COLLEGE FOOTBALL Utah backs up preseason hype

Northwestern rallied twice, but eventually fell to TCU in two overtimes, 48-45.
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SALT LAKE CITY -- Alex Smith threw for three touchdowns, rushed for two more and finished with 435 yards of offense, and No. 20 Utah backed up its first preseason ranking with a 41-21 win over Texas A & amp;M on Thursday night.
Smith threw for a personal-best 359 yards in the opener for both teams, in a game that had the look of a Utah rout from early-on.
Smith had trouble with his accuracy early, but adjusted and completed 21 of 29 passes and topped his 340-yard passing performance last year against Oregon. He also ran 13 times for 76 yards.
The Aggies, who last season lost their last three games and five of their last six, continued to struggle on defense. Utah finished with 582 yards of offense and scored five touchdowns on defensive blunders in which the Utes were all but untouched on their way into the end zone.
A & amp;M's Reggie McNeal ran for two touchdowns, including a 59-yarder late in the second quarter, but he struggled with his passing.
Steve Savoy caught a short pass over the middle and turned it into a 78-yard touchdown just 1:13 into the first quarter, then scored easily on an end-around from 9 yards to start the second quarter.
TCU 48, Northwestern 45, 2OT
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Peter LoCoco kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second overtime.
Northwestern trailed by 14 points and came back to tie the game three times. The last rally came with 13 seconds remaining when Brett Basanez's 8-yard TD pass to Shaun Herbert forced overtime.
But Brett Huffman missed five field goals for the Wildcats, including both of his attempts in overtime.
Boston College 19, Ball St. 11
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Will Blackmon returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, but the Eagles passed for 135 yards and rushed for 205. Ball State managed just 64 yards rushing.
Boston College quarterback Paul Peterson completed 12-of-23 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, and rushed five times for 54 yards.
The Eagles (1-0) got 129 yards rushing from redshirt freshman L.V. Whitworth.
E. Michigan 37, Buffalo 34
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Matt Bohnet completed 11-of-20 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 92 yards for Eastern Michigan.
Bohnet hit Chris Talley in the fourth quarter for the go-ahead touchdown. Adam Jacobs caught Bohnet's other touchdown pass, an 8-yarder with 1:59 remaining in the second quarter. Anthony Sherrell rushed for 151 yards and one touchdown for Eastern Michigan.
Eagles free safety Jerry Gaines returned a fumble 82 yards for the game's first touchdown 1:53 into the game.