NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -Sam Bradford tied a school record with five touchdown passes and Reggie Smith returned a fumble for a score as No. 5 Oklahoma earned a measure of redemption Saturday with a 51-13 win against Miami in their first meeting since the 1988 Orange Bowl.
The Hurricanes swept three games in the mid-’80s from the Sooners, Oklahoma’s only losses in a three-year span.
Bradford completed 19-of-25 passes for 205 yards in his second career start, and Malcolm Kelly caught three of his touchdown passes as the Sooners (2-0) evened the all-time series at three games each.
Oklahoma built a 21-3 first-half lead on Bradford’s touchdown passes of 23 and 24 yards to Kelly and Smith’s 61-yard return of Javarris James’ fumble – the third-longest fumble return in Sooners’ history.
Neither starter Kirby Freeman nor backup Kyle Wright could mount a comeback for Miami (1-1), which suffered its most lopsided defeat since a 66-13 loss to Syracuse on Nov. 28, 1998.
Wright was 7-for-14 for 65 yards. Freeman, who returned late in the third quarter, was 3-for-9 for 17 yards.
No. 3 West Virginia 48, Marshall 23
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) – Pat White threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, Steve Slaton rushed for two scores and West Virginia scored 42 points in the second half.
Held to three first downs and 118 total yards in the opening half, heavy favorite West Virginia (2-0) scored on its first three possessions of the third quarter and handed Marshall its worst home loss since it opened Joan C. Edwards Stadium opened in 1991.
Slaton, held to two first-half yards, erupted after West Virginia went to a power running game. Behind the blocking of fullback Owen Schmitt, Slaton finished with 146 yards and scored on runs of one and 18 yards. White ran for 125 yards.
The Mountaineers were playing in Huntington for the first time since 1915.
No. 10 California 34, Colorado State 28
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) – DeSean Jackson scored on a 73-yard reverse and California withstood a late rally to Colorado State.
Jackson, who opened the season with an electrifying 77-yard punt return TD against Tennessee, again flashed his Heisman Trophy credentials when he circled left, deked cornerback Joey Rucks at midfield and raced all alone down the Rams’ sideline for Cal’s first touchdown.
Jackson had 141 all-purpose yards against the Rams, gaining 78 yards on two carries, 39 yards on five receptions and 24 on two punt returns.
The Golden Bears (2-0) needed all of them and more to fend off the Rams, who scored two touchdowns 53 seconds apart to turn a 34-14 deficit into a 34-28 nail-biter with 2:54 remaining.
No. 12 Ohio State 20, Akron 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The Buckeyes forced Akron to punt 14 times, including after 12 consecutive three-and-out series, and pulled away in the second half of a lackluster offensive performance.
Akron (1-1) managed just three first downs and 69 yards on offense – gaining 3 net yards on 19 rushing attempts. The Zips had two first downs the first time they had the ball, then didn’t pick up another until 5 minutes remained – with punter John Stec putting his name in the record book.
Stec set a school record for punts, averaging 41 yards.
The Buckeyes (2-0) won their 30th game in a row against another Ohio college, but they turned the ball over five times. The Buckeyes led Akron 3-2 at the half before putting the game away on Brandon Saine’s 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Todd Boeckman’s 13-yard scoring pass to Brian Robiskie in the fourth.
No. 16 Nebraska 20, Wake Forest 17
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) – Sam Keller threw for 258 yards and a touchdown in his first road start at Nebraska and Zackary Bowman had a critical interception in the end zone.
Keller completed 24-of-41 passes for Nebraska (2-0), which lacked the gaudy offensive numbers of last week but withstood its first real challenge of the season and now can focus on next week’s visit from No. 1 Southern California.
Wake Forest had a prime opportunity to take the lead – or at least tie it – midway through the fourth quarter, when defensive end Zach Stukes smothered Keller and John Russell intercepted the pass at the Nebraska 10. The Huskers took it back three plays later when Bowman stepped in front of Brett Hodges’ pass into the end zone with 6:05 to play.
No. 25 Clemson 49, Louisiana-Monroe 26
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) – Cullen Harper threw a school-record five touchdown passes and Clemson capped a frenzied week with a victory.
The Tigers started 2-0 for the second time in three seasons, following up Monday night’s 24-18 win over Florida State with the wipeout of the Warhawks (0-2).
Harper finished 20-of-26 passing for 270 yards and no interceptions. He tied the school’s single-game TD pass mark, set by Bobby Gage in 1947 and matched by four other players, in the first half.
James Davis had 68 yards rushing and a 16-yard touchdown run. C.J. Spiller had four receptions for 87 yards.
Calvin Dawson rushed for 121 yards, his seventh straight 100-yard game, for Louisiana-Monroe.
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