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Texas and Big 12 Capsules: Potts throws 4 TDs as Texas Tech beats SMU 35-27
LUBBOCK (AP) — Tommy Tuberville made good on his promise to keep Texas Tech's passing offense in tact.
But he saw difficulties even though Taylor Potts threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Red Raiders over SMU 35-27 and give Tuberville a victory Sunday in his first game as coach.
"We showed it's going to be some ups and downs this year," Tuberville said. "We're going to have a lot of growing pains. But when you win with growing pains, that means you're doing something right."
Tuberville took over after the popular and successful Mike Leach was fired in December amid allegations he mistreated an injured player.
Potts was 34 for 53 with no interceptions and connected with Lyle Leong for three scores and Detron Lewis for the other.
The pace of the offense is much quicker — lots of no-huddles — this season, and Potts likes it.
"There's no lollygagging around and playing backyard football out there," he said. "Everything's got a purpose, everything's detailed."
Texas Tech ran its winning streak against SMU to 14 games, dating to 1989.
Eric Stephens rushed for a 3-yard TD to put Texas Tech up 35-14 midway through the third quarter.
The Mustangs had a chance late and were driving when they failed to convert a fourth-and-21 from the 50 on their final drive.
Texas Tech intercepted SMU quarterback Kyle Padron three times. He threw for 218 yards.
SMU coach June Jones said he was "a little disappointed" in Padron, who he said got rattled.
"You can't turn the ball over," Jones said. "He's got to play through those things."
The Mustangs rallied behind their special teams. Darryl Fields returned a kickoff 92 yards to set up a 24-yard field to pull SMU to 35-17. Early in the fourth, Matt Szymanski booted a 61-yard field goal, his longest ever.
The Mustangs also blocked two field goals.
SMU pulled to 35-27 midway through the fourth quarter after taking over on downs on the Tech 32.
On fourth-and-six from the 13, Padron threw into the end zone and it looked like safety Cody Davis had broken it up. But the ball stayed up in the air and Cole Beasley caught it for a score.
Texas Tech's defense had the task of trying to stop Padron, who threw for a school-record 460 yards and two touchdowns running coach June Jones' run-n-shoot in a 45-10 win over Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl.
"The biggest question we had is our youth in the secondary, but I think they came out and responded," defensive coordinator James Willis said. "They didn't take this team lightly."
For Leong it was a career day in receptions and yardage, grabbing 11 passes for 142 yards.
"He's a great receiver," said Potts, who played with Leong since the two were in grade school. "He's great with his hands. He doesn't drop many."
Stephens' touchdown came late in the third quarter when he juked back and forth in the backfield before getting around defenders on the right side and skipping untouched into the end zone.
Tech's special teams and defense set up the first two Red Raiders scores. Cornelius Douglas forced a fumble as Kenneth Acker fielded a punt deep in SMU's own territory late in the first quarter and Franklin Mitchell recovered it at the 18.
Tech ran the ball four consecutive times — something Leach rarely did — before Potts found Leong in the corner of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown to give Tech a 7-0 lead.
On the second play of SMU's next possession, redshirt freshman Jarvis Phillips stepped in front of a pass from Padron to set up Potts's second TD pass. The 6-yard score went over the middle to Leong, who was wide open near the back of the end zone.
SMU scored its first touchdown on its final drive of the first half as Padron led a 13-play drive, including his scrambling for 18 yards for a first down on fourth-and-3 from Tech's 34. Zach Line scored from 2 yards and the Mustangs were down by only one score.
Tuberville's 111th career victory came in the Red Raiders now-less-lopsided stadium. The east side of the stadium now has a $25 million addition where all 29 new suites were sold for the opener. The addition ups the stadium's capacity to 60,454.
In two weeks, Texas Tech hosts No. 5 Texas — a huge Big 12 test for Tuberville.
"It's good we have another game on the road before we jump into the Big 12," he said. "We're not a great team right now ... execution has got to get a lot better."
No. 5 Texas' new running game needs work
AUSTIN (AP) — Texas spent the offseason loading up a new power running game that was going to get tough yards and first downs when they need it.
The Longhorns still have some work to do.
By the numbers, Texas was able to grind out 197 yards on 46 carries in a steady 34-17 season-opening win over Rice. Tre' Newton, who had lost the starting tailback job to Cody Johnson, punched in three touchdowns on runs of 1, 1 and 2 yards.
Those numbers don't show how a Rice team that went 2-10 last season stuffed Texas on four straight runs inside the Owls' 4-yard line on the first drive, or how they held Texas to 76 yards on 21 carries in the first half.
Another 3rd-and-2 in the third quarter produced only one yard when Texas was trying to get out from deep inside its own half of the field.
That new power rushing attack was pretty punchless at key times in the game.
"I do know that when you run the ball, most of your rushing yards are going to come late in the third and fourth quarter. That happened some tonight, but you have to be patient, even more than I am right now. I need to continue to work on my patience," Texas coach Mack Brown said.
Newton led Texas with 61 yards but averaged just 3.4 yards. Johnson, whose 5-foot-11, 250-pound frame had made him Texas' goal-line specialist the previous two seasons, carried the ball four straight times on the goal line on Texas' first drive but couldn't get in the end zone. On fourth down, Texas called a sweep right and Johnson lost four yards.
Johnson finished with 59 yards but didn't score. Fozzy Whittaker added 51 yards on nine carries.
"We got the win, so that is the most important goal," Newton said. "I don't know what kind of grade I would give us."
Brown said he'd wait to evaluate game film to decide who will start next weekend against Wyoming. The running backs were playing behind a line with three new starters.
"Sometimes you see a great run, and there was a huge hole. We'll want to see who made the yards when things aren't there," Brown said. "All three of them are experienced, and all three of them played well. But I feel like that is something that we'll have to see on film."
Texas fans have gotten used to watching the Longhorns light up the scoreboard after six seasons of Vince Young and Colt McCoy at quarterback. Saturday's grind-it-out attack limited the throws of new starting quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who went 14 of 24 for 172 yards but no touchdowns.
Unlike McCoy the last four seasons, Gilbert was rarely in the shotgun against the Owls. His longest completion was a 47-yard strike to Malcolm Williams down the middle in the third quarter.
"We did a good job running the ball for the most part, but we've got a long way to go before we're where we want to be as a team," Gilbert said.
Texas left a lot of points on the field.
Besides the goal-line stand by Rice in the first quarter, Texas defensive backs Chykie Brown and Aaron Williams both dropped potential interceptions that should have resulted in easy touchdowns, and new kicker Justin Tucker missed field goals of 44 and 54 yards. Tucker also made kicks of 51 and 26 yards.
"We better get a bunch better next week before Wyoming, or we are going to have trouble winning," Brown said.
-- Jim Vertuno
Frogs overcome Fiesta flashback to beat Oregon St.
ARLINGTON (AP) — There had to be a Fiesta Bowl flashback for the TCU Horned Frogs when Andy Dalton threw an interception on their first drive of the new season.
Then another when Oregon State converted a fake punt that set up a touchdown, like Boise State did to the Frogs eight months earlier.
But sixth-ranked TCU overcame the miscues, and bad memories, for a 30-21 victory over No. 24 Oregon State in a tough opening test Saturday night. It was the Frogs' first game since the Fiesta Bowl loss that spoiled their first undefeated regular season since their only national championship in 1938.
"I guess you could say the sour taste is gone," defensive end Wayne Daniels said. "We worked all summer long just to get to this point."
The Frogs can now start looking forward to the possibility of trying to become a two-time BCS buster. No longer is that loss to Boise State their last game.
"It's good to have that behind us," Dalton said. "It's a new season and hopefully the momentum will keep coming."
None of TCU's remaining opponents, including Mountain West rivals Utah or BYU, are currently Top 25 teams. The only opponent left from an automatic BCS-qualifying conference is Baylor, but the Bears haven't had a winning season since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996.
That is why the season-opening victory over Oregon State of the Pac-10 was so vital for the Frogs.
"As usual, no matter what we do and how we do it, we're always having to prove ourselves. And that's OK with us," said Gary Patterson, in his 10th season as the Frogs' head coach. "To get one of these kind of games, where it's one of your tougher games behind you and you won it, is a big deal for us."
TCU is 14-3 against teams from conferences with automatic BCS berths since 2002, and is the only non-automatic qualifying school to beat such opponents in each of those nine seasons. The Frogs won at ACC teams Virginia and Clemson last September.
Next for TCU is its home opener Saturday against FCS team Tennessee Tech, where Patterson was a linebackers coach in 1983-84.
While TCU can't make it back into the Bowl Championship Series with a loss, Oregon State can still be the Pac-10 representative in the Rose Bowl. The Beavers were so close to doing that last year until losing their regular season finale to Oregon.
There is an open date for the Beavers before their home opener Sept. 18 against Louisville and then a trip to No. 3 Boise State.
Oregon State has the dynamic duo of brothers Jacquizz and James Rodgers, and both scored touchdowns in their first college game in their home state of Texas. New starting quarterback Ryan Katz threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Dalton threw for 175 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 64 yards and two more scores Saturday night to make up for his two interceptions that both led directly to Oregon State touchdowns.
"The quarterback, he can do a lot," said Lance Mitchell, the Beavers safety who had 18 tackles and one of the picks. "He makes plays on his feet. It's tough on a defense to make plays against a mobile quarterback."
With his 30th career victory, Dalton became TCU's winningest quarterback, snapping a tie with "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh, who held the mark alone since the mid-1930s until he was matched last November. Dalton is also the winningest active FBS quarterback.
"He's very confident, crafty, and quick," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said.
Dalton had only five interceptions last regular season before three in the Fiesta Bowl. One was returned for a score and the last came after TCU had reached the Boise State 30 in the closing minute of that 17-10 loss.
After both OSU touchdowns set up by interceptions, TCU immediately responded each time with TDs of its own. Dalton scored on a pair of keepers.
"I didn't let those (interceptions) affect me. I knew I had to come back and play well for us to win," Dalton said. "At times I made some stupid mistakes, but I also made a couple of plays."
And won again.
-- Stephen Hawkins
White leads Prairie View past Texas Southern
HOUSTON (AP) — Marcus White had a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown and Prairie View A&M beat Texas Southern 16-14 on Sunday.
The Panthers (1-0) had just 148 yards of offense but their defense picked off Arvell Nelson four times. White's return in the third quarter made it 14-7 and Raheem Cardwell recorded a safety early in the final period.
Nelson threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to William Osborne in the second quarter, tying it at 7, and Marcus Wright added a 9-yard TD run with 7:56 left for Texas Southern (0-1).
Wright had 18 carries for 92 yards and Osborne finished with seven catches for 73 yards.
Jonathan Troast found Shaun Stephens for a 20-yard TD pass with 9:39 left in the first half, giving Prairie View a 7-0 lead.
The Panthers committed three turnovers. Troast had two interceptions and Donald Babers lost a fumble.
Big 12
No. 7 Oklahoma seeks playmakers beyond dynamic duo
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles entered the season as the proven playmakers for No. 7 Oklahoma. They're not supposed to be the only ones making big plays, though.
Murray ran for a career-best 218 yards and two touchdowns and Broyles had 142 yards receiving with two scores in the Sooners' season-opening win against Utah State on Saturday night. But no other player gained more than 15 yards on any given play, heaping all of the heavy lifting onto Murray and Broyles.
It was enough to get the job done in Week 1, but the Sooners (1-0) will need more big plays from more people to be the kind of championship-caliber team they want to be.
Jason White had a stable of NFL-bound receivers on the way to playing for the BCS title at the end of the 2003 and 2004 seasons, and Sam Bradford could rely on any number of pass-catchers plus star tight end Jermaine Gresham the year before last.
There's a limit to how far Murray and Broyles can take the Sooners, no matter how much talent they possess.
"We need to get more people contributing, but those are definitely two guys that we definitely need to feature as much as we can every game if the situation allows it," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said.
Coach Bob Stoops believes second-year receiver Cameron Kenney can develop into that type of player. He had a 19-yard touchdown catch called back because of an illegal shift prior to the play.
There's also a trio of freshman receivers — Kenny Stills, Trey Franks and Joe Powell — who impressed the coaching staff leading up to the opener, although none had much of an impact in the 31-24 win against Utah State. Backup running back Mossis Madu will also return next week against No. 20 Florida State after being suspended for the opener. He could provide some relief for Murray, who had a career-high 35 carries against Utah State.
"I would love to see other guys step up," Murray said. "But if I don't have the ball, I want Ryan to have it. If Ryan don't have it, I want myself to have it. He's a playmaker, I'm a playmaker and we're two big keys to this offense.
"We definitely need some help out there."
That includes on defense. The Sooners came up with three interceptions, including a game-clincher by Jamell Fleming in the final 5 minutes, but were beaten again and again by the Aggies receivers. Eight Utah State players had runs or receptions of over 15 yards against a defense that recorded three shutouts last season.
Stoops said it was an issue of Oklahoma's inexperienced secondary having someone in the vicinity but failing to act when the ball arrived.
"We need to have more fight in us, to go get those balls in the air, to stop that running game, to contain that quarterback," defensive captain Travis Lewis said. "They're all easy adjustments. We just need to man up and go out there and do it."
There's not much time to find a new batch of playmakers. The Seminoles pay a visit Saturday after winning a 59-6 rout over Samford, with seven different players scoring touchdowns.
"It's a great challenge this week," defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "You don't sit there and say, 'Oh, no!' That's now how it works.
"These are guys that are more than capable of playing at high level and playing well on Saturday. That's the plan of attack here is to get things corrected and moved forward and improve from it and learn from it."
-- Jeff Latzke
Cowboys roll in offensive coordinator's debut
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State uber-booster Boone Pickens spoke for most fans of the Cowboys before their season opener Saturday night against Washington State.
"I'm anxious to see what we've got in the way of an offense," Pickens said, noting the offseason hiring of Dana Holgorsen as the Cowboys' new coordinator and play-caller.
Pickens undoubtedly came away satisfied as Oklahoma State rolled up 544 yards in a 65-17 rout of the Cougars. But even after Oklahoma State didn't commit a turnover, had only four penalties and posted its highest-scoring season opener since 1916, Holgorsen said the Cowboys remain far from a finished product.
"We've just got to get better at operating the offense," Holgorsen said. "Whatever they give us, we've got to be able to take it."
Holgorsen came to Oklahoma State with quite the reputation. He helped Mike Leach construct Texas Tech's frenetic offense before spending the last two years at Houston, where he turned that program into an offensive force. But with four new starters on Oklahoma State's offensive line, a 26-year-old quarterback who hadn't started a football game in nine years, and a mostly inexperienced receiving corps, he wondered how quickly the Cowboys could master his intricate offense.
Early on, quarterback Brandon Weeden looked a bit shaky, acknowledging he had "jitters." Then tailback Kendall Hunter took over. Hunter, a third-team All-America selection in 2008, was severely limited last season by an ankle injury. But he looked like his former self against Washington State, carrying 21 times for 257 yards — the 12th-best single-game total in school history — and four touchdowns.
"When you average 11 yards a carry, you probably ought to give it to him," Holgorsen said.
Hunter left the game after the Cowboys' first series of the second half or he could have threatened Barry Sanders' school record of 332 yards, set against Texas Tech during his Heisman Trophy season in 1988.
"I am trying to protect (Sanders) a little bit," quipped Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, who played with Sanders that season. "We'll see if he'll buy a club-level suite if we protect his record."
Joking aside, Weeden said that Hunter's success running the ball keyed the Cowboys' success in the passing game "and made things a little easier for me." Weeden, a former New York Yankees minor league baseball player, completed 22 of 30 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns, all to Justin Blackmon, before giving way to freshmen backups Clint Chelf and Johnny Deaton.
"We're going to do whatever," Weeden said. "I'll throw it five times a game or I'll throw it 50 times a game. It doesn't matter to me as long as we come away with a win."
Except for Blackmon, who had eight catches for 125 yards, no other receiver stood out for the Cowboys. Josh Cooper had five catches, but for only 31 yards. Bo Bowling had three catches for 30 yards. Seven other players had at least one catch for Oklahoma State, but Holgorsen didn't sound pleased.
"We've got a long ways to go on offense," he said. "I thought Brandon managed the game well. I thought we took care of the ball well. Obviously, Kendall, they had a hard time tackling him, and then we had at least one deep threat in Blackmon. I'm happy with those three guys, but ... we are still looking for about another six guys to step up and become real players."
The Cowboys did have an offensive twist not expected with Holgorsen — on a handful of plays, they used a full-house backfield, with three running backs joining Weeden behind the line. Holgorsen smiled when asked about that. He said he and another assistant hatched the scheme this summer during a staff outing.
"It gives you a different way to run the football and use a play-action pass," Gundy said Sunday. "I think it's taking advantage of the personnel we have and using it to the best of our ability."
-- Murray Evans
Talented Martinez gives Huskers another run threat
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The running quarterback is back at Nebraska.
It was just one game, against overmatched Western Kentucky, but Taylor Martinez's impressive debut Saturday night provided a strong indication of the offensive direction under coordinator Shawn Watson.
Martinez, who won a long preseason quarterback competition, did nothing in the eighth-ranked Cornhuskers' 49-10 victory to make anyone doubt the decision to go with the redshirt freshman.
Martinez bolted 46 yards for a touchdown on the third play from scrimmage. He also ripped off 19- and 15-yard TD runs in the third quarter and finished with 127 yards on seven carries.
"Give him an inch," Watson said, "and he'll kill you."
Martinez should get a tougher test this week at home against Idaho. Then he will face a stiffer challenge when the Huskers face Washington in Seattle on Sept. 18.
Watson said it wasn't that 2009 starter Zac Lee and top backup Cody Green did anything to lose the quarterback race. It was that Martinez did everything right, and then some.
His ascension to the top of the depth chart was decided last Monday but not announced publicly until a half-hour before kickoff, during pregame introductions. Martinez's explosiveness and big-play ability won him the job.
"That was a separating factor," Watson said. "It created a variable for him, and he uses it well to make some plays."
Even Green, who started two games last season, couldn't stop himself from gushing. He dropped a reference to Ohio State star Terrelle Pryor as he described Martinez.
"I can't run like he can," Green said. "Trust me, I wish I could. I'm not that fast. I wish I was that fast, but I'm not."
Nebraska hasn't had a true running threat at quarterback since Jammal Lord in 2003. That was back when the Huskers still ran facets of the triple-option offense.
Watson runs a hybrid scheme that features pieces of the West Coast offense and spread.
"We called it the 'West spread' last year," Green said.
What is the offense called this year?
"Fun," Green said.
Martinez has fascinated Nebraska fans since coach Bo Pelini recruited him out of powerful Centennial High in Corona, Calif. As a well-decorated senior in 2008, he led Centennial to a 15-0 record.
Martinez quarterbacked the Huskers' scout team last year and also dabbled at receiver. With Lee recovering from elbow surgery last spring, Martinez made the most of his opportunity to stake a claim for the quarterback job.
At Watson's request, Martinez spent the summer and preseason practice working to become a better passer, even though Martinez said he didn't believe his arm was a weakness.
"I've had the ability to throw the ball since high school and have always been able to throw really well," he said.
Martinez, who was 9 of 15 for 136 yards, was mostly sharp on short and intermediate passes. He was nearly intercepted on a long pass to the end zone.
Given the circumstances, Watson gave Martinez an A-plus.
"I say that because when you first start, it's always an emotional thing," Watson said. "You walk out there and go, 'Wow, man.' He didn't bat an eye."
Martinez said, "I was just really excited to be able to get out there and play my first college football game."
Watson kept it simple. Martinez handed off to Roy Helu Jr. on his first snap, then he threw a quick 5-yard out to Brandon Kinnie.
Next snap, Martinez was off and running for his 46-yard touchdown on a zone-read play.
"At my last high school, the first time I carried the ball I scored a touchdown," he said. "And then right when I came here I was hoping I was going to do the same thing. I was hoping to score a touchdown for Nebraska and as it happened, I just ran."
The Huskers hope he keeps on running, all the way to a championship.
"We try to be really multiple and make it hard on the defense and make them account for everybody," Pelini said. "To do that in the run game, your quarterback is a big part of that."
-- Eric Olson
Missouri's Moe has 13 receptions in college debut
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert may have found a new go-to wide receiver. Sophomore T.J. Moe hauled in 13 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in his first career start, helping Missouri beat Illinois 23-13 in the season opener.
The Tigers need to make up for the departure of receiver Danario Alexander, who set school records in receptions (113), yards (1,781) and touchdowns (14) last season. Moe may not be a household name, but he was one of the school's top recruits two years ago, and coach Gary Pinkel wasn't surprised by his performance.
"As I said once we recruited him, he's going to catch a lot of balls for this team," Pinkel said. "He has met the challenge and done well."
The 6-foot, 200-pound Moe was a standout quarterback at Fort Zumwalt West High School in St. Charles and was named offensive player of the year in Missouri by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. During his senior season, he threw for 2,557 yards and 31 touchdowns and rushed for 2,029 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Those skills have combined to make Moe the dynamic receiver the coaching staff anticipated. His touchdown catch in the third quarter Saturday came on a broken play in which past experience helped him get open for Gabbert.
"T.J. is great about finding the zones, he knows exactly what I'm looking for," Gabbert said. "Being an ex-quarterback, he sat down perfectly and I was able to make the throw."
Moe credited his high school coaching staff for making the transition to the next level an easy one. He quarterbacked a college-style offense similar to the one at Missouri. Zumwalt West's strong conditioning program also helped.
"They really got us prepared for college," Moe said. "I really felt prepared to come here and play."
Yet it wasn't all fun and games. In the third quarter, on a simple out route, Illinois linebacker Nate Bussey delivered a bone-crunching hit that sent Moe's helmet flying.
The collision left a gash in his chin that required five stitches after the game.
"I really need a new helmet," Moe said. "I need to go find the equipment guy."
Tight end Michael Egnew also had a busy day, catching 10 passes for 60 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. Jerrell Jackson, Missouri's top leading receiver, caught four passes for 50 yards while wearing a small cast to protect his left wrist, broken last month.
-- Ben Picardi
Related Story
Instant Replay: Some good, some bad from new QBs
John Brantley was no Tim Tebow, though Auburn's Cameron Newton, who was once a Gator, did a pretty good imitation of the former Florida star.
Texas didn't want Garrett Gilbert to have to carry the offense the way Colt McCoy used to, but the Longhorns' new starting quarterback might have to.
Taking into account the opposition, Michigan's Denard Robinson was probably the best of the first-time starting quarterbacks this weekend.
But before anyone declares Newton or Robinson a Heisman Trophy candidate or Brantley a bust, remember that two games into last season it was Tate Forcier who looked like the future of Michigan football. Now he's a third-stringer.
THE BIG STORY: The unveiling of a new starting quarterback is a lot bringing home a new puppy. Everybody is excited about the new addition and then you realize how much work it takes to get the little fella to do what you want.
Florida and its fans seemed confident that while Brantley might not become an all-time great like Tebow, he would be a more than adequate replacement for the Gators' Golden Boy.
Instead, Brantley made a mess of the Swamp in his first start. Florida's lousy offensive performance in a 34-12 victory against Miami (Ohio) was in no way all his fault. Brantley had a tough time just getting a clean shotgun snap from center Mike Pouncey.
Still, he couldn't get the ball down the field and settled for dinks and dunks that amounted to a totally unacceptable 4.5 yards per attempt.
"I'm not embarrassed at all," Brantley said. "It was one those days, I guess you could say."
While it's too early to panic, the junior will need to take a big step forward next week when Florida faces South Florida at the Swamp.
If not, well the backups are freshmen, so let's just say Florida needs Brantley to come through to make another SEC title run.
You can bet that there were at least a few Florida fans watching Newton's spectacular Auburn debut and wondering, 'Can we get that kid back?'
Newton began his college career in Florida, but was kicked off the team after he was arrested and charged with stealing another student's laptop. The charges were dropped after he completed a pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders.
After a year in junior college, Newton transferred to Auburn to run Gus Malzahn's spread offense. Against Arkansas State, Newton looked like the perfect fit. He ran for 171 yards and threw for 196 on only nine completions in the Tigers' 52-26 victory.
"He is the best player I have ever seen live," Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said.
High praise. Newton and Auburn travel to Mississippi State on Thursday, then play Clemson and South Carolina at home in back-to-back games. By then we'll know if Newton is for real and if Auburn is a threat to Alabama in the SEC West.
Robinson was even better than Newton, accounting for 383 yards, including 197 rushing — most in Michigan history for a QB — in the Wolverines' 30-10 victory against Connecticut. It was hard not to think about former West Virginia star Pat White while watching Robinson slickly run coach Rich Rodriguez's spread offense.
Robinson faces another quarterback coming off his first career start when Michigan goes to Notre Dame on Saturday.
Dayne Crist was efficient and interception-free for new coach Brian Kelly, going 19 for 26 for 205 yards in a 23-12 victory against Purdue.
Efficient was a good way to describe Gilbert's performance in his first start. He went 14 of 23 for 172 yards in a 34-17 victory against Rice.
The Longhorns ran the ball twice as many times as they threw it, making good on their vow to revive the running game this season and take some pressure off the sophomore. But even against the Owls, Texas averaged a so-so 4.3 yards per carry. Tre Newton scored three touchdowns but it's still fair to wonder if the Longhorns have a true No. 1 tailback on their roster.
With a game at Texas Tech only two weeks away, Texas coach Mack Brown might not be able to protect Gilbert. In fact, he might have to hope that Gilbert grows up fast, because the young quarterback has the potential to be the best part of the offense.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Mississippi State's 49-7 victory against Memphis might not seem like a big deal. The Tigers aren't very good, so what's the big deal about an SEC team thumping them.
Well, Mississippi State hasn't been much better — and sometimes worse — than Memphis over the past decade.
In coach Dan Mullen's second season, the Bulldogs might be ready to take a significant step forward. The former Florida offensive coordinator used two quarterbacks (Tyler Russell and Chris Relf) and Mississippi State rolled up 569 total yards, 27 shy of the school record.
LOOKING AHEAD: Week 2 is one of the best of the season. Miami at Ohio State; Penn State at Alabama; Michigan at Notre Dame; Oregon at Tennessee; Georgia at South Carolina; Florida State at Oklahoma; and South Florida at Florida.
Get your popcorn.
-- Ralph D. Russo
