College football roundup

Local interest

• Gerald Gardner passed for 359yards and two touchdowns, as the Lake Erie College football team won at Clarion, 31-26, on Sept. 4. It’s the first season-opening win for the Storm since 2011, when it defeated Gannon, 13-10, and the second in 1-0start in school history as an NCAA Division II program.

Coach Reilly Murphy’s team built a 28-7third-quarter lead, and then hung on for the victory.

“I am proud of the way our players fought today,” Murphy told The News-Herald. “It was an all-around team win. We made too many mistakes that made the game closer than it had to be. However, to get the first season-opening win since 2011 is an accomplishment to celebrate.” Receivers Peyton Brown and Josh Hufstetler had big games for LEC. Brown caught eight passes for 120 yards, and Hufstetler had seven for 103 and scored on a 12-yard reception. Eric Daniels had a 36-yard touchdown reception. Devin Brown scored touchdowns on runs of 1 and 4 yards. Gardner was 29 of 43 passing and threw an interception. He was also a factor as a runner with 43 yards on six attempts.

Justin Smith’s 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave the Storm a 31-20 lead.

• Perry grad Josh Petruccelli rushed for four touchdowns as No. 2-ranked Mount Union opened its season with a 48-7 win at No. 20-ranked Westminster. Petruccelli now has 49 career TDs at Mount. Quarterback Braxton Plunk threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns.

“We just picked up where we left off in the spring, and even got the run game going,” said Petruccelli, whose team won the Ohio Athletic Conference spring title. “You can see the difference the spring made for the younger offensive linemen. The whole team clicked on all cylinders and played lights out against a good Westminster team.” • Baldwin Wallace quarterback Keagan Armitage was 17 of 22 passing for 208 yards, and the Yellow Jackets rushed for six touchdowns in a 45-24 win over Hampden Sydney. • Drew Saxton threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns as Case Western Reserve won on the road, 28-20, over the University of Rochester. Catching touchdowns for the Spartans were Aieden Cain, Riley Knurek and Sean-Michael James. Preseason All-America receiver Colt Morgan had six catches for 81 yards.

Antonio Orsini rushed for 107yards on 16attempts and caught two passes for 34 yards. Donald Day III added 45 rushing yards for Case (1-0). Sean Goodman added a 1-yard TD run. The Spartans led, 27-7, midway through the third quarter before Rochester added two touchdowns but could not get the equalizer.

• Sean Tucker set a career high with 181 rushing yards and a touchdown as Syracuse pulled away from Ohio in the second half for a 29-9 win. The Orange scored nine points in the first half and never looked back. Tucker broke free for a 47-yard run on Syracuse’s second offensive play put the Orange in the red zone and Tommy DeVito scampered for a 6-yard score. • Bo Nix passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns in just over a half, and Auburn gave new coach Bryan Harsin a 60-10 cakewalk in his debut against Akron in the season opener for both teams.

Top national

• Desmond Ridder was

20 of 25 for 295 yards and four touchdowns and host No. 8Cincinnati beat Miami (Ohio), 49-14, in the opener for both teams. The Bearcats tied the series that began in 1888 at 59-597. Ridder threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Scott on the second play from scrimmage. It was the longest TD toss of his career.

• No. 5 Georgia held off No. 3 Clemson, 10-3.

• Ronnie Bell had a 76-yard touchdown reception and returned a punt 31 yards before being injured in host Michigan’s 47-14 victory over Western Michigan. Bell was hurt on a punt return in the second quarter and kept weight off his right leg as he was helped off the field by a teammate and staff member.

• Spencer Rattler passed for 304 yards and a touchdown and No. 2 Oklahoma, playing a road game on its home field, narrowly avoided a shocking upset by holding on for a 40-35victory over Tulane.

• Looking very much like a team capable of making another run at a national title, No. 1 Alabama opened its season with a 44-14 rout of No. 14 Miami behind four touchdown passes from Bryce Young in his first college start.

• Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown had interceptions deep in Penn State territory in the final 21⁄2 minutes to help the No. 19Nittany Lions beat No. 12 Wisconsin, 16-10.

• Anthony Brown scored on a 30-yard quarterback keeper with 2:57left and host No. 11Oregon beat Fresno State, 31-24.