Oklahoma crushes Iowa State
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma delivered a brutal blow of reality to Iowa State.
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Quentin Griffin and Kejuan Jones each ran for two touchdown and No. 2 Oklahoma dealt a setback to Seneca Wallace's Heisman Trophy hopes in beating the ninth-ranked Cyclones 49-3 Saturday.
Oklahoma (7-0, 3-0 Big 12) outgained Iowa State 225-4 in building a 35-0 halftime lead against a team that had been averaging 432 yards and 39 points a game.
''It never seemed it would end,'' Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said. ''We could never get in synch. We couldn't get any first downs. We couldn't get our defense off the field.''
Iowa State (6-2, 3-1), in the top 10 for the first time, had been enjoying a dream season until running into a quick, swarming Oklahoma defense that frustrated the Cyclones at every turn on a dreary, rainy afternoon.
A victory would have vaulted the upstart Cyclones into the national championship picture. Instead, they fell to 1-35-1 against Oklahoma since 1962 and are now 0-47-2 against teams ranked in the top 5.
Oklahoma set the tone by blocking a punt for a touchdown on the game's fourth play and kept Wallace from making the kind of big plays that had sparked the Cyclones all season. The Sooners were so tough to crack that Iowa State couldn't score after recovering a fumble at the Sooners' 1-yard line late in the first half.
''We just got on him from the first play of game to the last play,'' Oklahoma linebacker Teddy Lehman. ''We made it a point to not let him many any highlight runs on us.''
Wallace, who had emerged as a leading contender for the Heisman with his sharp passing and elusive running, had trouble with the wet football, bouncing throws short of his receivers and overthrowing them on other plays.
Though he often had plenty of time to throw, Wallace didn't complete his second pass until the 13:00 mark in the third quarter and finished 4-of-22 for 43 yards and three interceptions.
In a miserable first half, Wallace was 1-for-12 for zero yards and two interceptions. Those numbers won't help his Heisman hopes, but Wallace said he didn't care.
''I don't give a hoot about the Heisman,'' he said. ''If it damages it, it damages it. Who cares? Move on to the next game.''
Iowa State wound up with 60 total yards, the fourth lowest total in school history and the fewest since getting 53 in a 44-0 loss to Nebraska in 1984.
With Wallace and the offense struggling, Oklahoma had excellent field position and took advantage. Nate Hybl bounced back from his four interceptions against Texas a week ago with a solid performance and Griffin and Jones wore down the Cyclones with their power running.
''We just may be hitting our stride at the right time,'' Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. ''I hope that's the case. I know we have a lot confidence right now.''
Griffin carried 23 times for 111 yards and scored on first-half runs of 15 and 4 yards. On his first touchdown, the 5-foot-7 senior squirted out of a mass of bodies in the middle the field, slipped Ellis Hobbs' attempted tackle at the 7 and dove into the end zone to make it 14-0.
Jones added 86 yards on 25 carries and scored on a pair of 1-yard runs. Hybl was 14-of-24 for 168 yards with no interceptions and a 22-yard touchdown toss to Brandon Jones, who made a leaping catch between two defenders at the goal line for a 42-3 lead.
Things went so well for Oklahoma -- and so badly for Iowa State -- that when Derrick Strait fumbled after making a leaping interception off Wallace, teammate Tommie Harris recovered at the Iowa State 20.
Four plays later, after Griffin broke three tackles on a 13-yard run, Jones bulled in from the 1 to make it 35-0 with 7:11 left in the half.
''Looking at the stat sheet, it just looks like total domination by our defense. But I don't want to understate how well our offense played today,'' said Hybl, who was rubbing his red, swollen nose, the result of a hit from an Iowa State defense. ''We executed about every facet.''
Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge is brought down by a sea of Notre Dame defenders during the first quarter Saturday night, Oct. 19, 2002, at Air Force Academy, Colo.
AP Photo/The Gazette, Bryan Oller
Strait set up Oklahoma's first touchdown when he raced in from the left side to block Tony Yelk's punt less than minute into the game. The ball rolled into the end zone and was on its end spinning when Iowa State's Anthony Forrest ran toward it.
No. 3 Virginia Tech 35, Rutgers 14
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Lee Suggs ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns as No. 3 Virginia Tech defeated Rutgers 35-14 on Saturday.
Despite numerous turnovers and penalties, the Hokies (7-0, 2-0 Big East) beat the Scarlet Knights (1-6, 0-3) for the 10th straight time.
Suggs scored on runs of 3 and 42 yards. Kevin Jones added 132 yards, including a 58-yard TD run.
Ryan Cubit was 17-for-32 for 222 yards and two TD for Rutgers. Tech's Bryan Randall threw a 16-yard TD pass to Ernest Wilford, but had two turnovers and was sacked four times.
No. 4 Ohio St. 19, Wisconsin 14
MADISON, Wis. -- Fourth-ranked Ohio State pulled out another close game on the road, edging Wisconsin 19-14 to remain unbeaten and keep alive its national title chances.
Freshman Maurice Clarett ran for 133 yards on 30 carries to lead the Buckeyes (8-0, 3-0 Big Ten), who also had close-call wins at Cincinnati and Northwestern.
Ohio State has three formidable opponents remaining -- Penn State, Minnesota and Michigan -- and they're all in Columbus. The Buckeyes don't play Iowa this season.
The Badgers (5-3, 0-3), who lost for the eighth time in their last 10 conference home games, took a 14-13 lead into the fourth quarter, but Craig Krenzel threw a 3-yard TD pass to Ben Hartsock with 10 minutes left to put the Buckeyes back in front 19-14. Krenzel overthrew Ryan Hamby on the 2-point conversion try.
No. 5 Georgia 48, Vanderbilt 17
ATHENS, Ga. -- David Greene threw for 319 yards and accounted for three TD, while Musa Smith rushed for 102 yards and scored twice as No. 5 Georgia routed Vanderbilt 48-17 to remain the only unbeaten team in the SEC.
The Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0 SEC) scored on their first eight possessions in their highest-scoring game of the season. They led 31-10 at halftime, piling up more yards in the first two quarters than they had in four previous games.
Vanderbilt (1-6, 0-4) got a scare on its way to the game. One of the buses carrying players and coaches was involved in a wreck, but no one was seriously hurt.
Once they got to Sanford Stadium, the Commodores were no match for a Georgia team off to its best start since 1982.
Arizona St. 45, No. 6 Oregon 42
EUGENE, Ore. -- Andrew Walter threw for a school-record 536 yards and four touchdowns as Arizona State came back from a three-touchdown deficit to upset No. 6 Oregon 45-42.
The Sun Devils (5-2, 3-0 Pac-10) are one of only two unbeaten teams left in the conference. Washington State (6-1, 3-0) was idle Saturday.
The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for the Ducks (6-1, 2-1). It was the second-longest streak in the nation behind Miami's 28.
Walter completed 31 of 53 passes as Arizona State racked up 590 total yards. Shaun McDonald had 12 catches for 204 yards and a score.
Jason Fife, who entered the game ranked third nationally in passing efficiency, was 21-of-32 for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Onterrio Smith, the Pac-10's leading rusher, gained 172 yards on 27 carries and scored three TDs.
Mike Barth's 29-yard field goal with 1:58 left broke a 42-all tie, and Oregon's final series ended when Arizona State safety Brett Hudson intercepted a pass by Fife.
No. 7 Notre Dame 21, No. 18 Air Force 14
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Ryan Grant ran for 190 yards and a touchdown, and No. 7 Notre Dame stuffed the nation's top rushing team, beating Air Force 21-14 Saturday night.
Notre Dame (7-0) won the battle between two of college football's most surprising teams by taking advantage of its size up front on offense and defense.
After relying on their defense the first six games, the Irish gained a season-high 447 yards behind linemen that were up to 60 pounds heavier than Air Force's.
Notre Dame, which entered the game with the nation's fifth-worst offense at 293 yards a game, is off to its best start since opening the 1993 season with 10 straight wins.
Air Force (6-1), playing in front of a record crowd of 56,409, couldn't keep Notre Dame's defenders out of the backfield and wasn't able to get around the speedy Irish on the outside.
Air Force finished with just 104 yards rushing, 235 below its average.
No. 8 Texas 17, No. 17 Kansas St. 14
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Dusty Mangum kicked a 27-yard field goal with 1:32 to go, then Marcus Tubbs blocked Kansas State's 36-yard attempt with 7 seconds left as No. 8 Texas beat No. 17 Kansas State.
B.J. Johnson caught four passes for 132 yards and a TD for the Longhorns (6-1, 2-1 Big 12), who came back strong after last week's 35-24 loss to Oklahoma.
Kansas State (5-2, 1-2) dropped to 2-23 in games against top-10 teams under coach Bill Snyder.
No. 11 Michigan 23, Purdue 21
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- John Navarre threw for 271 yards and a touchdown and Calvin Bell scored on a 34-yard reverse as No. 11 Michigan held off Purdue 23-21.
The Wolverines (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) led 10-7 at the half, but Navarre's 31-yard TD pass to Braylon Edwards and Bell's run gave Michigan the cushion it needed.
Purdue (3-5, 1-3) pulled within two points on a 1-yard TD run by Jerod Void Harris with eight seconds left. Michigan recovered the ensuing onside kick, and ran out the clock.
Brandon Kirsch passed for 172 yards and ran for 81 yards and a TD for the Boilermakers. He also threw a 31-yard TD pass to John Standeford to cut Michigan's lead to 17-14 in the third quarter.
No. 13 North Carolina St. 24, Duke 22
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Philip Rivers threw for a season-high 364 yards and two touchdowns as No. 13 North Carolina State matched its best start in school history with a closer-than-expected 24-22 victory over Duke.
The Wolfpack (8-0, 3-0 ACC), favored by 24 points, handed the Blue Devils (2-6, 0-4) ) their 21st straight conference defeat.
N.C. State went into the fourth quarter leading 17-12 with the home crowd restless and the team gathered around coach Chuck Amato for a pep talk.
Amato's defense responded, sacking Duke quarterback Adam Smith three times in the final quarter as the Wolfpack matched the 1967 team for the best start in the school's 111 years of football.
Rivers hit Jerricho Cotchery down the right sideline for a 53-yard scoring play with 2:52 left. But Smith threw a 40-yard TD pass with 16 seconds left to cap his 353-yard day, and Duke recovered an onside kick at the Wolfpack's 49. After three incompletions, Brent Garber's 65-yard field goal attempt was more than 10 yards short. Garber's career-best is 56 yards.
No. 14 LSU 38, South Carolina 14
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Making his first start at quarterback because of an injury to Matt Mauck, Marcus Randall completed 4 of 10 passes for 52 yards and ran five times for another 39 yards and a touchdown to help LSU (6-1, 3-0 SEC) scored 25 unanswered points in the third quarter.
Demetrius Hookfin had two interceptions, and the Tigers outgained South Carolina (5-3, 3-2) in yardage 132-1 during the period. LSU also held the ball for 10:52.
No. 15 Iowa 24, Indiana 8
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Grant Steen set a school record with three interceptions and Fred Russell ran for two TDs as No. 15 Iowa beat Indiana 24-8.
The Hawkeyes (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) won their fifth straight game, relying on a balanced offense and an aggressive defense that notched six sacks to prevent a second straight comeback by the Hoosiers (3-4, 1-2).
The Hawkeyes entered the game with one of the Big Ten's top ground attacks and the nation's No. 2 run defense but didn't play like it.
Iowa took advantage early, building a 17-0 lead in the game's first 11 minutes before turning things over to the defense.
No. 19 Southern Cal 41, No. 22 Washington 21
LOS ANGELES -- Carson Palmer threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns, three to freshman Mike Williams, as No. 19 USC beat No. 22 Washington 41-21.
USC (5-2, 3-1 Pac-10) built a 34-7 lead in the first three quarters in beating the Huskies (4-3, 1-2) for just the second time in the last six meetings.
Palmer, a fifth-year senior, threw TD passes of 43, 14 and 11 yards to Williams. The Trojans' quarterback, who went 21-of-34, also connected with Keary Colbert on a 61-yard scoring play.
Williams, a 6-foot-5, 210-pounder starting because Kareem Kelly was slowed by an injury, had nine catches for 159 yards.
USC led 34-7 before Cody Pickett threw a pair of TD passes early in the fourth quarter to close the gap. Pickett, who came into the game as the nation's second-leading passer, was 34-of-61 for 350 yards and three TDs. He threw two interceptions.
No. 20 Penn St. 49, Northwestern 0
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Larry Johnson ran for a school-record 257 yards and two TDs as No. 20 Penn State routed Northwestern 49-0.
Johnson broke the school mark of 256 yards, set by Curt Warner against Syracuse on Oct. 17, 1981.
Johnson had 191 yards in the first half, and was stopped for a 1-yard gain on the first play of the third quarter. Two plays later, Johnson went through the middle of the line for 60 yards to the Northwestern 5. He ran around the left side on the next play for the rushing record and his second TD, giving Penn State (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) a 42-0 lead. Northwestern fell to 2-6, 0-4.
No. 24 Alabama 42, No. 21 Mississippi 7
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Santonio Beard ran for 138 yards and a school-record tying five touchdowns as No. 24 Alabama beat No. 21 Mississippi 42-7.
The Crimson Tide (5-2, 2-1 SEC) held Eli Manning to one completion for 1 yard in a six-possession stretch beginning in the second quarter. They sacked him four times and pressured him into a fumble and interception.
The Rebels (5-2, 2-1) blew a chance for their first 3-0 league start since 1970 and have lost 19 of 20 in Tuscaloosa and 16 of the last 18 meetings.
Eli Manning finished 18-of-32 for 219 yards and was held without a touchdown pass for the second time this year. Alabama backup Brodie Croyle, who replaced an ailing Tyler Watts in the second quarter, threw for 179 yards, including a 51-yard TD pass to Dre Fulgham and a 64-yarder to Sam Collins that set up another score.
No. 23 Colorado 34, Baylor 0
BOULDER, Colo. -- Chris Brown ran for 167 yards and three first-half touchdowns before leaving the game with a sprained ankle, and No. 23 Colorado dominated Baylor 34-0.
Brown, the nation's leading rusher, boosted his per-game average slightly to 164.9 yards as Colorado (5-2, 3-0 Big 12) won its fourth straight. Baylor (3-4, 1-2) had 251 total yards -- compared with 395 for the Buffaloes -- and crossed midfield only three times.
Brown had touchdown runs of 55, 4 and 1 yard. He became the fastest player in Colorado history to reach 1,000 yards in a season, doing it in 143 carries. Rashaan Salaam needed 149 carries to hit 1,000 on his way to 2,055 yards and the Heisman Trophy in 1994.
No. 25 Bowling Green 48, W. Michigan 45, OT
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Quarterback Josh Harris scored on a 5-yard keeper in overtime to give No. 25 Bowling Green a 48-45 victory over Western Michigan.
In its first game as a ranked team since 1985, Bowling Green (6-0, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) trailed 35-21 midway through the third quarter and didn't take its first lead until the fourth period.
Philip Reed ran for 140 yards and four touchdowns to lead Western (2-5, 1-2).
Chad Munson passed for 328 yards.
The Broncos (2-5, 1-2) settled for Anthony Apa's 24-yard field goal in OT before Harris' winning run.