TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Noah Fifita threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, Kedrick Reescano ran for two scores and Arizona opened the season with a 35-7 blowout over Northern Arizona. Coming off a nine-win season, the Wildcats kicked off their third year under coach Brent Brennan with a dominating performance. Fifita finished 22 for 29 before sitting out most of the fourth quarter. Arizona’s defense held Northern Arizona to 193 total yards, including minus-seven rushing. The Wildcats also and sacked Ty Pennington five times, including 2 1/2 by Chase Kennedy. Fifita got Arizona going early with touchdown passes to Tre Spivey and Brandon Phelps.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Will Hammond threw for 298 yards and a touchdown in his return from last year’s season-ending knee injury and No. 12 Texas Tech beat Abilene Christian 33-10 in the opener for the defending Big 12 champion. Hammond made good on coach Joey McGuire’s declarations throughout the summer that his expected starter would be ready opening night. It was slightly more than 10 months after he tore the ACL in his right knee. Quinten Joyner and J’Koby Williams ran for touchdowns in the first quarter, but the Red Raiders didn’t find the end zone again until Hammond’s 64-yard pass to Malcolm Simmons in the final 3 minutes. After Simmons’ score, Alex Broome returned the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown for the Wildcats.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Bear Bachmeier threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns – all before halftime – to lead No. 14 BYU to a 63-7 victory over Utah Tech on Saturday night. Legend Glasker caught two touchdown passes and ran for a third score in his collegiate debut. Glasker finished with a team-high 65 receiving yards on three catches. BYU (1-0) has not lost to an opponent outside the FBS ranks since 1960. The Cougars imposed their will on defense from the start. They forced four turnovers, three before halftime, while holding FCS Utah Tech (0-2) to only 52 yards in the first half.
HOUSTON (AP) — Conner Weigman threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score, Re’Shaun Sanford II and Mekhi Hughes added rushing scores and No. 23 Houston beat Oregon State 33-20 in the teams’ season opener. Weigman completed 20 of 30 passes and tossed a 31-yard scoring pass to Amare Thomas in the first quarter. Weigman also scored on a 1-yard rush with five minutes left in the fourth, increasing Houston’s lead to 33-20. Braden Atkinson finished 29 of 48 for 376 yards and a touchdown, and Jesse Legree caught five passes for 136 yards and a TD for the Beavers.
ATLANTA (AP) — Safety Eric Winters spared Auburn from a Week 1 upset, stopping Baylor inches short of a two-point conversion with nine seconds remaining on the clock and preserving the Tigers’ 17-16 win. Quarterback Byrum Brown dodged a pile-up in the middle of the field and ran for an 11-yard touchdown with 3:21 remaining in the fourth, giving Auburn a 17-10 lead. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway saved his best drive of the day for last, finding Gavin Freeman 27 yards downfield on a crucial fourth down and then four plays later hit Freeman again for a 5-yard touchdown. Winters then stopped tight end Matthew Klopfenstein short of the end zone on the two-point try and sealed Alex Golesh’s first victory as coach of the Tigers.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia jumped out to a big first-half lead, then held on for a 31-24 victory over Coastal Carolina. Cam Cook rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for one score and passed for another TD for the Mountaineers. West Virginia led 24-0 at halftime but managed just 77 yards in the second half. Redshirt freshman Deuce Bailey threw three touchdown passes in the second half for Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers kicked a field goal in the final minute but the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds and West Virginia held on.
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Quarterback Jaylen Raynor threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as Iowa State opened the season with a 38-10 win over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday. It was the first win at Iowa State for new coach Jimmy Rogers, who was hired in December after Matt Campbell left to take the head coaching job at Penn State. Rogers had to almost entirely rebuild the Cyclones’ roster, and one of the players he brought in was Raynor. Raynor, who started 33 games in three seasons at Arkansas State, was 8 of 16 passing for 184 yards and had seven carries for 32 yards
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Damari Alston ran for two touchdowns, Baylor Hayes passed for another score, and Tulsa upset Oklahoma State 24-10 to spoil the debut of Cowboys coach Eric Morris. Alston’s 29-yard burst around left end gave the Golden Hurricane a two-touchdown advantage with 8:38 left, and Tulsa intercepted quarterback Drew Mestemaker twice after that to preserve a second straight win in the series for the first time since 1952. Oklahoma State has lost 12 straight dating to last season. Hayes passed for 227 yards and Alston gained 73 yards on 15 carries to lead the offense, but it was the defense that forced four turnovers and stopped the Cowboys four times on fourth down.
