Sept. 20 at Florida State 23, Clemson 17 OT
And You Care Because … Florida State survived the absence of Jameis Winston with a fumble recovery late in regulation deep in its own territory to keep the game tied, and then got a 12-yard Karlos Williams touchdown run in the overtime for the win. Clemson had the ball first, but was stuffed on a 4th and 1 opening the door for the Seminoles. The Tigers held a 17-10 lead late in the fourth on a two-yard Deshaun Watson run, but Sean Maguire found a wide open Rashad Greene for a 74-yard score to tie it. Maguire got picked late, giving Clemson the chance to drive for the win, but FSU’s fumble recovery kept the game alive.
What Else? FSU QB Sean Maguire completed 21-of-39 passes for 305 yards and a score with two picks. 
– Clemson QB Deshaun Watson came in for Cole Stoudt and was magnificent, completing 19-of-28 passes for 266 yards, and ran 12 times for 30 yards and a score. 
– Rushing yards: Clemson 101 – Florida State 13
– Jameis Winston came out for pregame warmups in pads, but was told to change into street clothes. 
Game Rating: A 

Sept. 20 Georgia Tech 27, at Virginia Tech 24 
And You Care Because … Georgia Tech rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on a last-second Harrison Butker field goal. The Hokies went ahead with eight minutes left in the final quarter on a fluky Michael Brewer touchdown run, but the Yellow Jackets tied it on a Justin Thomas to DeAndre Smelter touchdown pass six minutes later. Butker’s game-winning kick was set up by the third of Brewer’s three interceptions on the day. 
What Else? Brewer struggled for the second straight week, raising concerns about his ability to lead the Hokie offense. He was 28-of-39 for 297 yards, but had no touchdown passes to offset those three costly interceptions. 
– Yellow Jacket QB Justin Thomas, on the other hand, continues to evolve as the leader of the offense in Atlanta. He not only rushed for 165 yards and a score, but also threw for 125 yards and the game-tying touchdowns to Smelter. 
– LB Chase Williams was a monster on defense for the Hokies. He had a game-high 17 tackles, including 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage, and a couple of quarterback hurries. 
– Rookie Virginia Tech WR Isaiah Ford was again one of the bright spots in a loss. In just his first year out of high school, he continued to school older defensive backs, catching eight passes for 114 yards. 
Game Rating: A 

Sept. 20 Iowa 24, at Pittsburgh 20 
And You Care Because … Iowa rallied from an early deficit, and got a game-sealing pick from S Anthony Gair in the waning seconds, to upset Pitt at Heinz Field. The Hawkeyes got sparks on offense from backup QB C.J. Beathard and veteran RB Mark Weisman, whose 1-yard touchdown plunge with 6:56 left in the fourth quarter gave Iowa its first and only lead of the game. 
What Else? Beathard was good enough to create a quarterback controversy in Iowa City. He took over for starter Jake Rudock and promptly led the Hawkeyes to three second-half scoring drives, going 7-of-8 for 98 yards. 
– Pitt RB James Conner continued to pile up huge numbers, through the Hawkeyes slowed him down in the crucial second half. Conner’s 155 yards and one score on 29 carries don’t accurately reflect the second-half adjustments made by the Iowa staff. 
– Former Hawkeye WR Greg Mabin had a huge day in the secondary. The corner made some huge stops in the second half, finishing the game with three pass breakups. He has a future on the All-Big Ten team. 
– Pitt outgained Iowa, 435-311, yet still lost at home. The offense went cold when it needed conversions, going the final 36 minutes without getting into the end zone. 
Game Rating: B+ 

Sept. 20 BYU 41, Virginia 33 
And You Care Because … BYU remained unbeaten, but not without getting all it could handle from Virginia. The Cougars and the Cavaliers went toe-to-toe for most of the game, but BYU never relinquished a lead it grabbed on a Taysom Hill touchdown run early in the third quarter. Every time the Cavs drew within a score, the Cougars had an answer, capped by a 99-yard Adam Hine kickoff return to finally put the game out of reach with 7:50 left in the fourth. 
What Else? No, it wasn’t prolific, but Hill continued to make his Heisman case by accounting for 259 yards and three touchdowns. And he did it against a Virginia D that’s been shutting people down all season. 
– Oddly enough, Virginia lost the game, but dominated the offensive statistics. The Cavaliers outgained the Cougars, 519-332, dominated time of possession and scored 27 points on five red-zone trips. 
– Considering how poorly the defense played, BYU was fortunate to have won this game. Hine’s special teams heroics and the continued leadership of Hill helped keep the dream of a perfect season alive. 
– Can Virginia build off this offensive effort? The usually feeble Cavalier attack was potent, balanced and consistent. And the Cavs did it all at a tough road venue and against a physical defensive unit. 
Game Rating: B+ 

Sept. 20 East Carolina 70, North Carolina 41 
And You Care Because … East Carolina delivered quite an encore performance after beating Virginia Tech a week ago. QB Shane Carden threw for 438 yards and four touchdowns, handing Carolina its worst defensive performance in school history. The Tar Heels actually grabbed a lead early in the second quarter, but the Pirates pulled away for good with four unanswered touchdowns, including one on a 46-yard Zeek Bigger interception return of a Marquise Williams pass. 
What Else? It might be time for Carden to begin getting some Heisman attention. He carved up the Carolina secondary, despite being without one of this year’s top receivers, Cam Worthy. 
– This was the kind of disastrous performance that gets defensive assistants fired. The Tar Heels did nothing to get Carden out of his rhythm, while allowing an unimaginable 40 first downs. 
– In Worthy’s place, East Carolina got huge efforts from RB Breon Allen, who rushed for 211 yards and two scores, and WR Trevon Brown. Brown is just a true freshman, yet he caught five passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns. 
– In an oddity, three different Tar Heels threw touchdown passes, yet the starter, Williams, wasn’t one of them. Backup QB Mitch Trubisky, WR Ryan Switzer and P Tommy Hibbard each tossed a scoring strike. 
Game Rating: B+ 

Sept. 20 at Nebraska 41, Miami 31 
And You Care Because … In a chippy game, Nebraska overcame a 14-7 deficit with 17 straight points helped by Ameer Abdullah touchdown runs from three and six yards out, but it took a Josh Mitchell 57-yard return of a Duke Johnson fumble for a touchdown to finally allow the Huskers to pull away. A ten-yard Abdullah touchdown run in the fourth put it away. 
What Else? Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah ran 35 times for 229 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a three-yard pass for a score. 
– Miami RB Duke Johnson ran 18 times for 93 yards and a score, and led the team with 84 receiving yards on five catches 
– Miami QB Brad Kaaya completed 28-of-42 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns with two picks 
– Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong completed 9-of-13 passes for 113 yards and two scores with a pick, and ran 13 times for 96 yards
Game Rating: B 

Sept. 20 Wake Forest 24, Army 21 
And You Care Because …Wake Forest rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to upend Army in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons scored the game’s final 10 points, including a game-winning John Wolford to E.J. Scott touchdown pass with 6:45 remaining. It was a building-block first FBS victory for rookie Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson and his rebuilding roster of young players. 
What Else? Wolford enjoyed the best day of his brief college career, hitting on 25-of-35 passes for 238 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His touchdown passes went to Scott and fellow rookie TE Cam Serigne. 
– Army rushed for 341 yards, its usual production on the ground, but it wasn’t enough. QB Angel Santiago led the way with 123 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. 
– Redshirt freshman DE Wendell Dunn has a bright future with Clawson’s team. He not only had eight stops, but 2.5 tackles were behind the line, and he forced a fumble. 
– LB Jeremy Timpf was the defensive standout for the Black Knights in Winston-Salem. He had a team-high eight tackles, two stops for loss, a pick and a pass breakup. 
Game Rating: B 

Sept. 20 Maryland 34, at Syracuse 20 
And You Care Because … After Syracuse jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first quarter, it was all Maryland the rest of the way. Led by the passing of C.J. Brown and the all-around heroics of Will Likely, the Terrapins never trailed the rest of the game. After the Orange closed the gap to 14-13 on a Terrel Hunt touchdown run early in the second quarter, Maryland reeled off 17 unanswered points in the quarter to take a commanding lead into halftime. 
What Else? Likely was a tour de force for the Terps. He led the team with nine tackles to go along with an 88-yard interception return for a touchdown that took the wind out of Syracuse’s comeback attempt. 
– The Orange lost despite rushing for 370 yards. Hunt rambled for a team-high 156 yards and two touchdowns, while Prince-Tyson Gulley scampered for another 138 yards on just 14 carries. 
– Brown came through when he had to for Maryland. While his final numbers were pedestrian, he was still able to turn his 16 completions into 280 yards and two scores through the air. 
– To avoid more days like today, Syracuse has to improve on third downs. The Orange converted just 4-of-14 to offset 26 first downs and 589 yards of total offense. 
Game Rating: C 

Sept. 20 Duke 47, Tulane 13 
And You Care Because … Keyed by an opportunistic defense, Duke blew open a game that got as close as 26-13 midway through the third quarter. The Blue Devils created five turnovers, including a pair of pick-sixes to close out the scoring in the final quarter. The Green Wave actually had more first downs and led in time of possession, couldn’t overcome a flood of mistakes on both sides of the ball. 
What Else? How sloppy was Tulane? Besides the five turnovers, the Green Wave committed 13 penalties and was just 6-of-24 on third and fourth-down attempts. 
– It was a huge game for the Duke defense. Yeah, there were the four interceptions and two defensive touchdowns, but the Blue Devils also generated eight stops for loss, three sacks and six pass breakups. 
– Tanner Lee is struggling badly as the Tulane quarterback. He got a lot of help from RB Lazedrick Thompson and the ground game, yet still went 14-of-35 for 160 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. 
– Thomas Sirk is the new Brandon Connette in Durham. The running complement to starting QB Anthony Boone, Sirk rushed for a team-high 94 yards and a score on just five carries Saturday. 
Game Rating: C 

Sept. 20 Louisville 34, at Florida International 3 
And You Care Because …Louisville bounced back from its first loss of the season with a lopsided win at Florida International. The Cardinals seized control of the game in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns in the span of four minutes. S Gerod Holliman kicked off the scoring with a 32-yard interception return, and QB Will Gardner had long scoring strikes to WR James Quick just 45 seconds apart. 
What Else? There was finally a Michael Dyer sighting for the Cardinals. However, the once-injured Louisville running back didn’t factor into the final outcome, carrying the ball just eight times for 16 yards. Still, the former Auburn transfer will help this offense down the road now that he’s healthy. 
– FIU quarterbacks wilted under the pressure of the Louisville speed and tenacity on defense. They threw two picks, no touchdowns and not a single completion over 25 yards. 
– Quick is becoming the big-play guy that the Cardinals need in the passing game until DeVante Parker finishes his injury rehab. Quick finished the game with seven receptions for 174 yards and those two key touchdowns before halftime. 
– Florida International RB Anthon Samuel had his busiest day since transferring over from Bowling Green. However, he saw little space versus Louisville, carrying 13 times for 38 yards. 
Game Rating: D 

Sept. 20 Boston College 40, Maine 10 
And You Care Because … Fresh off last week’s stunning upset of USC, Boston College was sluggish, yet was able to pull away from Maine in the second half. The Eagles only led 19-10 at halftime, yet sealed the game by winning the final two quarters, 21-0. QB Tyler Murphy was once again the hero for BC, spearheading the offense with his arm as well as his legs. 
What Else? Murphy rushed for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He got plenty of help, though, from backs Marcus Outlow and Jon Hilliman, who combined to rush for more than 200 yards and a couple of scores. 
– The Black Bears could do nothing on the ground against the BC front wall. Maine was held to just 16 yards on 22 carries, while struggling to protect QB Daniel Collins. 
– Boston College didn’t need Murphy’s arm, but it will once ACC play resumes. The senior only had to throw the ball 18 times, completing 11 for 130 yards, a touchdown and an interception. 
– Maine was only able to produce six first downs, a humbling result for a team with high expectations in the FCS. Collins had some moments in Chestnut Hill, but the Black Bears must protect him better. 
Game Rating: D- 

Sept. 20 at NC State 42, Presbyterian 0 
And You Care Because … NC State overcame a sloppy first half to win with ease with Jacoby Brissett throwing three touchdown passes and running for another. Bryan Underwood caught a 65-yard touchdown pass in the third, and Matt Dayes followed it up with a 68-yard scoring dash in the shootout. 
What Else? Time of possession: Presbyterian 37:46 – NC State 22:14 
– NC State QB Jacoby Brissett completed 14-of-21 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran five times for 22 yards and a score
– NC State QB Matt Dayes ran six times for 86 yards and a score 
– Yards per carry: NC State 8.5 – Presbyterian 2.7
Game Rating: D 


Sept. 13 at Virginia 23, Louisville 21 
And You Care Because … Ian Frye nailed a 42-yard field goal in the final minutes and the defense held on as Virginia got by Louisville in a mistake-prone day. The Cardinals turned it over four times, Virginia three, with the winning field goal coming off a muffed punt return by UofL’s James Quick. The Cavaliers got up to a 20-7 lead going into the fourth helped by two Frye field goals and a ten-yard touchdown run from Greyson Lambert, but Louisville roared back in the fourth with two decent scoring drives with a short touchdown run from Dominique Brown and a four-yard catch from Quick for a 23-21 lead before Frye was able to get the job done. 
What Else? Neither offense got too much going with both running games held to just 2.9 yards. Virginia’ Kevin Parks ran for 66 yards on 22 carries, while Louisville’s Dominique Brown ran 20 times for 74 yards. 
– Virginia QB Greyson Lambert ran for a score, but he was under pressure for most of the game, completing just 13-of-24 passes for 162 yards and a score with a pick. Louisville’s Will Gardner had a rough day, completing 14-of-34 throws for 164 yards with two touchdowns and a pick. 
– Louisville FS Gerod Holliman came up with six tackles, a forced fumble and two picks. 
– Virginia DE Eli Harold made three tackles with two sacks, and LB Max Valles made four tackles with four broken up passes. 
Game Rating: B 

Sept. 13 Pittsburgh 42, Florida International 25 
And You Care Because … Pitt shook off a slow start, erasing an early 16-0 deficit to zip past Florida International. The Golden Panthers pulled to within 26-19 early in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers pulled away for good on a safety and two James Conner touchdowns over the final eight minutes. Pitt showed resiliency, albeit versus a weaker opponent, to run its record to 3-0. 
What Else? Conner continued to run like an All-American, carrying the Panthers with 177 yards and three scores on 30 carries. He’s yet to be slowed down by any of Pitt’s first three opponents. 
– Florida International got a spark on offense from young QB Alex McGough, who subbed nicely for starter E.J. Hilliard. The rookie hit on 17-of-32 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. 
– For a time, it looked as if this might be the signature win Golden Panther coach Ron Turner has been seeking. While FIU couldn’t close the deal, there were hints of progress for the program in its second year under Turner. 
– If someone figures out how to corral Conner, Pitt is in trouble. The passing game has been impotent so far with Chad Voytik at the controls, producing just 98 yards and a touchdown versus a bad Conference USA team. 
Game Rating: C 

Sept. 13 at Miami 41, Arkansas State 20 
And You Care Because … Brad Kayya threw four touchdown passes finding Phillip Dorsett on two 63-yard scoring plays, and Duke Johnson and Gus Edwards each ran for long scoring runs in a relatively easy win. ASU stayed alive on a Fredi Knighten one-yard touchdown run and a 19-yard catch, but the second Dorsett touchdown catch. 
What Else? Miami QB Brady Kaaya completed 16-of-24 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns with a pick
– Arkansas State QB Fredi Knighten completed 22-of-40 passes for 217 yards, was held to five yards on 19 carries, and caught a 19-yard touchdown pass. 
– Miami WR Phillip Dorsett caught four passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. 
– Penalties: Miami 11 for 93 yards – Arkansas State 9 for 84 yards. 
Game Rating: C- 

Sept. 13 NC State 49, at South Florida 17 
And You Care Because … NC State’s offense exploded, and the defense came up with three takeaways, in the easy blowout. The Wolfpack to up 49-7 with Bra’Lon Cherry scoring three touchdowns from 17, 17 and three yards out, and Matt Dayes taking off for a 34-yard touchdown. USF tied the score at seven on a 75-yard Ryeshene Bronson touchdown catch, but didn’t get back on the board until the final minutes, getting the only other touchdown on a 46-yard pick six from Lamar Robbins with 46 seconds to play. 
What Else? NC State WR Bra’Lon Cherry caught three passes for 50 yards and a score, and ran twice for 20 yards and two touchdowns. 
– Other than the 75-yard Ryeshene Bronson touchdown catch, USF managed just 84 yards of total offense. 
– NC State QB Jacoby Brissett completed 20-of-29 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. 
– USF quarterbacks combined to complete 5-of-20 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown with two picks. 
Game Rating: D+ 

Sept. 13 at Duke 41, Kansas 3 
And You Care Because … Duke jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead with a 36-yard Max McCaffrey touchdown catch and a 69-yard scoring dash from Shaun Wilson. Kansas came up with a 34-yard Matthew Wyman field goal late in the first quarter, but then it was all Duke scoring 24 unanswered points including Wilson touchdown dashes from 68 and 45 yards out and a ten-yard McCaffrey catch. 
What Else? Duke RB Shaun Wilson ran 12 times for 245 yards and three touchdowns averaging 20.4 yards per carry. 
– Kansas QB Montell Cozart completed 11-of-27 passes for 89 yards and two picks. He also ran eight times for 30 yards. 
– Kansas P Trevor Pardula averaged 51.8 yards per punt on his eight attempts putting two inside the20. 
– Duke outgained Kansas 511 yards to 297.
Game Rating: D 

Sept. 13 Syracuse 40, at Central Michigan 3 
And You Care Because … It was a very impressive win for the Orange, which came out of its bye week refreshed and sharp. Syracuse thoroughly dominated a Central Michigan team that beat Purdue—in West Lafayette—just a week earlier. The Orange and coach Scott Shafer corrected the problems it had with Villanova in the opener, and now looks like a team that can nab one of the ACC’s automatic bowl berths in December. 
What Else? The Orange controlled the line of scrimmage throughout, outgaining the Chippewas on the ground, 289-34. Adonis Ameen-Moore rushed for 106 yards, and QB Terrel Hunt scored three times on the ground. 
– While it probably wouldn’t have impacted the outcome, Central Michigan was without two of its best weapons, RB Thomas Rawls and WR Titus Davis. Davis is injured, while Rawls was mysteriously scratched on Friday. 
– Hunt didn’t stretch the Central Michigan defense in this one, but he didn’t have to either. He went 20-of-30 for 175 yards, a touchdown to Brisly Estime and no interceptions. 
– While the loss doesn’t rest on the shoulders of Cooper Rush, it’s clear the young quarterback can lead the offense without the help of Rawls. Rush had just one completion beyond 20 yards, and the Chips were 1-of-10 on third downs.
Game Rating: D-