College Football Top 25 Review

SI Staff | Sep 30, 2012

College Football Top 25 Review /

College Football Top 25 Review

Alabama actually trailed for a change, a predicament that lasted a grand total of 15 seconds. Amari Cooper (left) caught two touchdown passes -- including this one over Frank Crawford -- and Christion Jones returned a kickoff 99 yards for another score to power the Crimson Tide. Alabama (5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference) trailed briefly, 7-6, for the first time in regulation since last year's Tennessee game, a span of about 10 games.

De'Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner (shown) sandwiched touchdown runs around Avery Patterson's 34-yard interception return for a score, and Oregon used a third-quarter scoring blitz to shake Washington State. Playing for the first time outside the Eugene city limits, the Ducks (5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Pac-12) looked shaky at times in the first half and led just 23-19 at the break, but put together a nearly flawless third quarter to run away from the Cougars. Barner carried 20 times for 195 yards and three touchdowns.

Zach Mettenberger's (right) perfectly placed 53-yard scoring strike to Odell Beckham Jr. exemplified the type of play Les Miles wanted to see from LSU's offense before the Tigers hit one of the toughest stretches on their schedule. If only that play had been the norm instead of the exception in a mistake-filled outing, Miles might not have been describing a "somber locker room" following LSU's win. Mettenberger hit Beckham five times for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

Chris Thompson and Florida State had trouble shaking South Florida until a defensive score in the third quarter gave the Seminoles a 30-10 lead. E.J. Manuel threw for 242 yards and a touchdown as FSU moved to 5-0 and won its fifth straight game away from Tallahassee dating back to last season.

Tennessee gave Mark Richt and Co. a scare, but Georgia held on late to improve to 5-0. Aaron Murray threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bulldogs' freshmen running backs thrived, with Keith Marshall racking up 165 yards and two scores and Todd Gurley (pictured) racing for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Vols' quarterback Tyler Bray threw for 280 yards and two scores in defeat, but he also tossed three interceptions and coughed up a costly fumble with 1:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Even a coach who loves passing as much as Steve Spurrier knows there are times his South Carolina team must run the ball to win games. The sixth-ranked Gamecocks discovered that against Kentucky. Trailing 17-7 at halftime and held to just 26 yards on the ground, South Carolina outrushed Kentucky 174-7 in the second half and scored 31 unanswered points. Marcus Lattimore (21) rushed 23 times for 120 yards and two second-half touchdowns and Kenny Miles added a 17-yard run as the Gamecocks (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) scored on five of six possessions.

Two weeks after its statement victory over USC in Palo Alto, Stanford found itself on the wrong side of a major upset Thursday night. Washington upended the No. 8 Cardinal by scoring the final 14 points of the game, the last of which came on a 35-yard catch-and-run by wideout Kasen Williams (pictured). Huskies running back Bishop Sankey collected 20 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown, while Stanford back Stepfan Taylor was held in check, finishing with just 21 carries for 75 yards.

There are shootouts, and then there was West Virginia's historic Big 12 debut against Baylor. The Mountaineers and Bears combined for 1,507 total yards, 67 first downs and 133 points in a game full of eye-popping statistics. WVU quarterback Geno Smith (pictured) threw for 656 yards and eight touchdowns, and wide receiver Stedman Bailey racked up 303 receiving yards and five scores. Baylor quarterback Nick Florence threw for 581 yards and five touchdowns and wideout Terrance Williams amassed 314 receiving yards and two scores in defeat.

David Ash threw three touchdown passes to Jaxon Shipley and Joe Bergeron (right) scored on a 2-yard run with 29 seconds left to lift No. 12 Texas. Ash directed the Longhorns (4-0 overall, 1-0 in the Big 12) on a 75-yard scoring drive after the Cowboys (2-2, 0-1) had taken the lead on Quinn Sharp's 23-yard field goal with 2:34 to play. Ash finished with 304 yards passing. Bergeron accounted for 72 total yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Urban Meyer officially has his first Big Ten win as Ohio State's head coach. The Buckeyes improved to 5-0 after taking down Michigan State in East Lansing, a victory powered by quarterback Braxton Miller (pictured). Miller passed for 179 yards, rushed for 135 yards and had one touchdown, while wideout Devin Smith reeled in the game-winning 63-yard score. Touted running back Le'Veon Bell was limited to just 49 yards on 17 carries for the Spartans.

TCU gave SMU several chances in the second half to pull off an upset. The Horned Frogs couldn't generate any offense and their sloppy special teams unit had problems holding onto the football in a heavy rain. Despite all the problems, though, TCU kept on winning. Casey Pachall (peft) threw two touchdown passes, Jason Verrett had two interceptions and TCU extended its FBS-best winning streak to 12 games -- and got revenge for a difficult loss last season -- by beating SMU.

Clemson's defense surrendered another four touchdowns, but the Tigers' offense overwhelmed Boston College en route to a 45-31 win. Quarterback Tajh Boyd (pictured) completed 28-of-39 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns, while wideout DeAndre Hopkins made 11 grabs for 198 yards and score. Andre Ellington ran for 135 yards and a touchdown, his fourth consecutive game with a rushing touchdown.

Sean Mannion (right) threw for a career-high 433 yards and hit Connor Hamlett on a 10-yard pass with 1:09 left for his third touchdown, lifting Oregon State to wild win. The Beavers (3-0 overall, 1-1 in the Pac-12) took a 17-0 lead before the Wildcats charged back and the teams traded scores in the second half of a game filled with big plays and 1,158 yards of combined offense. Mannion helped give coach Mike Riley his 75th win at Oregon State, breaking Lon Stiner's school record. Storm Woods ran for 161 yards and a touchdown for the Beavers, off to their first 3-0 start since 2002.

Senorise Perry (center) sloshed through the standing water and driving rain, bouncing off several Southern Miss defenders on his way to the end zone. With one last stumble, the 198-pound back lurched past the goal line and scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in Louisville's win at waterlogged Roberts Stadium. It wasn't pretty. Then again, nothing about this game will be remembered for artistry. Perry rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns and Jeremy Wright added 84 rushing yards as the Cardinals (5-0) continued their best start since 2006.

Taylor Martinez (left) guided four straight scoring drives against a tiring Wisconsin defense in the second half to lead Nebraska's comeback from a 17-point deficit. Martinez scored on a 38-yard run, threw a 10-yard TD pass to Kyler Reed and set up Brett Maher for the tying and go-ahead field goals. Maher's 41-yarder with 9:41 left gave the Huskers (4-1, 1-0) their first lead in the Big Ten opener. Danny O'Brien tried to bring back the two-time defending Big Ten champion Badgers (3-2, 0-1) with less than three minutes to play. But Montee Ball fumbled at midfield on a fourth-and-1, and Martinez took a knee three times to run out the last minute. The comeback tied the second-largest comeback in program history, trailing only Nebraska's rally from a 21-point deficit in the third quarter last season against Ohio State.

Joe Southwick passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns -- including this one to Shane Williams-Rhodes in the fourth quarter -- and Timmy Smith knocked down a fourth-down pass with two minutes to go to help Boise State turn back New Mexico. Boise State (3-1, 1-0 in the Mountain West) led by 25 points at the half after turning three Lobos' fumbles into 18 points.

Published Sep 30, 2012

SI STAFF