Cal upsets UNC; Pitt needs OT to top FCS team

Ross Bowers threw for 363 yards and four touchdowns in his first college start, helping California beat host North Carolina 35-30 on Saturday in the Golden Bears’ first game under coach Justin Wilcox.

Bowers, a sophomore, had never thrown a pass in a college game and had to win a preseason battle for the starting job. But he shook off two interceptions and came up with several good throws.

Vic Wharton III had five catches for 156 yards for Cal, which trailed 17-7 in the second quarter. But a targeting penalty on UNC’s Jalen Dalton extended a drive to set up Wharton’s 67-yard score just before halftime, a sequence that helped Cal outscore UNC 28-7.

“I’m really glad he hit me high, because that gave us a lot momentum,” Bowers said.

Michael Carter scored two rushing touchdowns for UNC, which started graduate transfer Brandon Harris at quarterback but leaned more on redshirt freshman Chazz Surratt.

“The problems were we made too many mistakes,” coach Larry Fedora said. “You cannot win games like that or any game like it when you make that many mis

takes, and that was on both sides of the ball.”

(At) No. 18 Miami 41, Bethune -Cookman 13:

Malik Rosier, the new Miami

starter this season, passed for 217 yards and three touchdowns, and Mark Walton rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns. The Hurricanes scored on five of their first six possessions. Braxton Berrios, Lawrence Cager and Darrell Langham had touchdown catches. Rosier said the Hurricanes did not play at “champion-

ship level,” but coach Mark Richt said Rozier’s decisions “were pretty darn good. The fact that he never put the ball in harm’s way was great.”

Larry Brihm completed 22 of 35 passes for 212 yards for FCS Bethune-Cookman.

(At) Pittsburgh 28, Youngstown State 21 (OT):

Jester Weah caught an 11-yard touchdown pass on the opening possession of overtime, and Bricen Garner picked off Youngstown State’s Hunter Wells in the end zone to help the Panthers avoid an upset after they blew a 21-0 halftime lead.

Wells passed for 311 yards

and a pair of scores to running back Christian Turner for the Penguins, the FCS runner-up last season.

Qadree Ollison ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns for Pitt. Max Browne strug

gled in his debut at quarterback after transferring from USC, completing 17 of 24 passes for 140 yards. (At) Virginia 28, William

& Mary 10: Kurt Benkert threw three touchdown passes for Virginia, which gave fans a much more encouraging start than a season ago, when it lost 37-20 to Richmond, like William & Mary a member of the FCS.

Benkert hit Andre Levrone for a 34-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-9 play and Olamide Zaccheaus for a 17-yard score. He finished 27 for 39 for 262 yards. Jordan Ellis ran for 80 yards and a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass.

The Tribe trailed 21-3 before Tommy McKee scored

on a 2-yard run with 6:52 to play. Virginia followed with a three-and-out, but the Tribe juggled the ensu

ing punt, finally recovering at their 4. McKee’s pass then bounced off his receiver and Chris Peace intercepted. Benkert hit Ellis from a yard out with 55 seconds left.