College football: NDSU beats Iowa State
John Crockett ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns and FCS power North Dakota State opened the season with its 25th straight victory, beating Iowa State 34-14 on Saturday in Ames, Iowa.
The Bison lost 12 starters and their head coach after winning their third straight FCS championship last season, but they looked just as efficient as ever under Chris Klieman, rallying from a 14-0 deficit for their fifth consecutive victory against FBS competition.
Crockett charged through the middle of the line and sped 80 yards for his team’s first touchdown early in the second quarter and the Bison dominated from then on.
Carson Wentz, the backup quarterback the last two seasons, finished 18 of 28 for 204 yards with no interceptions.
Penn State 26, UCF 24: The Nittany Lions won a thrilling season opener with a 36-yard field goal as time expired to defeat the Knights in front of a raucous 55,000-strong crowd in Dublin.
Behind a comeback led by second-half replacement quarterback Justin Holman, the Knights appeared to have scored their own unlikely come-from-behind victory when Holman scored on a 6-yard touchdown run to put UCF up 24-23 with 1:13 left.
But Christian Hackenberg coolly directed a seven-play drive to set up Sam Ficken’s fourth successful field goal.
Michigan 52, Appalachian State 14: Devin Gardner threw three touchdown passes to Devin Funchess in the first half and the Wolverines went on to rout the Mountaineers in the season opener, seven years after being on the losing end of perhaps the biggest upset in college football history.
Michigan coasted to victory after Gardner threw TD passes to Funchess on their first two drives, and connected with him for a third score late in the first half to give them a 21-0 lead.
Wyoming 17, Montana 12: Shaun Wick rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys beat the Grizzlies in their first game under new head coach Craig Bohl.
Wyoming has beaten Montana in all 14 of their matchups.
Arkansas State 37, Montana State 10: Michael Gordon, Terrance Hollingsworth and Johnston White each ran for touchdowns to help the Red Wolves notch a season-opening win over the Bobcats. MSU rusher Shawn Johnson was sidelined after an illegal hit.