South Florida returns to action with rout of Illini
Quinton Flowers threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns and No. 22 South Florida returned from a Hurricane Irma-imposed layoff to rout Illinois 47-23 on Friday night in Tampa, Fla.
Flowers passed Matt Grothe and B.J. Daniels for second place on USF’s career touchdown pass list with 53. The 2016 American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year also scored his 32nd rushing touchdown, tying Marlon Mack’s school record.
The Bulls (3-0) beat a Big Ten opponent for the first time on a night USF honored first responders who worked this week to help victims of the massive storm that impacted the entire state.
Illinois (2-1) stumbled in a homecoming of sorts for coach Lovie Smith, who returned to Raymond James Stadium, where he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two years before being fired.
Arizona romps
Brandon Dawkins accounted for six touchdowns, three passing and three rushing, to lead Arizona to a 63-16 blowout of winless Texas El Paso. Dawkins, who played only one series in the fourth quarter, threw for 155 yards on 18-for-22 passing and ran for 143 yards in 13 carries for the heavily favored Wildcats (2-1), who struggled through a scoreless first quarter at El Paso, Texas, before scoring 28 unanswered points. UTEP fell to 0-3.
Temple tops UMass
Isaiah Wright made a one-handed, 13-yard touchdown catch with 3:48 remaining and Temple held on to beat winless Massachusetts 29-21 at Philadelphia.
Logan Marchi’s lofted pass to Wright in the corner gave the Owls (2-1) a 29-14 lead. UMass (0-4) responded with a quick scoring drive, then forced a three-and-out. But with three seconds left, a trick play with backup quarterback Ross Comis was stopped near midfield.
Etc.
Florida International will play host to Massachusetts on Dec. 2, unless FIU is playing in the Conference USA title game that day. The game fills the hole on FIU’s schedule created by the cancellation of this weekend’s matchup at Indiana because of issues related to Hurricane Irma.