Buckeyes blast off without Meyer in 77-31 rout
No. 5 Ohio State routs Oregon State; No. 2 Clemson coasts to victory
With coach Urban Meyer serving a suspension, new starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. had a record-setting day, throwing five touchdown passes to help No. 5 Ohio State rout Oregon State 77-31 on Saturday in the opener for both teams in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes shook off Meyer's first absence from the Ohio State sideline in six years, scoring on five on the first six possessions and overcoming some defensive sloppiness.
Meyer will be allowed to return to practice Monday, although his suspension by the university will last for two more games. He was sanctioned after an investigation showed he mismanaged former assistant Zach Smith, who was accused of domestic violence and other bad behavior.
Haskins was 22 for 30 for 313 yards. The five touchdowns and yards gained are records for a first-time Ohio State starter. Mike Weber rushed 20 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
NO. 2 CLEMSON 48, FURMAN 7: Freshman Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes and host Clemson scored on all five of his drives in the season-opening rout.
Lawrence was going 9-for-15 for 137 yards and no interceptions, and senior starter Kelly Bryant was 10-for-16 for 127 yards and a touchdown and ran five times for 44 yards and another score.
The Tigers' front four on defense — who may all end up as NFL first-rounders — dominated Furman's option attack. The Paladins gained just 163 yards and the one touchdown came with 1:18 left after Clemson emptied its bench on a steamy afternoon.
NO. 3 GEORGIA 45, AUSTIN PEAY 0: Jake Fromm threw two scoring passes while sharing time with freshman Justin Fields and Georgia showed off some new firepower.
Georgia flashed big-play potential, including a 59-yard touchdown pass from Fromm to Mecole Hardman and a 72-yard scoring run by Demetris Robertson, who was making his debut.
NO. 7 OKLAHOMA 63, FLORIDA ATLANTIC 14: Kyler Murray, taking over for Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, passed for 209 yards and two touchdowns to lead Oklahoma.
Murray connected on 9 of 11 passes in just under one half. The first-round Major League Baseball draft pick also ran for 23 yards on four carries. It was Murray's second college start since transferring from Texas A&M after the 2015 season.
NO. 9 AUBURN 21, NO. 6 WASHINGTON 16: Jatarvious Whitlow ran 10 yards for a touchdown with 6:15 remaining and the Auburn defense came through at the end, leading the Tigers in the opener.
Trailing 16-15 after missing a two-point conversion on their opening drive of the game, Auburn drove 76 yards in 10 plays for the winning score. Jarrett Stidham kept the drive going early with a 12-yard pass to Chandler Cox on third-and-9. Then, facing third-and-7 deep in Washington territory, Auburn handed off inside to Whitlow, who knocked over a Washington defender as he smashed into the end zone.
NO. 10 PENN STATE 45, APPALACHIAN STATE 38, OT: Amani Oruwariye intercepted Zac Thomas' pass in the end zone and No. 10 Penn State held on to beat Appalachian State in overtime, exactly 11 years after the Mountaineers stunned Michigan in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Miles Sanders ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in overtime for the Nittany Lions in the opener for both teams. But Penn State let a 31-17 lead evaporate when Appalachian State scored on three straight possessions over 5:53 in the fourth quarter.
NO. 15 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 43, UNLV 21: JT Daniels, the second freshman to start at quarterback in a season opener for Southern California, threw for 282 yards, and had a 43-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Daniels was 22 of 35, and fellow freshman St. Brown making seven receptions for 98 yards. The former Mater Dei High School teammates connected for their first college touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, with St. Brown getting a step behind cornerback Jericho Flowers on a post route to give USC a two-possession lead over the Rebels.
NO. 16 TCU 55, SOUTHERN U. 7: Shawn Robinson threw three touchdown passss and ran for two more scores while playing only the first half in TCU's opening blowout. The Horned Frogs scored on their first six drives to take a 38-7 lead before fellow sophomore Michael Collins, a former transfer from Penn, took over after halftime.
NO. 17 WEST VIRGINIA 40, TENNESSEE 14: Will Grier got his Heisman Trophy campaign off to an impressive start, throwing for 429 yards and five touchdowns to help West Virginia rout Tennessee in a game delayed for more than an hour at halftime due to lightning.