Los Angeles, CA (Best E Casino) - Mark Sanchez completed 17-of-28 passes for 172 yards and four touchdowns, as top-ranked Southern California posted a resounding 35-3 victory over fifth-ranked Ohio State. Joe McKnight provided power on the ground with 12 attempts for 105 yards for the Trojans (2-0), who hadn't played Ohio State since 1990 and looked dominant in this most recent meeting, holding the Buckeyes to just 207 total yards. Damian Williams had three catches -- two going for touchdowns -- for 49 yards, while Stanley Havili added a scoring reception as part of a five-catch, 49-yard game. USC has so far outscored its opponents 87-10 this season. Todd Boeckman struggled under center for the Buckeyes (2-1), throwing for 84 yards on 14-of-21 completions. He was also intercepted twice. Terrelle Pryor completed 7-of-9 passes for 52 yards, and ran 11 times for 40 yards, but Ohio State went without a touchdown for the first time in 142 games. The Buckeyes missed the backfield presence of Chris "Beanie" Wells, whose foot injury kept the talented runner off the field. Wells rushed for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore last season.
Final Score: (2) Georgia 14, South Carolina 7
Columbia, SC (Best E Casino) - Knowshon Moreno scored the game-winning touchdown as the second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs held on to defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks, 14-7, in SEC action. Moreno finished the game with 79 yards on 20 carries while Matt Stafford went 15-for-25 with 146 yards along with 15 yards on the ground for the Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC), who avenged last year's 16-12 loss at the hands of South Carolina. Chris Smelley finished 23-for-39 with 271 yards, one touchdown and one interception while Moe Brown hauled in seven balls for 130 yards and a score for the Gamecocks (1-2, 0-2), who have dropped their past two games.
Final Score: (3) Oklahoma 55, Washington 14
Seattle, WA (Best E Casino) - Sam Bradford threw for 304 yards and five touchdowns on 18-of-21 passing to lead third-ranked Oklahoma to a 55-14 throttling of Washington. The Sooners (3-0) had two running backs with 100-yard days -- Chris Brown accumulated 107 yards on 13 attempts, while DeMarco Murray had 100 yards on 16 rushes. Mossis Madu ran for two scores for Oklahoma, which has scored at least 50 points in each of its first three games this season. Jermaine Gresham caught three passes for 99 yards and two TDs, while Ryan Broyles also had two touchdown catches as part of a three-catch, 85-yard performance. Juaquin Iglesias had the other scoring reception while making six catches for 65 yards. Jake Locker threw for 154 yards on 16-of-24 passing for the Huskies (0-3), while rushing for 44 yards and a score on 12 attempts. Ronnie Fouch completed 7-of-13 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
Final Score: (6) Missouri 69, Nevada 17
Columbia, MO (Best E Casino) - Chase Daniel took the top spot in Missouri passing yardage with a 405-yard performance as the No. 6 Tigers throttled Nevada, 69-17. Daniel carved the Nevada defense on 23-of-28 passing with four touchdowns, thanks in no small part to another great performance by Jeremy Maclin, who gained 172 yards on six catches, three of them touchdowns. Daniel had entered the day only 52 yards behind Brad Smith (8,799) for tops in career passing yardage in school history. His 80-yard scoring strike to Maclin in the first quarter vaulted him past Smith. The Heisman Trophy candidate has 9,152 passing yards for his Missouri career. Chase Coffman had six grabs for 127 yards and a score for Missouri (3-0), which outgained Nevada 651-362, and tied a school record for points scored in a game. Derrick Washington gained 75 yards on eight carries, highlighted by a 59-yard touchdown, for the Tigers. Colin Kaepernick completed 17-of-31 passes for 152 yards and one score, and added 71 yards on eight rushes and a touchdown on the ground for Nevada (1-2), which was coming off a 35-19 home loss to another ranked Big 12 opponent, Texas Tech. Marko Mitchell had three catches for 58 yards and a score for the Wolf Pack.
Final Score: (7) LSU 41, North Texas 3
Baton Rouge, LA (Best E Casino) - Charles Scott ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns and Trindon Holliday had a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown to help lead the No. 7 LSU Tigers to a 41-3 drubbing of the North Texas Mean Green at Tiger Stadium. Andrew Hatch was 10-of-17 for 125 yards and an interception but rushed for 18 yards and a score for LSU (2-0). Brandon LaFell had seven receptions for 69 yards to lead the receiving corps while Quinn Johnson also found the end zone. Holliday finished with 163 yards on four punt returns. Giovanni Vizza hit on 22-of-40 pass attempts for 149 yards for North Texas (0-3). Casey Fitzgerald had 11 catches for 75 yards and Sam Dibrell nabbed seven balls for 49 yards. Cam Montgomery gained just 33 yards on the ground as LSU held the Mean Green to 44 yards rushing overall. The Tigers were able to rack up 425 yards of total offense to North Texas' 199 in the home win. The school had made contingency plans to move the game to Dallas, Atlanta, Shreveport or New Orleans with Hurricane Ike approaching but the storm took a turn for the south Texas coastline instead. LSU has already had two games affected by severe weather this season: their opener against Appalachian State on August 30 was moved up from an afternoon start time to a morning kickoff as Hurricane Gustav approached the area, and Gustav's wrath caused damage to Tiger Stadium and forced last Saturday's game against Troy to be rescheduled for November 15.
Final Score: (9) Auburn 3, Mississippi State 2
Starkville, MS (Best E Casino) - Wes Byrum provided all the offense with a 35-yard field goal and the ninth-ranked Auburn Tigers escaped with a 3-2 win over the Bulldogs of Mississippi State, in the SEC opener for both schools. Byrum wound up just 1-of-3 on field goals, missing from 22 and 42 yards while the Bulldogs' Adam Carlson also missed a crucial field goal from 38 yards in a defensive struggle. Auburn's Chris Todd finished 14-of-26 for 154 yards but lost two fumbles in just his second start under center for the Tigers (3-0, 1-0 SEC). Brad Lester ran for 51 yards on nine attempts but was taken from the field on a stretcher in the third quarter with a sprained neck. Ben Tate took over in the backfield and gained 92 yards on 20 carries. Montez Billings hauled in three passes for 68 yards in the win. Mississippi State's Wesley Carroll hit on just 10-of-25 pass attempts for 78 yards and an interception for the Bulldogs (1-2, 0-1). Christian Ducre gained 49 yards on 16 carries while Co-Eric Riley caught three passes for 26 yards.
Final Score: (10) Wisconsin 13, (21) Fresno State 10
Fresno, CA (Best E Casino) - Allan Evridge threw for 143 yards and a touchdown as the 10th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers escaped with a 13-10 victory over No. 21 Fresno State. Evridge left the game in the fourth quarter with apparent cramping but returned to the sidelines later without showing any ill effects of the injury. PJ Hill was a workhorse back, rushing for 112 yards on 26 carries, while Garrett Graham brought in Wisconsin's lone touchdown, finishing with five catches for 58 yards for the Badgers (3-0), who have not lost a non-conference game away from home since 2001. Tom Brandstater threw for 225 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 15- of-27 throws for Fresno State (1-1), which dropped just its second home opener in 12 years under head coach Pat Hill. Devon Wylie caught a touchdown, but kicker Kevin Goessling missed tries of 35, 47, and 51 yards out, while making a 33-yarder in defeat.
Final Score: (11) Alabama 41, Western Kentucky 7
Tuscaloosa, AL (Best E Casino) - John Parker Wilson completed 17-of-27 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns, as 11th-ranked Alabama cruised to a 41-7 win over Western Kentucky. Glen Coffee rushed 11 times for 97 yards, while Mark Ingram ran for 51 yards and two scores on nine attempts for the Crimson Tide (3-0) in the first ever meeting between the schools on the gridiron. Julio Jones caught five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown to help Alabama stay undefeated before it opens its SEC schedule next weekend at Arkansas. David Wolke went 14-for-25 passing for 116 yards and a touchdown in his first start, while Tristan Jones caught that TD pass for the Hilltoppers (1-2). Bobby Rainey was the leading rusher for Western Kentucky with 11 yards on four attempts.
Final Score: (12) Texas Tech 43, SMU 7
Lubbock, TX (Best E Casino) - Graham Harrell threw for a whopping 418 yards and five touchdowns on 31-of-48 passes as the 12-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders walloped the SMU Mustangs, 43-7. Sophomore sensation Michael Crabtree was Harrell's favorite target, bringing down eight balls for 164 yards and three touchdowns for the Red Raiders (3-0), who have won each of their first three games by double digits. Baron Batch led the ground attack with 99 yards and a score on 10 carries. Daniel Charbonnet had three interceptions for the victors. Bo Levi Mitchell had a forgettable performance under center for SMU (1-2), throwing five interceptions on 13-of-24 passing for 155 yards. Emmanuel Sanders had eight catches for 125 yards for the Mustangs, who were outgained 693-274. Despite nearly 10 inches of rain that fell in the Lubbock area over the previous 36 hours, the game was played flawlessly by the home team.
Final Score: (14) East Carolina 28, Tulane 24
New Orleans, LA (Best E Casino) - Jamar Bryant's 24-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter was the difference as 14th-ranked East Carolina slipped past Tulane, 28-24, at the Superdome. Pat Pinkney completed 22-of-32 passes for 260 yards, two scores and one interception for the Pirates (3-0), who have not opened a season with three straight victories since starting the 1999 season at 5-0. Bryant finished with five catches for 59 yards, and Norman Whitley added a TD catch. Brandon Simmons rushed for only 27 yards on nine carries but scored once. Kevin Moore was 21-of-37 passing for 236 yards, one TD and two picks for the Green Wave (0-2). Andre Anderson picked up 82 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, and Jeremy Williams recorded game-highs with eight receptions for 138 yards along with a score.
Final Score: UNLV 23, (15) Arizona State 20 (1OT)
Tempe, AZ (Best E Casino) - UNLV's Malo Taumua broke through the line of scrimmage and blocked Thomas Weber's attempt at a game-tying field in the game's first overtime, as the Rebels pulled out a 23-20 upset over the 15th- ranked Arizona State Sun Devils. Omar Clayton passed for 191 yards on 19- of-31 passes and connected on two touchdowns with Phillip Payne, while Frank Summers rushed for 103 yards on 22 carries for UNLV (2-1), which equaled its win total in each of the past three seasons. Rudy Carpenter threw for 242 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Kyle Williams brought down three balls for 115 yards and a touchdown for Arizona State (2-1), which seemingly fell victim to looking ahead to next weekend's matchup against second-ranked Georgia.
Final Score: (16) Oregon 32, Purdue 26 (2-OT)
West Lafayette, IN (Best E Casino) - LeGarrette Blount's three-yard touchdown run in the second overtime lifted the 16th-ranked Oregon Ducks to a 32-26 win over the Purdue Boilermakers. Justin Roper completed 20-of-48 passes for 197 yards and two interceptions for Oregon (3-0) before leaving the game in the first overtime session with an apparent left knee injury. Blount finished with 132 yards and two scores on 12 carries and Jeremiah Johnson amassed 96 yards on the ground. Ed Dickson had seven catches for 93 yards. Curtis Painter completed 26-of-50 passes for 207 yards and two interceptions for Purdue (1-1). Kory Sheets carried the ball 29 times for 180 yards and two scores. Greg Orton had nine receptions for 82 yards.
Final Score: (17) Penn State 55, Syracuse 13
Syracuse, NY (Best E Casino) - Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin each threw two touchdown passes to lead the No. 17 Nittany Lions to a romp of Syracuse, 55- 13, at the Carrier Dome. Clark finished with 163 yards through the air on 10- of-21 passing while Devlin completed 8-of-13 attempts for 130 yards. Jordan Norwood caught five passes for 113 yards and two scores, and Deon Butler had two touchdowns on seven receptions and 110 yards. Evan Royster had a 100-yard rushing performance and Stephfon Green added a rushing score in the victory for Penn State (3-0). Cameron Dantley went 13-of-32 for 110 yards and a touchdown while throwing an interception. Donte Davis caught three passes for 40 yards, and Marcus Sales scored the only touchdown for the Orange (0-3).
Final Score: (18) BYU 59, UCLA 0
Provo, UT (Best E Casino) - Max Hall threw for 271 yards on 27-of-35 passing and an interception, but tied a BYU single-game record with seven touchdown passes to lead the No. 18 Cougars in a 59-0 rout of the UCLA Bruins, extending the nation's longest winning streak to 13 games. Austin Collie led all receivers with 110 yards on 10 catches with a pair of TDs for BYU (3-0). Michael Reed caught five passes for 90 yards and found the end zone once. Dennis Pitta and Harvey Unga both caught a pair of TD passes in the win, with Unga adding 17 rushes for 72 yards. Wayne Latu had a pair of rushes for 16 yards and a score. Kevin Craft was 23-of-39 passing for 230 yards and a pick and also rushed five times for a total of -10 yards for UCLA (1-1). Chane Moline had six carries for 11 yards and Terrence Austin caught eight balls for 88 yards in defeat.
Final Score: (22) Utah 58, Utah State 10
Logan, UT (Best E Casino) - Matt Asiata scored three touchdowns and Brian Johnson threw for two more as the No. 22 Utah Utes dominated in-state rival Utah State 58-10 at Romney Stadium. Asiata rushed for 56 yards on 11 carries, and Johnson threw for 204 yards on 22-of-31 passing with an interception for Utah (3-0), which followed up impressive wins in Michigan and at home against UNLV. Bradon Godfrey led all Utes receivers with six catches for 57 yards. Aggies starting quarterback Sean Setzer threw a touchdown in just a quarter of play, while Diondre Borel connected on just 5- of-14 passes for 62 yards and an interception. Curtis Marsh had three catches for 51 yards for Utah State (0-3), which gained a paltry 116 yards of total offense.
Final Score: Maryland 35, (23) California 27
College Park, MD (Best E Casino) - Chris Turner had two touchdown passes, Da'Rel Scott ran for two more, and the Maryland Terrapins held off a late charge for a 35-27 upset of No. 23 California. Turner completed 15-of-19 passes for 156 yards for Maryland (2-1), which barely beat FCS school Delaware, 14-7, in its season-opener, then was stunned by Middle Tennessee State, 24-14, last week. Scott gained 87 yards on 19 carries for the Terps, who led 35-13 with 6:22 left only to see Cal almost pull off a stunning comeback. Darrius Heyward-Bey had two catches for 59 yards and a score for Maryland. Kevin Riley completed 33-of-58 passes for 423 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for California (2-1), including two scores in the final 5:03 to cut its deficit from 22 to eight. LaReylle Cunningham had seven catches for 138 yards, Michael Calvin had five for 69 yards, and Jahvid Best gained 65 yards on five grabs for the Golden Bears.
Final Score: (24) Illinois 20, UL-Lafayette 17
Champaign, IL (Best E Casino) - Daniel Dufrene gained 126 yards on 19 carries along with three catches for 24 yards and a score as 24th-ranked Illinois survived UL-Lafayette, 20-17, at Memorial Stadium. Juice Williams completed 13-of-25 passes for 147 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Illini (2-1), who have won two in a row. Michael Desormeaux threw for 200 yards on 25-of-35 passes and had a 34-yard TD run for the Ragin' Cajuns (0-2). Erik Jones added a late touchdown catch.
