COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY
Big Stars
Joe Williams, Utah rushed for a school-record 332 yards and four TDs to help the No. 19 Utes hold off UCLA 52-45. Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington, threw for a school-record 520 yards and four TDs to lead the Eagles to a 41-17 win over Montana State. Eric Dungey, Syracuse, threw for 434 yards and three TDs to help the Orange beat Boston College 28-20. Anthony Lawrence, San Diego, threw for 301 yards and a career-high five TDs in a 49-10 win over Valparaiso. Anthony Maddie, Northern Illinois, threw for 199 yards, ran for 125 more, and had five total TDs a 44-7 win over Buffalo. Dallas Sealey, Abilene Christian, threw for 346 yards and a career-high five TDs in a 52-27 win over Incarnate Word. Tyler Stehling, Rice, threw for 407 yards and five TDs, both career highs, and the Owls raced to a 65-44 victory over Prairie View.
Big numbers
10: Years since Colorado had been bowl eligible before a 10-5 win over Stanford. 21: Straight losses to FBS opponents by Kansas after losing to Oklahoma State 44-20. 57: Career touchdowns by Bryant’s Dalton Easton , breaking the previous school record held by Charlie Granatell. 543: Yards rushing by No. 21 Auburn in a 56-3 victory over No. 17 Arkansas, the most by the Tigers in an SEC.
Run, Joe, run
Five years after Utah running back Joe Williams and UCLA quarterback Mike Fafaul left Fork Union Military Academy together, they both posted record-breaking performances on the same wild afternoon. Only Williams left the Rose Bowl happy with his effort — and his decision to get back in the game with the Utes. Williams rushed for a school-record 332 yards and four touchdowns in his second game back from retirement, and No. 19 Utah held off pass-happy UCLA 52-45. Williams broke off TD runs of 3, 43, 64 and 55 yards during the greatest rushing day in Utah (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) history, surpassing Mike Anderson’s 1999 record, and the most prolific rushing performance ever by a UCLA opponent.
Observations
1. No. 1 Alabama tore up the No. 6 team in the country without playing its A game. 2. Here’s the difference between Alabama and most normal football teams. With most teams, when the 295-pound lineman tries to grab the bouncing loose football, he falls over his own feet and is lucky to just recover the fumble. At Alabama, Jonathan Allen scoops it up like a defensive back and outruns everybody to the end zone. 3. Reggie Bush of Southern California had the most decisive Heisman Trophy voting victory of all time, as calculated by percentage of available points received. Bush, whose 2005 award was later vacated because of NCAA infractions, received 91.77 percent of the available points. Troy Smith of Ohio State (91.63) was second best in 2006 and Marcus Mariota of Oregon is third on the list (90.92 in 2014). 4. Might want to keep those numbers handy for Dec. 10 the way Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson is going. 5. Jackson (16 rushing touchdowns and 18 touchdown passes) is closing in on becoming the seventh FBS player and first since Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois in 2013 to score at least 20 touchdowns and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in the same season. Among the other six are three Heisman winners (Tim Tebow, 2007; Cam Newton, 2010; Johnny Manziel, 2012). 6. The player with the best chance to catch Jackson might be Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, but that’s only if the Wolverines are dedicated to giving him enough offensive touches to accumulate stats. Against Illinois, Peppers had six touches for 14 yards . That’s not going to get it done.