This was a big week for football fans, with a lot of important action on the field. Once again, several teams made their case for why they should be #1, as LSU and Oklahoma won big over ranked opponents and Alabama pitched another shutout. Here are all the highlights from around the Top 25.

#1 Louisiana State 41, #17 Florida 11

Freshman Jacoby Brissett, the Gators’ third-string quarterback who was pushed into the starting lineup due to injuries, was simply no match for a swarming LSU defense. The Tigers held the freshman to just 94 yards passing, 65 of which came on one play. Florida managed just 213 yards of total offense and hurt themselves with 12 penalties for 90 yards. LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee played another mistake-free game, throwing for 154 yards and a touchdown in the win. This is the first time since 1992 that Florida has lost consecutive games by double digits.

#2 Alabama 34, Vanderbilt 0

The Crimson Tide had no problems with a Vanderbilt offense that came in ranking 117th in the nation. Alabama’s defense forced two turnovers, held the Commodores to just 190 total yards and pitched their second shutout of the season. Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron threw for a career-high 237 yards and four touchdowns, and running back Trent Richardson added his fifth-straight 100-yard game. Alabama has won 21 straight in the series.

#3 Oklahoma 55, #11 Texas 17

The Red River Rivalry turned into the Red River Rout, as the Sooners scored on their first four possessions and forced two Texas turnovers in that same stretch. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones tossed three touchdown passes and the Sooners’ defense added three touchdowns of their own. The Texas quarterback tandem of Case McCoy and David Ash were helpless against Oklahoma’s stifling defense, turning the ball over four times: two fumbles, two interceptions. They got no help from a Longhorns ground game that managed just 36 rushing yards on 45 attempts. The only bright spot for Texas came on a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown by Fozzy Whitaker late in the second quarter.

#4 Wisconsin BYE

The Badgers will return to action next week at home versus Indiana.

#5 Boise State 57, Fresno State 7

The Broncos had no problems with Fresno State, putting up 30 points before the Bulldogs were even able to cross midfield. Quarterback Kellen Moore threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns as Boise State scored 50 unanswered points in the first three quarters of play. Fresno State running back Robbie Rouse, who came into the game with four-straight 100-yard games, was held to just 72 yards and no scores on ten carries.

#6 Oklahoma State 70, Kansas 28

We already knew that Kansas’ defense was bad against the run (604 rushing yards by Georgia Tech on 9/17). This week it was the pass defense’s turn, being rocked for 494 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. OSU quarterback Brandon Weeden was 24/28 for 288 yards and five touchdowns before coach Mike Gundy pulled his starters late in the second quarter. Kansas actually got on the board first, but the Cowboys responded with 56 unanswered points to take a 56-7 lead into halftime.  Their 70 points matched a modern-era (since 1915) school record set in 1973.

#7 Stanford 48, Colorado 7

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck threw for a season-high 370 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinal extended its nations-best winning streak to 13 games. Playing without five defensive players who were suspended by coach John Embree, the Buffaloes defense gave up 553 yards. The 13 straight wins tie Stanford’s longest-ever winning streak set in 1939-1941.

#8 Clemson 36, Boston College 14

The Tigers put up 500 yards of offense, despite losing quarterback Tajh Boyd to a third-quarter hip injury. Clemson started the game with 20 unanswered points, and the Boston College offense was never able to recover, managing just 258 total yards and turning the ball over twice. This is Clemson’s first five-game winning streak in 11 years.

#9 Oregon 43, California 15

Whatever defensive adjustments the Ducks made at halftime obviously worked, as Cal, who led 15-14 at halftime, was shut out in the second half while Oregon rolled up 29 unanswered points. Oregon running back LaMichael James rushed for 239 yards — a school-record third-straight 200+ yard game — and a touchdown before leaving in the fourth quarter with a dislocated elbow. Quarterback Darron Thomas went just 13/25, but made his completions count, throwing for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Cal has now lost nine straight to Top Ten opponents.

#10 Arkansas 38, #15 Auburn 14

Auburn led 14-7 after the first quarter, but it was all Razorbacks after that. Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns as the Hogs rolled up 438 yards against an Auburn defense that came into the game already ranked 106th in the nation. Auburn finished with more penalty yards (105) than passing yards (104).

#12 Michigan 42, Northwestern 24

Michigan, playing their first road game of the season, actually trailed 24-14 at halftime, but rolled up 28 unanswered points to put away the Wildcats. Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson threw for 338 yards and rushed for another 113, accounting for four touchdowns. Robinson did throw three interceptions in the first half, but settled down to lead Michigan to the win in the second.

#13 Georgia Tech 21, Maryland 16

Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington had 234 yards of total offense and rushed for two touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets overcame their own inconsistent play and held off a late rally by the Terrapins. Maryland had only 176 yards in the first three quarters, but found an offensive rhythm in the fourth to close the gap. However, they were unable to convert on their final drive in the waning minutes of the game.

#14 Nebraska 34, Ohio State 27

The Cornhuskers got their first-ever Big Ten conference victory in come-from-behind fashion, scoring 28 unanswered points in the final 22 minutes of play. After being widely criticized for his play in last week’s loss to Wisconsin, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez bounced back nicely, throwing for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and adding 102 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Nebraska’s defense struggled to get off the field in the first half, but seemed to gain confidence in the second, with Ohio State’s final six drives ending with four punts (two three-and-outs) and two turnovers. The 21-point comeback was the biggest in school history for the Cornhuskers.

#16 West Virginia 43, Connecticut 16

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith had another huge day, going 27/45 for 450 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions as the Mountaineers blew up in the second half to put away the Huskies. Connecticut had pulled to within one point of West Virginia at halftime before the Mountaineers scored 33 unanswered points to open the second half. The Huskies only crossed midfield once in the final two quarters, and that drive ended in a lost fumble.

#18 South Carolina 54, Kentucky 3

Gamecocks quarterback Connor Shaw was benched when he struggled in Week One. In his second chance as the South Carolina starter, he made sure that head coach Steve Spurrier would not be similarly tempted, going 26/29 for 311 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions as the Gamecocks rolled to an easy win. Kentucky’s offense, already the worst scoring unit in the nation, managed only 96 total yards (just 17 passing) and six first downs.

#19 Illinois 41, Indiana 20

Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins caught six balls for 182 yards and two touchdowns as the Illini got off to their first 6-0 start since 1951. To complement Jenkins’ big receiving day, Illinois also pounded out 308 rushing yards. Indiana had taken an early 10-0 lead before being outscored 34-3 in the next thirty minutes of play.

#20 Kansas State 24, Missouri 17

Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein had three rushing touchdowns, and the Kansas State defense held Missouri, which had been averaging over 500 yards per game, to just 326 yards of total offense. Tigers kicker Grant Ressel — who had missed just two field goals in over two years for Missouri — missed two on Saturday, raising his total to six misses in his last four games. The win moves Kansas State to 5-0 for the first time since 2000 and ends a five-game losing streak to Missouri.

#21 Virginia Tech 38, Miami 35

The Hokies led the entire game before Miami scored 14 unanswered to take a 35-31 lead with 2:51 to go. But on fourth-and-one with less than a minute to play, Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas ran 19 yards for the game-winning touchdown, capping an eight-play, 77-yard drive to seal the victory. Thomas was the story of the game: in addition to his winning touchdown, the sophomore was 23/25 (92%, an FBS high this season) for 310 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for two touchdowns.

#22 Arizona State 35, Utah 14

The Sun Devils defense forced five Utah turnovers and ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona State rolled to their eighth straight win over Utah. The Utes came into this game shorthanded, starting Jon Hays, a transfer from Nebraska-Omaha, at quarterback in place of the injured Jordan Wynn. The Utes had actually taken the lead early in the third quarter before the Sun Devils scored 18 unanswered points in less than four minutes to put the game out of reach.

Wake Forest 35, #23 Florida State 30

Florida State continued its recent slide, dropping its third straight game. The Seminoles were their own worst enemy, with 13 penalties for 109 yards and five turnovers, which Wake Forest turned into 17 points. Wake Forest has won four of the last six over Florida State. The Demon Deacons are now 3-0 in conference play for the first time in school history.

#24 Texas A&M 45, Texas Tech 40

After blowing big halftime leads each of the past two weeks, the Aggies knew their 31-20 advantage going into the second half was anything but secure. This time, however, they were able to hold off a late charge by the Red Raiders and secure the victory. Texas Tech’s offense actually outscored their Aggie counterparts 20-7 in the second half, but the Aggies got a boost from a 3rd quarter blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown. Red Raider quarterback Seth Doege went 44/66 for 391 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

#25 Baylor 49, Iowa State 26

For the first time this season, Robert Griffin III was not the focal point of the Baylor offense. Running back Terrance Ganaway carried the ball 23 times for a career-high 200 yards and three touchdowns in Baylor’s first conference win of the year. Griffin had 212 passing yards, a season low, but added a season-high 107 rushing yards for a Baylor offense that rolled up 603 yards of offense, 391 of which came on the ground.

 

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