their 2nd straight backdoor cover on a big play as they scored on a 76-yard TD pass with 2:30 remaining. There was defense present on this day as NC State won the total yardage battle 615-550 with most of the Tar Heel offense coming through the air in trying to play catchup most of the day. The Wolfpack held the Tar Heels to 81 yards rushing on 27 carries (3.0 ypc).
Air Force 24 B-Y-U 10
BYU held the Falcons to just 194 yards rushing, 144 yards below their average but it was 2 4th quarter touchdowns by Air Force that got them the win. A costly fumble in Falcon territory by BYU stopped a possible game tying drive and secured the win for Air Force.
LOUISVILLE 21 Temple 12
Temple outyarded the Cardinals 415-384 but costly mistakes kept them scoreless in the first half. Their defense picked it up in the 2nd half, not allowing any points and giving up just 78 total yards in the half. 2 missed extra points, a fumble at the Louisville 30-yard line with 1:25 remaining and an interception at the Louisville 4-yard line as time expired killed any chance of a win, but the opportunities were there.
(15) Pittsburgh 37 TEXAS A&M 26
The Aggies outyarded the Panthers 544-478 but they lost 3 fumbles that led to 17 Pittsburgh points. Pittsburgh penetrated Texas A&M territory on all 7 of their 2nd half drives. The Aggies hurt the Pitt rushing defense for 227 yards on 39 carries (5.8 ypc)
(18 ) WASHINGTON 28 Stanford 17
Washington scored the final 14 points that turned a 3-point deficit into an 11-point win. The last touchdown came on a 36-yard interception return late in the 4th quarter. After the Huskies first touchdown of the 2nd half, the Cardinal held them to 39 total yards the rest of the game.
(14) Washington St 55 (19) OREGON 16
The Ducks outyarded Washington St. but Oregon committed 9 turnovers (7 interceptions) that led to 28 Cougar points. Oregon went on a string of 5 straight drives with a turnover and 7 of 9 drives with a turnover. The teams combined for only 138 yards rushing.
(8 ) Arkansas 34 ALABAMA 31
Arkansas made an improbable comeback as they scored the last 21 point in regulation to send the game to overtime. The Razorbacks finished with 11 more first downs and 107 more total yards but 4 turnovers and 2 missed field goals put them in an early hole. Alabama had a chance in overtime but a missed field goal followed by an interception on their next possession gave Arkansas the opening to kick the game winner.
VIRGINIA 27 Wake Forest 24
Virginia outscored the Deacons 14-3 in the final quarter including a 38-yard field goal with :10 remaining to pull out the win. The Cavs outgained Wake Forest 477-392 but they committed 5 turnovers including 2 in the 4th quarter. But it was Wake Forest with the biggest turnover as they threw an interception with :32 remaining that was returned to the 33 yard line setting up the game winning field goal.
(22) PURDUE 23 Notre Dame 10
Notre Dame finished with more yards, 446-223 but 4 interceptions, all in their own territory, made the difference. The Irish rushing defense was good, allowing 96 yards on 41 carries (2.4 ypc) but Purdue’s was even better as they allowed just 49 yards on 25 carries (2.0 ypc). Notre Dame was helped by an 85 yard touchdown pass right before halftime for their only touchdown of the game.
Western Mich 39 OHIO U 32
Western Michigan scored the go ahead touchdown with 7:39 remaining and held on for the 7-point win at Ohio. The Broncos used a very balanced attack with 38 rushes and 39 passes en route to 443 yards of total offense. They held the high powered Bobcats rushing attack to just 170 yards on 48 carries (3.6 ypc).
(17) NORTHERN ILL 24 Iowa State 16
Iowa St. finished with more first downs, 22-18 and more total yards, 355-334 but the Huskies hung tough late. They allowed only 5 yards in total on Iowa St.’s final 2 drives. Northern Illinois accounted for 1/3 of their yards in their final two drives which resulted in 10 points.
Maryland 37 EASTERN MICH 13
Maryland held Eastern Michigan to only 13 first downs as the Eagles were just 2-14 on 3rd down conversions. Maryland piled up 467 yards of offense but it took them a quarter to get going. Their first touchdown came on a 44-yard interception return and the offense gained only 34 yards on their first 4 drives of the game.
Wisconsin 38 ILLINOIS 20
Wisconsin outscored Illinois 24-0 in the first and fourth quarters as they were held to 101 total yards in the two middle quarters. Wisconsin finished 10-15 on 3rd down as they rushed for 307 yards on 63 carries (4.9 ypc) while holding the Illini to 64 yards rushing on 21 carries (3.1 ypc).
Akron 38 BUFFALO 21
The Zips completely dominated with 527 yards of offense while allowing the Bulls 227 yards. Buffalo scored their first touchdown on a 66-yard fumble return and their other two touchdowns were their only drives more than 33 yards. Akron was in Buffalo territory in 11 of their 14 drives but 2 turnovers and a missed field goal kept the score closer than it should have been.
SYRACUSE 34 Toledo 7
The rushing game of Syracuse continues to impress as they rumbled for 303 yards on 47 carries (6.5 ypc) while the defense held the Rockets to 76 yards on 23 carries (3.3 ypc). All but 1 of the Orangemen’s first 6 drives were over 67 yards in length. Toledo gained nearly 50% of their yards at the end of the 3rd quarter and the 4th quarter in garbage time.
CALIFORNIA 34 (10) U-S-C 31
Cal won a close game despite outgaining USC 469-376 and having the ball for nearly 17 minutes longer. Cal made a 33-yard field goal at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime and then kicked the game winner from 38 yards after USC missed their 39-yard attempt. Cal entered USC territory in all but 2 of their drives.
Utah 28 COLORADO ST 21
Utah returned a fumble 80 yards for the go ahead touchdown with 1:33 remaining in pulling off the road upset. Colorado St. won the yardage battle 369-284 and had 7 more first downs but 6 turnovers cost them the game. The Rams turned the ball over on their first 4 possessions of the game, 3 of which were in Ute territory.
RUTGERS 48 Navy 27
Navy put up 373 rushing yards on 55 carries (6.8 ypc) and outgained Rutgers in total yards 490-404. The Scarlet Knights benefitted from 3 Navy fumbles and they also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown.
Texas Tech 49 OLE MISS 45
A offensive battle as the teams combined for 1070 passing yards (661 by Tech) and 65 first downs. The difference in this game was the fact that the Red Raiders stepped up defensively on 3rd down at just the right time. Even thought the Rebels were 10-18 on 3rd down, they were forced to settle for 6 field goals, which ultimately ended up being the difference.
(5) Florida State 56 DUKE 7
Florida St. dominated despite holding the ball for over 12 minutes less than the Blue Devils. The Seminoles defense is starting to look like the defense of old as they held Duke to 275 total yards and 17 first downs. The only downfall for Florida St. was their 96 rushing yards on 31 carries (3.1 ypc).
Georgia Tech 24 VANDERBILT 17
Georgia Tech pulled out a victory by scoring the tying touchdown with :32 remaining and then scoring on their first play in overtime. They then intercepted the Commodores on their first play in overtime to clinch the victory. The Jackets finished 3-15 on 3rd and 4th down and managed just 13 first downs in the game.
TROY STATE 33 Marshall 24
Marshall outgained Troy St. 417-349 but 4 turnovers led to 17 points for the Trojans. Troy St. ran for 254 yards on 48 carries (5.3 ypc) while holding the Herd to 98 yards on 27 carries (3.6 ypc). All that solid running but the Trojans finished only 1-15 on 3rd down. Troy St. also returned an interception 70 yards for a score.
(13) TEXAS 63 Tulane 18
Texas built a 49-6 halftime lead as they scored a touchdown on 7 of their first 8 possessions. The other possession ended in a fumble at the Tulane 16-yard line. The Longhorns rushed for 302 yards on 52 carries (5.8 ypc). They benifteed from a short field, starting at their own 49-yard line while Tulane was forced to start their drives at their own 17-yard line.
(7) TENNESSEE 23 So Carolina 20
South Carolina lost yet another heartbreaker in Knoxville. The Gamecocks held Tennessee to 266 total yards and 13 first downs. Excluding overtime, the Vols gained just 76 yards in the 2nd half and entered South Carolina territory just 4 times in the whole game, two of which came on their first 2 drives. The Gamecocks were backed up the whole game, starting their drives from the 15-yard line.
NEW MEXICO 24 New Mexico St 17
New Mexico rallied from a 7-point halftime deficit to defeat their in-state rivals. The Aggies outgained New Mexico 364-228 and had 6 more first downs but they also had 5 turnovers and 2 missed field goals which led to all 24 Lobos points. New Mexico only had one drive of more than 33 yards and they gained just 66 total yards in the second half despite scoring 17 points.
NORTH TEXAS 44 UL Lafayette 23
It’s not very often a team registers back-to-back safeties but North Texas did it, scoring 4 points in the 3rd quarter and they finished the game with 3 safeties in total. The Mean Green outyarded the Cajuns 451-227 and had 9 more first downs. The rushing defense was most impressive holding La-Lafayette to 27 yards on 31 carries (0.9 ypc). The Cajuns had negative yardage on 5 of their first 8 drives.
UTAH STATE 28 UL Monroe 10
Utah St. held the Indians to 45 yards rushing on 34 carries (1.3 ypc) and held them to 257 total yards. The Aggies rushed for 201 yards on 40 carries (5.0 ypc) themselves but 11 penalties slowed them down. Three turnovers by La-Monroe led to 14 Utah st. points.
BOISE STATE 33 Wyoming 17
Boise St. finished with 18 more first downs and held the Cowboys to 273 total yards. Wyoming scored their two touchdowns on 2 long pass plays and were held to only 32 yards rushing on 25 carries (1.3 ypc). The Broncos ran 88 plays compared to just 59 for Wyoming.
(20) T-C-U 13 ARIZONA 10
TCU racked up 452 yards of offense but only managed 10 points in regulation. They had a lot of long drives, 5 of more than 50 yards, but they missed 2 short field goal and were forced to punt 9 times as they were only 4-19 on 3rd down. Arizona scored their only touchdown on a 58-yard pass play and ended the game rushing for only 33 yards on 29 carries (1.1 ypc).
(6) L-S-U 41 MISS STATE 6
LSU held the Bulldogs to 239 yards of offense and forced 4 turnovers that led to 21 points. Mississippi scored their only touchdown in garbage time on a 92 yard drive, which was 38% of their total for the game. The Bulldogs rushed for only 31 yards on 30 carries (1.0 ypc). LSU finished 5-5 in the redzone.
OREGON STATE 45 Arizona State 17
Arizona St. was outgained by only 16 yards but they committed 6 turnovers that led to 21 Oregon St. points. The Beavers finished 9-17 on 3rd down while the Sun Devils managed only 2 first downs on 16 3rd down attempts. Oregon St. was hurt by penalties once again as they were flagged 10 times.
U-C-L-A 20 San Diego St 10
The Bruins held San Diego St. to 230 yards of offense but the Aztecs scored with 6:57 remaining to get the push. UCLA had 4 fumbles, 2 in which led to both Aztecs scores. The first 2 plays from scrimmage were fumbles by each team but no harm was done. The Bruins entered San Diego St. territory in their last 5 drives but managed jsut 10 points.
NEVADA 12 S-M-U 9
Nevada rallied from a 9-0 halftime deficit as they held the Mustangs to 96 total yards in the 2nd half. The teams combined for only 196 yards passing. The Wolfpack missed a field goal and had 3 turnovers in their first 6 possessions. SMU held a 40:49-19:11 TOP advantage.
HAWAII 41 Rice 21
Hawaii scored the only 17 point in the 2nd half as they pulled away late. The Warriors finished with 516 yards of offense and 29 first downs and had a 15 minute TOP advantage. They entered Rice territory in 12 of their 15 drives and benefitted from 5 Owls turnovers that led to 24 points. Two of Rice’s touchdowns were fumble returns.
