BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Wayne Knight ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter following interceptions by Ta’Shawn James and UCLA opened the Bob Chesney era with a 45-24 victory over California. Both teams entered the season with new coaches and high hopes but Chesney’s team got the best against Tosh Lupoi’s Golden Bears by capitalizing on the late miscues by quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. Anthony Woods sealed the win a 53-yard touchdown run.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sophomore Mason Heintschel threw seven touchdown passes, tying the school record to lead Pittsburgh to a 59-14 win against Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. Heintschel, a true sophomore, equaled the school record set by Pete Gonzalez against Rutgers on Oct. 25, 1997. Heintschel, who won the job midway through the season last year, completed 31 of 41 passes for 453 yards. His seven touchdowns went to seven different receivers during his first season-opening start. Redshirt freshman David McComb threw a 75-yard touchdown pass and junior Damarion Witten rushed for a score for Miami.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Steve Angeli passed for three touchdowns in his first game action following a season-ending injury nearly a year ago, freshman Shavane Anderson ran for three more, and Syracuse routed New Hampshire 66-3 Saturday in the Orange’s season opener. Angeli, who suffered a torn Achilles in Syracuse’s fourth game last season, was sharp in his return. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 263 yards and touchdown strikes of 19 and 18 yards to Umari Hatcher and 27 yards to David Clement.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Nate Sheppard ran for a career-best 227 yards and two touchdowns to help Duke beat Tulane 17-3 in Saturday’s weather-delayed season opener for both teams. Sheppard powered the Blue Devils all day, starting when he weaved through the right side for a 9-yard TD in the first quarter. He also had a 14-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for a 17-3 lead. Sheppard had 35 carries. Tulane struggled in its debut under coach Will Hall. The Green Wave managed 258 total yards and had 15 penalties for 104 yards.
CINCINNATI (AP) — JC French ran for three touchdowns and threw for another to lead Cincinnati to a 34-15 season-opening win over Boston College. It marked Cincinnati’s 25th straight win in a home opener — the second-longest streak in the country behind Oklahoma State’s 30. French, who was making his first start since transferring from Georgia Southern, completed 10 of 14 passes for 77 yards and rushed for 52 yards. Gi’Bran Payne rushed for a team-high 108 yards on 14 carries as Cincinnati finished with 340 yards of total offense. French increased Cincinnati’s lead to 24-0 when he scored on 4-yard runs on each of the first two drives of the second half. Mason McKenzie, making his first start after transferring from Saginaw Valley State, completed 18 of 35 passes for 224 yards.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The much-anticipated first game of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU was delayed by lightning and did not include two former NFL signees whose ongoing effort to return to college football has brought a lot of attention — and no shortage of criticism — upon the Tigers’ lightning-rod coach. Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris were left off the roster in advance of Saturday night’s game against Clemson in Tiger Stadium. The move to leave Wright and Harris off the roster avoided —- or perhaps just delayed — a confrontation with the Southeastern Conference, which had passed a rule banning players who’d signed with NFL teams, only to see that rule put on hold by a court in Louisiana.
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Darian Mensah threw five touchdown passes in his Miami debut, Malachi Toney set a school-record with 234 yards receiving and the seventh-ranked Hurricanes opened their season with an 45-6 victory over Stanford. Mensah and Toney connected on touchdown passes on the first two drives of the game for Miami and then again on a 47-yarder in the third quarter that broke Eddie Brown's school record of 220 set in 1984. Davis Warren threw for 204 yards for Stanford but couldn’t get the Cardinal in the end zone.
NEW YORK (AP) — Dick Gould has returned to the U.S. Open and was honored during the first match of the night session. The longtime coach, who had John McEnroe among his many future pros, hadn’t been back to the event in years but his former players wanted to celebrate him this year. Gould wore specially designed Nike sneakers Saturday that were made for him for the occasion. White and cardinal red, one had a 17 on it, signifying his total of NCAA national championships, with his record of 776-148 on the tongue. Only four coaches at any level of college, men’s or women’s, won as many national titles.
