ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -What was supposed to be a tuneup turned into a stunner: Appalachian State 34, No. 5 Michigan 32.
Julian Rauch’s 24-yard field goal with 26 seconds left Saturday put the Mountaineers ahead of the Wolverines and Corey Lynch blocked a field goal in the final seconds to sealed one of college football’s biggest upsets.
The two-time defending champions from former Division I-AA were ahead of the nation’s winningest program 28-14 late in the second quarter, then their storybook afternoon seemed to unravel late in the fourth quarter.
Mike Hart’s 54-yard run put the Wolverines ahead – for the first time since early in the second quarter – with 4:36 left.
One snap after the go-ahead touchdown, Brandent Englemon intercepted an errant pass, but the Wolverines couldn’t capitalize and had their first of two field goals blocked.
Appalachian State drove 69 yards without a timeout in 1:11 to set up the go-ahead kick, but it still wasn’t over.
Chad Henne threw a 46-yard pass to Mario Manningham, giving Michigan the ball at Appalachian State’s 20 with 6 seconds left.
Lynch blocked the kick and returned it to the other end of the field as the final seconds ticked off, and his teammates rushed across the field to pile on Lynch as the coaching staff and cheerleaders jumped with joy.
Appalachian State has won 15 straight games, the longest streak in the nation.
No. 12 California 45, No. 15 Tennessee
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) – California scored one for the West Coast with a redemptive win over Tennessee.
DeSean Jackson scampered 77 yards for his sixth career punt return for a touchdown and the Golden Bears avenged last season’s humiliating loss to the Vols.
Justin Forsett rushed for 156 yards and a score, and Nate Longshore passed for 241 yards and two TDs as the Bears (1-0) racked up the most points scored against the Volunteers in 12 years to win the opening weekend’s only matchup between ranked schools.
Though both teams struggled on defense, Cal’s offensive creativity and athleticism were too much for its SEC foes. The win also should quiet some of those Pac-10 detractors who cited Cal’s 35-18 blowout loss in Knoxville last year as a prime example of the conference’s shortcomings outside top-ranked Southern California.
Erik Ainge had 271 yards passing and three TD throws despite an injured finger, but Tennessee’s first trip to the West Coast since 1997 was hardly encouraging for coach Phillip Fulmer’s defense, which hadn’t given up this many points since a 62-37 loss to Florida in 1995.
No. 3 West Virginia 62, Western Michigan 24
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – Pat White threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores, and Steve Slaton scored four times for West Virginia.
It was the Mountaineers’ highest scoring game since an 80-7 win over Rutgers in 2001, WVU coach Rich Rodriguez’s first season. West Virginia improved to 5-0 against Mid-American Conference schools under Rodriguez.
Western Michigan’s defense, sixth in the nation against the run last season, couldn’t corral one of the nation’s top rushing tandems, and that emphasis also allowed White to thrive through the air. The junior went 10-of-18 for 192 yards. He also ran for 97 yards in improving to 16-2 as a starter.
Slaton ran for 109 yards as the Mountaineers broke the game open with two scores in a 1:15 span early in the third quarter.
No. 4 Texas 21, Arkansas State 13
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Colt McCoy threw two first-quarter touchdown passes and Texas stumbled through a sloppy season-opening win.
Texas hopes to contend for the Big 12 and national titles, but will first have to shore up a defense that allowed Arkansas State (0-1) to grind out long drives and break off big plays.
About the only thing that looked solid for Texas was the normally reliable pass-catch combination of McCoy to Limas Sweed. But even they cooled off after a 35-yard TD pass on Texas’ first drive.
Arkansas State trailed the entire game yet had its chances to pull off the upset. If not for two missed field goals and an interception in the end zone, the Indians could have done the unthinkable and won it.
Reggie Arnold’s 2-yard touchdown run with 1 minute left cut the Texas lead to eight, but a penalty wiped out a recovered onside kick by Arkansas State and the Indians couldn’t come up with the re-kick.
No. 7 Wisconsin 42, Washington State 21
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – New starting quarterback Tyler Donovan threw for three touchdowns and ran for another for Wisconsin.
With Washington State focused on stopping running back P.J. Hill, the Badgers turned to Donovan, a fifth-year senior who was given the starting job by coach Bret Bielema only 10 days ago.
Wisconsin trailed 14-7 late in the first quarter but scored 21 unanswered points before halftime as Donovan got hot and the defense began to contain Cougars quarterback Alex Brink.
Donovan completed 19-of-29 passes for 284 yards before being replaced midway through the fourth quarter by junior Allan Evridge. Two of Donovan’s TD passes went to wide receiver Luke Swan.
No. 6 Florida 49, W Kentucky 3
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Tim Tebow and Florida had an even easier day than expected against Western Kentucky. The Gators didn’t even have to play 60 minutes.
Tebow threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score, and the Gators opened defense of their national championship with a rout in a game called with 8:23 left because of lightning.
Tebow, making his first career start, led Florida (1-0) to touchdowns in its first four possessions. He completed his first six passes for 156 yards and two TDs, proving he can be as dynamic with his arm as he can his legs.
With his first throw, Tebow hit Andre Caldwell in stride down the sideline for a 48-yard gain. Later in the first, he faked a step toward the line of scrimmage, then dropped back and connected with Riley Cooper for a 59-yard score. He added a perfect strike for Percy Harvin to make it 21-0 in the second quarter.
No. 8 Oklahoma 79, North Texas 10
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) – Freshman DeMarco Murray became the first Oklahoma player to score five touchdowns in his debut, and redshirt freshman Sam Bradford threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns in his first start.
Bradford needed only 32 seconds to notch his first career touchdown pass, a 15-yarder to tight end Jermaine Gresham as he slinged the ball along the line of scrimmage for three straight plays and allowed his receivers to run for big gains.
Murray added four touchdown runs by the end of the first half, and coach Bob Stoops called timeout with under 2 minutes remaining to preserve time for one last score. Oklahoma ended up with its most lopsided win in a season opener since it beat New Mexico State 73-3 to start the 1989 season and its second-highest point total since 1919.
It was a rough welcome to big-time college football for New North Texas coach Todd Dodge, who is making the transition from high school to Division I this season.
No. 9 Virginia Tech 17, East Carolina 7
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – After 4 1/2 months of mourning, Virginia Tech was ready to celebrate. It took a while for the Hokies to give their fans something to cheer about.
Getting off to a sluggish start in what figures to be an emotionally charged season, No. 9 Virginia Tech struggled to beat East Carolina, even hearing boos from a home crowd that honored a plea not to jeer the Pirates.
The Hokies appeared a bit overwhelmed by the burden of what they’ll face all year: rallying a school that is desperate to move on from the worst mass shooting in modern American history. The 32 victims of April’s campus massacre were honored in a heart-tugging pregame ceremony, which was followed by an uninspiring performance on the field.
The running game struggled. Quarterback Sean Glennon threw an interception, lost a fumble, was sacked four times and continually missed open receivers with errant passes. The defense had to save the day.
East Carolina, a 27 1/2-point underdog that didn’t have its No. 1 quarterback, actually led until Victor Harris returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown with just over 3 minutes remaining in the first half to give the Hokies a 10-7 lead.
No. 11 Ohio St. 38, Youngstown St. 6
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – No. 11 Ohio State took its first step toward forgetting the end of last season.
Todd Boeckman played well in his first start replacing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith and the Buckeyes made just about all the big plays in beating Youngstown State.
The Buckeyes welcomed the game as a way to put some distance between themselves and the painful memories of a humiliating 41-14 defeat to Florida in the BCS national championship game Jan. 8.
It was the first time the schools met, with Youngstown State now playing in the new Football Championship Subdivision, formerly I-AA.
Ohio State’s Jim Tressel was the coach at Youngstown State for 15 years and led the Penguins to four I-AA championships before taking over the Buckeyes in 2001.
Boeckman directed the first four touchdown drives as the Buckeyes steadily pulled away. He completed 17-of-23 passes for 225 yards and two 1-yard TDs.
No. 13 Georgia 35, Oklahoma State 14
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – Thomas Brown ran for two first-quarter touchdowns, Matthew Stafford threw two second-half scoring passes and Georgia shut out Oklahoma State in the second half.
Stafford, a sophomore beginning his first full season as the starting quarterback, was 18-for-24 passing for 234 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Georgia (1-0) led 21-14 at halftime and Stafford put the game out of reach with touchdown passes to Bruce Figgins, a freshman tight end, and Michael Moore.
Oklahoma State’s Bobby Reid was 16-for-30 passing for 191 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Reid completed a 20-yard scoring pass to Adarius Bowman in the first quarter.
Mikey Henderson’s 63-yard punt return set up Stafford’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Moore in the fourth quarter.
No. 14 UCLA 45, Stanford 17
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) – Ben Olson threw five touchdown passes and Kahlil Bell ran for a career-high 195 yards as the Bruins spoiled Jim Harbaugh’s first game as the Cardinal coach.
Olson’s cool efficiency in his return to the starting lineup and 20 returning starters for the Bruins (1-0, 1-0 Pac-10) were too much for the emotion-fueled Cardinal (0-1, 0-1), who tried to match the high energy level of their new coach.
Harbaugh’s imprint on Stanford’s offense was evident as the Cardinal moved the ball much better than they did in a 1-11 season a year ago that led to Walt Harris’ firing. Stanford’s defense struggled with missed tackles and gave up 624 total yards.
Olson came through with the big plays throughout and the Bruins lived up to their highest preseason ranking since 1998. His 77-yard touchdown pass to Joe Cowan gave the Bruins a 28-10 lead with 4:49 to go in the third quarter. He added a 15-yard score in the fourth quarter.
No. 17 Penn St. 59, Florida International 0
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Penn State welcomed Joe Paterno back to the sidelines with a suffocating show of defense.
Linebacker Sean Lee led a furious defense with seven tackles, a forced fumble and a sack, and Anthony Morelli threw for three touchdowns and a career-high 295 yards.
It was a happy homecoming for the 80-year-old Paterno in his first appearance back on the sidelines since breaking his left leg last year at Wisconsin.
Wearing his trademark black sneakers and rolled-up khakis, Paterno jogged out of the tunnel to lead his team on the field with his face plastered on the giant stadium video screens. The 107,000-plus packed into Beaver Stadium cheered them on.
Lee, fellow linebacker Dan Connor and the rest of the defense then made sure Paterno got a win in the opener of his record-breaking 42nd season as head coach.
“Joe Paterno!” yelled fans early in the fourth quarter, with Penn State holding a 59-0 lead. Paterno improved to 35-7 in season openers in his career.
No. 20 Nebraska 52, Nevada 10
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Marlon Lucky upstaged the debut of quarterback Sam Keller by running for a career-high 233 yards and three touchdowns and catching a pass for another score.
The Cornhuskers rushed for 413 of their 625 total yards, held a 35-9 advantage in first downs and won their nation-leading 22nd straight season opener.
Nebraska led 21-10 at the half and broke open the game with three touchdowns and a field goal in the third quarter.
Lucky, whose previous high was 156 yards against Troy last year, turned in the biggest rushing performance for Nebraska since Jammal Lord ran for 234 against Texas in 2002. Lucky didn’t play after the third quarter. He carried 30 times and also caught three passes for 33 yards.
Keller, who transferred from Arizona State, was sharp in his first game since October 2005. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 193 yards.
No. 21 Arkansas 46, Troy 26
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) – Darren McFadden started his Heisman Trophy campaign in style, running for 151 yards and a touchdown and also throwing for a score.
McFadden, last year’s Heisman runner-up, helped the Razorbacks pull away in the third quarter. Arkansas led only 23-17 at halftime, but Felix Jones scored on a 44-yard run and McFadden tossed a 42-yard touchdown pass to Crosby Tuck to make it 37-17.
Freshman Alex Tejada added four field goals for Arkansas, the most by a Razorback since 2003.
Jones, the second of Arkansas’ two 1,000-yard rushers last season, ran for 129 Saturday night. He also scored on a 90-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.
Omar Haugabook went 15-of-43 for 204 yards and a touchdown with an interception for Troy before walking off slowly with an apparent injury in the fourth quarter.
No. 22 TCU 27, Baylor 0
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Even without standout defensive end Tommy Blake on the field, TCU’s dominating defense pitched a season-opening shutout.
The Horned Frogs gave up some yards before in the first half, but kept their former instate Southwest Conference rivals off the scoreboard.
Andy Dalton threw for 205 yards and a touchdown in his first college start, and Justin Watts and Ryan Christian ran for scores as the Frogs won their ninth straight game.
Blake was held after two extended absences from the team. The two-time All-Mountain West Conference selection and top NFL prospect was away on a medical leave with an undisclosed illness last week before rejoining the Frogs for their walkthrough Friday. He has practiced only three times since leaving campus and going home for a week for personal reasons in mid-August.
The Frogs had three of their four interceptions and held Baylor to only 78 yards after halftime. Baylor had 204 yards in the first half.
M 38, Montana State 7
M.
The Bobcats scored first but the Aggies scored 38 straight points to improve to 5-0 in home openers under coach Dennis Franchione.
McGee scored on a 65-yard run in the first quarter and made it 31-7 on a 3-yard run early in the fourth. He completed 10 of 20 passes.
Mike Goodson jumped over one player at the line and danced his way 18 yards for a touchdown to finish that drive and make it 24-7 early in the third quarter. Goodson finished with 10 carries for 65 yards.
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