A&M tops Colorado, but loses QB King

Oregon defensive back celebrates their 35-28 win over Ohio State after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Oregon beat Ohio State 35-28. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Oregon defensive back celebrates their 35-28 win over Ohio State after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Oregon beat Ohio State 35-28. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

DENVER -- Freshman quarterback Haynes King's backup started out slowly, finished precious few drives and even fumbled the football a whisker from the goal line.

Sophomore Zach Calzada came up clutch in the end, though, throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaiah Spiller with 2:41 remaining to help fifth-ranked Texas A&M edge Colorado 10-7 Saturday.

"The one thing you can say he made the plays on those drives that mattered, right there at the end," Aggies Coach Jimbo Fisher said.

And Fisher didn't want to hear about how his Aggies should have walloped the Buffaloes, either.

"First and foremost, Colorado played a heck of a football game. We got a very good football team," Fisher said. "They were a lot of the reason why we had issues today. We can sit here and say we blame it on ourselves, but they did a really, really good job, physically and schematically.

"We were fortunate to come out of that one."

Unbeaten if not unscathed.

Spiller's TD gave the Aggies (2-0) their first lead on a day in which they lost their star freshman starting quarterback to a lower right leg injury and eight of their first nine drives were three-and-outs.

Colorado's hopes of an upset over the 17-point favorite Aggies ended when Brendon Lewis' pass to Dimitri Stanley on fourth-and-13 from his 22 covered just 12 yards before he was smothered by a bevy of defenders.

"It gives us an identity," Spiller said of the hard-fought victory. "It was our first adversity game, it was a great challenge for us."

NO. 1 ALABAMA 48,

MERCER 14

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes and Jase McClellan scored three times in Alabama's rout of FCS Mercer.

The Crimson Tide (2-0) started sluggishly on offense in what amounted to a warmup game before the SEC opener at No. 13 Florida, but potentially more notably had star linebacker Will Anderson Jr. leave with an apparent right leg injury.

Young completed 19 of 27 passes for 227 yards after coming out slow in just his second game as 'Bama's starter. Freshman JoJo Earle had seven catches for 85 yards and also had a 29-yard punt return.

Mercer (1-1) quarterback Fred Payton did burn Alabama for two big plays to wide-open receivers in the second half, a 60-yard touchdown to Devron Harper and a 22-yarder to Ty James in the third quarter.

NO. 2 GEORGIA 56, UAB 7

ATHENS, Ga. -- Stetson Bennett tied a school record with five touchdown passes filling in for injured starter JT Daniels, leading the Bulldogs in the rout.

Bennett completed his first six passes -- four of them going all the way to the end zone for the Bulldogs (2-0), who didn't show any signs of a letdown despite the absence of their No. 1 quarterback.

Jermaine Burton slipped behind the secondary to haul in a 73-yard TD from Bennett on Georgia's second offensive play. By the opening minute of the second quarter, Bennett tacked on scoring passes of 12 yards to Kenny McIntosh, 89 yards to Brock Bowers and 61 yards to Arian Smith.

Bennett went 9 of 11 for 279 yards and became the sixth Georgia quarterback to pass for five touchdowns in a game.

UAB was held to 174 yards overall. Tyler Johnston III completed just 6 of 14 for 39 yards with three interceptions. The Blazers (1-1) avoided a shutout when Keondre Swoopes picked off a pass from Beck and returned it 61 yards for a score.

NO. 13 FLORIDA 42,

SOUTH FLORIDA 20

TAMPA, Fla. -- Florida tuned up for SEC play with a rout of the overmatched Bulls. The win did little to answer the question of whether starter Emory Jones or backup Anthony Richardson is best suited to run the Gators offense.

The quarterbacks shared playing time for the second straight week for Florida (2-0).

Jones threw a 35-yard TD pass to Xzavier Henderson and scored on a 33-yard run on the way to a 35-3 halftime lead.

Richardson completed his first two attempts to Jacob Copeland on scoring plays of 75 and 41 yards before halftime. He finished 3 of 3 for 152 yards,

The Bulls (0-2), who have won only one of their last 15 games, allowed touchdowns on five consecutive possessions after producing a three-and-out to start the game.

No. 25 AUBURN 62,

ALABAMA STATE 0

AUBURN, Ala. -- Demetris Robertson scored three touchdowns and Jarquez Hunter rushed for 147 yards as the Tigers raced past their overmatched FCS foe.

Auburn (2-0) was held to just one offensive touchdown and fewer than 200 yards in the first half before erupting for 35 points in the third quarter against the Hornets (1-1).

Robertson had three catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns and added a 36-yard touchdown run on a sweep in the third. Hunter, a freshman, broke the Auburn record for longest run with a 94-yard touchdown later in the quarter.

The Tigers also blocked a punt and returned a blocked field goal for a TD.

PITTSBURGH 41,

TENNESSEE 34

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Kenny Pickett threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score to lead Pittsburgh to a victory over Tennessee.

The Panther defense collected five sacks, recovered two fumbles, had an interception and a crucial fourth-quarter goal-line stand to seal their second victory of the season.

The Volunteers (1-1) lost the game and a starting quarterback. Joe Milton went down with a lower leg injury after being sacked and losing a fumble early in the second quarter.

Hendon Hooker came on to throw for 189 yards, but the mistakes hurt the effort.

Just when Tennessee's offense was showing signs of life in the fourth quarter, the Panthers came up with an answer.

The Vols' defense ran into tackling issues on a 75-yard drive that resulted in a 5-yard pass from Pickett to Jordan Addison and a 41-27 Pitt lead.

Pitt's second double-digit lead didn't last long. Hooker ran for 23 yards, then hit Jacob Warren over the middle for 34 to the Panthers' 2. Jaylen Wright scored on his third try.

Wright had an opportunity to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-1 from the Pitt 3, John Petrishen shot the gap and hit Wright for a loss, giving Pitt the ball. Three plays and a bad punt later, the Vols had the ball back 34 yards away from tying the game.

Pitt's Brandon Hill ended that threat with an interception.

SOUTH CAROLINA 20,

EAST CAROLINA 17

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Parker White kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired as South Carolina rallied from 14 down to beat East Carolina, earning its first road win under first-year Coach Shane Beamer.

Damani Staley had a 63-yard interception return for a touchdown just before halftime to give the Gamecocks a needed spark after trailing 14-0 in a mistake-filled opening half. Former graduate assistant Zeb Noland also had a game-tying touchdown pass to Dakereon Joyner in the back of the end zone late in the third quarter.

In the end, the Gamecocks (2-0) did enough to give themselves a shot, then rode the legs of Juju McDowell -- who gained 45 yards on six carries on South Carolina's final 10-play drive -- to set up White's winner that had the Gamecocks spilling onto the field from the sideline to celebrate.

South Carolina won despite committing three turnovers in its first five drives, including a goal-line fumble that went through the end zone for a turnover in the first half.

Ohio State defensive lineman Zach Harrison, left, chases Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Oregon beat Ohio State 35-28. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Ohio State defensive lineman Zach Harrison, left, chases Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Oregon beat Ohio State 35-28. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Auburn running back Sean Jackson (44) caries the ball in for a touchdown as Alabama State lineman Joshua Long (98) defends during the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Auburn running back Sean Jackson (44) caries the ball in for a touchdown as Alabama State lineman Joshua Long (98) defends during the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Middle Tennessee quarterback Bailey Hockman (10) loses his helmet while sacked by Virginia Tech defensive back Chamarri Conner (1) in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Blacksburg Va. (AP Photo/Matt Gentry)
Middle Tennessee quarterback Bailey Hockman (10) loses his helmet while sacked by Virginia Tech defensive back Chamarri Conner (1) in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Blacksburg Va. (AP Photo/Matt Gentry)

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