An Uplifting Victory Auburn Moves To 3-0 By Plunging Past 10th-Ranked Lsu

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Auburn tailback Rusty Williams knew he was standing 1 yard away from glory on Saturday night. He also knew that with just 30 seconds left in the game and Auburn trailing LSU by four points, he could be 1 yard from despair.

Williams went home a hero, diving in for his second touchdown of the night to give No. 12 Auburn a 31-28 victory over No. 10 LSU at Baton Rouge, La.

“I just stood there thinking, ‘If I score this touchdown, I go down in history and I win the game against LSU,”’ Williams said.

The winning touchdown came after LSU (2-1 overall, 1-1 Southeastern Conference), which had stopped two fourth-quarter Auburn drives, was penalized for having 12 men on the field, giving Auburn a second down at the 1.

LSU had a final chance to tie and force overtime after driving to the Auburn 48, but Wade Richey’s 64-yard field goal attempt was blocked as the game ended.

Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig completed 23 of 45 passes for 342 yards.

“This was one of those games that had drama, and all the excitement of a game in our division,” coach Terry Bowden said after Auburn (3-0) improved to 2-0 in the SEC West. “Both teams felt deep down in their hearts that they wanted to win this one.”

Cecil Collins, who sat out last season with academic problems and the first game of this season for breaking a team rule, rushed for 232 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.

Herb Tyler completed just 6 of 21 for 115 yards and a touchdown for LSU. He had passes intercepted on LSU’s first two possessions and was sacked three times.

Next up for Auburn: vs. Central Florida.

Next up for LSU: vs. Akron.

(1) Penn State 57, Louisville 21

At Louisville, Ky., Curtis Enis rushed for three touchdowns and Joe Jurevicius caught three TD passes as the Nittany Lions (3-0) made easy work of the Cardinals (1-3).

Penn State’s Mike McQueary completed 10 of 18 passes for 219 yards, Enis rushed 14 times for 80 yards and Jurevicius had four receptions for 150 yards as Penn State won its eighth consecutive game, the longest streak in I-A.

Next for Penn State: At Illinois, Oct. 4.

(5) Florida St. 35, (16) Clemson 28

At Clemson, S.C., Peter Warrick scored three long touchdowns, including a 90-yard punt return, as the Seminoles (3-0, 2-0 ACC) stopped the Tigers (2-1, 1-1) and gave Bobby Bowden his 200th win as FSU coach.

After Clemson quarterback Nealon Greene connected for a 17-yard touchdown pass with Brian Wofford - and made a 2-point conversion to cut Florida State’s lead to 28-25 - Warrick zipped down the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown catch to restore the double-digit lead.

Warrick, a sophomore, finished with eight catches for 249 yards. Florida State’s Thad Busby had a career-high 332 yards passing.

Next for Florida State: vs. Miami, Oct. 4.

Next for Clemson: at Georgia Tech.

(6) North Carolina 40, Maryland 14

In College Park, Md., Oscar Davenport passed for 281 yards and two touchdowns, and the Tar Heels (3-0, 1-0 ACC) pulled away from the Terrapins (0-3, 0-2).

Next for North Carolina: vs. Virginia.

(8) Michigan 38, Baylor 3

In Ann Arbor, Mich., the Wolverines (2-0) didn’t allow a touchdown for the second straight week and the offense gained 532 yards against the Bears (1-2).

Brian Griese was 13 of 22 for 169 yards and a touchdown. Chris Howard rushed for 112 yards and two TDs on 19 carries, freshman Anthony Thomas rushed for 122 yards and a score on 21 carries and Clarence Williams rushed for 77 yards on 11 carries as Michigan had 344 yards on the ground.

Next for Michigan: vs. Notre Dame.

Arkansas 17, (11) Alabama 16

In Tuscaloosa, Ala., Clint Stoerner hit Anthony Eubanks for a 29-yard TD with 1:45 left, giving the Razorbacks (2-1, 1-0 SEC) an upset win over the Crimson Tide (2-1, 1-1).

It was the second straight time the Razorbacks beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Next for Alabama: vs. Southern Mississippi.

(13) Iowa 63, Iowa St 20

In Ames, Iowa, Tim Dwight re-emerged as a force in Iowa’s offense and the Hawkeyes (3-0) had their way with the Cyclones (0-4).

Dwight caught three touchdown passes. Iowa’s Tavian Banks sprinted 82 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game and scored three more times. He finished with 127 yards on 20 carries.

Next for Iowa: vs. Illinois.

(18) Virginia Tech 23, Temple 13

At Philadelphia, Ken Oxendine ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns and the Owls (1-3, 1-1 Big East) twice fumbled away scoring chances in the fourth quarter, allowing the Hokies (3-0, 3-0) to survive.

Next for Virginia Tech: vs. Arkansas State.

Air Force 24, (23) Colorado St. 0

In Fort Collins, Colo., Blane Morgan ran for one TD and passed for one as the Falcons (4-0, 3-0 WAC) upset the Rams (2-2, 0-1).

Next for Colorado State: vs. Hawaii, Oct. 4.

(25) Georgia 42, Northeast Louisiana 3:

In Athens, Ga., the Bulldogs (3-0) protected their first ranking in two years, coasting past the Indians (1-3). The Bulldogs’ Mike Bobo hit 11 of 17 for 229 yards and three TDs.

Next for Georgia: vs. Mississippi State, Oct. 4.