College football roundp Thursday’s other games

No. 19 Louisville 70, Charlotte 14

LOUISVILLE, KY.

Lamar Jackson accounted for a school-record eight touchdowns and 405 offensive yards by halftime to help No. 19 Louisville dismantle Charlotte in the season opener for both teams. Jackson broke Chris Redman’s 1998 record for combined rushing and passing TDs and he tied Redman’s mark for passing TDs. He seemed poised to add a few more before exiting without taking a snap in the second half. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 286 yards and rushed 11 times for 119 yards, including a 36-yard TD run on Louisville’s opening drive. Louisville gained 663 yards overall. Jackson’s performance was an impressive follow-up to his breakout freshman season in which he combined for 2,800 yards and 23 TDs — including 960 rushing to break Louisville season and career marks by a QB. His final game last season was a 453-yard, three-TD combined effort in a Music City Bowl win over Texas A&M that earned MVP honors. That showing raised expectations for this year, and the 6-foot-3, 204-pound Jackson quickly delivered for a sellout crowd of 53,127.

No. 9 Tennessee 20, Appalachian State 13, OT

KNOXVILLE, TENN.

Jalen Hurd recovered quarterback Joshua Dobbs’ overtime fumble in the end zone and No. 9 Tennessee overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to escape with a over Appalachian State. Tennessee faced third-and-goal from the 2 when Dobbs ran to his right and lost control of the ball as he tried to stretch his arms across the goal line. Hurd won the scramble for the loose ball in the end zone to give the Volunteers their only lead of the night. Micah Abernathy ended the game by breaking up a pass into the end zone on fourth-and-5 from the 20. Tennessee’s comeback prevented Appalachian State from producing another shocker nine years to the day after the Mountaineers stunned No. 5 Michigan in one of the greatest upsets in college football history. The Vols tied it on Dobbs’ 67-yard touchdown pass to Josh Malone with 10:30 left in regulation. Appalachian State’s Michael Rubino, who earlier missed an extra point, was wide right on a 42-yard field goal attempt with 5:24 remaining. Rubino’s miss wasted a 57-yard punt return by Jaquil Capel that gave Appalachian State the ball at the 28.

Wake Forest 7, Tulane 3

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

Victories at Wake Forest in recent years have been few and — for the offense, anyway — forgettable. The Demon Deacons started the season with another one of those. Kendall Hinton ran for a short early touchdown and Wake Forest overcame some offensive struggles and held on for a season-opening victory over Tulane. It brought to mind that 6-3, double overtime victory over Virginia Tech in 2014. Or the 3-0 win at Boston College last year. Nothing came easy for the Demon Deacons (1-0) against a Tulane team playing its first game under new coach Willie Fritz and breaking in his run-heavy offense that produced the Bowl Subdivision’s top rushing team in each of his two seasons at Georgia Southern. Wake Forest managed just 175 total yards — 59 yards and three first downs in the second half — yet won a matchup of teams coming off consecutive 3-9 seasons.

UConn 24, Maine 21

EAST HARTFORD, CONN.

Bobby Puyol hit a 37-yard field goal with 11 seconds left and UConn avoided a season-opening upset with a win over Maine from the Football Championship Subdivision. UConn defensive tackle Mike Myers blocked a 47-yard field-goal attempt with 1:48 to play and UConn drove 50 yards in nine plays for the winning score. Quarterback Bryant Shirreffs hit receiver Brian Lemelle with an 18-yard pass down the left sideline to set up the kick. Shirreffs threw for 162 yards and ran for another 95. UConn tailback Ron Johnson added two rushing touchdowns for the Huskies. Maine quarterback Dan Collins threw for 269 yards and two scores and receiver Jaleel Reed caught eight balls for 169 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown. Black Bears cornerback Najee Goode Jr. forced a Shirreffs fumble and returned it 76 yards for a score that gave Maine a 21-14 fourth-quarter lead.

Cincinnati 28, UT Martin 7

CINCINNATI

Hayden Moore threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, Mike Boone ran for a score and Cincinnati beat UT Martin. Cincinnati scored on a 3-yard pass from Moore to Nate Cole with 19 seconds left in the first half to pull to 7-6. Josh Pasley, who missed a 24-yard field goal earlier, missed the extra point. Kahlil Lewis added a 3-yard TD catch late in the third and a successful two-point conversion made it 14-7. Boone’s TD capped an 11-play drive and Tyrell Gilbert intercepted Gunnar Holcombe and returned it 58 yards to cap the scoring. Tion Green ran for 97 yards for Cincinnati (1-0). Jaimiee Bowe rushed for 102 yards for UT Martin (0-1). Holcombe threw for 146 yards but was intercepted twice.

Holcombe, a transfer from Marshall, led UT Martin on a 14-play, 75-yard season-opening drive. It ended in a 7-yard TD catch by Caylon Weathers for a 7-0 lead.The Skyhawks are 1-21 all-time against FBS teams. The lone win was a 20-17 victory over Memphis on September 1, 2012.

Central Michigan 49, Presbyterian 3

MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH.

Jahray Hayes ran for three touchdowns and Central Michigan rolled over Presbyterian in the season opener for both teams. On the second play from scrimmage, Devon Spalding broke off a 69-yard touchdown run and the rout was on. Spalding finished with 135 yards rushing on just 15 carries. In the second quarter, Presbyterian punted from its own 7-yard line. A 26-yard return by Emmett Thomas set up a short field, and seven plays later Hayes punched it in from the 2 for a 14-0 lead. Hayes added a 12-yard touchdown run and Cooper Rush hooked up with Corey Willis for a 46-yard scoring toss in the third quarter. In the fourth, Hayes scored his third TD on an 8-yard carry and Amari Coleman returned an interception 27 yards for a score. Jonathan Ward added a 45-yard touchdown run. Presbyterian managed just 126 total yards and six first downs, while CMU amassed 492 yards — including 255 on the ground.

South Carolina 13, Vanderbilt 10

NASHVILLE, TENN.

Elliott Fry kicked a career-long 55-yard field goal with 35 seconds left, and the South Carolina Gamecocks rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Vanderbilt in Will Muschamp’s debut as head coach. Muschamp started Perry Orth at quarterback and also played freshman Brandon McIlwain. But it was Orth who went back into the game in the third quarter and threw for 152 yards rallying the Gamecocks to their eighth straight victory over Vanderbilt.

Associated Press