NO. 7 NOTRE DAME BEATS SOUTH FLORIDA TO EXTEND STREAK
SOUTH BEND, IND. » Ian Book had three firsthalf touchdown runs and No. 7 Notre Dame won its 20th straight home game 52- 0 over South Florida on Saturday.
The Fighting Irish ( 2- 0) led 35- 0 at halftime and for the second year in a row posted a 52- point shutout.
Book capped the opening drive with 4yard touchdown run and freshman Chris Tyree scored from a yard out about five minutes later.
It never got better for the first- year coach Jeff Scott’s Bulls ( 1- 1), who were a late addition to Notre Dame’s schedule after the Irish joined the Atlantic Coast Conference for this off season in a pandemic.
C’Bo Flemister ran for a career- best 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).
No. 1 Clemson 49, The Citadel 0.
CLEMSON, S. C. » Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns in just nine passing attempts to help No. 1 Clemson beat The Citadel
49- 0 on Saturday.
Lawrence also rushed for his third TD of thes season, leading the way as the Tigers ( 2- 0) improved to 35- 0 against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision. Clemson came out fast, stayed sharp and played just about everybody available in the runaway victory.
Lawrence was 8 for 9 for 168 yards, including scoring passes of 54 and 17 yards to Frank Ladson Jr. and 44 yards to Amari Rodgers.
The Heisman Trophy favorite was largely done when Clemson went up 28- 0 in the first quarter. He returned for one secondquarter series and quickly added points with a perfectly thrown pass down the left side to Ladson.
Two- time reigning ACC player of the year Travis Etienne ran for 68 yards on only eight carries, joining Lawrence as a happy spectator for most of the day.
Clemson’s defense shut down the Bulldogs’ triple- option, holding them to 86 yards on the ground after they rushed for 200 yards last week at South Florida.
NO. 13 CINCINNATI 55, AUSTIN PEAY 20.
CINCINNATI » Gerrid Doaks scored four touchdowns, including a career- high three on the ground, and Cincinnati opened with a victory over Austin Peay.
Desmond Ridder passed for 196 yards and two TDs for Cincinnati in a game that originally was scheduled for Sept. 3.
Jeremiah Otsvall passed for 202 yards for Austin Peay ( 0- 3).
NO. 14 CENTRAL FLORIDA 49, GEORGIA TECH 21.
ATLANTA » Dillon Gabriel threw for a career- best 417 yards and four touchdowns to Central Florida past Georgia
Tech in the Knights’ season opener.
After giving up a long return on the opening kickoff, UCF rebounded behind its lefthanded sophomore to beat a Georgia Tech team that was looking to build on a big road win in its first game.
Tre Nixon and Marlon Williams each hauled in a pair of TD passes as Gabriel eclipsed his previous career high of 365 yards in a game last season at East Carolina.
MARSHALL 17, NO. 23 APPALACHIAN STATE 7.
HUNTINGTON, W. VA. » Brenden Knox rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Grant Wells came up with back- to- back big plays when Marshall needed them and the Thundering Herd beat Appalachian State.
Marshall ( 2- 0) beat a ranked opponent for the first time since winning at No. 6 Kansas State in 2003. It also was the Thundering Herd’s first win over a ranked opponent at home since 1976.
Appalachian State ( 1- 1) squandered a couple of late opportunities and was held scoreless in the second half. Wells finished 11 of 25 for 163 yards after throwing four TD passes in his debut two weeks ago, a 59- 0 win over Eastern Kentucky.
NO. 25 PITTSBURGH 21, SYRACUSE 10.
PITTSBURGH » Kenny Pickett threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Pittsburgh’s defense did the rest against Syracuse.
Pitt ( 2- 0, 1- 0 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited the Orange ( 0- 2, 0- 2) to 171 total yards, 69 of them coming on backup quarterback Rex Culpepper’s second- quarter touchdown strike to a streaking Taj Harris.
The Panthers sacked Culpepper and starter Tommy DeVito seven times.