The college football season has officially kicked off, and the games went the way many people had predicted.
The highest ranked team playing on Thursday was number two TCU, who snatched a narrow victory from Minnesota 23-17.
Trevone Boykin got it done all over the field for the Horned Frogs, completing 26 of 42 passes for 246 yards, a touchdown and an intercept. He dominated the ground game as well, carrying the ball 18 times for a team high 92 yards.
Georgia Tech had the blowout of the day as they put on a scoring show at home. The 16th ranked Yellow Jackets dominated Alcorn State, scoring 34 points in the first quarter and finishing the game with a win of 69-6. Marcus Marshall had eight carries, 184 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, with Georgia Tech finishing with a mind-blowing 476 yards and nine touchdowns in the rushing game.
The 22nd ranked Arizona Wildcats held their own in the second half to secure the win against the UTSA Roadrunners. Anu Solomon was 22 of 36, throwing for 229 yards and an incredible four touchdowns. For the Wildcats, Johnny Jackson caught eight passes for a touchdown and 101 yards. The Roadrunners’ David Morgan II one-upped Jackson, catching nine balls for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Ball State against VMI featured a shootout in the air, as both quarterbacks set career highs for passing yards in a game that Ball State won 48-36. The Cardinals’ Jack Milas was 34 of 52, with 338 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while the Keydets’ Al Cobb went off for 399 yards and three touchdowns off 33 completions and 47 attempts. The Cardinals added five touchdowns on the ground to get the win.
Jim Harbaugh’s debut as Michigan coach was upset as his Wolverines lost to the Utah Utes 24-17. Jake Rudock threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, but his three interceptions cost his team the win. Devontae Booker carried the ball 22 times for 69 yards and a touchdown to get the Utes to victory. Amara Darboh hauled in eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Wolverines.
A lot of teams won by 30 points or more, the first being San Jose State against New Hampshire. In their first match ever against each other, the Spartans conquered their opponent any way they wanted. Tyler Ervin ran for 127 yards and three touchdowns. The Spartans’ quarterbacks were on target, as Joe Gray was 16 of 20 for 253 yards and a touchdown and Kenny Potter was 13 of 14 for 167 yards.
The second team to win big was Duke over Tulane in their 37-7 win on the road. The Blue Devils’ quarterback Thomas Sirk had the green light to let it fly, and he finished with 289 yards and two touchdowns. Johnell Barnes was the number one receiving threat all day, catching 11 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. For the Green Wave, Tanner Lee threw for 246 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Not all the games were blowouts, however. Connecticut hung on in the fourth to secure their 20-15 win over Villanova. Bryant Shirreffs was 12 of 20, with two touchdowns and an interception for the Huskies. Tommy Myers only caught two passes, but he gained 83 yards and a touchdown in the win. Ron Johnson added a touchdown on the ground to secure Connecticut’s victory at home.
Two big rivalry games proved very tight affairs, as FIU narrowly triumphed over UCF 15-14. The Golden Panthers’ quarterback Alex McGough threw for 268 yards and a touchdown, going 29 of 38. His Knights counterpart, Justin Holman, was 23 of 34 for 239 yards and two touchdowns. UCF’s Jordan Akins hauled in nine passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough for the win.
The second rivalry game was an even more bitter affair, as the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 17-13. Despite South Carolina getting the win, it was North Carolina who had the most impressive numbers – Elijah Hood ran for 138 yards despite only carrying the ball 13 times, while Bug Howard managed to put together 114 yards and a touchdown off only six catches.
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