STARS
_ Kellen Moore, Boise State, threw for three touchdowns, giving him 102 in his career, in the No. 5 Broncos’ romp over 19th-ranked Georgia 35-21.
_ Dominique Whaley, Oklahoma, ran for four scores in his debut to lead the top-ranked Sooners to a 47-14 win over Tulsa.
_ Taylor Martinez, Nebraska, ran for 135 yards and three TDs to help the No. 10 Cornhuskers beat Chattanooga 40-7 in their first game as Big Ten members.
_ Robert Woods, Southern Cal, caught a school-record 17 passes for 177 yards and three TDs, helping the No. 25 Trojans beat Minnesota 19-17.
_ EJ Manuel, Florida State, threw for 252 yards and two TDs in the No. 6 Seminoles’ 34-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe.
_ David Wilson, Virginia Tech, ran for 162 yards and three TDs in the No. 13 Hokies’ 66-13 victory against Appalachian State.
_ AJ McCarron, Alabama, threw for a TD and 226 yards as the No. 2 Crimson Tide beat an overmatched Kent State 48-7.
_ Bryn Renner, North Carolina, threw for 277 yards and two TDs in his first start, a 42-10 win over James Madison.
_ Tajh Boyd, Clemson, was 20-for-30 for 264 yards and three TDs in his debut as the starter, leading the Tigers to a 43-19 win over Troy.
_ Case Keenum, Houston, threw for 310 yards and two TDs in his return from reconstructive knee surgery, helping the Cougars beat UCLA 38-34.
_ Mikel Hunter, Air Force, scored on an 80-yard reverse on the game’s first snap and added a 55-yard TD reception as the Falcons cruised past South Dakota 37-20.
_ Kayvon Webster, South Florida, returned a fumble 96 yards for an early touchdown as the Bulls stunned 16th-ranked Notre Dame 23-20 in their first trip to South Bend.
_ Joe Adams, Arkansas, tied a Southeastern Conference record with two punt returns for touchdowns, scoring from 61 and 78 yards out in the Razorbacks’ 51-7 win over Missouri State
_ Ray Graham, Pittsburgh, ran for 201 yards and three TDs in the Panthers’ 35-16 victory over Buffalo.
_ Kriss Proctor, Navy, rushed for three TDs and threw his first career TD pass in the Midshipmen’s 40-17 blowout of Delaware.
_ Andrew Luck, Stanford, threw two TD passes and ran for another score, leading seventh-ranked Stanford past San Jose State 57-3.
_ Jordan Webb, Kansas, threw three TD passes and ran for another, helping the Jayhawks beat McNeese State 42-24.
_ Tyler Bray, Tennessee, threw for 293 yards and three TDs as the Vols beat Montana 42-16.
_ Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois, threw a career-high five TD passes and rushed for another to give the Huskies a 49-26 victory over Army.
_ Chris Rainey, Florida, scored on a 14-yard reception, a 14-yard run and a 22-yard blocked punt return to help the 22nd-ranked Gators beat Florida Atlantic 41-3.
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BAD WEATHER
A band of strong storms wreaked havoc on college football games all across the Midwest.
Fans were asked to evacuate Michigan Stadium late in the third quarter against Western Michigan during a second break because of lightning. Both schools agreed to end the game with 1:27 left in the third quarter during the second delay, giving the Wolverines a 34-10 win.
The game between Howard and Eastern Michigan was postponed until Sunday due to severe weather.
Notre Dame Stadium was evacuated at halftime against South Florida because of lightning, as was Iowa State’s Kinnick Stadium during the Hawkeyes 34-7 win over Tennessee Tech.
Games between Delaware State and VMI, Montana and Tennessee, and McNeese State at Kansas were also delayed because of weather.
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BIG 12 COMMITTMENTS
The Big 12 appears to be teetering on the brink of collapse again with Texas A&M announcing its plans to leave the conference and Oklahoma shopping conferences.
Texas, Missouri and Kansas State’s athletic directors say they’re committed to the Big 12.
DeLoss Dodds of Texas, John Currie of K-State and Missouri’s Mike Alden all say they would like the conference to survive, but will monitor what happens.
Oklahoma State billionaire booster Boone Pickens had a different prediction, saying he doesn’t think the Big 12 will last much longer and believes the Cowboys eventually will end up in what’s now the Pac-12 Conference.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, speaking before No. 3 Oregon played No. 4 LSU at Cowboys Stadium, said the conference has heard from several schools, but has not tried to lure anyone away.
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COACHES IN THE BOX
Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger had planned to be on the sideline for his team’s game against No. 22 Florida. Hip pain and leg cramps sent him upstairs to a coaching box.
A day earlier, Schnellenberger was taken to a hospital after experiencing severe discomfort in his surgically repaired hip during a bus ride to Gainesville. The 77-year-old coach had hip replacement surgery three weeks ago, shortly after he announced he’ll retire from coaching following this season.
Penn State’s Joe Paterno coached from the press box against Indiana State a little over three weeks after suffering shoulder and pelvis injuries from an accidental collision in practice.
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INJURIES
_ Washington State starting quarterback Jeff Tuel broke his left clavicle during the first quarter of the season opening game against Idaho State. A team spokesman wasn’t sure how long he would be out.
_ UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince left the Bruins’ game against Houston with a concussion. He had season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last October, but won a tight battle over Richard Brehaut to be the starter this season.
_ Michigan cornerback Troy Woolfolk was carted off the field with against Western Michigan after injuring his left ankle on a kickoff. He missed all of last season with an injured right ankle.
_ Iowa freshman running back Mika’il McCall will miss the rest of the season after breaking his ankle in a 34-7 win over Tennessee Tech.
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COACHING DEBUTS
Several coaches made their debuts as head coaches on Saturday. Some did well, others, not so much:
_ Brady Hoke coached Michigan to a 34-10 win over Western Michigan in just about three quarters. The game was called because of lightning with 1:27 left in the third.
_ Larry Coker, who coached Miami to the 2001 national championships won his debut at Texas-San Antonio, 31-3.
_ Everett Withers won his first game as interim coach at North Carolina, 42-10 over James Madison.
_ The Will Muschamp era at Florida opened with a 41-3 win over Florida Atlantic.
_ Paul Pasqualoni, in his first game since leaving Syracuse in 2004, won in his Connecticut debut, 35-3 over Fordham.
_ Todd Graham’s tenure at Pittsburgh started off with a 36-16 win over Buffalo.
_ Northern Illinois gave new coach Dave Doeren a win in his debut with a 49-26 victory over Army.
_ David Shaw won in his first game as Jim Harbaugh’s replacement, leading the Cardinal to a 57-3 win over San Jose State.
_ Jerry Kill’s Minnesota Gophers kept it tight against No. 25 Southern California before losing 19-17.
_ Miami of Ohio put a scare into No. 21 Missouri before falling 17-6 in Don Treadwell’s debut.
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FAMBROUGH DIES
Kansas announced former football coach Don Fambrough has died of injuries sustained in a fall at his home in Lawrence. He was 88.
Fambrough either coached or played in five of the nine bowl games Kansas has participated in. He was All-Big Six offensive lineman in 1946 and 1947. He was head coach from 1971-74, then again from 1979-82. His overall record was 37-48-6. He was Big Eight coach of the year in 1981.
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NUMBERS
10 _ Straight losses by Sacramento State against FBS teams before the Hornets upset Oregon State 29-28 in overtime.
16 _ Wins with no losses for Air Force against schools from the Championship Subdivision after a 37-20 win over South Dakota.
26 _ Consecutive openers won by Nebraska, longest streak in the nation.
34 _ Number of completions by USC quarterback Matt Barkley against Minnesota, a school record.
113 _ Height in feet of Arizona’s new video scoreboard, one of the largest in college sports.
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TOOMER’S CORNER
The poisoned trees at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn aren’t doing well, but it didn’t stop Tigers fans from keeping a cherished tradition alive.
Hundreds streamed to Toomer’s Corner following the 23rd-ranked Tigers’ 42-38, comeback win over Utah State, celebrating like always by heaving toilet paper into the branches of the two clearly ailing oaks at the intersection of campus and downtown.
Alabama fan Harvey Updyke Jr. was indicted on charges including criminal mischief and desecration of a venerated object and awaits trial after pleading not guilty.
With leaves mottled brown and yellow, the now frail-looking trees are getting special treatment from the university, town and fan base in hopes that they’ll pull through. A barricade protected the trees along with signs asking fans to keep off the soil.
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