Texas Tech snaps Houston’s 16-game home winning streak

HOUSTON — For a program that has become known for dynamic quarterback-wide receiver combinations, the next great one may have arrived for Texas Tech.

Nic Shimonek and Keke Coutee continued their hot start on Saturday, combining for 161 yards and a 77-yard touchdown in the Red Raiders' 27-24 win over Houston that snapped the Cougars' 16-game home winning streak.

"He's one of the best playmakers, if not the best playmaker, in the country," Shimonek said. "I've said on numerous occasions he's one of those guys if I throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage he can take it to the house. That gives me confidence being able to throw it to him.

"He can make something happen with it and he catches basically everything I throw in his direction."

In the opening three games for the Red Raiders (3-0), Shimonek and Coutee have hooked up for 446 yards and four scores on 28 catches, averaging 15.9 yards per grab.

"I think Keke and Nic have a great rapport," Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "They connected when we needed them."

The 100-yard performance was the fifth of Coutee's career and second-straight this season.

Shimonek finished 29 of 45 for 321 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The interception was his first of the season after going 107 pass attempts without being picked off.

Houston (2-1) owned the nation's longest active home winning streak. The last home loss for the Cougars was Nov. 8, 2014, against Tulane, 31-24.

"This one stings," Houston coach Major Applewhite said. "We have to get over it and move on and understand there are eight games left to play."

The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak for the Cougars against teams from Power 5 conferences. The last loss came to Vanderbilt 41-24 in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Jan. 4, 2014.

"It was big, we know that nobody's won here in 16 games," Kingsbury said. "Big time, Top 10 programs come in here and it's a tough place to play. It's hot; they've got a great stadium. I coached here for four years. Not many people beat us here. So I understand the level of pride that team takes, especially when a Power 5 team comes in. You get their best shot and we got their best shot."

WEST VIRGINIA 56, KANSAS 34

West Virginia did what most people expected it would against Kansas in the first half Saturday, building the kind of lopsided advantage that should have made it an easy afternoon in Memorial Stadium.

Instead, the banged-up Mountaineers blew much of that lead during a stagnant third quarter.

It wasn’t until the fourth that Will Grier and Co. got rolling again. The star quarterback scored twice on the ground in the closing minutes, and finished with 347 yards passing while accounting for four scores, to a sew up a 56-34 victory that was far more difficult than coach Dana Holgorsen had envisioned.

“Looked good at times, looked bad at times,” Holgorsen said, wiping sweat from his brow. “We were either rolling on offense or we were inept. I don’t know what it was.”

At least there were enough good times to overcome the bad.

David Sills V had 130 yards and two TDs receiving, and Kennedy McKoy also reached the end zone twice, as the Mountaineers (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) beat Kansas (1-3, 0-1) for the sixth time in seven meetings.

DUKE 27, NORTH CAROLINA 17

Duke’s defense was on the field for another long touchdown. But this one was scored by one of the Blue Devils’ defenders, and it kept the Victory Bell — and, at least for now, perfection — in their possession.

Bryon Fields returned an interception 61 yards for the game-sealing score in Duke’s 27-17 victory over North Carolina on Saturday.

“It was just a coincidence that it was me that happened to make that play — it could have been anybody on that defense,” Fields said. “Guys believed in each other, were playing hard and we were able to make a huge play for the team.”

The Blue Devils (4-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) matched their victory total from last year, prolonged their best start since 2014 and kept possession of their traveling trophy by beating the rival Tar Heels (1-3, 0-2) for the second straight year — just the second time that’s happened since 1989.

GEORGIA TECH 35, PITTSBURGH 17

KirVonte Benson is taking advantage of his unexpected opportunity to lead Georgia Tech’s running game.

Benson ran for a career-high 196 yards with two touchdowns, TaQuon Marshall added 112 yards rushing with two scoring runs, and Georgia Tech beat Pittsburgh 35-17 on Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for each team.

Benson, a third-year sophomore, was in line to be a backup before Dedrick Mills, the team’s leading returning rusher, was dismissed from the team three weeks before the season. Benson flourished on his 29 carries.

“I like the amount of times I got the ball,” Benson said. “I’m just glad I could perform when I had the ball in my hands.”

Georgia Tech (2-1, 1-0) ran for 436 yards with five touchdowns.

Pittsburgh couldn’t find a way to stop Benson on Georgia Tech’s fullback dive, a staple of coach Paul Johnson’s spread-option offense.

WAKE FOREST 20, APPALACHIAN STATE 19

Quarterback John Wolford figured Wake Forest had lost its chance to escape the mountains with a win over Appalachian State when the Deacons jumped offside on a late field goal attempt.

But Wolford’s doom turned to glee when teammate Scotty Washington got a hand on Michael Rubino’s 39-yard field goal attempt with five seconds remaining, allowing the Demon Deacons to remain unbeaten with 2019 win in a wild game that featured six lead changes.

“When we jumped offside I got a little negative,” Wolford admitted. “Like, he’s going to miss two in a row? What are the odds of that? But Scotty came up huge. Football is a crazy game. You win games in different ways.”

Four major special teams miscues cost the Mountaineers a chance at victory in front of the largest crowd to see a game at Kidd Brewer Stadium — 35,126. Appalachian State also had an extra point blocked, missed a short field goal at the end of the first half and jumped offside on a fourth-and-4 punt that gave Wake Forest another set of downs and led to a touchdown.

Wolford shook off a sluggish first half and threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 77 yards as Wake Forest improved to 4-0 on the season entering ACC play.

Taylor Lamb threw for 372 yards and two touchdowns for Appalachian State (2-2) and T.J. Watkins had three catches for 102 yards and an 84-yard touchdown.

Trailing 20-19 and faced with a fourth-and-14 at midfield with 2:20 left, Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield elected to punt the ball with three timeouts remaining, banking on his defense to come up with a stop.

They did, giving Lamb one more shot from his own 46.

The Mountaineers got a first down on a pass interference penalty on a fourthand-14 pass to reach the Wake Forest 27. The Deacons jumped offside on the first field goal attempt, moving Rubino’s attempt up to the 39-yard line. But the 6-foot-5 Washington got his hand on the ball in the middle of the line to preserve the victory.

NEBRASKA 27, RUTGERS 17

Tanner Lee led Nebraska on a 97-yard scoring drive for the go-ahead touchdown after Rutgers returned an interception for a touchdown, and the Cornhuskers shook off the Scarlet Knights in the second half for a 27-17 win Saturday.

Devine Ozigbo ran for 101 yards as the Huskers (22, 1-0 Big Ten) picked up a much-needed victory for coach Mike Riley two days after athletic director Shawn Eichorst was fired following last week’s humiliating home loss to Northern Illinois. Rutgers (1-3, 0-1) lost its 15th straight Big Ten game.

Kiy Hester intercepted Lee and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown and a 17-14 Rutgers lead early in the third quarter.

Lee — who has thrown a nation-high nine interceptions, including two run back for TDs by Northern Illinois — got booed when he returned for the next series, and the Huskers went threeand-out.

The Tulane transfer then directed a 17-play drive he finished with an 8-yard pass to De’Mornay Pierson-El for a 21-17 lead. Drew Brown kicked field goals of 32 and 27 yards in the fourth quarter to make it a 10-point game.

INDIANA 52, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 17

Morgan Ellison found Indiana’s starting tailback spotlight; J-Shun Harris entered team record books; and the Hoosiers dominated from the start in a 52-17 victory over winless Georgia Southern on Saturday.

Ellison, a freshman making his first college start, ran for 186 yards on 25 carries. He’s IU’s 11th true freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. It’s the fourth-best total by a Hoosier freshman. Anthony Thompson has the record with 207.

Ellison entered the game with 71 yards on 19 carries.

The Hoosiers’ Mike Majette had started the first two games at tailback.

CENTRAL FLORIDA 38, MARYLAND 10

Central Florida coach Scott Frost watched in horror as Maryland quarterback Kasim Hill twisted in agony on the field.

Though the first-quarter injury contributed heavily to the Knights’ 38-10 upset of the Terrapins on Saturday, the scene near the UCF sideline was tough to watch.

“I’m brokenhearted for them and Kasim,” Frost said. “Someone going down on the football field, that’s not what you want to see.”

Hill was scrambling on a third-down play when hit by Jamiyus Pittman and Chequan Burkett. The quarterback remained on the ground for several minutes before being helped off the field.