Selected College Football Capsules: Jacksonville St. stuns Ole Miss 49-48 in double OT
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — On the final crazy play of a crazy game, Jacksonville State running back Calvin Middleton found himself in the middle of a mass of bodies as quarterback Coty Blanchard lofted a 2-point conversion pass toward the end zone.
Somehow, through the arms and legs, Middleton came down with the football as the Gamecocks celebrated a stunning 49-48 victory over Mississippi in double overtime.
"The coaches called a shovel pass," Middleton said. "I don't even know if (Blanchard) saw me, but I knew if I could catch it I was deep enough in the end zone to score.
"This means everything."
Blanchard threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Kevyn Cooper on fourth-and-15 to pull within 48-47 in the second overtime.
It looked like the two teams might play all night, but then Gamecocks coach Jack Crowe made the call to go for the win in the season opener for both teams.
"I just didn't think we could play defense again," Crowe said.
Crowe, who had tears in his eyes during the postgame press conference, was fired as coach at Arkansas in 1992 after his team lost to The Citadel — which was also a lower-level program.
"If you stay in this long enough, it goes both ways," Crowe said.
Jacksonville State, a Football Championship Subdivision team from the Ohio Valley Conference, trailed 31-10 at halftime but outscored Ole Miss 21-3 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
"Without a doubt, it's the worst loss of my career," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said.
It's the first time Jacksonville State has beaten a Football Bowl Subdivision team since Sept. 27, 2001, when the Gamecocks beat Arkansas State. The 21-point deficit was the largest Jacksonville State has overcome in school history.
Jeremiah Masoli made his much-anticipated debut for Mississippi after being cleared by the NCAA on Friday. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 109 yards and one interception and led the Rebels on both of their touchdown drives in overtime.
Like the rest of his teammates, he had a hard time explaining the collapse.
"Crazy stuff happens sometimes," Masoli said. "I never expected us to be in overtime."
Ole Miss is 6-6 all-time in overtime games. It was the school's first loss to an FCS opponent.
The Ole Miss offense, which debuted eight new starters, scored on five of six first-half possessions, including four touchdowns. After that, Jacksonville State rolled.
The Gamecocks scored on their final six possessions, including touchdowns on the last five. The Ole Miss defense, which returned six starters, ranked in the top half of the Southeastern Conference in most major categories last season, but had no answer for the Gamecocks.
Ole Miss kicker Bryson Rose made a 35-yard field goal to extend the Rebels' lead to 34-26 with 2:55 left in regulation, but Jacksonville State drove the field for a touchdown to pull within 34-32 with 18.9 seconds left. Marques Ivory threw a 2-yard pass to La'Ray Williams for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 34 and send it to overtime.
Middleton rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown. The Gamecocks had no turnovers.
Using a two-quarterback system with Blanchard and Ivory, the duo combined to complete 22 of 36 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns.
Mississippi's Brandon Bolden rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Sophomore Nathan Stanley threw for 133 yards and three touchdowns.
Irish win Kelly's debut, 23-12
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Brian Kelly looked around at a packed stadium and saw — fittingly enough — a sea of kelly green shirts.
On a day of firsts for Notre Dame's new head coach, highlighted by a 23-12 win over Purdue, the colorful and enthusiastic crowd stood out. They were actually rooting for his team.
"Maybe this is just my background, but anytime I've gone into a stadium with 81,000, I've always played up to that opponent. Now, it was 81,000, and it was our people," Kelly said. "The crowd was into it and it was a great advantage."
If the atmosphere was neat and the victory satisfying, the momento Kelly got after the game from athletic director Jack Swarbrick — the man who picked him for the job — was one for the trophy case.
Kelly got the game ball.
"That will be something that is very memorable," said Kelly, who transformed programs at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincinnati into steady winners and now has his dream job. "Hopefully there are many more of those to come."
Kelly has been heralded as a savior for a proud program that went 16-21 over the previous three years, and the team he took over last December showed promise in running his spread offense Saturday.
The Irish also played solid defense that was lacking last season. They had four sacks and two interceptions against Purdue's Robert Marve.
"I took on the challenge at Notre Dame because I want to see this program back to where I believe it should be, and that's amongst the elite in college football," Kelly said.
"We've got some work to do. We are not there yet, believe me. Trust me. But we took a step today and we're going to keep pounding at it and working at it."
Quarterback Dayne Crist passed for 205 yards and a touchdown in first start, while running back Armando Allen had a 22-yard TD run in the first quarter and set up another with a punt return.
Of course, most Notre Dame coaches win their first game. Kelly's victory gives Notre Dame coaches a 26-3 record in their debuts, dating back to 1896. The only three to lose in their first games coaching the Irish were Frank E. Hering in 1896 (4-0 loss to Chicago Physicians and Surgeons), Elmer Layden in 1934 (a 7-6 setback to Texas) and Lou Holtz in 1986 (a 24-23 defeat at the hands of Michigan).
Notre Dame led 20-3 after three quarters before Purdue rallied behind the Miami, Fla., transfer Marve, who got the Boilermakers back in the game with a 23-yard TD run early in the final period but was penalized for celebrating.
David Ruffer kicked three field goals for the Irish, including a 37-yarder with 4:30 left to restore the lead to 11.
Marve's 23-yard TD run on a fourth-and-1 with 11:55 left got the Boilermakers back in the game at 20-12. But he dived into the end zone after he crossed the goal line, resulting in an unsportsmanlike penalty for celebrating and hurting Purdue's field position the rest of the game.
"I think I got a little bit too excited," Marve said.
Purdue had to kick off from the 15 after the penalty on Marve and Notre Dame Cierre Wood made a nice 38-return to the Boilermakers 41 before fumbling with Irish teammate Zeke Motta pouncing on the ball.
But the Boilermakers dug in and forced a punt, taking over at their own 12 with 9:47 remaining. They were set back by a pair of penalties and after a long pass to Justin Siller fell incomplete, the Boilermakers punted out of their own end zone.
Notre Dame then moved in for Ruffer's third field goal and regained control.
Marve completed 31 of 42 passes for 220 yards. Crist was 19 of 26, solid but far from spectacular running Kelly's fast-paced spread offense. Purdue's talented wideout Keith Smith made 12 catches for 80 yards.
"The second half, I felt like I was rolling," Marve said. "I thought personnel, we matched up pretty well against them, I felt comfortable in our scheme. I felt that we had a chance to win. Even with that, I felt there were some plays we needed to make, and we didn't come up with it today."
On the first play of the final quarter, with Notre Dame ahead 20-3, Marve's fourth-and-1 pass from the Notre Dame 5 was tipped and intercepted by nose guard Ian Williams. But Purdue star defensive end Ryan Kerrigan and Charlton Williams then dropped Allen in the end zone for a safety.
After the free kick, the Boilermakers drove in for the score with Marve using a nice fake to break free on his 23-yard run.
Crist's 5-yard TD pass to freshman TJ Jones early in the third came just a little over two minutes after Allen picked his way on a 38-yard punt return to the Purdue 30. The score put the Irish up 20-3.
After Crist hooked up with Floyd on a 34-yard pass, he hit the usually sure-handed Floyd again as he slanted toward the end zone and the Irish seemed poised to build on their 17-point lead. But Floyd was hit by Will Lucas at the 2, fumbled and Logan Link recovered for Purdue to cut off another Irish scoring threat.
-- Rick Gano
BC beats Weber State 38-20 in LB Herzlich's return
BOSTON (AP) — Dave Shinskie rebounded from an interception on the first play of the season by throwing touchdowns on consecutive first-quarter drives and Boston College — bolstered by the return of cancer-survivor Mark Herzlich — rolled past Weber State 38-20 on Saturday in the schools' season opener.
Herzlich, a linebacker and the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, missed the 2009 season as he underwent treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
Boston College led 31-10 at halftime in the teams' first-ever meeting. It's the furthest east and north that Weber State has ever played.
Shinskie completed 10 of 20 passes for 185 yards with two interceptions and two touchdowns. Montel Harris carried 19 times for 115 yards and DeLeon Gause returned an interception 66 yards for a score for the Eagles.
After a 10-year old boy, also an Ewing's Sarcoma survivor, brought the day to an emotional start by singing the national anthem, Herzlich led the team out of the tunnel, sprinting about 10 yards ahead of his teammates before he took off his helmet in the front of the student section, jumping up and down with his arms spread wide as the crowd roared.
He was involved in a pair of tackles late in the opening quarter, and the crowd — many aware before his name was announced — cheered. A coupe of fans in the stands behind the BC bench could be heard offering cell-phone updates of his success early in the game.
Herzlich, who missed part of summer camp with a stress fracture of his right foot, played a part-time role in the game, getting five tackles as he worked his way back into shape.
Fans entering Alumni Stadium's north entrance could see the linebacker's No. 94 jersey prominently displayed in a souvenir tent.
The season didn't start well for BC's offense. After getting whistled for a delay of game before the first play from scrimmage, Shinskie followed by throwing an interception to Wildcats' linebacker Taylor Sedillo at the Eagles' 20. Herzlich took the field for the first time since the 2008 Music City Bowl and BC's defense held, allowing only Shaun McClain's 32-yard field goal.
BC then scored on its next four possessions, opening a 24-3 lead late in the second quarter.
Harris sparked the first scoring drive, breaking free for a 21-yard run to move the ball to Weber State's 24 before Shinskie connected on a 6-yard TD toss to tight end Chris Pantale four plays later.
After holding Weber State on the next possession, BC went 76 yards in eight plays as Shinskie capped the drive by throwing a 17-yard TD pass to Ifeanyi Momah to make it 14-3.
Harris' 4-yard TD run ended a seven-play, 64-yard drive that increased it to 21-3 just 2 1/2 minutes into the second quarter. Nate Freese booted 33-yard field goal attempt to cap the next drive.
After Cameron Higgins hit Shaydon Kehano with a 24-yard TD pass for Weber State, backup quarterback Mike Marscovetra took the Eagles 63 yards for a score, hitting a wide-open Sterlin Phifer in the left corner for a 22-yard scoring pass, making it 31-10.
Weber State dropped to 3-43 in games against Division 1 FBS teams.
Gause grabbed Higgins' tipped pass along the left sideline and raced untouched for a score late in the third quarter, making it 38-13.
Josh Booker had a 4-yard scoring run for the Wildcats with 19 seconds left in the game.
Russell's 4 TDs lead Miss. St. over Memphis 49-7
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State's Tyler Russell is a nervous wreck no more.
The backup quarterback showed plenty of cool as he tied a school record with four touchdown passes, leading the Bulldogs to one of their best offensive performances in a thorough 49-7 win over Memphis on Saturday night.
Russell's flashy debut highlighted a special night for the Bulldogs, wiped away any residual worries about Russell — perhaps the school's most heralded recruit — after a shaky spring game and showed that coach Dan Mullen's two-quarterback system might be an emerging danger in the Southeastern Conference.
"In the spring game I didn't do as well as I knew I could do but I was able to get my feet wet and learn a few things," Russell said. "This boosts my confidence a whole lot. This is what I wanted to do."
Russell and starter Chris Relf combined for 372 yards passing against the Tigers and new coach Larry Porter, spurring the Bulldogs to 569 total yards — just 27 shy of the school record. It was the most points for the Bulldogs since 2002 and the most yards since 1994.
"I feel pretty confident with both of them," Mullen said. "If you look at those two guys, they play well together."
Mississippi State sold out a nonconference game for the first time and 56,032 long-suffering fans — the fourth largest crowd in Starkville — saw quite a show from Russell, a former Parade All-American from nearby Meridian.
Russell hit Brandon Heavens for touchdowns of 20 and 27 yards and Chad Bumphis with scoring passes of 57 and 25 yards.
He completed 12 of 13 passes on his four scoring drives for 218 yards and finished 13 of 16 for 256 overall.
Relf quickly got on his coach's bad side when he opened the game with an interception, but over the next several minutes he showed how far he's come since an inconsistent 2009 season when he was Tyson Lee's backup.
"I started to go after him and he said, 'Coach, I'm all right,'" Mullen said.
And he was. He hit Leon Berry with a 55-yard touchdown pass on the next drive to open scoring. Relf completed 7 of 9 passes for 116 yards.
He was especially effective on the ground in the option attack. Though he finished with just 32 yards, he helped spring LaDarius Perkins on several long runs with timely pitches and made few obvious mistakes after that first drive.
He played just one series in the second half, leading a drive that was capped by Ballard's 1-yard dive, before sitting out the rest of the game as Russell gained valuable experience. Russell looked lost in the spring game, but suffered only a moment's hesitation against Memphis after learning the key to running Mullen's offense.
"I just get the ball in the playmakers' hands," Russell said. "That's what makes my job easy. I think I only got hit once really."
Heavens had five catches for 112 yards, Bumphis had four for 100 and Berry finished with five for 91. Vick Ballard rounded out a fairly balanced night with two rushing touchdowns, including a 51-yarder.
Their performance stole attention from an equally dominant defense. Maurice Langston led the attack with two interceptions and the Bulldogs were 1:39 away from scoring their first shutout since 1999.
They held the Tigers to just 41 yards rushing and 237 overall and really turned up stuffed Memphis in the third quarter, allowing just 13 yards.
"The third quarter was definitely the most pleasing quarter," new Mississippi State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. "We imposed our will on them. It was just a flash of what we want to do. Now we can show our guys that and start to learn how to sustain it for 60 minutes."
Porter, a former Tigers tailback who served as LSU's running backs coach before being hired to replace Tommy West last winter, has a lot of work ahead of him. The Tigers, 2-10 last year, didn't fair well with either quarterback Cannon Smith or Ryan Williams and finished with just 41 yards rushing.
"Offensively we didn't play well across the board," Porter said. "I thought you saw some things from different guys at times, but there was no consistency, continuity and no rhythm, so no one really got into a groove."
-- Chris Talbott
Tennessee shuts out Tennessee-Martin 50-0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Derek Dooley was worried about nerves — both his and his players' — heading into his first game as Tennessee coach. Turns out there was nothing to fret about.
"It was funny because (quarterback Matt Simms) said, 'I was more nervous before my first junior college game than I was here.' Then I said, 'I was more nervous my first Louisiana Tech game.' That's called experience, I guess."
The young, mostly inexperienced Vols got some much-needed experience with a 50-0 win over Tennessee-Martin on Saturday night, their first shutout since a 48-0 victory over Vanderbilt in 2003.
Sure it was against Tennessee's first FCS opponent since facing The Citadel in 1983, but it gave the Vols a chance to play 12 true freshmen and most of their two-deep depth chart a week before facing No. 11 Oregon, who beat New Mexico 72-0 in its own season opener.
"(The Vols) played the way I expected them to play because we'd been practicing that way ... but we start big-boy ball next week," Dooley said.
Tauren Poole had been waiting all year to prove he'd been unfairly stuck behind Bryce Brown and David Oku on the Vols' depth chart last season. He delivered, darting through holes, running around coverage and picking up 110 yards and touchdown runs of 24 and 14 yards in 17 carries before sitting out the entire fourth quarter.
"It felt good," Poole said. "It was a long time coming. It was well deserved. It was necessary for me to show what I got to do. But, that's just game one. I've got a long way to go to get where I need to be as a player. As a team we've got a long way to go. Now we've got to move on."
Oku had his share of carries too and found some large holes for a 44-yard touchdown run with 5:00 left in the first quarter to give the Vols a 10-0 lead in the season opener for both teams.
Denarius Moore ran 58 yards for a touchdown and caught a 42-yard scoring pass from Matt Simms. Moore finished with 66 yards on four catches, and Gerald Jones had 86 yards on six catches before injuring his left hand.
Tennessee scored nearly every way it could. Austin Johnson tackled D.J. McNeil in the end zone for a safety. Prentiss Wagner intercepted Derek Carr and ran 54 yards for a touchdown. Daniel Lincoln kicked field goals of 21 and 35 yards.
UT Martin's inexperienced offense couldn't find any rhythm, going the first quarter without a completed pass or first down while being flagged for delay of game four times. By the end of the game, the Skyhawks had 142 yards on offense compared to Tennessee's 537.
Carr finished 9-for-22 for 66 yards and threw two interceptions. The Skyhawks were penalized 11 times for 83 yards.
"I knew the offense's inexperience was going to be a problem," UT Martin coach Jason Simpson said. "The penalties and the inexperience was a factor. It's a new team."
Tennessee wasn't without its share of mistakes though.
Gerald Jones fumbled his first punt return of the game, and UT Martin's Kendal Harper recovered on the Tennessee 36. The Skyhawks couldn't capitalize, punting four plays later after going only three yards.
Matt Simms, who completed 14 of 24 for 181 yards, overthrew Luke Stocker and Denarius Moore several times. There was a false start on the 1-yard line that likely cost a touchdown, and an illegal formation penalty forced Lincoln to redo a field goal attempt.
UT Martin didn't fare quite as well as it did the last time it faced a Southeastern Conference team. The Skyhawks lost 37-20 at Auburn in 2008 after tying the Tigers at 20 in the third quarter.
"It got out of control at the end," Harper said. "We didn't play a great game, but we played a good one. WE have a lot we have to clean up and a lot of work to do."
-- Beth Rucker
Michigan's Robinson shines in 30-10 win over UConn
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Connecticut tried everything to stop Denard Robinson, including ripping off his shoes. Nothing worked.
Robinson accounted for 383 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as Michigan's starting quarterback, leading the Wolverines to a 30-10 win over UConn on Saturday at the bigger-than-ever Big House.
The player known as "Shoelace" because he doesn't lace up his cleats gave the Huskies fits.
"They were like, 'Take his shoe! Take his shoe!" Robinson recalled. "They took them off, one of the plays, when I ran and got a first down.
"They were trying to slow me down, I guess."
Robinson ran for 197 yards — setting a school record for a QB — and a TD. He was 19 of 22 for 186 yards and a score.
"Denard Robinson's going to make people look bad," UConn coach Randy Edsall said.
The Wolverines and embattled coach Rich Rodriguez desperately needed a victory to start his third season in Ann Arbor. Michigan lost 16 games in his first two seasons with college football's winningest team and violated major NCAA rules for the first time in program history.
"We've been through a lot," Rodriguez said. "This is just a win, but I'm going to let our guys enjoy it. I told our players, 'We've got a huge game next week, we have to keep the same focus we had the last four weeks.'"
Michigan plays at Notre Dame, which won its opener, on Saturday.
The Wolverines' opener could not have gone much better as they dominated an experienced UConn team considered a contender in the Big East.
The Huskies trailed by 21 early and had a chance to pull within a TD late in the third quarter, but USC transfer D.J. Shoemate took a shot from J.T. Floyd and fumbled and Obi Ezeh recovered at the Michigan 3.
"That was huge," Rodriguez said.
The crowd was too. A football attendance record of 113,090 was set at the new-look Michigan Stadium, which now has towering structures along both sidelines with luxury boxes and club seats that are part of a $226 million renovation. The previous mark was 112,118 — also at Michigan Stadium — in 2003, the last time the Wolverines beat rival Ohio State.
A video tribute — with Keith Jackson's booming voice piped in — ribbon-cutting ceremony and an improbable walk by Brock Mealer, whose brother, Elliott, is a Michigan offensive lineman, got the crowd fired up before kickoff.
Doctors had told Brock Mealer he wouldn't be able to walk again after he and his brother were involved in a car accident on Christmas Eve in 2007 that killed their father and his brother's girlfriend.
Steadying himself with two canes, Brock Mealer slowly made his way onto the field with his brother at his side and even stopped to grab the big Go Blue banner the team runs under when they leave the tunnel and run onto the field.
"It was a touching moment for us because we know the whole story," Rodriguez said.
When the game began, the Wolverines didn't let their fans down.
Michigan's defense, which was a huge problem last season, forced the Huskies to go three-and-out on the opening drive.
"Last year, we weren't good, so this year we wanted to come out and make a statement," linebacker Craig Roh said.
Robinson beat out last year's starter, Tate Forcier, and highly touted freshman Devin Gardner, for the right to take the first snap and quickly showed why.
He displayed his blazing speed then proved he could throw, too, after failing to instill faith in his arm last year as a freshman. He threw sharp passes in the flat, over the middle and deep downfield and perfectly executed a play in which he pump faked one way and threw another.
Robinson ran the ball 29 times — usually by design — and broke Steve Smith's QB rushing record of 147 yards, set in 1983 at Minnesota.
"That's crazy," Robinson said. "That's a dream come true."
Vincent Smith, coming off knee surgery, scored his first of two touchdowns on a 12-yard run on the opening possession and on an 11-yard pass early in the fourth to make it 30-10.
Robinson had a 32-yard TD run late in the first quarter and handed off to Michael Shaw for a scoring run early in the second that put the Wolverines ahead 21-0.
UConn bounced back with a field goal and Jordan Todman, who ran for 105 yards, rushed for a TD run to pull within 21-10 at halftime.
Michigan pushed it to 24-10 with a field goal in the third quarter after a long, time-consuming drive. UConn was on the verge of cutting the lead to a touchdown when Shoemate fumbled and that was the Huskies last threat.
UConn's Zach Frazer was 18 of 37 for 205 yards, missing many opportunities because of drops and errant throws.
"I hold every drop on me," Frazer said. "Some of the passes were a little left, a little right. I'm disappointed if it's not on their chest on their hands exactly."
-- Laary Lage
Bell leads Michigan State past West Michigan 38-14
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — On a day wind gusts hit 30 miles per hour, Michigan State was content to downplay its passing game and run the ball in Saturday's season-opener.
The Spartans — including freshman Le'Veon Bell — did it well, rumbling to a 38-14 victory over Western Michigan.
Bell became the first true freshman in Michigan State history to rush for 100 yards or more in his debut game, collecting 141 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.
His 75-yard run was the key play in a scoring drive that gave the Spartans a 21-7 lead in the second quarter. Bell followed it up with touchdown runs of 2 yards in the second quarter and 18 yards in the third quarter to put Michigan State ahead 35-7.
"Anybody in our backfield can run the ball," Bell said. "Whoever's got the hot hand, I guess. Whoever's feeling it...in the groove or in the zone."
The Reynoldsburg, Ohio native was in the zone when he came in off the bench to spell starter Edwin Baker, who finished with 117 yards and two TDs on 17 carries.
Running back Larry Caper, nursing an injured right hand, did not play for Michigan State. He could have played if needed, but the Spartans were fine without him against outmatched Western Michigan.
Alex Carder, making his first start at quarterback for Western Michigan, completed 27-of-49 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
"I'm glad to get this first one out of the way, kind of get the jitters out of my system and move on with the rest of the season," Carder said.
Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit wasn't happy with his team's three turnovers, but he saw some things he liked from Carder.
"The kid played pretty well," Cubit said. "He's going to look at the film and say 'You know, I wish I had this back. I wish I had that back.' He probably had about six or seven plays where if he had that back I think he would have done some things a little bit different. But he's a competitive guy."
Kirk Cousins completed 13-of-21 passes for 186 yards a touchdown for Michigan State. The Spartans didn't try to throw deep very often, with a strong wind that played havoc with hanging footballs, hot dog wrappers and other debris.
"The wind, obviously, was a factor," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "It was swirling around out there."
Cousins connected with receiver Keith Nichol, a converted quarterback, on a 20-yard TD pass to give the Spartans a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. The 31-yard scoring drive was set up when Michigan State's Denicos Allen recovered a fumbled shotgun snap.
Western Michigan tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Carder to Juan Nunez. The scoring drive was set up when Michigan State's Keshawn Martin muffed a bouncing punt, recovered by Western's Kyle Lark at the Michigan State 19-yard line.
Carder's 2-yard TD pass to Blake Hammond cut the Michigan State lead to 35-14 midway through the third quarter.
Dantonio said Michigan State fullback Josh Rouse injured a vertebra in his neck during the first half. Dantonio said Rouse, who came off the field under his own power, had full movement but will be out for the season.
Rouse was expected to have surgery Saturday night.
Michigan State has beaten Western Michigan eight straight times, including a 49-14 victory last season. Western Michigan's last win in the series came in 1919.
Michigan State, a member of the Big Ten, has a 39-7-2 record against current members of the Mid-American Conference. The Spartans lost to a MAC team, Central Michigan, last season.
Michigan State is 3-1 in season openers under Dantonio.
-- Tim Martin
Persa tosses 3 TDs, Northwestern beats Vandy 23-21
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Northwestern Wildcats don't need to worry about not having Mike Kafka around anymore. Dan Persa looks like he can handle the pressure just fine.
Persa threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers and also led the team with 82 yards rushing in his first start, and Northwestern beat Vanderbilt 23-21 Saturday night as the Big Ten team opened the season on the road in Southeastern Conference territory.
"I think it speaks volumes of who he is as a competitor," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said.
The junior was nearly perfect as he helped ruin the debut of Vanderbilt's new head coach Robbie Caldwell in the season opener for both teams.
Persa was 19 of 21 passing, and he also had a team-high 17 rushes.
Caldwell said he had been trying to warn people all week how dangerous Persa can be.
"Our defense, they worked hard trying to stop him. It's about impossible to do," Caldwell said.
Vanderbilt had plenty of chances to make Caldwell the first Commodores' coach to win his debut since Woody Widenhofer in 1997.
Larry Smith threw for 240 yards and a touchdown with Warren Norman and Zac Stacy each running for touchdowns. But the Commodores missed an extra point and a 48-yard field goal and were stopped on two 2-point conversions — the last with 2:25 left on a bad snap.
"We should've won the game," Caldwell said. "We should've, would've, could've. That's what we've got to do is learn to finish."
Northwestern faced third-and-6 from its own 33 when Persa was hit a yard short of the first down marker by Vandy safety Jay Fullam. But officials flagged him for a high hit and a personal foul, allowing Northwestern to run out the clock even though it looked on replay as if Fullam simply put his shoulder into Persa's shoulder for the stop.
Both Fitzgerald and Persa said the quarterback was hit in the helmet. Fullam said he was leading with his shoulder.
"The game's on the line, and I was just trying to make a play and I ended up costing my team more than I thought I would," Fullam said.
The crowd, a couple thousand short of a sellout at 37,210, booed the officials off the field.
These teams haven't met since 1952 when the game ended in a tie, and this one might've been headed for overtime, too, if not for Vanderbilt's problems scoring after touchdowns. Northwestern had its own struggles with a blocked field goal and a missed extra point.
The Commodores outgained Northwestern in total offense 432-365. They also came up with two sacks, recovered a Persa fumble and defensive tackle T.J. Greenstone blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt by Stefan Demos and recovered the ball in the fourth quarter.
Fitzgerald wasn't happy with his defense's tackling. Still, they pulled out a win over an SEC team unlike the Wildcats' last game, a 38-35 overtime loss to Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day.
"I'm excited about it. We came in and finished the job. ... We're 1-0," Fitzgerald said.
Caldwell showed he isn't afraid to gamble. He went for it on fourth-and-2 after the blocked field goal, giving the ball to Norman 10 days after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Norman, the SEC freshman of the year last season, picked up 10 yards. But the drive stalled, and Ryan Fowler's 48-yard field goal to give Vandy its first lead of the game was wide left.
Stacy gave Vandy one last chance when he scored on a 33-yard run with 2:25 left, and the Commodores lined up for the tie only to snap the ball wide of Smith. The Wildcats also tackled Smith short on a draw with Vandy trying its first 2-point conversion trailing 17-15 after the quarterback's 36-yard TD toss to Brandon Barden at the end of the third quarter.
Persa started very sharp. He completed his first four passes and ran for 42 yards on his first seven carries. His 33-yard TD pass to Jeremy Ebert helped the Wildcats jump out 10-0, a lead they never lost. He also had a 9-yard TD pass to Drake Dunsmore and a 2-yard toss to Josh Rooks for the winning margin.
He was stripped of the ball late in the first half, which Vanderbilt turned into a 4-yard TD by Norman. But Fowler's extra point missed. Fowler kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired to make it 10-9 at halftime.
-- Teresa M. Walker
Payne's 4 TDs lift Virginia past Richmond, 34-13
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Dontrelle Inman and his teammates were standing on the sideline when they saw Keith Payne burst through the line and gain 15 yards, carrying several Richmond defenders with him most of the way.
Then he did it again, and again.
"We almost got a penalty," Inman said of the scene on the sideline as the Cavaliers celebrated Payne's breakout effort. "The refs told us to back up. If you go back and look at the film, almost the whole team was on the field. We were just so hyped."
Payne ran for 114 yards and four touchdowns, and Virginia ended a four-year losing streak in season openers with a 34-13 victory against Richmond on Saturday night.
Payne, who was finished with football until Al Groh was fired and Mike London replaced him after last season, downplayed his performance, saying it was a team effort.
"I was just following behind the offensive line," he said.
Inman, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and others weren't so dismissive.
Payne caused Lazor to give him a bigger role than was planned, gaining 15, 13 and 15 yards on consecutive third-quarter carries and carrying several Spiders on his back.
"The way the game was going with what we were doing, it was his kind of game," Lazor said of the 255-pound tailback. "We did what we thought fit. I think it worked out just right."
The victory allowed Virginia to accomplish one of its first goals for the season, winning its opener for the first time in five years. It came against London's former team.
Richmond, which beat Duke to start the season twice in the past five seasons, lost in the coaching debut of Latrell Scott, a former Virginia receivers coach. The Spiders pulled to 14-13 on Wil Kamin's second field goal in the third quarter, but Virginia answered with a nine-play, 74-yard drive. Payne gained 50 on five carries, including a 2-yard scoring run.
His other scoring runs covered 1, 2 and 8 yards.
"We came out on the first drive of the second half and I thought it was a pretty good drive," said Richmond quarterback Aaron Corp, who transferred from Southern Cal in January. "After that, we just couldn't seem to get a drive sustained consistently."
The game also marked the return to the Virginia lineup of quarterback Marc Verica, who started nine games in 2008 but played sparingly last season as Groh went to a spread offense.
Verica completed 24 of 35 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown.
Verica, too, was gushing about the big tailback afterward.
"We have a lot of guys on this team right now that are ready to break out," he said. "There were some plays there where he was just enforcing his will. It was special to watch."
Burd finished with seven catches for 122 yards, including a 2-yard TD.
From the opening play from scrimmage, the run-first offense that Lazor installed was effective. Perry Jones burst through the line for 38 yards on the first play, a longer run than the Cavaliers had all last season. Verica's 25-yard completion to Burd two plays later moved it to the Spiders' 13, and two runs by Payne and a penalty gave Virginia a 7-0 lead.
The Spiders tied it when Kendall Gaskins ran into, then away from, a wall of defenders, going 70 yards for a touchdown. The Spiders managed just 100 more yards in the half, but pulled within 14-10 at the break on Kamin's 36-yard field goal 1:23 before the intermission.
Kamin hit from 41 yards on the opening drive of the third quarter on a drive that Corp kept alive with a big-time play. Rolling right and nearly out of room on third-and-12, he found Gaskins running free for 32 yards to the Cavaliers 17 before Virginia's defense tightened.
Corp was 18 for 32 for 183 yards with one interception.
-- Hank Kurz Jr.
Wilson leads N.C. State past Western Carolina 48-7
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Russell Wilson spent much of his offseason playing baseball. His return to the football field was a hit on Saturday night, even if his coach wouldn't call it a home run.
Wilson passed for 306 yards and four touchdowns to help North Carolina State defeat Western Carolina 48-7.
"It was definitely good to get out there again," said Wilson who missed spring practice to play for N.C. State's baseball team and spent the summer playing in the Colorado Rockies organization. "I've been working hard to find my comfort zone."
Wilson completed 21 of 31 passes, engineering seven consecutive scoring drives as the Wolfpack won their season opener for the first time in four tries under coach Tom O'Brien.
Wilson notched his fifth 300-yard passing game and didn't throw an interception, but O'Brien saw room for improvement.
O'Brien wanted to see a sharper 2-minute drill on N.C. State's final possession of the first half, which resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Josh Czajkowski. The coach also pointed out that Wilson failed to recognize that the team had 12 players in the huddle on one occasion.
"We're not where we have to be offensively," O'Brien said. "I think we've got to get Russell back into the swing of things."
The Wolfpack replaced Wilson with Mike Glennon with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter. Glennon limped off the field with 10 minutes left in the fourth with what team officials called a bruised left knee.
N.C. State, which scored three points in its previous two season openers combined, enjoyed its highest scoring output in a first game since a 59-20 win over Western Carolina in 2003.
T.J. Graham posted career highs with six receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns — all in the first half — for the Wolfpack. Freshman tailbacks Dean Haynes and Mustafa Greene each added a third-quarter rushing touchdown for N.C. State.
Western Carolina dropped to 0-26 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Catamounts went 87 yards on 10 plays to score a touchdown on the game's first possession, but amassed just 102 yards on 39 plays the rest of the game.
"The first half we came out there a little too excited," N.C. State linebacker Terrell Manning said. "They were doing a couple of different things, so we had to go and adjust. ... We just had to slow down and play a little slower. That took care of everything."
A mistake by Western Carolina on special teams ignited N.C. State's attack. After their opening score, the Catamounts forced N.C. State to punt after three plays.
But Deja Alexander muffed the catch on the short kick, and Taylor Gentry recovered for N.C. State on the Western Carolina 26 yard line. Wilson found Graham streaking down the seam uncovered on the next play for a touchdown, the first of four scoring strikes in as many possessions for Wilson.
Graham, who had one touchdown catch in his first two seasons, put the Wolfpack ahead 14-7 with his second scoring grab of the opening quarter. He pulled in a quick slant from Wilson on third and 5, weaving his way right to left through the defense on his way to a 25-yard touchdown.
"I'm happy to finally break out and kind of show people what I'm able to do," Graham said. "I've been in the shadows of Jarvis (Williams) and Owen (Spencer) at receiver. I'm not just a return specialist. I do also play receiver, and I just wanted to show that."
N.C. State's defense kept the Catamounts from climbing back into the game. The Wolfpack, who surrendered at least 30 points in a school-record eight consecutive games last season, never allowed Western Carolina to enter the red zone.
"We just didn't take advantage of what they gave us," Western Carolina coach Dennis Wagner said. "This game was not a performance the Catamounts are proud of."
The Wolfpack won without three members of their two-deep depth chart. Starting offensive tackle Jake Vermiglio and backup defensive tackles Marcus Kuhn and J.R. Sweezy didn't dress out for the game. All three had faced drug charges, which eventually were dropped, during the offseason.
O'Brien declined to say if the trio would play next week at Central Florida.
Renfree leads Duke past Elon 41-27 in first start
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — First-time starter Sean Renfree played with the poise of a veteran, and put up the numbers to match. It was enough to earn high praise from someone who knows plenty about quarterbacks.
Duke opened its season by beating Elon 41-27 on Saturday night behind 350 yards passing and two touchdowns from Renfree.
"I thought his reads and his management of the game was almost perfect," said coach David Cutcliffe, the college mentor to eventual Super Bowl MVPs Peyton and Eli Manning.
It's way too early to compare Renfree to either of them yet, of course, but there's no question this was an encouraging start to Renfree's reign as the starter.
He completed 13 of his first 14 passes, including 10 in a row, with touchdown throws of 8 and 7 yards on consecutive drives for the Blue Devils. He finished 31 of 39 while his favorite target, Conner Vernon, caught 10 passes for a career-high 129 yards.
"There's still a lot of corrections to make," Renfree said, "but overall, I was pretty satisfied."
Desmond Scott rushed 34 yards for a touchdown and freshman Josh Snead added a short scoring run late for Duke, which rolled up 542 total yards.
Scott Riddle was 22 of 42 for 281 yards and a touchdown and an 11-yard TD run. Brandon Newsome had a 5-yard scoring run for Elon, which is 0-3 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
The pass-happy Phoenix threatened to be a vexing opponent for a Duke team that had lost twice to Football Championship Subdivision teams since 2006. But the Blue Devils scored on five of their first six possessions, then made enough plays down the stretch to win their first opener since 2008.
Riddle's scrambling touchdown run through the left side pulled Elon to 27-20 with 12:35 to play.
"Things were a little tense there," Renfree said. "Nobody wanted to get that game tied up, and have to try to fight back."
So Renfree countered by leading an 11-play drive, ending with Snead powering in from 3 yards out to make it a two-score game again with just under 8 minutes left. Jay Hollingsworth added a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:10 remaining, making it 41-20.
For much of the night, Renfree certainly didn't look much like a first-time starter.
All eyes were on the redshirt sophomore for two reasons — he's the successor to record-setter Thaddeus Lewis, and he played for the first time since injuring his right knee during last year's loss to Georgia Tech.
He wore a brace on the knee, but it didn't seem to otherwise affect him. Rather, for a while, he looked like he was in midseason form.
"He just, basically, led us up and down the field all night long," Vernon said.
Renfree had back-to-back completions of at least 20 yards early in a drive that ended with his 8-yard scoring pass to Donovan Varner. He cut across the middle and Renfree hit him in stride to make it 14-3.
Then on the next possession, he threw a 47-yard pass to Vernon two plays before his 7-yard flip to Brandon King.
And after Newsome's touchdown with 1:07 left in the half, Renfree ran the two-minute drill to near perfection. He threw four quick completions and took advantage of a pass interference penalty on Elon to set up Will Snyderwine's 20-yard field goal at the buzzer that made it 27-13.
"We gave up too many big plays in the first half," Elon coach Pete Lembo said. "I felt like we had three or four guys on defense who did not settle down and play the way they are capable until the second half."
Snyderwine also converted from 22 yards out for the Blue Devils, Varner finished with 123 yards receiving and Scott put Duke up 7-3 with the longest rush of his brief career. During the opening drive, the Blue Devils had 52 yards rushing — or, more than they had in seven games last season as the nation's worst rushing team.
Adam Schreiner kicked field goals of 28 and a career-best 47 yards for Elon.
-- Joedy McCreary
Kentucky beats Louisville 23-16 in Phillips' debut
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Derrick Locke ran for two touchdowns and Kentucky held off rival Louisville 23-16 Saturday, keeping the Governor's Cup for the fourth straight season and making Joker Phillips victorious in a matchup of longtime friends debuting as head coaches.
Phillips, who gained prominence as a coordinator of a record-breaking offense at his alma mater, has hinted this 2010 version could be as good as the Andre Woodson-led unit of three and four years ago. The Wildcats didn't disappoint in the opener, gobbling up yardage in bulk — particularly on the ground from Locke, who had 104 yards on 23 carries.
For Charlie Strong, who once coached alongside Phillips at South Carolina and more recently guided Florida's dominating defense to two national titles in seven years, the rebuilding project has begun at Louisville.
Kentucky scored all but three of its points in the first half before the offense began to stall. But Louisville's playmakers couldn't match Kentucky's early intensity, and two key turnovers sealed the Wildcats' first four-game winning streak since the annual series renewed in 1994.
It didn't take Phillips long to put his own stamp on a program he inherited from his mentor, Rich Brooks, who led it to four consecutive bowl appearances.
After winning the toss and electing to receive — something Brooks would never do — Kentucky needed just two explosive plays to go 70 yards for the game's first points.
The game also marked a return to the lineup for senior quarterback Mike Hartline, who missed seven of the Wildcats' final eight games last season and had to fend off a challenge from two talented underclassmen for the starting job.
First, Hartline connected with La'Rod King on a 38-yard pass. Then, Locke burst through the line, made one spin move and ran untouched to the end zone from 32 yards out.
The Wildcats committed no turnovers, largely thanks to the efficient play of Hartline, who connected on 17 of 26 passes for 217 yards.
Kentucky went even farther — 82 yards — on its second scoring drive. Locke got the ball on six of the Wildcats' 10 plays in that drive, including a 1-yard sweep for his second TD in the opening quarter.
With Kentucky's offense already clicking, it was playmaker Randall Cobb's turn to prove he is still the star.
Cobb showed his athletic ability by leaping into the air and catching a lob with only his left hand — one of just two catches he made in the game. Instead, he did his damage in the return game and on the ground, and even as quarterback in the final drive as Kentucky iced the game.
One snap after making his dazzling catch, Cobb took the ball on an end-around and cruised down the sideline 51 yards — Kentucky's third and final touchdown of the game.
Kentucky had built a 17-point lead at that point, and a possible blowout was brewing. Although the Wildcats never appeared in serious jeopardy of letting the lead slip away, it was more Louisville's mistakes that allowed them to hold on.
A holding penalty caused the Cardinals to squander a trip to the Kentucky 5 just before halftime, managing only a field goal. The Wildcats led 20-6 at the break.
While Kentucky showed off the far more balanced attack, Louisville got a career-best game from senior running back Bilal Powell, who rushed for 153 yards. He got 80 of those on a third-quarter touchdown run, easily his longest ever, which cut the lead to 23-13 midway through the third quarter.
A third Chris Philpott field goal trimmed the score to the final margin, but Kentucky's defense ended other Louisville threats at a comeback, halting consecutive late drives with turnovers. Mychal Bailey intercepted a pass from Adam Froman, who completed just 14 of 29 passes. Then, Ridge Wilson scooped up a ball that slipped out of Powell's hands.
One of the few low points for Kentucky was the performance of kicker Ryan Tydlacka, who missed an extra point and a chip field goal attempt that could have stretched the lead.
-- Jefferey McMurray
Colburn leads Fresno State past Cincinnati 28-14
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A big-play passing offense that can carry a team even when the running game struggles. A defensive front that can contain the spread and pressure the quarterback.
Fresno State opened this season with some key elements that were missing too often a year ago.
Ryan Colburn matched his career high with four touchdown passes and Logan Harrell had four of Fresno State's eight sacks to help the Bulldogs snap Cincinnati's 18-game regular-season winning streak with a 28-14 victory Saturday night.
"It was a big-play offense tonight instead of the typical grind-it-out," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "It was completely different that how I anticipated this game would be."
Colburn connected with Robbie Rouse, Jamel Hamler, Devon Wylie and Rashad Evans to help the Bulldogs overcome an early 14-0 deficit and hand Butch Jones a loss in his first game as Cincinnati's coach.
Jones took over the two-time defending Big East champions after Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame. He kept the spread offense that was so successful under Kelly and revamped a defense that struggled late last season.
For one quarter it looked as if the results would be the same as they usually were during Kelly's reign. But the Bearcats eventually wilted in the 94-degree heat against an inspired opponent.
"I don't look at first game, second game," Jones said. "It's just very disappointing. We expect to win and we have some very high standards and expectations and we didn't meet those standards and expectations today. But we'll get those things corrected."
The Bulldogs recorded their 16th win since the start of the 2000 season against teams from conferences that automatically qualify for the Bowl Championship Series.
Hill felt as if his team should have beaten the Bearcats on the road last year when star running back Ryan Mathews helped them keep the ball for nearly 44 minutes of a 28-20 loss.
This time, the Bulldogs attacked through the air and it paid off. Colburn completed 18 of 24 passes for 247 yards and one interception. He matched the four TD passes he threw in a loss at Wisconsin last season.
"This year we have a lot of confidence in our passing attack, not only in myself but in the way we're able to protect and the guys we have on the perimeter," Colburn said. "It's an all-inclusive thing. It's not just me throwing the ball."
Held to one first down on their first seven drives, the Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their next three, taking a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter on Colburn's 28-yard pass to Wylie. The touchdown came one play after they converted a fourth-and-2 with a short pass to Tapa Taumoepeau.
The turnaround was just as stark on the other side of the ball. The Bearcats were held to 24 yards in the final 41:44 after taking a 14-0 lead on Zach Collaros' touchdown run.
Cincinnati's Jacob Rogers missed wide right on a 48-yard field-goal attempt late in the third quarter. Colburn then hit Rashad Evans on a 59-yard pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 28-14.
The Bulldogs sacked Collaros on three successive plays on the following drive as the Bearcats' offense struggled to find a rhythm. Collaros completed 24 of 41 passes for 219 yards, throwing for one touchdown and running for another.
"We're going to bounce back from this, but give credit to Fresno," Collaros said. "They played really well. We've just got to clean up a few mistakes."
The Bearcats were held to 15 yards rushing in their first regular-season loss since a 40-16 defeat at Connecticut on Oct. 25, 2008.
Cincinnati lost 64 yards on sacks as Fresno State's offseason work against the spread paid off.
"Once we started getting pressure off their offensive line it started taking confidence out of the quarterback," Harrell said. "They just started falling apart. We were just getting pressure all night."
The Bearcats got off to the early lead, getting a 23-yard TD pass from Collaros to D.J. Woods following an interception by Pat Lambert. Collaros' 5-yard run early in the second quarter made it 14-0. At that point, Cincinnati had outgained Fresno State 195-8.
-- Josh Dubow
Nelson TD passes lead BYU over Washington 23-17
PROVO, Utah (AP) — The two-quarterback system questioned by many before BYU's season opener is 1-0.
Riley Nelson and Jake Heaps shared the job and combined to lead the Cougars to a 23-17 win over Washington on Saturday, getting some help from the defense with a second-half shutout.
Nelson threw for two touchdowns and he and Heaps both finished with 131 yards passing in front of some of their greatest predecessors. BYU invited its former all-American quarterbacks back for the weekend for a scholarship fundraiser and halftime ceremony.
"You're part of the fraternity. You're taking snaps," Nelson said. "You can't play bad because those guys didn't."
The honorees included Jim McMahon, who ran the alumni flag onto the field before the game, Steve Young and Steve Sarkisian, who is now Washington's coach.
While it was a celebration of BYU's quarterback history, the Cougars' defense kept Washington's Jake Locker from taking over the game.
Locker, who returned for his senior season, threw incompletions twice on fourth down in BYU territory as the Huskies were driving for what could have been the go-ahead touchdown.
Locker finished 20 of 37 for 266 yards and a touchdown. He also had 11 carries for 10 yards and one rushing touchdown, but was stymied while trying to lead the Huskies to score after they led 17-13 at halftime.
"I think as a football team we played with good effort," Locker said. "We shot ourselves in the foot and made mistakes that were crucial."
Locker's last chance came on fourth-and-6 from the 26, when his pass was tipped by BYU lineman Eathyn Manumaleuna and bounced harmlessly to the ground with 1:51 left.
"Around when he released, I just jumped," said Manumaleuna, who also blocked a field goal at the end of the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl to preserve a victory over UCLA. "Both times I had no anticipation of blocking anything. I guess it's all luck."
Nelson was able to run out the clock in his first start since he was a freshman at Utah State in 2006. He finished 9 of 13 and Heaps, the prized recruit out of suburban Seattle who chose BYU over Washington, was 12 for 21 for 122 yards in his college debut.
"That's what we practiced all fall camp and we've got it worked out. We know it will work and proved it tonight," Nelson said. "It was close. it came down to the wire but those are the ones you have the most fun in."
The two alternated series throughout the game. Two of Nelson's drives started inside Washington territory and he was able to lead touchdowns.
"We were playing the long field and they were playing the short field," Sarkisian said. "BYU did a good job managing field position. I know that was something they were focused on coming into the game and it really paid dividends for them."
Nelson converted on third down with a soft pass over the middle to J.J. DiLuigi, who had about 10 yards between him and the nearest Washington player. He scored easily to put the Cougars up 23-17.
Nelson also had a 9-yard TD pass over the middle to Joshua Quezada early in the second quarter that put BYU up 13-7 when Nelson ran in the 2-point conversion.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Huskies went for it on fourth-and-2 from the 23. Locker tried to throw deep but Jermaine Kearse was well covered on the play and couldn't get to the ball.
Mitch Payne kicked two field goals for the Cougars.
Chris Polk ran for 92 yards on 16 carries for the Huskies, who gave the Cougars two points on a bungled punt with 4:30 left in the first quarter on a snap that was several feet over punter Will Mahan's head. Mahan ran it down in the end zone and tossed it out the back for a safety, which cut Washington's lead to 7-2.
Erik Folk kicked a career-best 54-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter to give the Huskies a 17-13 lead.
-- Doug Alden
Arizona State defeats Portland State 54-9
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The first live run of Arizona State's new snap-it-quick offense was a resounding success.
Sure, it came against a team that had no chance of keeping up with the Sun Devils' speed, but it was a rout, and they haven't had many of those lately.
Cameron Marshall scored on three of his four first-half carries, and Arizona State used its no-huddle offense to score the most points in the Dennis Erickson era, overwhelming Portland State in a season-opening 54-9 win over the Vikings on Saturday night.
"No disrespect to Portland State, but obviously we had better players than they did, but we executed, and I thought our speed showed up," Erickson said. "We haven't moved the ball like that against anybody in a long time and hopefully we can continue to get better.
Needing a good start coming off their first consecutive losing seasons in 63 years, the Sun Devils turned the first of consecutive games against Big Sky Conference schools into an early rout.
New offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone's offense was a balanced hit, rolling up 553 yards — 242 rushing — and the most points since the 2005 season opener.
Marshall made the most of his limited opportunities, scoring on runs of 50, 38 and 5 yards to help the Sun Devils build a 30-6 halftime lead.
Steven Threet looked sharp in his first start for Arizona State, throwing for a school debut record 239 yards and a pair of swing-pass touchdowns to multidimensional Deantre Lewis, who added a 3-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
OK, so maybe there were too many dropped passes, and 11 penalties are tough to swallow, but it was a good start.
"We won, and that's the biggest goal," said Threet, who was 14-for-21.
The Sun Devils got off to a sloppy start, a three-and-out first series that included two drops and a penalty.
They shook it off by getting the ball to Marshall.
The elusive sophomore had too much speed for Portland State, bursting through a big seam on the left side for his 50-yard score, then skirting a tackle at the line and dashing in on the 38-yarder. He closed the first half with a backward-tumbling TD, landing his backside on the goal line after being dumped by Portland State linebacker Joel Sisler.
Marshall finished with 104 yards on four carries.
Threet, a transfer from Michigan, got the starting call five days before the opener after winning a long, close battle with Brock Osweiler and Samson Szakacsy. The junior looked like the right choice against Portland State, rifling on-the-mark passes on long out patterns and touch throws down the sidelines.
Threet hit an uncovered Lewis on a swing pass for a 28-yard touchdown in the second quarter, then feathered in a 37-yard, sideline-hugging pass to Kerry Taylor that set up Marshall's third score. He added a 62-yard TD pass to Lewis on another swing pass to open the second half, putting the Sun Devils up 37-6.
"Offensively, they've got some guys," Portland State first-year coach Nigel Burton said.
Portland State had mystery on its side going into the game, but not much chance once it started.
Facing a new coach made it tough for the Sun Devils to game plan, and Burton added to the what's-he-going-to-do intrigue by refusing to name a starting quarterback in the days leading up to the game.
Not that it mattered.
Portland State wasn't able to contain Arizona State's speed on offense, and QB Connor Kavanaugh, the choice over seniors Drew Hubel and Tygue Howland, had nowhere to go in the air or on the ground.
The junior left-hander was called for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety in the first quarter and had one big pass play, hitting Ray Fry on a 62-yarder over the middle in the third quarter. He finished 12 for 23 for 146 yards with an interception and ran for 15 yards on 10 carries.
Portland State had 54 yards rushing on 29 carries overall, its only points coming on Zach Brown's three field goals, including a 53-yarder in the first half.
"They're big, they're quick and they're fast," Kavanaugh said.
-- John Marshall
