Top-ranked Clemson tops pesky Syracuse
No. 1 Clemson 47, Syracuse 21: Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes and Travis Etienne ran for three scores as host Clemson (5-0 ACC) shook off a sluggish performance to win their 27th straight ACC game and put away pesky Syracuse (1-5, 1-4).
The Tigers opened 6-0 for the sixth straight season, but it took a late burst to get it done – just like usual against Syracuse.
The Orange were the last ACC team to defeat the Tigers with a 27-24 victory in 2017. A year later at Death Valley, Syracuse again looked primed for the upset as it held a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before Clemson’s 27-23 escape to keep its national championship season intact.
Despite entering as 45-point underdogs, coach Dino Babers and Syracuse kept the Tigers out of synch much of the game and were down just 27-21 late in the third quarter.
But Andrew Booth Jr.’s fumble recovery and touchdown run after Rex Culpepper was sacked late in the third quarter turned the game in Clemson’s favor for good.
Etienne added rushing TDS of 9 and 1 yard. Lawrence threw for 289 yards with scoring passes of 25 yards to Cornell Powell and 18 yards to Davis Allen.
No. 14 North Carolina 48, NC State 21: Javonte Williams ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns to help host North Carolina (4-1, 4-1 ACC) beat North Carolina State (4-2, 4-2) in a renewal of the longtime state rivalry.
Michael Carter ran for 106 yards and a score of his own for the Tar Heels, who used a run-through-and-over-tacklers ground game that helped them take control in the third quarter. UNC ran for 326 yards and finished with 578 overall, bouncing back from an upset loss at Florida State to beat the Wolfpack by a lopsided margin for the second straight season.
Williams had three touchdowns in last year’s 41-10 win, then had a pair of short TD runs as UNC ran off 21 straight points after leading just 17-7 at halftime.
He punctuated another big rivalry performance by blowing through a huge hole up front then cutting past multiple defenders to the pylon for a 27-yard score that made it 45-14 with 14:11 left.
Sam Howell threw for 252 yards and a TD for the Tar Heels, while Dyami Brown had 105 yards on a career-best seven catches.
The Wolfpack had little go right offensively in the first game without injured starting quarterback Devin Leary. Bailey Hockman started but was pulled after three series for true freshman Ben Finley, only to see the Wolfpack go back to Hockman in the third after Finley threw two interceptions – one off a bobbled pass by Dylan Parham in the end zone by that should’ve been a first-half touchdown – and lost a fumble on a sack.
No. 20 Kansas State 55, Kansas 14: Phillip Brooks returned a pair of punts for touchdowns, Kansas State took advantage of an embarrassing day of special teams by its biggest rival, and the host Wildcats (4-1, 4-0 Big 12) rolled to a
victory over Kansas (0-5, 0-4).
Will Howard threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns while Justin Gardner returned an interception 25 yards for another score, helping the Wildcats improve to 4-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since 2014.
Deuce Vaughn added 71 yards rushing and another touchdown as Kansas State beat the Jayhawks for a series-record 12th straight time. Kansas has not beaten its Interstate 70 rival since Nov. 1, 2008, in Lawrence.
Freshman Jalon Daniels was just 22 of 39 for 207 yards for the Jayhawks, who were playing their first game since coach Les Miles returned from a positive COVID-19 test. It also was their first game since running back Pooka Williams, an All-big 12 selection a year ago, decided to opt out for the remainder of the season.
Along with giving up two punt return TDS, the Jayhawks also had two punts nearly returned for scores and were lousy in their own return game. They also watched Jacob Borcila bang a fieldgoal attempt off the upright.
No. 25 Coastal Carolina 28, Georgia Southern 14: Backup quarterback Fred Payton three three touchdown passes and host Coastal Carolina won its first game as a ranked team with a victory over Georgia Southern.
The Chanticleers (5-0, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference) played without starting passer Grayson Mccall, who had an upper body injury.
But Payton threw of a 24-yard TD pass to running back C.J. Marable with 8:53 remaining to break a 14-all tie and Coastal Carolina up for good.
Reese White added a 20-yard scoring run to extend the Chants’ margin – and likely guarantee another week in the Top 25.
Payton, who started 10 games over the past two seasons, finished 15 of 28 for 252 yards.
Coastal outgained Georgia Southern 382-218 and held the Eagles to 2-of-12 on third down with two interceptions by cornerback D’jordan Strong, six tackles for loss and four sacks, including two by linebacker Enock Makonzo.
A turnover on downs by Georgia Southern and late interception by Strong sealed the win.
Friday night
No. 14 Wisconsin 45, Illinois 7: Graham Mertz threw five touchdown passes to match the Wisconsin record in a commanding first career start and the No. 14 Badgers beat Illinois to open the pandemic-delayed Big Ten football season.
Mertz set a school record for completion percentage on 20-of-21 passing, finishing with 248 yards. The lone incompletion was a pass that running back Garret Groshek dropped midway through the third quarter.
The redshirt freshman quarterback delivered a buzzworthy performance during the Big Ten’s long-awaited opening night. The Big Ten announced Aug. 11 that it would postpone all fall sports until the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, then reversed itself Sept. 16 by saying it would begin the season in midOctober.