FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Deion Sanders had Colorado ready for prime time Saturday after all of the hype and attention in the nine months since he was hired.
Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son, threw for 510 yards with four touchdowns, the game-winner a 46-yard catch-and-run by freshman Dylan Edwards with 4:25 left, and the Buffaloes pulled off an opening shocker with a 45-42 win over 17th-ranked TCU, last year’s national runner-up.
Edwards caught three touchdowns, including a 75-yarder in the opening minute of the second half when he turned another short pass into a big play. He also ran for another score.
Two-way starter Travis Hunter, the former top recruit who came with the quarterback and coach from FCS school Jackson State, had 11 catches for 119 yards. As a defensive back, he had one of the two interceptions that TCU’s Chandler Morris threw in or near the end zone.
Hunter, Edwards and Shedeur Sanders are among 87 newcomers at Colorado, which won only one game last season and has only two winning records since 2005.
Colorado outgained TCU 565-541.
Morris was 24-of-42 passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Emani Baily ran for 165 yards. Trey Sanders had three TD runs.
NO. 2 MICHIGAN 30, EAST CAROLINA 3
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdown passes to Roman Wilson, helping Michigan rout East Carolina.
The Wolverines (1-0) were without coach Jim Harbaugh, who began serving a school-imposed, three-game suspension for breaking NCAA rules.
McCarthy completed 26 of 30 passes for 280 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Wilson in each of the first three quarters.
All-America running back Blake Corum, coming off knee surgery, ran for 73 yards on 10 carries and had a 2-yard touchdown run.
Quarterback Mason Garcia was 11 of 18 for 80 yards for the Pirates (0-1) and had a deflected pass picked off by Mike Sainristil. Garcia shared time with Alex Flinn, who was 6 of 11 for 52 yards.
NO. 12 TENNESSEE 49, VIRGINIA 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Joe Milton III threw two touchdown passes and ran for two other scores as Tennessee routed Virginia.
Tennessee and Virginia marked the Cavs’ first football game since a shooting left three players dead last November with a moment of silence before kickoff. The Vols also wore a sticker on the back of their helmets with the numbers of the late Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry.
Tennessee (1-0) scored on its opening drive and never trailed. Milton’s 1-yard run just before halftime put the Vols up 21-3. Dylan Sampson caught a 9-yard TD pass that capped Tennessee’s first drive. He also had three TD runs of 3 yards or less.
Tony Muskett started for Virginia (0-1) after transferring from Monmouth and quickly found Southeastern Conference defense is nothing like the Colonial Athletic Association. He was 9 of 17 for 94 yards before being replaced late.
NO. 20 OKLAHOMA 73, ARKANSAS ST 0
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Dillon Gabriel completed 19 of 22 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns — all in the first half — and Oklahoma beat Arkansas State.
Gabriel also ran for a score in the first half to help Oklahoma (1-0) take a 45-0 lead. The Sooners gained 437 yards before the break while holding Arkansas State to 106.
Oklahoma freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold, a consensus five-star recruit, played most of the second half. He completed all 11 of his passes for 114 yards and a touchdown and ran for 39 yards and another score.
The Sooners held the Red Wolves (0-1) to 208 total yards and 10 first downs. Arkansas State committed 14 penalties for 111 yards.
Colorado transfer J.T. Shrout connected on 12 of 26 passes for 148 yards for Arkansas State.
NO. 25 IOWA 24, UTAH STATE 14
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Cade McNamara threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns in his Iowa debut to help the Hawkeyes beat Utah State.
The touchdowns came on Iowa’s first two offensive possessions, and the Hawkeyes (1-0) didn’t get into the end zone again until Kaleb Johnson’s 3-yard run in the fourth quarter. Iowa, which had one of the worst offenses in the nation last season, finished with 284 yards.
Utah State (0-1) got field goals from William Testa and Elliott Nimrod and a 16-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Legas to Terrell Vaughn late in the fourth quarter.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
