LSU running back Spencer Ware bulls for a touchdown in the fourth-ranked Tigers’ win against Oregon at Arlington, Texas on Saturday night. (AP Photo)
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Michael Ford ran for two touchdowns and Jarrett Lee admirably directed LSU's offense in place of suspended quarterback Jordan Jefferson in the fourth-ranked Tigers' season-opening 40-27 victory over No. 3 Oregon on Saturday night.
Missing cornerback-punt returner Cliff Harris was too much for Oregon to overcome in a rare season-opening matchup of top-five teams on a neutral field.
Lee's touchdown pass came against the freshman defensive back filling in for Harris. And a fill-in punt returner had a fumble that led directly to an LSU touchdown.
LSU converted three of Oregon's four turnovers into 20 points and won its 34th consecutive nonconference game. Oregon, which lost to Auburn in the BCS national championship game last season, has consecutive losses for the first time since they losing its last three regular-season games in 2007.
NO. 5 BOISE STATE 35, NO. 19 GEORGIA 21: Kellen Moore and those BCS Busters from Boise State are off and running again, coming into the heart of mighty SEC country to beat up Georgia.
Moore threw for three touchdowns - giving him 102 in his career - and the Broncos romped past the Bulldogs, boosting their hopes of making another run to a major bowl while dealing a huge blow to embattled Georgia coach Mark Richt.
Moore, the nation's top-rated passer last season and expected to be a leading Heisman contender, carved up Georgia's 3-4 defense after a sluggish start. He completed 28 of 34 for 261 yards, with his first scoring pass - a 17-yarder to freshman Matt Miller - giving him 100 for his brilliant career.
He had two more before to lead the Broncos to yet another marquee opening victory.
In the last three seasons, Boise State has started the season with victories against Oregon, Virginia Tech and now Georgia.
NO. 23 AUBURN 42, UTAH STATE 38: This resembled last season's Auburn team for about three blurry minutes. Before that, the defending national champions could barely keep up with a supposedly overmatched Utah State team.
Mike Dyer bulled through the line for a game-saving touchdown with 30 seconds left and the Tigers scored twice in the final 2:07 to escape with an opening win at Auburn, Ala.
Coach Gene Chizik's blunt assessment: "Offensively and defensively we're a long way off of being able to win very many games right now."
And it showed against a team that probably should have been physically overwhelmed, but wasn't. The Tigers still pulled off their fourth comeback from a double-digit deficit in the last 13 games - and allowed hundreds of celebrating fans to head to Toomer's Corner to roll the once-stately, now sickly oak trees that were allegedly poisoned by an Alabama fan.
The Aggies (0-1) seemed poised for a stunning victory before Auburn's final rally.
First-time starting quarterback Barrett Trotter hit Philip Lutzenkirchen for a 15-yard touchdown to start a Cam Newton-like comeback. Then wide receiver Emory Blake collected the onside kick to set up the game-winning drive. Trotter completed three passes and Onterio McCalebb had runs of 10 and 14 yards to push the ball near the goal line.
BCS title game MVP Dyer did the rest, ducking his head and powering through Utah State defenders from a yard out.
Poised freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton couldn't muster a threat in the final seconds for the Aggies, who also tested Oklahoma in last year's opener.
Utah State twice led by double digits against a team clearly feeling the effects of the departures of numerous starters from last year's national champions, including defensive tackle Nick Fairley and Heisman winner Newton, who repeatedly led the Tigers from behind during their 14-0 run last season.
Only that 24-point deficit against Alabama might have been a more improbable comeback than this one from 10 points down in the final 3:38. The Tigers came in as three-touchdown favorites, but also as a question mark with 19 new starters.
NO. 12 SOUTH CAROLINA 56, EAST CAROLINA 37: Dominique Davis can't stop thinking about East Carolina's prospects this season, even after a disheartening loss to South Carolina.
The Pirates held a 17-0 lead and were up 24-14 at the half before falling 56-37. The game turned for East Carolina during the first five minutes of the third quarter when the Gamecocks converted three fumbles into three touchdowns. South Carolina didn't fall behind again.
"That's what hurts," Davis said. But "that's what makes this offense exciting, though. Those are things you can correct."
It looked like the Gamecock had taken the week off, especially in the first 20 minutes. They fumbled three times, including one by the usually reliable Marcus Lattimore, to fall behind at Bank of America Stadium.
It was benched quarterback Stephen Garcia of Tampa who rallied South Carolina to its 12 straight season-opening win as he rushed for two TDs and threw for another.
NO. 18 OHIO STATE 42, AKRON 0: Even missing eight players suspended for breaking NCAA rules, the Buckeyes had more than enough talent left behind.
Joe Bauserman, a quarterback starting his first game in eight years, ran for a touchdown and threw for three to tight end Jake Stoneburner to lead over Akron on Saturday in a sweltering season opener at Columbus, Ohio.
Against overmatched Akron, the no-name Buckeyes had a bevy of stars.
Bauserman, who last started when he was a senior in high school, ran for a 15-yard score and threw TD passes of 28, 11 and 2 yards to Stoneburner - who became the first Ohio State tight end to catch three scoring passes in a game. And the defense, led by linebacker Andrew Sweat - who had an interception - completely throttled the Zips.
NO. 2 ALABAMA 48, KENT STATE 7: Alabama put some smiles back on the faces of the people of Tuscaloosa and gave a city rebuilding from a devastating tornado a reason to cheer. Often.
AJ McCarron stepped up in Alabama's quarterback race Saturday, throwing for a touchdown and 226 yards as the Crimson Tide beat Kent State in its first game since the twister that destroyed thousands of homes and killed 50 people within a few miles of campus four months ago.
Their helmets decorated with small ribbon stickers in rememberance of the victims, players said it felt good to be back on the field.
"It was great to get out here, and there was kind of a feeling of getting things back to normal," said offensive lineman Barrett Jones. "So much had gone on in this offseason. We were really pleased to get back to football, what this town is famous for."
NO. 21 MISSOURI 17, MIAMI OF OHIO 6: James Franklin's gut reaction: He flunked his first career start.
"Umm, I probably failed this test today," Franklin said after the Tigers' tougher-thanexpected 17-6 victory in Columbia, Mo. "I'd say, eh, around a D, maybe."
As the sophomore quarterback kept talking, he eased up on himself. Although his interception led to Miami of Ohio's lone score, he did run for one score and passed for the clinching touchdown.
"I just think a win's a win and it's something I have to learn to enjoy," Franklin said. "There's things that I'm worried about and things that I'm focused on that I didn't do so well."
Franklin was 17 for 26 for 129 yards. That was often a half-game under the three quarterbacks who preceded him at Missouri - Blaine Gabbert, Chase Daniel and Brad Smith - all of whom are in the NFL. Coach Gary Pinkel noted that Franklin made some nice throws in the second half, and said there was plenty of room for improvement.
NO. 10 NEBRASKA 40, CHATTANOOGA 7: Taylor Martinez ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns out of Nebraska's new no-huddle offense and the beat Chattanooga at Lincoln, Neb., in their first game as Big Ten members.
Rex Burkhead added 75 yards and a touchdown as the Cornhuskers won their 26th consecutive opener, the longest streak in the nation.
Martinez scored on runs of 7, 43 and 47 yards and completed 11 of 22 passes for 116 yards before giving way to Brion Carnes in the fourth quarter.
The Mocs of the Football Championship Subdivision scored their only points when Marlon Anthony caught a 13-yard pass from B.J. Coleman after cornerback Andrew Green fell.
The Huskers' new system under first-year offensive coordinator Tim Beck revealed lots of triple-option plays and quick short passes.
Old-school Nebraska fans surely loved Beck's first call of the game. Tyler Legate's 1-yard run marked the first time a fullback had carried the ball for Nebraska since 2004.
NO. 13 VIRGINIA TECH 66, APPALACHIAN STATE 13: David Wilson, Logan Thomas and Virginia Tech made sure Frank Beamer's 25th season as the head coach at his alma mater started off better than the last three - with a victory.
Wilson ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns, Thomas threw the first two TD passes of his career and the defense was solid as the Hokies routed Appalachian State in Blacksburg, Va.
Wilson scored on runs of 20, 19 and 3 yards - the first just 47 seconds into the game after Antone Exom recovered a fumble by Mountaineers quarterback DeAndre Presley at the 20. Wilson also broke off runs of 48 and 33 yards before yielding to reserves in the third quarter.
Thomas was pulled early after completing nine of 19 passes for 149 yards, with scoring throws of 7 yards to Randall Dunn and 4 yards to Jarrett Boykin. Thomas was not intercepted.
The Mountaineers, among the top-rated teams in the Championship Subdivision, arrived with what promised to be a high-powered offense led by Presley, but the multiple spread didn't fool the Hokies. Appalachian State was outgained 291-61 by halftime, before the backups took over.
Jamal Jackson, who replaced Presley, threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Brian Quick late in the third quarter, making it 52-6, and ran 15 yards for the Mountaineers' other touchdown.
NO. 7 STANFORD 57, SAN JOSE STATE 3: Andrew Luck threw two touchdowns and ran for another score, leading Stanford past San Jose State at Stanford, Calif.
The Heisman Trophy runner-up completed 17 of 26 passes for 171 yards and looked every bit the player many believe will take home college football's most famous award this season. He connected with seven different receivers and showed no signs of slipping under new coach David Shaw.
Stepfan Taylor ran for 61 yards and two touchdowns and Chris Owusu caught seven passes for 76 yards for the Cardinal, who pounced on their South Bay rival from the start. San Jose State last beat Stanford in 2006, and the Silicon Valley series has been all Cardinal since.
NO. 25 USC 19, MINNESOTA 17: Robert Woods caught a school-record 17 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns, and Southern California hung on to spoil Jerry Kill's coaching debut for Minnesota at Los Angeles.
Matt Barkley completed a school-record 34 passes for 304 yards for the Trojans, who still couldn't score in the second half of their 14th consecutive season-opening victory.
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