Week 1 College Football Scores

Boston College 31 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 24

Boston College pulled away to a comfortable 31-10 lead before the Chippewas tried to make a ferocious comeback. Central Michigan stiffened its defense and capitalized with two long touchdown drives that pulled it within a touchdown late. The Chippewas forced another punt and drove down past midfield before an interception ended the game. Boston College finished with just 85 yards rushing on 32 carries (2.7 ypg) but it was still able to win the time of possession by over 10 minutes.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE 7 Florida International 6

Defense ruled in this game as no points were scored in the second half. Florida International actually outgained the Blue Raiders 247-175 but after scoring its touchdown on it opening drive, the Golden Panthers were unable to put together a drive longer than 31 yards the rest of the way. Florida International missed an extra point and a field goal which ended up being the difference.

BUFFALO 9 Temple 3

Buffalo outyarded Temple 356-183 but could manage just one field goal in regulation. The Bulls were inside the redzone on three different occasions but missed two short field goals and also fumbled once at the Owls 18-yard line. Temple had a first and goal from the Buffalo two-yard line but couldn’t punch it in and had to settle for the game-tying field goal. The Owls were intercepted in overtime on the first possession.

BALL STATE 38 Eastern Michigan 20

Eastern Michigan outgained the Cardinals 435-389 but it turned the ball over on downs twice and had to settle for two short field goals. In total, 256 yards from those four drives resulted in just six points. The Eagles rushed for 226 yards on 38 carries (5.9 ypc) but it was the defense in the second half that could not contain the Cardinals who scored touchdowns in three of four drives to pull away.

Minnesota 44 KENT STATE 0

Minnesota ran all over Kent St. for 322 yards on 55 carries (5.9 ypc) while the defense forced six Golden Flashes turnovers. Kent St. fumbled at the Gophers goal line and missed a 20-yard field goal in successive possessions which could have cut into a 17-0 Minnesota lead. The Gophers were a perfect 6-6 inside the redzone and finished the game 8-11 on third and fourth down.

Northwestern 21 MIAMI-OHIO 3

Northwestern broke a scoreless tie in the third quarter with a blocked punt return for a touchdown which was the first of three straight scoring drives. Miami could only muster one field goal as the Wildcats shutdown the RedHawks rushing offense, allowing just 72 yards on 29 carries (2.5 ypc). Northwestern finished with five sacks and the Miami offense was just 2-14 on third and fourth down.

IOWA STATE 45 Toledo 43

A failed two-point conversion by Toledo in the third overtime was the difference. Iowa St. could have put the game away in regulation but turned the ball over on downs and the Rockets capitalized by driving 79 yards for the tying score. Toledo put up 367 yards through the air but the ground game was held in check, gaining just 45 yards on 27 carries (1.7 ypc). Both teams finished a perfect 5-5 inside the redzone.

South Carolina 15 MISSISSIPPI STATE 0

South Carolina held the Bulldogs to just 161 total yards and 10 first downs to record the shutout. Mississippi St. intercepted the Gamecocks on the first play of the game but missed a field goal on the ensuing drive and then never got closer than the South Carolina 38-yard line the rest of the way. Both rushing games never got going as the Gamecocks ran for just 81 yards while the Bulldogs gained just 79 yards.

Texas-El Paso 34 SAN DIEGO ST 27

The Miners overcame four interceptions and had to hold on after building a 24-point third quarter lead. The Aztecs pulled to within three points and had the ball midway through the fourth quarter with a chance to tie or take the lead but an interception led to a short UTEP touchdown. After a field goal, the Miners were able to run out the clock and preserve the win. The Aztecs outgained the Miners 384-243.

FRESNO STATE 28 Nevada 19

Nevada outgained Fresno St. by 15 yards but after cutting the Bulldogs lead to just two points early in the fourth quarter, it was unable to stop Fresno St. on a long touchdown drive. The Bulldogs rushed for 212 yards on 38 carries (5.6 ypc) and the defense came up with a big 4th down stop late in the final quarter to hang on for the win. Both teams finished 9-15 on third down conversions.

(14) MICHIGAN 27 Vanderbilt 7

Vanderbilt finished with only nine first downs and 171 total yards but still trailed by only six points late in the third quarter before Michigan pulled away. The Wolverines opened the game with an 81-yard touchdown drive but the offense managed only 300 yards the rest of the game. Michigan rushed for 246 yards on 51 carries (4.8 ypc) but the passing game accounted for only 135 yards.

MICHIGAN STATE 27 Idaho 17

Michigan St. put up 400 total yards of offense but it was unable to put away the Vandals until late in the final quarter. Idaho pulled to within a touchdown and stopped the Spartans on 4th down but was unable to capitalize. The Vandals ran more offensive plays and controlled the time of possession but averaged just four yards per play. The Spartans finished just 4-11 on third down conversions.

(3) TEXAS 56 North Texas 7

The Longhorns held North Texas to just six first downs and 95 total yards. The Mean Green were able to score a touchdown in their first drive of the second half but failed to have any other drive more than 20 yards. They finished with just 18 yards in the first half. Texas was very balanced with 212 yards rushing and 198 yards passing and finished a perfect 5-5 in the redzone. North Texas was also hurt by 11 penalties.

(18) CLEMSON 54 Florida Atlantic 6

Clemson outgained the Owls by only 109 total yards but benefited from four turnovers that led to 21 points. The Tigers also returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown. Clemson held Florida Atlantic to just 47 yards rushing on 34 carries (1.4 ypc) and allowed just six points despite four trips in the redzone by the Owls. The Tigers also had four turnovers but Florida Atlantic was unable to take advantage.

(20) NEBRASKA 49 Louisiana Tech 10

The Huskers racked up 584 total yards and six of its seven touchdown drives were 64 yards or more. Louisiana Tech was fortunate to be down by just 11 points at halftime but two turnovers in the third quarter inside Huskers territory killed any chances of a comeback.

Nebraska finished with 252 yards rushing on 48 carries (5.2 ypc) while the Bulldogs finished with just 67 yards on 21 carries (3.2 ypc)

Rutgers 21 NORTH CAROLINA 16

North Carolina outgained the Scarlet Knights 403-362 but three turnovers inside the Rutgers 32-yard line killed three scoring chances. The Tar Heels were down by 11 points and driving early in the fourth quarter but fumbled at the Rutgers one-yard line stopping their longest possession of the day. The Scarlet Knights used ball control as they won the TOP battle and had five drives that lasted more than 4:11.

(1) OHIO STATE 35 Northern Illinois 12

Ohio St. jumped out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back. 10 of the 11 Buckeyes possessions crossed midfield but two missed field goals and two fumbles inside the Huskies seven-yard line made the score more respectable than it really was. Northern Illinois finished just 1-13 on third down conversions and its best drive of the game didn’t come until the fourth quarter when the game was already decided.

(21) OREGON 48 Stanford 10

The Ducks tallied 534 yards of offense and broke open a close game by scoring the final 31 points. Stanford had plenty of opportunities as it finished only 1-4 inside the redzone and that turned out to be just a field goal. The Cardinals missed two short field goals and turned it over on downs at the Oregon 21-yard line. The Ducks crossed midfield on every possession as it racked up 298 yards rushing on 41 carries (7.3 ypc).

(19) PENN STATE 34 Akron 16

Akron played very tough and trailed by just eight points midway through the third quarter until Penn St. was able to pull away. The Zips finished with more first downs and held the Nittany Lions to 76 yards rushing on 27 carries (2.8 ypc). Akron finished with only 33 rushing yards on 34 carries (1.0 ypc) despite controlling the clock for nearly 16 minutes more. Penn St.’s average starting field position was its own 49-yard line.

WASHINGTON 35 San Jose St 29

San Jose St. nearly pulled off the upset but after pulling to within six points late in the fourth quarter, the Huskies busted off a 68-yard touchdown run to put the game out of reach. Washington finished with 300 yards rushing on 41 carries (7.3 ypc) while holding the Spartans to just 50 yards on 29 carries (1.7 ypc). Three Washington turnovers all led to points for San Jose St. but all three were just field goals.

(5) WEST VIRGINIA 42 Marshall 10

West Virginia outgained the Thundering Herd 485-322 thanks to 312 yards rushing on 52 carries (6.0 ypc). Marshall punted in its first four possessions but it was able to cross midfield in seven of its last nine drives but came away with only two scores from it. All of the Mountaineers touchdown drives were at least seven plays long and they were a perfect 6-6 inside the redzone.

WYOMING 38 Utah State 7

Wyoming outyarded Utah St. 460-129 and it held the Aggies to just five first downs. Utah St. scored its only touchdown on an interception return but it was still down by just three points very late in the third quarter. The Cowboys then pulled away with three touchdown drives along with an interception return for a score. Wyoming forced 10 punts while the Aggies finished 1-13 on third and fourth down.

NAVY 28 East Carolina 23

Navy ran all over the Pirates for 403 yards but that was to be expected. The Midshipmen averaged 5.8 ypc on 70 carries so it wasn’t a complete domination. Navy threw for only six yards on two completions. East Carolina meanwhile threw for 283 yards while rushing for just 76 yards on 25 carries (3.0 ypc). East Carolina pulled to within five points with a late touchdown but it was never able to get the ball back.

(23) TENNESSEE 35 (9) California 18

Tennessee jumped out to a 35-0 lead while racking up 514 yards of offense. California did put up 336 total yards but 208 of those yards followed Tennessee’s fifth touchdown on the day and that included a 97-yard drive in the final two minutes. The Volunteers held the Golden Bears potent rushing attack to just 64 yards on 23 carries (2.8 ypc). Four of the Volunteers five touchdowns were 42 yards or longer.

(7) FLORIDA 34 Southern Mississippi 7

Southern Mississippi jumped out to a 7-0 lead thanks to an interception by the Gators on their third play of the game. The Golden Eagles were hurt by their own mistakes the rest of the way. They were inside Florida’s 33-yard line on four drives but turned it over on downs twice inside the 20, threw an interception and missed a field goal. The Gators had three touchdown drives of 71 or more yards.

INDIANA 39 Western Michigan 20

The Hoosiers outgained Western Michigan by only 34 total yards but had an interception return and a punt return for scores. The Hoosiers jumped out to a 29-6 lead midway through the third quarter and Western Michigan didn’t have its best drive of the day until garbage time. Neither team got its running game on track as Indiana rushed for 71 yards while Western Michigan ran for 72 yards.

WAKE FOREST 20 Syracuse 10

Wake Forest held Syracuse to just 136 total yards and 11 first downs and despite outgaining the Orange by 227 total yards, the game was still in question late in the fourth quarter. After scoring a touchdown on its second drive Syracuse could muster only 31 yards the rest of the game. The Orange were 1-11 on third down conversions.

ALABAMA 25 Hawaii 17

Hawaii was outgained by just eight yards and missed some excellent opportunities to pull off the upset. The Warriors fumbled at the Alabama 2-yard line on their first drive of the second half and were driving on their final possession before being intercepted on the final play of the game. The Tide controlled the clock for more than 11 minutes longer despite running just six more plays. Hawaii was hurt by 11 penalties.

Wisconsin 35 BOWLING GREEN 14

Wisconsin outgained the Falcons by just 20 total yards but used its best efforts late in the game by scoring the final two touchdowns to pull away. Both teams ran the ball considerably more as the Badgers threw for only 124 yards while Bowling Green threw for just 82 yards. Wisconsin was faced with only six third down attempts, converting three and also used a blocked punt for one of its touchdowns.

(10) OKLAHOMA 24 U-A-B 17

Oklahoma overcame four turnovers and a stingy UAB defense to pull off the narrow win. The Blazers took a three-point lead late in the third quarter but the Sooners struck back right away with a 69-yard touchdown pass on the very next play. They added a field goal and held to UAB to just 39 yards in its final four possessions. UAB controlled the clock by over 10 more minutes but was hurt by 11 penalties.

PITTSBURGH 38 Virginia 13

Pittsburgh held the Cavaliers to 211 total yards including just 52 yards rushing on 21 carries (2.5 ypc). The defense also accounted for two scores as it returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Virginia crossed midfield only four times on the night and its first two scores were on drives of 18 and 13 yards. The Panthers had touchdown passes of 72 and 78 yards, both occurring on the first play of the drive.

(25) TEXAS TECH 35 S-M-U 3

The Red Raiders racked up 501 yards of offense as all five touchdown drives were more than 60 yards. SMU was held to 189 yards of offense and after kicking a field goal in its opening possession, the Mustangs had only 120 yards the rest of the way and crossed midfield only twice in its last 11 drives. The Red Raiders were 11-18 on third and fourth down while SMU was just 3-13.

U-C-L-A 31 Utah 10

UCLA outgained Utah 425-287 with most of that disparity coming in the second half where the Bruins scored the final 17 points of the game. The Utes had only 64 total yards after the break while UCLA tallied 214 yards. The Bruins easily controlled the time of possession while going 6-14 on third down conversions. The Utes meanwhile went 0-11 on third down and were 0-1 inside the redzone.

ARKANSAS STATE 14 Army 6

Arkansas St. shut down the Army offense, holding it to 164 total yards including just 69 yards rushing on 27 carries (2.6 ypc). The Indians passed for just 97 yards but put up 220 yards on the ground on 45 carries (4.9 ypc). They did lose three fumbles, two of which occurred inside the Black Knights 15-yard line while the third happened at their own 10-yard line. Army’s longest drive was just 36 yards.

(4) AUBURN 40 Washington St 14

The Tigers outyarded Washington St. 484-274 thanks to a running game that tallied 293 yards on 44 carries (6.7 ypc). The score could have been a lot worse but Auburn had to settle for four field goals in its first four drives. The Cougars did pull to within 12 points midway through the third quarter but the Tigers tacked on two more scores to pull away. Auburn won the time of possession in every quarter.

(2) Notre Dame 14 GEORGIA TECH 10

The Irish got into a 10-0 hole but scored the go ahead touchdown on their first drive of the second half and the defense held the rest of the way. Notre Dame forced the Yellow Jackets to punt on all four second half possessions while allowing just 66 yards of offense. The Irish ended with 384 yards of offense but they had two missed field goals while committing 11 penalties for 80 yards.

(8) L-S-U 45 UL Lafayette 3

LSU outgained the Cajuns 469-176 and held them to just eight first downs. La-Lafayette’s only score came on a field goal off a three-yard drive that was set up by a Tigers fumble. The Cajuns had other opportunities as they got inside LSU’s 23-yard line two other times but missed a field goal and were intercepted the other time. The Tigers scored their second touchdown on an interception return.

(6) U-S-C 50 ARKANSAS 14

USC racked up 472 yards of offense but three of its first four scores ended up being field goals. The Trojans also benefited from five Arkansas turnovers that led to 31 points. None of those five scoring drives were more than 31 yards. USC finished 7-7 inside the redzone and was 7-14 on 3rd down. The Razorbacks were down by just nine points at halftime but the Trojans scored touchdowns on their first four possessions after the break.

Houston 31 RICE 30

Houston overcame a 16-point deficit late in the third quarter and scored the final 17 points to pull off the win. The Cougars finished with just 329 yards of offense including only 96 yards rushing on 28 carries (3.4 ypc). The Owls scored touchdowns on all four drives in the second quarter but a blocked PAT after the final one was ended up being the difference. Rice finished with just 68 yards in the second half.

ARIZONA 16 B-Y-U 13

Arizona won on a last second field goal after BYU had tied the game just minutes earlier. The defenses ruled this one, especially the rushing defenses. Arizona was held to 67 yards on 24 carries (2.8 ypc) while the Cougars gained only 24 yards on 24 carries (1.0 ypc). BYU had its best drive of the game turn into nothing as it turned the ball over on downs late in the third quarter.

OLE MISS 28 Memphis 25

Memphis outgained Mississippi 374-337 despite the Rebels rushing for 240 yards on 45 carries (5.3 ypc). Mississippi took an 11-point lead midway through the final quarter but the Tigers drove 67 yards to pull within three points. The Rebels were able to run out the ball and secure the win. Both teams finished 3-3 inside the redzone but Memphis was forced to kick a 30-yard field goal which was the difference.

(22) T-C-U 17 BAYLOR 7

Baylor outgained the Horned Frogs 333-330 and took a 7-0 lead into halftime but it could not muster another score. The Bears had three scoring opportunities in the second half but they turned the ball over twice inside the redzone while ending the game at the TCU 22-yard line. An interception by the Horned Frogs led to the lone touchdown by Baylor. The teams combined for just 144 yards rushing.

(13) LOUISVILLE 59 Kentucky 28

Louisville racked up 631 yards of offense while holding the Wildcats to just 260 yards. The Cardinals rushed for 363 yards on 55 carries (6.6 ypc) while Kentucky could muster only 22 yards on 19 carries (1.2 ypc). The Wildcats scored on pass plays of 73 and 80 yards while also returning a kickoff 100 yards for a score. Louisville controlled the ball for over 17 minutes longer while 7 of 8 touchdown drives were 50 or more yards.

(9) Florida State 13 (17) MIAMI-FLORIDA 10

The defenses dominated as only 17 first downs were produced along with just 310 total yards of offense. The most amazing statistic was the rushing yards as Florida St. finished with just one yard while Miami finished with just two yards on the ground. There were 16 punts and the teams were a combined 9-31 on third down. There were six fumbles in the game, three by each team, but none changed possession.

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