Irish run home win streak to 20
No.7 Notre Dame 52, South Florida 0
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Ian Book ran for three first-half touchdowns as Notre Dame won its 20th straight home game.
The Fighting Irish (2-0) led
35-0 at halftime and, for the second year in a row, posted a 52point shutout.
Book capped the opening drive with 4-yard touchdown run, and freshman Chris Tyree — from Thomas Dale High in Chester — scored from 1 yard about five minutes later.
It never got better for the firstyear coach Jeff Scott's Bulls (1-1), who were a late add to Notre Dame's schedule after the Irish joined the ACC for this year.
C'Bo Flemister ran for a careerbest 127 yards for Notre Dame as the Irish spread the touches around between starter Kyren Williams (62 yards on 10 carries) and Tyree (65 on eight).
Book is the first quarterback in Notre Dame's modern era to run for three touchdowns in one half. He added 143 yards on 12-of-19 passing before exiting with 2:21 left in the third quarter as freshman Drew Pyne took over.
Meanwhile, the Irish defense limited USF to 65 yards in the first half and 231 total while breaking in three new starters.
No. 1 Clemson 49, The Citadel 0
CLEMSON, S.C. — Trevor Lawrence passed for three touchdowns in a 49-point first half as the Tigers (2-0) routed the Bulldogs (0-2) to improve to 35-0 against FCS teams since the NCAA created that lower division in 1978.
No. 14 UCF 49, Georgia Tech 21
ATLANTA — Behind Dillon Gabriel's 417 yards passing and four touchdown throws, Central Florida (1-0) scored three unanswered fourth-quarter touchdowns to whip the Yellow Jackets (1-1) at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Georgia Tech, seeking to build on its come-from-behind victory last week at Florida State, took a 7-0 lead, fell behind 28-7 and cut the deficit to 28-21 before yielding.
UCF is competing without redshirt junior quarterback Darriel "DJ" Mack Jr., a Norview High graduate who was the American Athletic Conference championship game MVP in 2018. He was one of the Knights who opted out of playing this season because of coronavirus concerns.
Boston College 26, Duke 6
DURHAM, N.C. — Phil Jurkovec threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, Zay Flowers had 162 receiving yards, and Jeff Hafley won in his first game as a head coach.
Hafley, Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach last season, replaced the fired Steve Addazio in December 2019.
Hafley had to wait to officially start his job with the Eagles until after the Buckeyes' loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff, then had just five spring practices before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world. The way his team handled such unusual circumstances made Saturday's long-awaited win that much more special.
"I was emotional after the game, and not because of me," Hafley said. "I don't say this to give you guys coach-talk. I'm giving every one of those players a game ball. When they look back at that date, they're going to remember one of the hardest points of their lives that they had to battle through and sacrifice. This day will forever be about this team and what they did to get to this point. I'm greatly appreciative."
Jurkovec, a former four-star quarterback who transferred to BC from Notre Dame in the offseason, led the Eagles (1-0, 1-0 ACC) to a touchdown on their first drive in an empty Wallace Wade Stadium, only to see the offense sputter. But gradually, Jurkovec started to find his rhythm.
In the third quarter, Jurkovec completed 6 of 7 passes for 151 yards and both of his touchdowns. The second, a 61-yard strike to Flowers, pushed the Eagles' lead to 23-6.
Despite tallying 351 total yards, Duke's offense was unable to capitalize in BC territory. Chase Brice completed 23 of 42 passes for 217 yards and two interceptions for the Blue Devils (0-2, 0-2).
"We have to stay together at the toughest of times," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. "That's what all families do.”
No. 25 Pittsburgh 21, Syracuse 10
PITTSBURGH — Kenny Pickett threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score, and Pitt's defense did the rest.
Pitt (2-0, 1-0) limited the Orange (0-2, 0-2) to 171 total yards, 69 on backup quarterback Rex Culpepper's second-quarter touchdown strike to a streaking Taj Harris. Otherwise, Syracuse mustered very little against the Panthers' dominant front seven.
The Panthers sacked Culpepper and starter Tommy DeVito seven times, rarely letting the quarterbacks get comfortable. Still, Pitt was sloppy enough to let the Orange hang around well into the second half. The Panthers were flagged seven times for 70 yards, missed three field goals and lacked the precision they showed in a win against overmatched Austin Peay.
The game turned late in the third quarter when Pitt defensive back Paris Ford picked off a wayward screen pass by DeVito with the Orange in Panthers territory and only down four. Pickett drove Pitt 66 yards in eight plays, the final 17 on a touchdown pass over the middle to Jared Wayne.
Pickett finished 25 of 36 for 215 yards despite a third-quarter interception in Syracuse territory. Freshman wide receiver Jordan Addison caught seven passes for 57 yards, including a 27-yard TD.