Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) runs around Miami of Ohio defensive back Zedrick Raymond (14) during a game on Saturday, Sept. 8 in Cincinnati. (Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)
It’s a bit of a mixed bag from the American in Week 2, with big blowouts and nail biters happening all across the conference.
No. 20 Boise State 62, UConn 7
Boise State recorded a record-setting win at UConn’s expense on Saturday night, racking up 818 total yards of offense in the game, including over 500 yards in the first half alone. The yardage total was the most in BSU history and their highest output since 2011.
Senior quarterback Brett Rypien was exceptional, throwing for 362 yards on 21 for 28, passing with three touchdowns in just over one half of play. His 362 passing yards tied him with program legend Kellen Moore, with 16 career games with 300+ yards passing.
The Huskies, who came to Boise as 31 point underdogs, trailed 31-0 barely 18 minutes into the game and only mustered 193 yards of offense. For the second consecutive week, the defense allowed over 600 yards, albeit to the two best teams in the Group of Five conferences.
UConn’s schedule will ease up after the brutal opening two games, with no more matchups against currently ranked teams and Rhode Island at home next Saturday.
No. 19 UCF 30, South Carolina State 0
The reigning national champions pushed their winning streak to 15 games by crushing South Carolina State on Saturday evening.
The Knights pitched a shutout against a clearly overmatched SCS squad, more than doubling their yardage total (566-257) and rushing for over 300 yards.
McKenzie Milton, the reigning conference Player of the Year, struggled in this game, throwing one touchdown against three interceptions for 243 yards. Sophomore receiver Gabriel Davis had a career high nine catches for 111 yards and a score.
UCF continues to roll through opponents and are heavily favored to win eight of their final 10 games. If they win out, maybe the playoff committee will show them a little love this time around.
South Florida 49, Georgia Tech 38
Easily the most exciting game of the Saturday noon matchups, South Florida outgunned Georgia Tech in an epic back-and-forth shootout. USF scored 21 unanswered points to overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. The two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense and 56 first downs.
Georgia Tech’s triple option offense frustrated the Bull’s defense all day, ripping off 412 yards and four touchdowns at 7.2 yards per attempt. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall led the team with 183 passing yards, 113 rushing yards and two scores (one passing, one rushing).
However, the day belonged to South Florida quarterback Blake Barnett. The Alabama and Arizona State transfer went 21 for 31, for 207 yards and two passing touchdowns, as well as 86 rushing yards and two more scores. Three of his four touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.
As a team, USF rushed for 219 yards, and Tyre McCants led them through the air with 10 catches for 104 yards. The defense forced three turnovers, including a key interception late in the fourth.
East Carolina 41, North Carolina 19
In the conference’s third Power 5 victory of the weekend, East Carolina blew out state rival UNC at home. Sophomore quarterback Reid Herring threw for 290 yards and a score. A committee of running backs racked up 220 yards and four scores on the ground. Trevon Brown was the leading receiver, with four catches for 90 yards and a score.
The Pirates scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to pull away from UNC, whose offense shut down after their starting running back was ejected in the second quarter.
Buffalo 36, Temple 29
Temple fell short of notching their first win of the season at home last weekend, falling to Buffalo on a last-minute touchdown. The Owls played from behind for most of the day, but fought back to tie the game twice in the fourth quarter.
It was a rough day for Temple quarterback Frank Nutile, who threw for 216 yards and three scores, but also committed three costly turnovers: two interceptions that led to Buffalo touchdowns and a fumble that killed a potential game-tying drive with under a minute to go.
Tyree Jackson led the Bulls to the win with 275 passing yards and three scores, throwing the game-winning score with 59 seconds left.
Cincinnati 21, Miami, Ohio 0
In a rain-soaked grind fest, Cincinnati defeated Miami, Ohio, their oldest rival, on Saturday night. Probably the most boring game of the weekend, neither team even mustered 250 yards of offense and the score was 7-0 for most of the time.
Desmond Ridder, the Bearcat quarterback, threw for just 45 yards and a touchdown on 11 pass attempts. The Bearcats ran the ball 51 times for 188 yards, the bulk of which came from Michael Warren II, whose 91 rushing yards and two scores led every non-quarterback in production.
The Cincy defense held Miami under 200 yards of offense, which is somewhat impressive when you consider the fact that Miami attempted 41 passes.
But, let’s be honest, you weren’t missing much by not watching this game.
Neil Simmons is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at neil.simmons@uconn.edu.
