Bronchos open the season with rout over Lindenwood

EDMOND — Central Oklahoma quarterback

Chas Stallard threw for 157 yards and four touchdowns on Thursday night, and the Bronchos opened the football season with a 35-14 rout over Lindenwood (Mo.) at Wantland Stadium.

Stallard threw two TD passes to Josh Crockett, who finished with four catches for a team-leading 68 yards. Stallard added 78 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Running back Clay McKenzie had a team-best 96 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

NATIONAL Ohio State 49, Indiana 21

BLOOMINGTON, IND. — J.K. Dobbins broke Ohio State’s freshman record by rushing for 181 yards in his college debut, J.T. Barrett threw three touchdown passes, and the second-ranked Buckeyes pulled away to beat Indiana 49-21 on Thursday night.

The Buckeyes have won 23 straight over the Hoosiers.

Indiana had big plans for what was billed as the biggest opener in school history — a prime time, nationally televised game that included the first trip by ESPN’s “College GameDay” to Bloomington.

Instead, Dobbins stole the show.

With Mike Weber, Ohio State’s top runner in 2016, out with a hamstring injury, Dobbins stepped in and surpassed Maurice Clarett’s previous debut record of 175 yards set in 2002 against Texas Tech.

Barrett overcame a slow start to finish 20 of 35 for 304 yards. He added 61 yards rushing and another score to move within two touchdowns of matching Drew Brees’ Big Ten career record for total touchdowns of 106.

Ohio State next plays Sept. 9 against Oklahoma in Columbus.

Minnesota 17, Buffalo 7

MINNEAPOLIS — Tyler Johnson had a 61-yard touchdown reception from Conor Rhoda in the first quarter to give Minnesota a spark in coach P.J. Fleck’s first game, and the Gophers grinded out a 17-7 victory over Buffalo in the season opener on Thursday night.

Fleck led his players in a pregame sprint out of the tunnel beneath a vintage late-summer evening sky, and Johnson racked up 141 yards on six catches by halftime. The rest of the night took on a considerably slower pace, with the Gophers content to call inside handoffs on read-option plays behind new quarterbacks Rhoda and Demry Croft.

Fleck became the first Gophers head coach to win his first game with the program since John Gutekunst beat Bowling Green on Sept. 13, 1986. Jim Wacker (1992), Glen Mason (1997), Tim Brewster (2007), Jeff Horton (2010 interim), Jerry Kill (2011) and Tracy Claeys (2015 interim) all lost.

Utah 37, North Dakota 16

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley threw for 227 yards, rushed for 70 and accounted for three touchdowns as the Utes overwhelmed FCS North Dakota 37-16 in the season opener for both teams.

Utah debuted its new fast-paced, pass-first, spread offense with first-year offensive coordinator Troy Taylor and the difference was apparent from the start.

Running back Zack Moss finished with a career-high 128 yards rushing and a touchdown on 22 carries. Oregon transfer Darren Carrington had 10 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Toledo 47, Elon 13

TOLEDO, OHIO — Diontae Johnson returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards to break open a close game, and Toledo opened the season with a win over Elon.

Johnson caught four passes for 102 yards, including a 69-yard catch.

Logan Woodside threw for 314 yards on 19-of-31 passing for the Rockets, the preseason pick to win the West Division in a poll of MAC coaches. Cody Thompson pulled in five passes for 112 yards.

Shakif Seymour rushed for 102 yards and one score.