By Jimmy Roberts

Associated Press

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Justin Fuente was ever the coach after Virginia Tech’s blowout victory over North Carolina in a game in which the Hokies dominated in every phase.

“I don’t know about that,” Fuente said when asked if the performance was Virginia Tech’s most complete of the season.

It would be hard to argue against such an assessment, though.

Josh Jackson threw three touchdown passes and No. 14 Virginia Tech scored on fumble, interception and punt returns in the 59-7 rout Saturday.

Jackson passed for 132 yards and the Hokies (6-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) dominated in sending the Tar Heels (1-7, 0-5) to their fifth straight loss.

Off last week, Virginia Tech looked rested and focused and played that way, scoring in all three phases in the first half and bolting to a 35-0 halftime lead. Virginia Tech scored twice on defense, getting the first score of the game on defensive tackle Ricky Walker’s 12-yard fumble return.

The Hokies added Greg Stroman’s 91-yard punt return for a touchdown — his second punt return for a score this season — and defensive back Reggie Floyd’s 69-yard interception return for a score.

“We made big plays on defense, scored some touchdowns, returned a punt for touchdown … at times, we played well on offense,” Fuente said. “At times, it was a struggle. I think that’s going to be us quite honestly. The concept of a complete game and all that, I don’t get into that. We have another challenge next week and getting our guys healthy and ready to go.”

North Carolina only got into Virginia Tech territory three times, turned the ball over three times, and finished with just 172 yards.

“We need to not turn the football over,” North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said. “We need to take care of the ball on offense. We can’t keep giving up big plays in our kicking game, and we can’t give up catastrophic plays on defense.

“The game of football doesn’t change. It’s the same. We’ve got to do it. I got to do a better job of coaching, our staff has to do a better job of coaching, and we have to continue to find ways to get our guys in a position to be successful.”

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NO. 2 PENN STATE 42, NO. 19 MICHIGAN 13

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley cut through Michigan’s stingy defense, each scoring three touchdowns, and No. 2 Penn State emphatically avenged its last regular-season loss with a 42-13 victory over the 19th-ranked Wolverines on Saturday night.

Barkley set the tone the first time he touched the ball. He took a direct snap on the second play of the game and blazed 69 yards for a touchdown on his way to 161 yards from scrimmage that are a nice addition to his Heisman Trophy bid.

McSorley ran for three scores for Penn State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten), including a darting 13-yarder in the third quarter that made it 28-13 and led the record-breaking, white-out crowd of 110,823 at Beaver Stadium to sing along to “Sweet Caroline.” McSorley and Barkley combined for the knock-out blow, a 42-yard TD pass with Barkley easily burning linebacker Mike McCray and then making a juggling catch to increase the lead to 35-13 early in the fourth quarter.

Michigan came in allowing 223 yards per game and 3.68 yards per play. Nittany Lions went for 506 yards and 8.3 per play. Penn State has not lost a regular-season game since getting trounced 49-10 by Michigan (5-2, 2-2) last season.

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NO. 13 NOTRE DAME 49, NO. 11 USC 14

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Brandon Wimbush passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, Josh Adams added three touchdown runs and Notre Dame took advantage of three turnovers by Southern California.

The Fighting Irish (6-1) turned all three USC turnovers into touchdowns, giving them their first victory against USC (6-2) when the Trojans were ranked since a 38-10 victory in 1995. The turnovers came on a fumble and interception by Sam Darnold and a dropped punt by Jack Jones.

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NO. 1 ALABAMA 45, TENNESSEE 7

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Bo Scarbrough had two fourth-down touchdown runs and Alabama continued its domination of rival Tennessee.

The Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) improved to 11-0 in the traditional Third Saturday in October game under coach Nick Saban while dealing another blow to the slumping Volunteers (3-4, 0-4) and embattled coach Butch Jones.

Alabama outgained Tennessee 604-108 in total yards even with reserves manning the offensive backfield most of the second half.

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NO. 8 MIAMI 27, SYRACUSE 19

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Malik Rosier threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns, and Travis Homer’s 33-yard touchdown run with 2:48 left helped Miami beat Syracuse fir its 11 straight victory.

It was the third consecutive down-to-the-end game for Miami (6-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which is off to its best league start since joining the ACC in 2004.

The Hurricanes needed last-second plays to beat Florida State two weeks ago and Georgia Tech last week. This one was nearly as dramatic.

Miami intercepted Syracuse’s Eric Dungey four times, all in the first half.

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GA TECH 38, WAKE 24

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall ran for two long touchdowns, including a 70-yarder with 1:57 remaining that clinched a 38-24 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday night.

The Yellow Jackets (4-2, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) ran their triple-option offense to perfection, piling up 427 yards rushing against a team that had an off week to prepare.

Marshall finished with 163 yards on 23 carries, also scoring on a 49-yard run. KirVonte Benson added 136 yards and a touchdown. Qua Searcy broke loose for a 42-yard scoring run against the Demon Deacons (4-3, 1-3), who lost their third straight.

Benson’s 11-yard TD gave the Yellow Jackets a 31-24 lead with 11:55 remaining. The extra point was blocked, leaving the door open for Wake Forest to force overtime.

The Demon Deacons later drove to the Georgia Tech 24, where they faced fourth-and-1. Cade Carney was stuffed for no gain, turning the ball over the Yellow Jackets. Three plays later, Marshall got loose on a third-and-4 from the 30, picked up several good blocks downfield and rambled into the end zone to finish off the Demon Deacons.

John Wolford returned to the lineup after missing Wake Forest’s previous game with a shoulder injury. He completed 17 of 30 pass for 252 yards, including a pair of touchdowns, and scored his team’s other TD on a 1-yard run.

It wasn’t enough.

Georgia Tech rallied from a 21-10 deficit in the first half.

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E. CAROLINA 33, BYU 17

GREENVILLE (AP) — Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes and Jake Verity nailed four field goals as East Carolina pulled away for a 33-17 victory over BYU on Saturday night to snap a three-game skid.

Minshew connected with Trevon Brown for a 26-yard score, hit Quay Johnson for a 9-yard TD and finished with 121 yards on 6-of-9 passing. Verity made field goals of 42, 42, 32 and 33 yard for the Pirates (2-6). East Carolina starter Thomas Sirk completed 14 of 21 passes for 177 yards and also ran for 25 yards and a score.

BYU (1-7) has dropped seven straight games for the first time since 1968. The Cougars came into the game with a 22-5 all-time record against American Athletic Conference opponents.

Tanner Magnum threw for 319 yards and two scores on 26-of-41 passing. Aleva Hifo had nine catches for 148 yards for BYU, while Micah Simon and Matt Bushman caught scoring passes.

•••

APP STATE 37, COASTAL 29

BOONE (AP) — Taylor Lamb set the Appalachian State record for career touchdown passes and threw for a personal-best 427 yards to help the Mountaineers beat Coastal Carolina 37-29 on Saturday.

Lamb had two TD passes to finish the game with 76 for his career, two more than Armanti Edwards’ previous record set between 2006 and 2009.

Appalachian State (5-2, 4-0 Sun Belt Conference) fell behind on Evan Rabon’s 49-yard field goal right before halftime but reclaimed the lead for good on Lamb’s 53-yard pass to Jalen Virgil with 7:06 left in the third quarter. That made it 23-22 and Marcus Williams Jr. extended the lead with a pair of fourth-quarter TD runs, the second coming after a costly fumble by the Chanticleers (1-6, 0-4) deep in their territory.

Coastal Carolina cut the deficit to a single score on Tyler Keane’s 7-yard TD pass to Malcolm Williams with 2:38 left. The Mountaineers recovered the ensuing onside kick and Marcus Williams’ 34-yard run secured the only first down they needed to run out the clock.

Virgil had five catches for 186 yards and two scores, and Marcus Williams finished with 72 yards and two TD runs.

•••

NC A&T 24, B-C 20

GREENSBORO (AP) — Lamar Raynard threw three touchdown passes and North Carolina A&T rallied past Bethune-Cookman 24-20 on Saturday.

Raynard finished 11 of 25 for 177 yards, while Marquell Cartwright rushed for 91 yards on 20 carries for the Aggies (8-0, 5-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).

N.C. A&T trailed 20-14 entering the fourth quarter. With Bethune-Cookman driving, Deion Jones picked off Akevious Williams and returned it to the B-C 43. The Aggies conducted a 10-play drive but settled for Noel Ruiz’s 30-yard field goal to make it 20-17. The Aggies defense forced a three-and-out the offense took it 52 yards on four plays, culminating with Raynard’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Trey Scott.

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LOUISVILLE 31, FSU 28

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Blanton Creque’s first game-winning field goal at any level of football came at the opportune time for Louisville.

The sophomore’s 34-yard field goal with five seconds remaining lifted the Cardinals to an emotional 31-28 win over Florida State on Saturday. The Cardinals (5-3, 2-3 ACC) took over on their own 24 with 2:05 remaining after Henry Famurewa recovered a James Blackman fumble. They then drove 59 yards in eight plays before Creque’s kick.

Not only is it Louisville’s first win at Doak Campbell Stadium since 1952, snapping a nine-game losing streak here, but it caps an emotional week for the school’s athletic program after the firings of athletic director Tom Jurich and basketball coach Rick Pitino.

•••

BC 41, VIRGINIA 10

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Anthony Brown set what proved to be the tone for the day on Boston College’s third play from scrimmage.

Pinned at his own 6 and facing third-and-5, the redshirt freshman quarterback took a deep drop, sidestepped two Virginia defenders in the end zone and took off, gaining a demoralizing 15 yards and a first down.

That drive ended 12 plays later with Colton Lichtenberg’s 30-yard field goal, and Brown added three touchdown passes to lead the Eagles to their second consecutive road victory on Saturday, 41-10 against the previously red-hot Cavaliers.

Thadd Smith took a jet sweep 76 yards down the sideline for a touchdown with 4:16 remaining in the first quarter, and after a three-and-out for Virginia, Kobay White took an inside screen 76 yards down the middle of the field for another.

•••

PITT 24, DUKE 17

DURHAM (AP) — Duke twice thought it had Pittsburgh pinned deep in its own end of the field. Both times, that became prime scoring position for Darrin Hall.

Hall rushed for career highs of 254 yards and three touchdowns, including two long ones before his go-ahead 4-yarder with 10:48 to play, and Pittsburgh upset Duke 24-17 on Saturday.

Hall broke a century-old school record with his 92-yard touchdown run that came 18 seconds after Duke took a double-digit lead, and also scored on an early 79-yard run for the Panthers (3-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference).

•••

WCU 26, VMI 7

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Tyrie Adams threw for 195 yards and a score, and Joshua Gibson kicked four field goals to lead Western Carolina past VMI 26-7 on Saturday.

Adams completed 20 of 33 passes, including a 29-yard scoring pass to Terryon Robinson in the second quarter that gave the Catamounts (6-2, 4-1 Southern Conference) the lead for good at 13-7. Western Carolina has won 15 straight in the series and the Catamounts won their third road game in a season for the first time since 2002.

Duncan Hodges’ 1-yard plunge gave the Keydets (0-8, 0-5) a 7-0 lead with 3:15 left in the first quarter. VMI came in as the least penalized team in the FCS, but were flagged five times for 50 yards.

against the Catamounts. The Keydets had three sacks, giving them 16 on the season — two more than all of last season.

Gibson had field goals of 22, 40, 38 and 43 yards.

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Before this, Pitt hadn’t rushed for more than 208 yards as a team all season. This became the best day by an individual Pitt rusher since James Conner ran for 263 yards and three scores in a loss to Duke in 2014.

“I got faith in all of them, guys,” coach Pat Narduzzi said of his running backs. “He ended up being the hot guy today. I knew he had it in him. … Our offensive line came out with an attitude today.”

The touchdown underdogs had lost five of six but gained a season-high 485 total yards and beat a power-conference team for the first time this season.

Daniel Jones was 15 of 33 for 272 yards with two touchdown passes in the second half, a 58-yarder to Shaun Wilson and a 39-yarder to T.J. Rahming that gave the Blue Devils a short-lived 17-7 lead in the final minute of the third quarter.