College Football Today
STARS
-Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin, rushed for career highs of 253 yards and five touchdowns, and the 19th-ranked Badgers ran for a Big Ten-record 644 yards to trample Bowling Green 68-17.
-Blake Sims, Alabama, threw for 445 yards, the second-best passing performance in school history, helping the third-ranked Crimson Tide overcome a sloppy performance to beat Florida 42-21.
-Samaje Perine, Oklahoma, rushed for 242 yards and four TDs to lead the No. 4 Sooners to a 45-33 win over West Virginia in their Big 12 opener.
-Dak Prescott, Mississippi State, highlighted a dynamic performance with two touchdown passes and 56-yard scoring run in a 34-29 victory over No.8 LSU that snapped the Bulldogs' 14-year losing streak in the series.
-Dylan Thompson, South Carolina, threw for 237 yards and three TDs, and ran for another score as the No. 14 Gamecocks rallied from 14 points down to beat Vanderbilt 48-34.
-Sony Michel, Georgia, ran for 155 yards and three TDs to lead the No. 13 Bulldogs to a 66-0 win over Troy.
-Shane Carden, East Carolina, threw for 438 yards and four TDs to help the Pirates beat North Carolina 70-41.
-David Cobb, Minnesota, ran for 207 yards and two TDs as the Gophers defeated San Jose State 24-7.
-Kenny Hill, Texas A&M, accounted for 322 yards of offense in the first half helping the sixth-ranked Aggies roll to a 58-6 victory over SMU.
-Michael Eubank, Samford, scored four of his team's eight rushing TDs and passed for another score in a 63-21 win over Virginia Military Institute.
-John Robertson, Villanova, threw for 337 yards and four TDs as the Wildcats rallied to beat James Madison 49-31.
-Nelson Spruce, Colorado, caught a school-record 13 passes for a career-best 172 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown in the Buffaloes' 21-12 win over scrappy Hawaii.
-Tank Jake, Memphis, had a sack for a safety, forced a fumble that resulted in a touchdown, and had an interception in helping lead the Tigers to a 36-17 victory over Middle Tennessee.
-Mike Nebrich, Fordham, threw for 435 yards and matched a career best with four TDs in a 49-7 win over Columbia.
-Keith Williams, San Diego, passed for 277 yards and four TDs in a 39-29 defeat of Princeton.
---
TIDE ROLLS GATORS
Neither Florida's defense nor Alabama's mistakes could contain Blake Sims and Amari Cooper.
Sims threw for 445 yards, the second-best passing performance in school history, and Cooper scored three touchdowns as the third-ranked Crimson Tide overcame a sloppy performance to beat the Gators 42-21.
The Tide (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) committed 11 penalties for 80 yards and four turnovers that turned into 21 points for the Gators (2-1, 1-1), who still couldn't handle Sims and the prolific passing connection.
Sims threw touchdown passes of 87 yards to Kenyan Drake on the opening play and 79 to Cooper later in the first quarter.
The Tide's turnovers and miscues kept the game close into the fourth quarter. Alabama's 645 total yards were the most the Gators have allowed, breaking the previous high of Nebraska's 629 yards in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.
---
NUMBERS
99-Years since a Penn State coach opened his inaugural season 4-0 before James Franklin did it this year. Dick Harlow was the last in 1915.
202-Career SEC wins by South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, breaking a tie with Vince Dooley and putting him second only to Paul "Bear" Bryant's 292.
322-Career rushing attempts by Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon before his first fumble.
789-Total yards by East Carolina in its 70-41 win over North Carolina to set a school record. It also was the most ever allowed by the Tar Heels.
---
BADGERS' BIG DAY
After Melvin Gordon fumbled on his first carry, teammate Corey Clement gave him a fist bump on the sideline and told his fellow Wisconsin running back to shake off the mistake.
It turned out to be the start of record-setting day for the 19th-ranked Badgers.
Gordon rushed for career highs of 253 yards and five touchdowns, and Wisconsin ran for a Big Ten-record 644 yards to trample Bowling Green in a 68-17 victory.
Gordon had 179 yards and four scores by halftime alone before dashing for a 69-yard touchdown on his first carry of the second half. He silenced any doubters worried about his 38-yard outing the previous game.
"I was motivated. I heard a lot of people doubting me saying `I can't do this, I can't do that," he said. "That definitely motivated me to get out there and do what I needed to do."
The junior tailback brushed aside a question about whether he's back in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy.
Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
EDITORS' PICKS
- Winston shines at FSU pro day
- Jameis Winston, the potential No. 1 overall pick, drew coaches from all 32 NFL teams to Florida State's pro day.
Jared Shanker »
- LSU-Bama Renew Battles
- Trending in NOLA: The latest Saban-Miles battles.
Crabtree
- Baylor WRs take a starring role
- Dynamic duo
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HEADLINES
- Betting: Best 2015 CFB Playoff bets
- Katz: Teams that will surprise in 2015
- Haney: TCU among 2015 favorites
- National links: Reshuffling the top four
Comments
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.