College Football Today
STARS
-Todd Gurley, Georgia, ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns, returned a kickoff 100 yards for another score in the 12th-ranked Bulldogs' 45-21 victory over No. 16 Clemson.
-Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska, ran for a career-high 232 yards and eclipsed 3,000 yards for his career in the No. 22 Cornhuskers' 55-7 rout of Florida Atlantic.
-Cody Kessler, USC, threw for 394 yards and four TDs and the 15th-ranked Trojans ended a trying week with a 52-13 win over Fresno State in Steve Sarkisian's debut as the Trojans' head coach
-Everett Golson, Notre Dame, threw a pair of TD passes and became just the third quarterback in school history to run for three scores in a game in the No. 17 Irish's 48-17 rout over Rice.
-Jacobi Owens, Air Force, rushed for 233 yards in his debut to help the Falcons beat Nicholls 44-16.
-Davis Webb, Texas Tech, threw for 452 yards and four TDs to lead the Red Raiders to a 42-35 win over Central Arkansas.
-Jake Waters, Kansas State, threw for 223 yards and accounted for four TDs as the No. 20 Wildcats pounded Stephen F. Austin 55-16.
-Sean Mannion, Oregon State, passed for 328 yards and a TD, and rushed for another score in the Beavers' 29-14 victory over Portland State.
-Anthony Boone, Duke, matched a career high with four touchdown passes and the Blue Devils opened the season by routing Elon 52-13.
-C.J. Brown, Maryland, ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the Terps cruised past James Madison 52-7.
-Trevone Boykin, TCU, threw for 320 yards and two TDs, and ran for a third score in a 48-14 victory over FCS' Samford.
-Jared Johnson, Sam Houston State, threw for 386 yards and three TDs in a 51-20 win over Alabama State.
-Jordan Howard, UAB, rushed for 179 yards and two TDs in a 48-10 win over Troy.
-Tyler Jones, Texas State, threw for 278 yards and four TDs in a 65-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
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SIMS STARTS
Blake Sims took a seat on the bench next to Jake Coker after leading Alabama to a score and the two chatted for a few minutes before it was time for the offense to go back on the field.
Conversation was the only thing Sims and Coker shared at the Georgia Dome. The quarterback job, Sims had that all to himself.
The fifth-year senior played well enough in his first career start to keep playing, getting plenty of help from Amari Cooper, T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry, and the second-ranked Crimson Tide held off West Virginia 33-23.
Sims was 24 for 33 for 250 yards, added 42 running, threw one interception in the fourth quarter, and took every meaningful offensive snap.
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BRUINS DEFENSE
Brett Hundley was all smiles, mostly because of his defense.
Seventh-ranked UCLA scored three defensive touchdowns in the second quarter and Hundley led them on a critical second-half scoring drive as the Bruins escaped Virginia 28-20 in the opener for both teams.
Hundley, widely regarded as one of the nation's top quarterbacks, was harassed all day by Virginia's pressure defense, which sacked him five times, and made the biggest play of the day for UCLA with his feet. It came on a 6-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter when safety Quin Blanding met him around the 3 yard-line, and Hundley overpowered him.
That he only had to make one was thanks to the defense, which registered three scores for the first time since 1986.
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NUMBERS
7-Rushing touchdowns by Memphis in a 63-0 victory over Austin Peay, matching a school record last reached in 1969.
25-Straight wins by three-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State after beating Iowa State 34-14.
203-Yards receiving by Northern Iowa running back David Johnson in the Panthers' 31-23 loss to Iowa.
498-Yards rushing -- out of 784 total in No. 22 Nebraska's 55-7 rout over Florida Atlantic.
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LIMITED BUCKEYES PLAYBOOK
There might come a time when Ohio State coach Urban Meyer expands his offensive playbook to include various long passes, reverses and bootlegs.
Until his young quarterback gains confidence and his line grows up, the No. 5 Buckeyes will likely count on the kind of conservative game plan that proved good enough to beat Navy 34-17.
Redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns in his college debut as Ohio State earned its 25th consecutive regular-season victory.
Elevated into a starting role after senior Braxton Miller injured his right shoulder two weeks ago, Barrett went 12 for 15 -- including an 80-yard TD pass to Devin Smith that put the Buckeyes up 20-14 with 4:10 left in the third quarter.
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BISON BEATING
FBS teams might want to rethink scheduling North Dakota State in the future.
The three-time FCS champion Bison knocked off Iowa State 34-14, marking the fifth straight season they've beaten an FBS opponent.
North Dakota State also has beaten Kansas, Minnesota, Colorado State and Kansas State since 2010.
Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
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