No. 11 Texas upends No. 3 Alabama 34-24 for biggest win under Sarkisian

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Quinn Ewers finished what he started last season, passing for 349 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 11 Texas to a 34-24 victory over third-ranked Alabama on Saturday night in a huge win for a program trying to climb back into national championship contention.

The Longhorns (2-0) delivered the biggest victory under Steve Sarkisian in a game that slipped away last season after a red-hot Ewers exited because of a first-quarter shoulder injury. He was back and with another big weapon in Adonai Mitchell. This amounted to a welcome-to-the-Southeastern Conference moment for a program set to join Alabama & Co. next season.

It didn’t come without a fight from the Crimson Tide (1-1), which has now seen three games slip away late in the past two seasons. Alabama had its 21-game home winning streak snapped along with a 57-game regular-season binge against nonconference teams dating to Nick Saban’s debut season, 2007.

No. 22 COLORADO 36, NEBRASKA 14

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Shedeur Sanders accounted for three scores, Colorado’s defense forced four turnovers and the Buffaloes beat longtime rival Nebraska in the home debut of Deion Sanders at sold-out Folsom Field.

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After Coach Prime’s team was the story of Week 1 with an upset of TCU, the Buffs showed it was no fluke.

Shedeur Sanders threw for 393 yards and two scores, while running for another touchdown. He capped his 6-yard romp with the dance steps his dad made famous during his playing days.

The Buffaloes (2-0) needed a moment to wake up given the early kickoff. But once they did, they were unstoppable. After punting on their first four drives, Sanders and the offense scored on seven of eight possessions to turn the game into a rout. The Buffaloes outgained the Huskers (0-2) by a 454-341 margin.

No. 1 GEORGIA 45, BALL STATE 3

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — No. 1 Georgia intercepted three passes and walk-on Mekhi Mews sparked the offense with a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown, leading the slow-starting Bulldogs to a victory over Ball State.

The two-time reigning national champions were held scoreless in the opening quarter, but Georgia (2-0) finally got rolling with a 31-point outburst in the second period against the overmatched Cardinals (0-2).

Mews also had a 47-yard kickoff return to start the game, but Georgia botched that opportunity when Peyton Woodring missed a chip-shot field goal from 28 yards.

No. 2 MICHIGAN 35, UNLV 7

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Blake Corum ran for three touchdowns and J.J. McCarthy threw two more scoring passes to Roman Wilson to help Michigan rout UNLV.

The Wolverines (2-0) were without suspended coach Jim Harbaugh for the second game of his three-game, school-imposed suspension for breaking NCAA rules.

That didn’t slow them down.

The Rebels (0-1) were overmatched as expected, struggling to compete with a national championship contender on either side of the ball.

No. 4 FLORIDA STATE 66, SOUTHERN MISS 13

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Trey Benson had three touchdown runs and No. 4 Florida State routed Southern Miss in its home opener for the most points under coach Mike Norvell.

Jordan Travis threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns, and backup Tate Rodemaker added a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter. Travis’ first touchdown, a 10-yard pass to Darion Williamson, gave him 50 career TD passes.

The Seminoles (2-0) have scored 35 or more points in eight straight games, the longest active streak in the nation. On Saturday, they did it in the third quarter — and before Southern Miss (1-1) found the end zone.

Caziah Holmes added a 40-yard touchdown run as the Seminoles ran for 306 yards. Florida State was able to move the ball at will even without starting offensive linemen Maurice Smith and Robert Scott.

No. 5 OHIO STATE 35, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 7

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kyle McCord threw for three touchdowns in the first half, two of them to All-American Marvin Harrison Jr., and Ohio State blew past Youngstown State.

McCord, starting for the Buckeyes (2-0) in his third year in the program, was 14 for 20 for 258 yards and also threw a scoring pass to Emeka Egbuka, a solid bounce-back against a lesser opponent after a shaky opener at Indiana last week.

TreVeyon Henderson rushed for a pair of scores.

Harrison was looking for a big day after only two catches for 18 yards and zero touchdowns in a lackluster offensive effort for the Buckeyes in the Week 1 win. He finished with seven catches for 160 yards — all in the first half.

No. 6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 56, STANFORD 10

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Caleb Williams passed for 281 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score while playing only the first half, Zachariah Branch returned a punt 75 yards for a TD, and Southern California routed Stanford in this decades-old rivalry’s final chapter for the foreseeable future.

MarShawn Lloyd and Austin Jones also rushed for scores, and Dorian Singer, Brenden Rice and Lake McRee caught TD passes while their Heisman Trophy winner led USC (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) to one of the most prolific first halves in school history.

The Trojans racked up 433 yards of offense and got seven touchdowns by seven players while building a 49-3 halftime lead — the third-largest in Pac-12 history — in the conference’s final opening game, at least in its current configuration.

USC is headed to the Big Ten and Stanford will join the ACC next year after the collapse of the conference they’ve called home in various forms since 1922. This was also the last scheduled meeting between USC and its oldest rival in a series that began in 1905, although the private schools could resume it in the future.

USC generously used backups in the second half of their blowout of the Cardinal (1-1, 0-1), who lost for the first time under new coach Troy Taylor.

No. 7 PENN STATE 63, DELAWARE 7

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Nick Singleton ran for three touchdowns and Penn State’s defense was nearly perfect as the Nittany Lions defeated Delaware.

Kaytron Allen ran for 103 yards and a touchdown, while quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula each scored on second-half runs for the Nittany Lions who dominated their FCS counterparts.

Penn State (2-0) scored touchdowns on its first four possessions. All of Singleton’s and Allen’s scores came inside five yards and ended long drives that wore the Blue Hens (1-1) down.

No. 8 WASHINGTON 43, TULSA 10

SEATTLE (AP) — Michael Penix Jr. threw three more touchdown passes, wide receivers Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk both ran for touchdowns on reverses and Washington cruised past Tulsa.

Washington (2-0) warmed up for next week’s big nonconference game at Michigan State with another big game from its star quarterback, but an overall performance by the Huskies that was sloppy at times.

Penix was 28 of 38 for 409 yards. He completed passes to 10 receivers, with Jalen McMillan having the biggest game with eight receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Even with the occasional sloppiness, Washington’s talent was simply too much for the Golden Hurricane (1-1) to hang with.

No. 9 TENNESSEE 30, AUSTIN PEAY 13

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Joe Milton III had a 6-yard touchdown run late in the first half and threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Ramel Keaton early in the second to help Tennessee beat FCS foe Austin Peay.

The Volunteers (2-0) won their 10th straight at home as they prepare for their Southeastern Conference opener next week at Florida. The Governors fell to 0-2.

Milton broke a 6-6 tie with 15 seconds left in the first half with the 6-yard scoring run. Then, 1:30 into the second, Milton hit Keaton for some breathing room.

Austin Peay played a wide-open, up-tempo, free-wheeling game. The Governors converted on fourth down three times in the first half — twice with runs, one of them a 45-yard burst by quarterback Mike DiLiello — and once by penalty.

No. 10 NOTRE DAME 45, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 24

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Audric Estime ran for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play after an extended weather delay and Sam Hartman threw for four scores to help Notre Dame beat North Carolina State.

Estime ran for 134 yards and two scores, including a 7-yard run through traffic with 10:42 left that put the Fighting Irish (3-0) in firm control. Notre Dame has now won 29 straight regular-season matchups against Atlantic Coast Conference teams in its scheduling partnership with the conference as a football independent but a member in all other league sports.

No. 14 LSU 72, GRAMBLING 10

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw a career-high five touchdown passes, all in the first half, leading LSU in a rout of Grambling.

Bouncing back from a season-opening loss to Florida State a week earlier, LSU (1-1) scored touchdowns on its first 10 possessions and was led by Daniels’ career passing game. The senior quarterback went 18 for 24 for 269 yards.

Daniels got things going for LSU on its opening drive. Daniels led an eight-play, 77-yard march that was punctuated by a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr.

LSU’s 72-point performance was its highest scoring game since a seven overtime loss to Texas A&M in 2018. Grambling’s lone touchdown came on its first possession when Myles Crawley found JR Waters on a 13-yard scoring pass. Tanner Rinkler added a 24-yard field goal on Grambling’s (0-2) second possession.

No. 12 UTAH 20, BAYLOR 13

WACO, Texas (AP) — Jaylon Glover scored on an 11-yard run with 17 seconds left for Utah’s second touchdown in the final two minutes, and the Utes escaped Baylor in a matchup of future Big 12 foes both missing their starting quarterbacks.

Utah’s winning drive was set up at the Baylor 29 after Cole Bishop’s interception on a pass Sawyer Robertson threw under pressure.

The Utes (2-0) had tied the game at 13 with 1:59 left when redshirt freshman quarterback Nate Johnson scored on a 7-yard draw. That capped an 88-yard drive on which he had 20 yards rushing and completed 4 of 5 passes for 57 yards.

Baylor (0-2) had one more chance to tie the game, with one second left after Robertson’s 47-yard pass to Hal Presley to the Utah 22. But the final pass into the end zone was incomplete.

No. 13 OREGON 38, TEXAS TECH 30

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Bo Nix threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, Jeffrey Bassa had a 45-yard interception return for a score in the final minute and Oregon rallied for a victory over Texas Tech.

Tyler Shough threw for three TDs and ran for 101 yards and another score against his former team, but it wasn’t enough to extend the Red Raiders’ school-record 23-game winning streak in home openers.

The Ducks (2-0) had twice rallied in the fourth quarter behind Nix, who led a pair of drives to go-ahead field goals, capped by Cameron Lewis’ 34-yarder for a 31-30 lead with 1:10 remaining.

Shough was trying to answer for a second time with a drive to a field goal when Brandon Dorlus hit Shough as he was throwing. The ball went straight to Bassa, who stepped over Shough and ran free to the end zone with 35 seconds left.

The Red Raiders are 0-2 for the first time since 1990 after losing in double overtime at Wyoming in their opener.

No. 15 KANSAS STATE 42, TROY 13

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Will Howard threw for three touchdowns and ran for two others as Kansas State defeated Troy.

Howard threw touchdown passes of 9 yards to Jadon Jackson and 39 yards to Philip Brooks to help the Wildcats (2-0) to a 21-10 lead at half, and his 2-yard run late in the third quarter made it an 18-point game.

Howard finished 21 of 32 for 250 yards and had eight carries for 33 yards.

K-State held the Trojans (1-1) to 286 total yards a week after they gained 540 against Stephen F. Austin.

No. 16 OREGON STATE 55, UC DAVIS 7

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Damien Martinez ran for a 64-yard touchdown on Oregon State’s first offensive play, setting the tone against UC Davi.

Silas Bolden had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, and a 22-yard scoring reception in the second quarter as Oregon State (2-0) extended its 14-0 first-quarter lead to 38-0 at halftime.

In his second start for the Beavers, DJ Uiagalelei completed 8 of 13 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. He did not play in the second half. The Clemson transfer has accounted for five touchdown passes and three rushing scores in two games.

The Beavers had 450 total yards to 166 for UC Davis (1-1).

WASHINGTON STATE 31, No. 19 WISCONSIN 22

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Cameron Ward passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns and added another 43 yards rushing, Nakia Watson scored on a 1-yard run with 5:30 remaining and Washington State upset Wisconsin.

Ward scrambled for runs of 23 yards and 14 yards during a pivotal fourth-quarter drive to help the Cougars avoid a second-half meltdown and beat the Badgers for the second straight season. Watson capped the drive with his 1-yard plunge.

Washington State (2-0) hosted its first Power Five nonconference opponent since 1998 and played its first home game since the collapse of the Pac-12 this summer. Facing an uncertain future as a Power Five program, Washington State put on a show in the first half to race to a 24-6 lead.

It got dicey after that for the Cougars.

Wisconsin (1-1) scored 16 straight points and was driving in the fourth quarter with a chance to take the lead before running back Chez Mellusi fumbled near midfield.

No. 20 MISSISSIPPI 37, No. 24 TULANE 20

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jaxson Dart accounted for 308 yards and passed for two touchdowns and Mississippi pulled away to beat Tulane as injured Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt watched from the sideline.

Caden Davis kicked a career-long 56-yard field goal to give Ole Miss (2-0) a 10-point lead with 1:53 left, and defensive end Jared Ivey picked up a fumble caused by Khari Coleman’s sack and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

Tulane (1-1) took a 10-point lead in the first half, after falling behind early in the fourth, was on the edge of tying field goal range. But Fritz elected to run an offensive play on fourth and 2 from the 31 and Horton was forced out of bounds just short.

No. 17 NORTH CAROLINA 40, APPALACHIAN STATE 34, OT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Drake Maye’s 13-yard run in the second overtime helped rescue North Carolina and the Tar Heels’ defense made it hold up in a win overtime Appalachian State.

Omarion Hampton ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns, including the 17-yard run that allowed the Tar Heels (2-0) to pull even in the first overtime.

Nate Noel ran 7 yards for a touchdown on the first overtime possession for Appalachian State (1-1), finishing with 127 yards on 26 carries.

Ryan Coe kicked two field goals for North Carolina, but he missed from 39 yards away on the last play of regulation.

No. 18 OKLAHOMA 28, SMU 11

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Dillon Gabriel threw four touchdown passes, Tawee Walker ran for a career-high 117 yards and Oklahoma clawed out a win over SMU.

Andrel Anthony caught seven passes for 76 yards and a touchdown for the Sooners (2-0), and linebacker Danny Stutsman anchored a steady defense with 17 tackles and a sack.

Preston Stone passed for 250 yards, Jaylan Knighton had 103 yards from scrimmage and Jake Bailey had seven catches for 73 yards for SMU (1-1).

No. 21 DUKE 42, LAFAYETTE 7

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Waters ran for a career-high 112 yards to go with two scores, helping Duke beat Lafayette to cap a short week following its season-opening upset of Clemson.

Waters scored on a 5-yard run early in the second period and added a 16-yard run shortly before halftime that surpassed his previous career-best rushing total. That staked the Blue Devils (2-0) to a 21-7 halftime lead, then he cracked the 100-yard mark on his first touch of the third quarter amid a heavy downpour that followed the teams out of the break.

Duke was playing five days after the 28-7 win against the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference favorite and then-No. 9 Tigers.

MIAMI 48, No. 23 TEXAS A&M 33

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Van Dyke threw a career-high five touchdown passes, Brashard Smith returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score and Miami overcame a slow start to defeat Texas A&M.

Smith caught kick near Miami’s end zone and burst forward, untouched, for the Hurricanes’ longest score of the young year. He celebrated only briefly on the sideline, then scampered back onto the field for kickoff coverage.

The play gave the Hurricanes (2-0) an eight-point lead in the third quarter, and they built on that. It was a stark turnaround after Texas A&M (1-1) jumped out to a 10-point first-quarter lead.

No. 25 CLEMSON 66, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 17

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Cade Klubnik threw for a career-high 315 yards and four touchdowns as he and Clemson rallied from a mistake-filled first half to roll past Charleston Southern.

Antonio Williams had touchdown grabs of 10 and 5 yards while Phil Mafah ran for two short touchdowns as the Tigers (1-1) improved to 38-0 all-time against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.

The Tigers and their sophomore passer bounced back from an opening-week meltdown, losing 28-7 at No. 21 Duke. But miscues and poor execution from that game were on display the first two quarters here.

A fumble by Klubnik deep in Clemson territory led to Charleston Southern’s first touchdown. A series later, Klubnik’s throwaway was picked off by cornerback Leon Thomas, who went 67 yards for a score to put the Buccaneers (1-1) up 14-7 before a stunned Death Valley crowd.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll