SATURDAY'S SCORES
@#8 Louisville 44,
#21 Eastern Kentucky 7
@#21 Wisconsin 48,
Tennessee Tech 0
Tennessee State 27, @Florida A&M 7
@Boise State 63,
UT Martin 14
#14 Eastern Illinois 40, @Southern Illinois 37 (2OT)
@Jacksonville State 48, Jacksonville 13
@Murray State 83, Campbellsville 14
@Ole Miss 31,
Southeast Missouri 13
@Vanderbilt 38,
Austin Peay 3
#8 LOUISVILLE 44, #21 EASTERN KENTUCKY 7
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University football team fell at No. 8 Louisville, 44-7, on Saturday afternoon at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
The EKU defense stuffed the Louisville run game all afternoon, limiting the Cardinals to just 78 yards on 28 carries (2.8 yards-per-carry); however, the Colonels could not contain Louisville quarterback and Heisman candidate Teddy Bridgewater, who finished the day 23-for-32 for 397 yards and four touchdowns.
Bridgewater orchestrated scoring drives of 75 and 72 yards in the first quarter alone, giving UofL a quick 14-0 lead.
Turnovers, meanwhile, hurt EKU in the first half, as junior quarterback Jared McClain was picked off early in the second quarter and freshman running back J.J. Jude coughed up the ball on the Colonels’ very next drive, helping Louisville take a 27-0 lead at halftime.
Louisville led 37-0 before EKU got on the board with a 15-yard touchdown pass from McClain to freshman wide receiver Devin Borders with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter. The leaping grab in the corner of the end zone was Borders’ first career score.
On Louisville’s next drive, though, Bridgewater found DeVante Parker for a 42-yard touchdown to make it 44-7. The Cardinals ran out the clock from there.
EKU out-rushed UofL in the game, compiling 107 yards on the ground. McClain led the way with 61 yards, while the freshman running back committee of Jude, Jared Sanders and Thomas Owens combined for 55 yards.
McClain finished with 85 yards and a touchdown through the air.
#21 WISCONSIN 48, TENNESSEE TECH 0
MADISON, Wis. - It was a typically strong Wisconsin Badger squad that hosted Tennessee Tech Saturday awash in a red-tinted Camp Randall Stadium and the defending Big Ten champion rolled to a 48-0 victory over the Golden Eagles in front of 77,785 bouncing, cheering fans.
Tech (1-1) just couldn't generate much offense as the Badgers (2-0) posted their second consecutive shutout to open the season.
As they did in their 45-0 opening day win over UMass, the Badgers put three runningbacks on display with all three topping the 100-yard mark. Wisconsin had 606 yards of offense, including 387 on the ground with four touchdowns.
Corey Clement used a 75-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to pace the Badger ground game, finishing with 149 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while Melvin Gordon added 140 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, mostly in the first half. James White rushed for 109 yard and touchdowns on 22 carries.
UW quarterback Joel Stave was 24-for-29 passing for 219 yards and three touchdowns.
Golden Eagle quarterback Darian Stone, facing pressure throughout the contest, was 8-for-19 for 69 passing yards. He avoided any sacks. Stone led Tech's rushing game with 16 yards on seven carries, while Stephen Bush had 15 yards and Cody Forbes finished with 13 yards. Krys Cates had two catches for 20 yards to lead the receivers.
Defensively, Marty Jones led the chart with 10 tackles while cornerbacks James Huguely and Demario Donnell added eight tackles apiece. Malcolm Mitchell recorded Tech's lone sack of Stave and had two tackles-for-loss.
One other highlight Saturday was the punting of senior Chad Zinchini, who averaged 50 yards on nine punts, including a 70-yard blast that he got to bounce out-of-bounds inside the Badger one-yard line.
TENNESSEE STATE 27, FLORIDA A&M 7
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A suffocating defensive attack allowed the Tennessee State football team to pick up its first win of the season with a 27-7 victory at Florida A&M.
The TSU defense held FAMU to just 156 yards of total offense, forced two turnovers-with one being returned for a touchdown- and the Rattlers were 2-of-12 on third down conversions.
Senior Tim Broughton led the Tigers with 124 yards on 17 carries for a 7.3 yards per carry average. Sophomore Telvin Hooks was not far behind, gaining 77 yards on the ground on 12 attempts (6.4 ypc).
The Rattlers got the ball to start the game and picked up a quick first down. Two plays later, a false start penalty moved FAMU back and eventually set up a third down. FAMU quarterback Damien Fleming changed the play at the line and fired a short out pass to the wide side of the field. Safety David Van Dyke jumped the route, picked the ball off and brought it brought it back 46 yards for a TSU touchdown.
Van Dyke’s interception was his second in as many games and the first touchdown scored by the Tigers in 2013. It was also the first TSU defensive touchdown since Sept. 8 of 2012 when Daniel Fitzpatrick scooped up a fumble and scored against Jackson State.
After a three-and-out on FAMU’s next possession, Tennessee State went to work on offense and executed an eight play, 65-yard drive that featured a perfectly timed screen pass to Hooks that went for 28 yards. Broughton, TSU’s other running back, finished off the effort with a 10-yard touchdown.
The score put TSU up 14-0 with just under seven minutes to go in the first quarter and Tennessee State would maintain its two score lead until Fleming found Lenworth Lennon wide-open in the end zone on a second and goal from the TSU 36-yard line. The FAMU touchdown brought the Rattlers within seven with 14 minutes left to go before halftime.
On the ensuing kickoff, redshirt junior Martine Stevenson received the ball and raced right up the middle of the field. 95 yards later, Stevenson was standing in the end zone with TSU’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Weldon Garlington’s 100-yard return on Oct. 1, 2011 versus Austin Peay.
The TSU defense forced another FAMU three-and-out on the Rattlers’ next drive, giving the Tigers the ball at their own 15-yard line. Gashing runs by Broughton, Hooks and quarterback Ronald Butler eventually gave TSU a chance to score a field goal from 42 yards out. Jamin Godfrey lined up the kick, the snap and hold were perfect, but the kick was blocked.
FAMU was unable to capitalize off of the blocked kick but the Tigers’ offense went dormant as well, bringing the first half to a close with TSU in control, 21-7.
The Big Blue offense woke up to begin the third quarter and marched right down the field on a 13 play, 76-yard drive. Again, the TSU rushing attack could not be stopped and Hooks found the end zone from 14 yards out at the eight-minute mark. The sophomore’s score gave the Tigers a commanding 27-7 lead, as Godfrey’s PAT was blocked.
Hooks’s score proved to be the last of the afternoon as the Tigers continued to pound the ball on the ground to kill the clock and the TSU defense proved unrelenting.
Butler finished the day 14-of-21 for 131 yards. The freshman did have one interception when a fourth-quarter pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
BOISE STATE 63, UT MARTIN 14
BOISE, Idaho - The University of Tennessee at Martin football team competed throughout at Boise State this afternoon but fell to the Football Bowl Subdivision powerhouse by a 63-14 margin at Bronco Stadium.
The Skyhawks accounted for touchdowns in the first and fourth quarters today. Dylan Favre earned the starting nod and led UT Martin to the endzone late in the first quarter to tie the score at 7-all. Jarod Neal also guided the Skyhawk offense into the endzone early in the fourth quarter. For the day, Favre completed 68 percent of his passes (15-for-22) for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Neal went 6-for-13 for 55 yards.
Jeremy Butler led UT Martin with nine receptions for a game-high 118 yards this afternoon. It was his fourth 100-yard receiving game in just 12 career games at UT Martin. On the ground, DJ McNeil tallied a game-high 87 yards on 19 carries to go along with a touchdown, the 16th rushing touchdown of his career.
Defensively, Ben Johnson tallied a game-high 10 tackles (seven solo). Tony Bell also finished with a spectacular effort, generating six tackles, five tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Camaren Harris added a pair of pass breakups for UT Martin (1-1).
Joe Southwick (17-for-25, 234 passing yards, five touchdowns), Jay Ajayi (80 rushing yards, two touchdowns) and Shane Williams-Rhodes (seven catches, 89 yards, two touchdowns) led Boise State, who rank first in the nation with a .871 winning percentage since 2000.
The UT Martin defense came out swarming, forcing a turnover on Boise State’s first offensive possession. On third-and-nine from the UT Martin 37-yard line, Bell broke through for a sack, forcing a fumble and scrambling back to fall on the fumble to give the Skyhawks the ball on their own 45-yard line.
Bell came up big again on UT Martin’s next defensive drive, coming up with yet another sack for a four-yard loss. The Broncos would eventually punt after the Skyhawk defense forced a three-and-out.
Boise State would score on its next drive, as Ajayi rushed up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown at the 8:05 mark.
However, the Skyhawks answered right back to tie the game at 7-all on the ensuing drive. Favre connected with Trent Garland for an 11-yard touchdown strike down the left sideline to cap off a 13-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 5:16. Favre went 5-for-5 for 42 yards passing on the drive and added 16 yards rushing.
The Broncos would then score on a 54-yard pass on their next possession to go ahead 14-7 through one quarter of play.
Boise State recovered an onside kick on its next possession and wound up scoring on a five-yard pass to go on top by a 21-7 margin.
McNeil had a 21-yard rush to start UT Martin’s next drive, as the Skyhawks marched down into Boise State territory. However, the Skyhawks decided to go for it on fourth-and-two from the Boise State 38-yard line and were stopped after one yard.
After Boise State scored to make the score 28-7, the Skyhawks once again started to march the ball down the field – highlighted by a 20-yard pass from Favre to Kyle Kerrick. However, a pair of penalties backed UT Martin up and forced the Skyhawks to punt.
UT Martin’s next defensive drive started out promising, as yet another tackle-for-loss by Bell set up a fourth-and-nine from the UT Martin 37-yard line. However, Boise State converted a 28-yard pass and three plays later, scored on a 5-yard pass.
Boise State would score on an interception return as a result of a tipped pass and a fumble on a kickoff return to go ahead 49-7, the halftime margin.
The Broncos converted a fourth-and-seven with a 30-yard touchdown pass on their opening possession of the second half. UT Martin then stopped Boise State on a three-and-out on the Broncos’ next possession, thanks to a key tackle for loss by Johnson.
Favre hit Butler for a 45-yard pass on UT Martin’s next drive but the Skyhawks could not get back on the scoreboard.
Boise State would score on their next possession before another three-and-out by the UT Martin defense.
Neal then led the Skyhawks to a scoring drive. He found Butler for a 28-yard gain to lead UT Martin into Boise State territory. McNeil then completed the drive with a four-yard rush up the middle. Jackson Redditt successfully booted the PAT to make the score 63-14 with 13:08 left in the contest. The Skyhawks’ scoring drive consisted of 16 plays for 84 yards in a span of 5:09. That would prove to be the last scoring play for either side.
#14 EASTERN ILLINOIS 40, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 37 (2OT)
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Cameron Berra knocked home a 36-yard field goal in the second overtime as No. 14 Eastern Illinois gutted out a 40-37 road win at Southern Illinois. It was the first 2-0 start on the road for EIU in program history. SIU fell to 0-2.
SIU missed a field goal on the first drive of the game. EIU took advantage jumping out to a 14-3 lead as Jimmy Garoppolo connected with Erik Lora for a 7-yard touchdown and Adam Drake for a 3-yard touchdown, Drake’s score coming with 1:09 left in the first quarter.
Lora and Drake were Garoppolo’s favorite targets on the day as the senior quarterback was 34-of-56 for 440 yards and four touchdowns. He moved into second on the OVC career touchdown passes list with 72 for his career. Garoppolo ‘s passing day ranks fifth on the EIU single game list while his total offense of 442 yards as the fourth best individual game performance for EIU. EIU is now 1-3 in double overtime games.
Lora had 11 catches for 136 yards while Drake caught seven balls for 103 yards and two scores. Drake’s second touchdown came with 11:22 left in the fourth quarter on a 31-yard pass from Garoppolo as Drake caught the ball falling backwards into the end zone. That touchdown put EIU up 30-23 as Berra’s extra point attempt missed.
SIU tied the game with 2:19 left as John Lantz caught a 17-yard pass from Kory Faulkner and Thomas Kinney made the extra point. Faulkner was 28-of-50 for 294 yards and four touchdown passes. Kinney provided part of SIU’s offense making field goals from 22, 22 and 24 yards. He did miss on three attempts including a 37-yard attempt on SIU’s second overtime possession.
The overtime was set up as EIU drove to the two-yard line with two seconds remaining. Berra’s chip shot field goal was blocked up the middle by Tyler Williamson. Berra did redeem himself making the 36-yarder in the second overtime. It was the second time in Berra’s career he has won a game in overtime on a field goal, the last was 2010 as a freshman at Tennessee State.
EIU scored on the first overtime possession on a two-yard Taylor Duncan run. Duncan rushed for 100 yards on 26 carries as EIU had 182 on the ground. SIU scored on its first overtime drive as Faulkner hit MyCole Pruitt on a two-yard pass. Pruitt had two touchdown receptions to go along with eight total receptions for 98 yards.
Robert Haynes led the defense with 15 tackles including three tackles for loss. EIU’s defense did not force a turnover this week but did have 10 tackles for loss, two sacks and 10 pass break-ups. Dino Fanti had 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. SIU’s defense was led by Bryan Presume with15 tackles.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 48, JACKSONVILLE 13
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Alabama got the best of Florida in the first-ever football battle of the Jacksonvilles.
Jacksonville State improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2010 with a 48-13 win over Jacksonville University Saturday night at Burgess-Snow Field before a crowd of 17,592. The Gamecocks extended their winning streak in home openers to eight as a school record four players – Troymaine Pope, Eli Jenkins, DaMarcus James and Miles Jones – each ran for more than 100 yards.
Jacksonville State finished with 523 yards rushing on 70 attempts, shattering the previous team rushing record of 453 yards set against Samford in 2004. Pope finished with a career-high 160 yards (and three touchdowns), sophomore Jones ran for 138, Jenkins had 128 and James finished with 105.
The Gamecocks broke open a tight game by scoring 17 points in the first 6½ minutes of the second half. JSU put 45 points on the scoreboard in a 26-minute span during the second and third quarters.
Head coach Bill Clark became the seventh Jacksonville State coach to win his home debut.
Pope scored on runs of 5 and 3 yards and James added a 2-yard run as the Gamecocks built a 21-10 halftime lead.
The Dolphins' hopes of a rally evaporated in the first three minutes of the third quarter. JSU moved 63 yards in five plays after the second-half kickoff with Griffin Thomas kicking a 36-yard field goal to extend the Gamecocks' lead to 24-10.
Jacksonville (0-2) moved near midfield on the ensuing possession. But Dolphins quarterback Kade Bell, son of Jacksonville coach and former University of Florida star Kerwin Bell, was picked off by Pierre Warren, who returned the interception 70 yards for a JSU touchdown with 12:02 left in the third.
The onslaught continued when JSU's Ben Endress broke through to block a Jacksonville punt. Jenkins' second rushing touchdown, a 9-yarder, gave the Gamecocks a 38-10 lead at the 8:30 mark of the third quarter.
Pope later ran in from the 4 with 3:28 left in the third for a 45-10 JSU lead.
Thomas kicked a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for JSU's final points.
Jacksonville took the fight to the Gamecocks early, driving 40 yards in eight plays midway through the first quarter.
Bell completed passes of 13 and 14 yards as the Dolphins drove deep into JSU territory. He capped the drive with a pass to Dorian Guy on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Dylan Lynch's PAT gave Jacksonville a 7-0 lead with 6:51 left in the first.
MURRAY STATE 83, CAMPBELLSVILLE 14
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State found the offense early and often in the first half as the Racers scored 41 points in the first quarter en route to a 83-14 victory over Campbellsville in the 2013 home opener Saturday evening at Stewart Stadium.
The Racers (1-1) didn’t waste any time in making a big play as Brandon Wicks intercepted the first pass of the game and returned it 30 yards to the 35-yard line. Duane Brady carried the ball four times on the drive, including a one-yard touchdown run to give the Racers a 7-0 advantage.
After a few possessions without any scoring, the Racers used a quick two-play drive midway through the quarter to strike again. After a six-yard run by Jaamal Berry, Maikhail Miller found Walter Powell for a 30-yard touchdown. On the ensuing CU possession, Darrell Smith intercepted the ball and returned it 17 yards for the touchdown.
The Racers offense put together another quick scoring drive as Miller found Jeremy Harness on a 41-yard touchdown with just under six points left in the quarter.
The running back duo of Berry and Brady closed out the scoring in the first quarter as Berry scored from 24 yards out, and Berry went in from five yards out.
Brady would add two more touchdown runs in the second quarter, including a career-long 54-yard touchdown. Powell also found the endzone a second time in the quarter as Miller found him on a nine-yard touchdown.
The Tigers (0-2) would put together a pair of scoring drives late in the second quarter.
MSU did all the scoring in the second half as the Racers put up 21 points in the third quarter. Junior Parks Frazier found Jesse Blackburn on a fourth-down play for a 28-yard touchdown.
Redshirt freshman Marcus Holliday took over the game at that point and rushed for 132 yards and a pair of scores on 18 carries. Both of his touchdowns came in the third quarter as he scored from 18 yards out and then again on a nine-yard run.
Their was no scoring in the fourth quarter as the officials decided to set the clock at six minutes.
The 83 points scored by the Racers is a modern-day scoring record, breaking the old mark of 72 set against Missouri State in 2010.
Brady also had a career day as he rushed for 85 yards and four touchdowns on just 10 carries. Berry carried the ball just three times for 28 yards and a score.
Chavez Sims was a monster on defense as he had six solo tackles, including a school record four sacks and a forced fumble.
Miller finished the day by going 17-for-21 for 240 yards and three touchdowns.
OLE MISS 31, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13
OXFORD, Miss. - Southeast Missouri (0-2) h did not allow a point during the second half in a 31-13 loss to Ole Miss (2-0) Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 60,815 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Southeast scored all of its points in the third quarter and had two takeways in the second stanza. The Redhawks 13 points surpassed their entire point total from their previous four matchups against Southeastern Conference opponents combined (10).
The Redhawks trailed, 31-0, at the intermission, but regrouped to have a much better showing in the second half.
D.J. Foster hauled in his first touchdown of the season and 10th of his career on a 14-yard pass from Scott Lathrop with 7:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Ron Davis then forced a fumble and Cantrell Andrews scooped up the ball and dashed 43 yards to set up Southeast's other score.
On the third play after Andrews' fumble return, Lathrop hooked up with Spencer Davis on a 16-yard touchdown pass which narrowed the lead to 31-13 at the 2:46 mark.
Ole Miss used a 20-minute outburst to mount its big lead midway through the second quarter.
Quarterbacks Bo Wallace and Barry Brunetti directed five-straight scoring drives that ultimately ended any hopes of an upset from the Ohio Valley Conference Redhawks.
Wallace connected on five of his first nine pass attempts to engineer an 11-play, 42-yard march that resulted in a 37-yard field goal by Andrew Ritter.
Wallace threw a 16-yard completion to Laquon Treadwell on a 4th-and-9 to keep the drive alive before Ritter's kick gave the Rebels a 3-0 lead with 9:02 left to play in the first quarter.
Ole Miss stopped Southeast on its next two possessions and put up two quick scores after that.
Lewis Washington fumbled the ball and Chief Brown recovered for Ole Miss at the Redhawks 47-yardline. Brunetti's 4-yard touchdown run capped an 8-play, 47-yard drive in just 2:21.
Immediately after forcing the Redhawks to punt, Wallace threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram, extending the Rebels lead to 17-0 with 1:06 on the clock.
Ole Miss added another touchdown in less than a minute when Wallace hit Donte Moncrief for a 67-yard strike in a drive lasting only 37 seconds. Moncrief's TD made it 24-0 at the 13:03 mark of the second quarter.
The Rebels forced Southeast to punt for the third-consecutive time before a 10-yard touchdown run by I'Tavius Mathers capped Ole Miss' scoring.
Ole Miss had 532 yards of total offense, but turned the ball over three times.
Brunetti threw for 48 yards and rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.
Wallace completed 8-of-15 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Lathrop threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns in his first start of the season. He completed 16-of-24 passes and threw one interception.
Foster had six catches for 53 yards, Davis followed with four receptions for 43 yards and Paul McRoberts caught three passes for 44 yards.
Defensively, Matt Starks led Southeast with 11 tackles. Daniel Siehndel had his first career interception, while Andrews and Travis Sanders each recovered a fumble. The Redhawks added two sacks, as well.
VANDERBILT 38, AUSTIN PEAY 3
NASHVILLE - A 35-point second quarter made all the difference at Vanderbilt Stadium Saturday night, where Austin Peay State University’s football team fell to Vanderbilt, , in the Govs second game against a Southeastern Conference opponent to open the Kirby Cannon regime.
Austin Peay (0-2) had a hard time moving the ball against a stout Vanderbilt (1-1) defense. The Govs managed just six first downs in the game, none of which came in the first half. Rushing yards were extremely scarce in the game’s first 30 minutes, the Govs accumulating negative-three yards on the ground on 15 carries.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt (1-1) scored 38 unanswered points in the first half, including the 35-point second quarter. Quarterback Austin Carta-Samuels had three touchdowns, including two rushing scores. Commodore wideout Jordan Matthews caught six passes for 111 yards in the first half, including a 39-yard touchdown reception.
The Govs got on the board in the third quarter. Junior cornerback Buddy Mitchell garnered his first career interception off an errant Josh Grady pass, returning it to the Austin Peay 35. A 48-yard scamper by senior running back Tim Phillips brought the Govs to the Vanderbilt five-yard line, its first foray into Vanderbilt territory. Junior kicker Walter Spears booted a 20-yard field goal to give Austin Peay its first points of 2013.
Phillips continued to impress. The Central Michigan transfer rushed for a team-high 67 yards – nearly half of Austin Peay’s 139 total offensive yards – on nine carries for a 7.4 average yards per carry. Quarterback Timarious Mitchell took over in the third quarter after starter Andrew Spivey departed with a minor injury and completed 4-of-5 passes for 17 yards and led the Govs in their scoring drive.
Mitchell led the Govs defensive effort with five tackles, the interception a pass breakup. Senior Tyreon Clark and junior Johnathan Shuler posted a team-best nine tackles, Shuler tacking on a tackle for loss. After posting two tackles for loss at Tennessee, junior Nii Lartey again made his presence felt in the opposing backfield, netting another stop behind the line and adding a quarterback hurry.