Mayfield, No. 7 Oklahoma crush UTEP
NORMAN, Okla. - Baker Mayfield passed for 329 yards and three touchdowns in one half of action to help No. 7 Oklahoma roll past UTEP 56-7 on Saturday.
Mayfield completed 16 straight passes to start the game. He didn’t miss until just under four minutes remained in the second quarter and completed 19 of 20 passes overall.
The Sooners rolled up 676 yards of offense in their first game under new head coach Lincoln Riley. The 33-year-old was promoted from offensive coordinator after Bob Stoops abruptly stepped down in June.
“I’m really proud of how our kids responded,” Riley said. “It was a complete effort. Offensively, we moved the ball well the majority of the day.”
Mark Andrews had career highs of seven catches and 134 yards, all in the first half, for the Sooners. Jeff Badet, a transfer from Kentucky, added 91 yards on four catches as the Sooners warmed up for a showdown next weekend at No. 2 Ohio State.
Walter Dawn Jr. ran for 56 yards and UTEP’s only touchdown. The Miners were held to 167 total yards.
No. 6 Penn State 52, Akron 0: Saquon Barkley racked up 226 total yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 6 Penn State to a 52-0 win over Akron in the season opener on Saturday.
Quarterback Trace McSorley was 18 for 25 passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns to help Penn State’s high-octane offense pick up where it left off when the Big Ten champions won nine of their final 10 games last season. McSorley also ran for a touchdown.
Although it rained heavily early in the game at Beaver Stadium, a soggy field and leaky Akron defense couldn’t slow Penn State’s pair of Heisman Trophy candidates. They combined for 371 total yards and four scores in the first half to put the game out of reach.
No. 12 Auburn 41, Georgia Southern 7: Jarrett Stidham threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score in his debut for No. 12 Auburn in a 41-7 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday night.
The Tigers used a smothering defense to overcome three turnovers — including a fumble returned for a touchdown — plus an injury to tailback Kerryon Johnson and the absence of top runner Kamryn Pettway. Pettway, wide receiver Kyle Davis and backup quarterback Sean White all were held out for undisclosed reasons in the opener for both teams.
The news got worse when Johnson pulled up short on what appeared destined to be his second long touchdown of the first half. He left with an apparent right hamstring injury and didn’t return after gaining 136 yards with a 60-yard touchdown scamper.
Stidham scored on a 14-yard run and passed for 19-yard touchdowns to Ryan Davis and Will Hastings in the opener for both teams. He finished 14-of-24 passing for 185 yards with an interception in a much-anticipated debut.
No. 15 Georgia 31, Appalachian State 10: Freshman Jake Fromm led three first-half touchdown drives after starting quarterback Jacob Eason hurt his left knee, helping No. 15 Georgia beat Appalachian State.
Fromm completed 10 of 15 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Nick Chubb ran for 96 yards, including scoring runs of 1 and 7 yards. Sony Michel added 87 yards rushing and a touchdown for Georgia in the opener for both teams. Eason was injured on a late hit in the first quarter and needed help leaving the field.
Fromm threw a 34-yard scoring pass to Javon Wims for his second of three straight touchdown drives in the first half. Chubb and Michel gained momentum as an undersized defense for Appalachian State appeared to wear down.
No. 16 Louisville 35, Purdue 28: Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and compiled 485 total yards Saturday, helping No. 16 Louisville escape with a 35-28 victory over Purdue.
The mistake-prone Cardinals’ snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jackson, of course, was the difference. He went 30 of 46 with 378 yards through the air while running 21 times for 107 yards. He also moved into the top five in school history on TD passes and yards rushing.
No. 18 Miami 41, Bethune-Cookman 13: Malik Rosier passed for 217 yards and three touchdowns in his debut as Miami’s full-time starting quarterback, Mark Walton ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns and the 18thranked Hurricanes beat BethuneCookman 41-13 on Saturday.
Rosier completed 17 of 28 passes for Miami (1-0), which scored on five of its first six possessions. He spread the ball to nine different receivers and went 12for-14 in one stretch in his first start since Oct. 31, 2015.
Braxton Berrios, Lawrence Cager and Darrell Langham had touchdown catches for Miami.
No. 19 South Florida 31, Stony Brook 17: Quinton Flowers threw for 186 yards and a pair of second-half touchdowns to help No. 19 South Florida shrug off a slow start in a 31-17 victory over Stony Brook on Saturday.
Tyre McCants’ 65-yard TD reception put USF (2-0) ahead for good with 11:23 remaining. Mazzi Wilkins’ interception set up a late TD that ended any hopes for Stony Brook (0-1) to rally for an upset.
No. 20 Kansas State 55, Central Arkansas 19: Jesse Ertz threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns in only three quarters of work, sending No. 20 Kansas State to a 55-19 rout of overmatched Central Arkansas on Saturday night.
Byron Pringle had three catches for 121 yards and a score, and Isaiah Harris had three catches for 118 yards and a TD, as seven different Wildcats reached the end zone. That helped them overcome a shaky night by their rebuilt defense and give coach Bill Snyder another season-opening win.
— Wire services