College Football Top 25 Review

SI Staff | Sep 23, 2012

College Football Top 25 Review /

College Football Top 25 Review

Alabama continued its early-season dominance by routing Florida Atlantic. AJ McCarron threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Eddie Lacy (pictured) carried 15 times for 106 yards. The Tide defense continued to stonewall the opposition, limiting the Owls to 110 yards of total offense.

It didn't come easy, but LSU rallied to clinch a crucial victory in Week 4. Spencer Ware (pictured) paced the ground game with 15 carries for 88 yards, and Zach Mettenberger fronted the aerial attack by going 15-of-27 for 169 yards. Les Miles' defense was typically stout. LSU held Auburn scoreless in the second half and intercepted Kiehl Frazier twice.

Redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, including a 55-yard scoring pass to freshman Bralon Addison late in the third quarter, and Oregon rolled. Billed as an offensive juggernaut between the Pac-12's fastest scoring teams, Oregon didn't find its stride until the second half - and Arizona never did - and the Ducks (4-0, 1-0) got their seventh straight conference-opening victory.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, but Florida State took over in the second. EJ Manuel (pictured) accounted for 482 yards and two touchdowns, and Chris Thompson carried 15 times for 103 yards and two scores. After falling behind 31-21 in the third quarter, the Seminoles outscored the Tigers 28-6 to end the game.

Georgia started early and never let up against Vanderbilt. Aaron Murray completed 18-of-24 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, freshman Todd Gurley rushed for 130 yards and two scores and Marlon Brown made five receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. The defense (pictured) was equally relentless. The Commodores went just 2-of-14 on third-down conversions.

Entering the game, Oklahoma was 13-0 in home conference openers under Bob Stoops. Now the Sooners are 13-1. Kansas State upset Oklahoma in Norman behind strong performances from Collin Klein, who collected 228 total yards and a touchdown, John Hubert (pictured), who rushed for 130 yards and a score, and defensive back Ty Zimmerman, who made an interception and recovered a fumble. The Wildcats improved to 4-0 for the third consecutive season.

Missouri didn't find Columbia, S.C., quite as welcoming as Columbia, Mo. The Tigers struggled in their first SEC road game, managing just 12 first downs. Meanwhile, Marcus Lattimore (pictured) had a big day for the Gamecocks, rushing 21 times for 86 yards and two touchdowns and catching seven passes for 61 additional yards.

The final score was surprisingly close, but Geno Smith threw three touchdown passes to help the Mountaineers stay undefeated and in BCS contention. Maryland native Tavon Austin (pictured) had a huge day for West Virginia, catching 13 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns. He also set the WVU record for career receptions.

The game may have been filled with errors, but Notre Dame stayed unbeaten by taking down Michigan. Tommy Rees replaced Everett Golson and threw for 115 yards, and running back Theo Riddick (pictured) carried 17 times for 51 yards. The real story of the game was the defense. The Irish forced six turnovers -- including four Denard Robinson interceptions.

USC didn't appear to feel any carryover effect from last week's loss to Stanford. Matt Barkley threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns, Silas Redd rushed for 157 yards and a score and Marqise Lee and Robert Woods (pictured) combined for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the Trojans' win over Cal. The defense also stepped up. T.J. McDonald and Jawanza Starling both reeled in interceptions.

Florida easily extended its winning streak against SEC East foe Kentucky to 26 games, overcoming a slow start to throttle the Wildcats. Jaylen Watkins (pictured) and the Florida defense intercepted three Kentucky passes, holding the Wildcats to 60 passing yards. Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel, meanwhile, passed for 203 yards, one touchdown and one interception and rushed for an additional score.

Ohio State entered as a 37-point favorite against UAB. The contest didn't exactly shake out that way, as UAB got out to a 9-0 lead and ultimately outgained Ohio State 403 yards to 347 and 22 first downs to 20. But the Buckeyes again found victory on the back of quarterback Braxton Miller (pictured), who rushed for two touchdowns, a two-point conversion and 64 yards and completed 12 passes for 143 yards.

The Horned Frogs have won an FBS-best 11 consecutive games. TCU allowed its first touchdown of the year, but scored plenty of its own, as quarterback Casey Pachall threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, including a 68-yard score to receiver Brandon Carter (pictured), who caught five passes for 128 yards.

Oregon State has only played two games this season, but they've both been memorable. The Beavers knocked off ranked Wisconsin in Week 2 and upset ranked UCLA today. Storm Woods (pictured) rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, while Sean Mannion passed for 369 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon State's defense did its part as well, limiting UCLA to a 13-percent success rate on third-down conversions.

It was closer than expected, but Louisville took down Florida International on the road to improve to 4-0. Teddy Bridgewater (pictured) completed 19-of-37 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns, and Andrell Smith made five catches for 50 yards and a score. The Cardinals' running game also proved effective. Senorise Perry tallied 10 carries for 64 yards, and Jeremy Wright ran 15 times for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Michigan State's offense struggled mightily for much of this game, and the Spartans trailed 7-6 midway through the third quarter. But Sparty stayed in it thanks to a suffocating defense that smothered running back Dominique Sherrer (pictured) and Eastern Michigan, holding the Eagles to eight first downs.

Often overlooked behind other SEC powerhouses, Mississippi State dispatched of South Alabama to improve to 4-0. Tyler Russell completed 14 passes for 197 yards, LaDarius Perkins carried 11 times for 69 yards and a touchdown and Brandon Heavens (pictured) led the receiving corps with three catches for 55 yards. After a bye week, the Bulldogs will play Kentucky on Oct. 6.

For the second time this season, Boise State failed to score on offense. Unlike in their opening-week loss to Michigan State, however, the Broncos pulled out a victory in this one thanks to an outstanding defensive effort. Boise forced five BYU turnovers, including a pick-six from defensive tackle Mike Atkinson and an interception from defensive back Jamar Taylor (pictured). BYU managed just 61 passing yards.

Not all Big Ten teams struggled in Week 4. Nebraska scored a whopping 73 points, racking up 28 first downs, 571 total yards and 392 rushing yards in the process. Equally exciting for the 'Huskers: Rex Burkhead (pictured) returned after missing time with a sprained knee, rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns on a mere eight carries.

Published Sep 23, 2012

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