In brief: Irish win in Kelly’s debut

Dayne Crist threw for 205 yards and a touchdown in his first start, Armando Allen ran for a score and Notre Dame’s defense was solid Saturday in a 23-12 win over Purdue (0-1) in South Bend, Ind., that gave coach Brian Kelly a victory in his Fighting Irish (1-0) debut.

Kelly came to South Bend after a successful run at Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats to 12-0 regular season a year ago. His goal was to win immediately and that’s what he did in his first game on a windy, sunny day at Notre Dame Stadium.

David Ruffer kicked three field goals for the Irish.

Jacksonville State 49, Mississippi 48 (2OT): Coty Blanchard completed a 2-point conversion pass to Calvin Middleton in double overtime as the Gamecocks (1-0), a Football Championship Subdivision team, pulled off a stunning victory over the Rebels (0-1) in Oxford, Miss.

Michigan 30, Connecticut 10: Denard Robinson accounted for 383 yards and two TDs in his first game as Michigan’s starting quarterback, leading the Wolverines (1-0) to a win over the Huskies (0-1) at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Missouri 23, Illinois 13: Blaine Gabbert rallied Tigers (1-0) from a 10-point halftime deficit with two TD passes and Carl Gettis made a leaping one-handed interception and downed a punt at the 1 in the fourth quarter of a victory over the Illini (0-1) in St. Louis.

North Dakota State 6, Kansas 3: Ryan Jastram kicked two field goals and the FCS Bison (1-0) defense smothered the Jayhawks (0-1) in Lawrence, Kan., spoiling the debut of Kansas coach Turner Gill.

Kentucky 23, Louisville 16: Derrick Locke ran for two TDs and the Wildcats (1-0) held off the rival Cardinals (0-1) in Louisville, Ky., keeping the Governor’s Cup for the fourth straight season and making Joker Phillips the winner over Charlie Strong in a matchup of longtime friends debuting as head coaches.

For Strong, who guided Florida’s dominating defense to two national titles in seven years, the rebuilding project has begun.

Colorado 24, Colorado State 3: Scotty McKnight became Colorado’s career receptions leader with a 27-yard TD grab – his 168th career catch – that sparked the Buffaloes (1-0) to a win over the rival Rams (0-1) in Denver.