Week 1 of college football pitted some of the country’s top programs against each other. Here is a rundown of the opening weekend’s biggest showdowns:
Alabama vs. USC
USC had the chance to restate its claim as one of the premiere football programs in the country Saturday. Instead, the premiere football program in the country, Alabama, restated its claim to the throne and sent USC fans back to Los Angeles with a deep dose of reality check. USC is nowhere near the talent or organization that Alabama is, and it wasn’t even close as the Trojans were dismantled 52-6.
UCLA at Texas A&M
In another SEC vs Pac-12 matchup, UCLA was outlasted by Texas A&M 31-24 in overtime. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen did not have his best game, throwing three interceptions, but did lead his team to a huge comeback in the fourth quarter. The Bruins rallyed from 15 points down to tie it up.
UC Davis at Oregon
Graduate transfer quarterback Dakota Prukop threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns as the Ducks won 53-28 over UC Davis. The alarming part for Oregon was its defense, as the Aggies scored 21 points in the second half, albeit in garbage time.
Kansas State at Stanford
The Christian McCaffrey experience was in full effect as he led the Cardinal to a 26-13 victory over the Wildcats. McCaffrey finished with 126 yards rushing and two scores on the day.
Oregon State at Minnesota
In case you missed it, the Beavers lost 30-23 at Minnesota. They struggled on offense but were still in the driver’s seat with the lead going into the fourth quarter before giving up two scores to lose the game.
Rutgers at Washington
In what was easily the most impressive Pac-12 showing this weekend, the Washington Huskies took apart Rutgers 48-13 on the strength of Jake Browning’s 287 yards passing and multiple huge plays by the offense and special teams.
Eastern Washington at Washington State
If Washington was the most impressive, then its state counterpart was the opposite of that. The Cougars lost at home to Eastern Washington 45-42, calling into question whether the program actually turned a corner last season.
Colorado vs Colorado State
Impressive performances overall by the Buffaloes, who looked faster and stronger than their rivals from Fort Collins. Colorado won 44-7 in the Rocky Mountain Classic behind 318 yards passing from Sefo Liufau, who became the all-time passing leader in school history.
Southern Utah at Utah
A very dull performance by the Utes on offense was evened out by an impressive defense that surrendered no points in a 24-0 win. The Utes face BYU this week in another installment of the ‘Holy War.’
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