College football top plays: Penn State, Pitt, OK State pick up wins
Week 1 of the college football season kicked off with a special Thursday night slate of games.
Penn State went on the road and took down Big Ten foe Purdue, 35-31, and Minnesota shut out visiting New Mexico State, 38-0.
Earlier, No. 17 Pittsburgh narrowly escaped West Virginia, 38-31, and No. 12 Oklahoma State held off Central Michigan, 58-44, after the Chippewas came back from a 26-point deficit.
Here are the top plays from Thursday night’s action as Week 1 kicks off.
First!
Penn State QB Sean Clifford made a clutch third-down play in the second quarter, connecting with wideout Mitchell Tinsley for a 12-yard touchdown to give the Nittany Lions the lead and their first TD of the season.
Sean Clifford shows composure on Penn State’s opening TD
Sean Clifford avoided the pressure and threw an impressive touchdown to Mitchell Tinsley to help Penn State grab an early 7-3 lead against Purdue.
Too tough
Purdue’s King Doerue ran straight through the Penn State defense — stiff arm and all — on his way to the end zone, giving the Boilermakers back the lead 10-7 early in the second quarter.
Back-to-back
The Nittany Lions came up with back-to-back TDs ahead of halftime.
First, Clifford fought his way into the end zone for six points. Then, they capitalized on a turnover with a 67-yard TD courtesy of Brenton Strange.
King of the ground game
Purdue’s Doerue helped close the gap to 21-17 in the third quarter with a smooth 2-yard TD run.
Pick-six!
The teams were neck and neck after trading TDs, but Purdue took the lead in the fourth, 31-28, after Clifford’s pass was intercepted by safety Chris Jefferson and returned 72 yards to the house.
Chris Jefferson’s pick-six gives Purdue lead
Chris Jefferson helped Purdue gain the lead again midway through the fourth quarter, thanks to his pick-six against Penn State.
Late-quarter surge
Clifford tossed a TD to Keyvone Lee with just under a minute left, and that was enough as Penn State held on for the win.
Minnesota 38, New Mexico State 0
Hot start
Minnesota was first on the board thanks to star running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who returned this year for a sixth season with the Golden Gophers.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis …
Double trouble
Ibrahim started the second quarter the same way he started the first — with a score. Then, Minnesota snuck another one in as the clock expired in the first half.
Just like that, the Golden Gophers jumped out to a 24-0 lead at the break.
More of the same
Minnesota continued to dominate the ground game, cashing in for their fifth rushing score of the night to seal the deal.
No. 17 Pittsburgh 38, West Virginia 31
Just how he drew it up
WVU had a scare when quarterback JT Daniels, a transfer from Georgia, bobbled the snap, but things turned out just fine for the Mountaineers on this drive.
Coming through!
WVU took the lead in the second quarter when Bryce Ford-Wheaton turned on the jets for a 10-yard TD.
All-out effort
WVU came up huge on special teams early in the third quarter, blocking Pitt’s punt, which resulted in a short field and a quick score for the Mountaineers.
Fighting back
Pitt answered with back-to-back scores to close out the third quarter. First, Daniel Carter found the end zone with ease after a massive gain from Jared Wayne. Then, Pitt regained the lead thanks to Rodney Hammond.
Rising to the occasion
Daniels connected with Ford-Wheaton once again, this time for a 16-yard TD, followed by taking it in himself on a QB sneak on the Panthers’ next drive, good for a 31-24 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Down to the wire
Pitt fired back with two consecutive scores to take lead late in the fourth quarter. QB Kedon Slovis found Israel Abanikanda for a 24-yard catch-and-run score. Then, the Panthers picked off Daniels for the monster pick-six to win it.
M.J. Devonshire intercepts JT Daniels in the Backyard Brawl
M.J. Devonshire intercepts West Virginia’s JT Daniels and takes it in for the touchdown to give the Pitt Panthers the wild victory in the Backyard Brawl.
No. 12 Oklahoma State 58, Central Michigan 44
House call!
Oklahoma State was first on the board when John Paul Richardson broke off for a monster 45-yard touchdown off a quick pass from QB Spencer Sanders.
John Paul Richardson shows off his athleticism in 45-yard TD
John Paul Richardson helped the Oklahoma State Cowboys score their first touchdown of the season, thanks to impressive reception in the first quarter.
Tie game
Central Michigan was quick to answer with a score of its own, evening things up early in the first quarter.
Too easy
The Oklahoma State defense showed up in a big way, forcing a safety to put the Cowboys up 9-7 with less than a minute remaining in the opening frame.
With momentum on its side, Oklahoma State extended its lead to 16-7 as the first quarter came to a close.
Spencer Sanders extends Oklahoma State’s lead
Spencer Sanders’ electric 17-yard rushing touchdown gave the Oklahoma State Cowboys a 16-7 lead against…
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