Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Louisville defeated Florida State 63-20. Photo Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If one was wondering about the legitimacy of No. 10 Louisville as a national contender, wonder no more.
The Cardinals took No. 2 Florida State behind the woodshed in a dominant display on Saturday, administering a 63-20 Atlantic Coast Conference whipping at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson stamped himself as the clear favorite for the Heisman Trophy, accounting for five touchdowns. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 216 yards with a score and an interception, while running 17 times for 146 yards and a career high-tying four touchdowns.
Jackson had plenty of help. Running back Brandon Radcliff added 118 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while wide receiver James Quick caught seven passes for 122 yards.
Defensively, Louisville (3-0) stifled the Seminoles (2-1), limiting them to 284 yards and 20 first downs, with those numbers padded by two fourth-quarter scoring drives. Its front seven consistently pushed back Florida State’s offensive line, putting freshman quarterback Deondre Francois under duress all day.
No. 5 Clemson 59, South Carolina State 0
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson scored a school-record 31 points in the first quarter and cruised over South Carolina State.
The Tigers, who slipped in the this week’s poll following a close win against Troy, left nothing to chance against the FCS Bulldogs, scoring early and often in improving to 3-0.
Clemson led 45-0 at halftime, and head coaches Dabo Swinney of Clemson and Buddy Pough of S.C. State agreed to shorten the final two quarters from 15 to 12 minutes.
No. 9 Wisconsin 23, Georgia State 17
MADISON, Wis. — A quarterback switch invigorated a listless offense as Wisconsin rallied for a win against Georgia State.
Freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook orchestrated a late-game surge and junior kicker Rafael Gaglianone kicked three field goals as Wisconsin (2-0) scored the final 10 points.
Hornibrook completed 8 of 12 passes for 122 yards and one interception. He came in with 6:00 left in the third quarter to replace senior starter Bart Houston, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 91 yards.
North Dakota State 23, No. 13 Iowa 21
IOWA CITY, Iowa — North Dakota State came to Kinnick Stadium with a reputation for beating FBS opponents. On Saturday, the Bison scored their biggest victory yet.
A 37-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Cam Pedersen as time expired gave North Dakota State a stunning victory over Iowa. The Bison moved to 3-0 with the win, while Iowa dropped to 2-1.
Trailing 21-20, North Dakota State opted to go for the two-point conversion to put it ahead, but was unable to convert when sophomore quarterback Easton Stick’s pass into the end zone was batted away. Iowa’s offense then went three-and-out, giving North Dakota State a chance for the win. A 29-yard run up the middle by Stick highlighted what proved to be the game-winning drive.
No. 15 Tennessee 28, Ohio 19
Senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw two touchdown passes to junior receiver Josh Malone as Tennessee sidestepped an upset bid by Ohio to post a victory in non-conference play at Knoxville, Tenn.
Malone’s second touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter capped an 11-play, 90-yard drive that assured the Volunteers (3-0) wouldn’t become the first ranked team to lose to the Bobcats in the program’s 122-year history.
Dobbs was 19 of 27 passing for 203 yards and one interception. Malone caught five passes for 69 yards and junior running back Jalen Hurd added a rushing touchdown. Redshirt freshman Louie Zervos kicked four field goals for the Bobcats (1-2), who fell to 0-27 against Top 25 teams.
No. 25 Miami 45, Appalachian State 10
BOONE, N.C. — Brad Kaaya threw three touchdown passes as Miami rode a strong start to an easy victory over Appalachian State.
Running back Mark Walton rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns as the Hurricanes were largely smooth in their first road game of the season. Kaaya completed 20 of 26 passes for 362 yards, with one interception.
The Hurricanes bolted to a 21-0 lead in the first 13 1/2 minutes as Mark Richt was on his way to becoming the fifth Miami football coach to begin 3-0 in his first season.
