Associated Press
The college football notebook …
CHAPEL HILL ó North Carolina has a week off before traveling to Rutgers. Coach Butch Davis sounds happy to have the break.
Davis says the Tar Heels will have to play better than they did in their 35-27 season-opening win over McNeese State on Saturday. North Carolina struggled with its offensive consistency and allowed the Cowboys to move the ball and control the clock all night.
It took Brandon Tate’s school-record 397 all-purpose yards to help avoid the upset.
Davis said Sunday his team came out healthy from the game. He says the team will spend much of this week working to correct its mistakes before focusing much on Rutgers. The team has a light workout scheduled for this afternoon.
SOUTH CAROLINA QBS
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is still unsure who he will start at quarterback against Vanderbilt.
Spurrier says last week’s starter, Tommy Beecher, had a sore left shoulder and did not practice Saturday for Thursday night’s game. If Beecher can’t go, that means backup Chris Smelley would start the team’s Southeastern Conference opener.
Beecher’s status might’ve been in doubt anyway since he threw four interceptions in last week’s 34-0 victory over North Carolina State. Smelley took over for a banged-up Beecher in the fourth quarter and directed three TD drives.
SUNDAY’S GAMES
DURHAM ó Ben Williams threw two touchdown passes to lead Division II Fayetteville State past North Carolina Central 33-22 on Sunday.
Williams completed 12-of-16 passes for 123 yards with touchdowns covering 25 yards to Kendon Doe and 2 yards to Darryl Barnett for the Broncos (1-0), who had just 257 total yards to Central’s 339 but used two big, non-offensive plays to take control.
N.C. Central (0-1) managed just 55 yards rushing on 31 attempts.
Colorado 38, Colorado St. 17
DENVER ó Josh Smith bounced back from a rocky start with a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Colorado beat Colorado State 38-17 in what might have been their last game at Invesco Field.
Many fans surely tuned in expecting to see Smith’s nephew, Darrell Scott, the Buffaloes’ highly-touted freshman tailback who was considered by several scouting services as the best back in the nation last year.
Scott gained 50 yards on a dozen carries and leaped over the pile for a 1-yard TD to cap the scoring in the closing minutes.
Kentucky 27, Louisville 2
LOUISVILLE, Ky. ó Kentucky’s defense looked plenty capable of carrying the Wildcats until the offense catches up.
Ashton Cobb returned a Louisville fumble 28 yards for a touchdown and Myron Pryor returned another fumble 72 yards for a score as the Wildcats embarrassed Louisville 27-2 in the Governor’s Cup.
Tony Dixon added a 7-yard touchdown run for the Wildcats, who have won two straight over their archrivals for the first time in a decade.
Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline threw for 147 yards and avoided major mistakes in his first college start, and the Wildcats’ defense shut down Louisville, holding the Cardinals without a touchdown for the first time since a shutout loss to Florida State in 2000.
Dayton 31, Central St., Ohio 12
DAYTON, Ohio ó Rob Florian threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and Scott Vossler had three sacks and a fumble recovery in the end zone to lead Dayton past Central State 31-12 oin the season opener for both teams.