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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, September 7, 2008

Jones-led SMU ends 11-game losing streak

Associated Press

DALLAS — The second-most touchdown passes in a game, ever. The first pair of 100-yard receivers since 1999. The first win in nearly a year.

Yep, the June Jones era is well under way at SMU.

Bo Levi Mitchell threw three touchdown passes to Emmanuel Sanders and two more to Aldrick Robinson in the Mustangs' 47-36 victory over Texas State last night.

The victory ended an 11-game losing streak, which was tied for the longest in the country. It also made Jones a winner in his first home game, his second overall since taking over a program that's had only one winning season in the past 20 years.

"This is exactly what I thought would happen," Sanders said. "It's going to be scary when we get better."

The Mustangs led 21-0 and 30-6, but needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to hold off their Bowl Subdivision foe.

"I'm glad to get a first one," said Jones, who left Hawai'i after nine seasons to join SMU. "We've got a long way to go to be a good football team."

ACC

FLORIDA STATE 69, WESTERN CAROLINA 0

Christian Ponder threw three touchdown passes and backup D'Vontrey Richardson ran for two more scores to lead the host Seminoles (1-0) over the Catamounts (1-1) in a game interrupted over two hours by lightning.

GEORGIA TECH 19, BOSTON COLLEGE 16

Jonathan Dwyer ran for 108 yards, scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 43-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, to lift the visiting Yellow Jackets (2-0, 1-0 ACC) over the Eagles (1-1, 0-1).

VIRGINIA TECH 24, FURMAN 7

Kenny Lewis Jr. caught a touchdown pass and ran for a score, and the host Hokies (1-1), after taking a 3-0 lead at intermission, scored a pair of TDs late in the third quarter to pull away from the Paladins (1-1).

CLEMSON 45, CITADEL 17

C.J. Spiller ran for three touchdowns, and Cullen Harper completed 14-of-18 passes for 192 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Palmer, as the host Tigers (1-1) beat the Bulldogs (1-1) for the 15th straight time.

NORTHWESTERN 24, DUKE 20

Tyrell Sutton ran for two touchdowns and the visiting Wildcats (2-0) made two fourth-down stops down the stretch to hold off the Blue Devils (1-1).

BIG 12

COLORADO 31, EASTERN WASHINGTON 24

Cornerback Cha'pelle Brown picked off a pass and returned it 29 yards to break a 24-24 tie with less than two minutes left as the host Buffaloes (2-0) rallied from a 21-7 halftime deficit to beat the Football Championship Subdivision Eagles (0-2).

OKLAHOMA STATE 56, HOUSTON 37

Dez Bryant had 236 yards receiving and scored four touchdowns and Kendall Hunter rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns as the host Cowboys (2-0) defeated the Cougars (1-1).

BIG EAST

AKRON 42, SYRACUSE 28

Chris Jacquemain completed 20-of-26 passes for 260 yards and three touchdown, including a 12-yarder to Andre Jones midway through the fourth quarter to break a tie, leading the visiting Zips (1-1) over the Orange (0-2).

LOUISVILLE 51, TENNESSEE TECH 10

Hunter Cantwell threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns, Victor Anderson ran for 114 yards and a score, and Brock Bolen had two TD runs to power the host Cardinals (1-1) to a rout of the Golden Eagles (1-1).

PITTSBURGH 27, BUFFALO 16

LeSean McCoy scored on three short runs and the Panthers (1-1) managed to avoid losing at home to a Mid-American Conference school for the second week in a row, driving for two touchdowns in the second half to hold off the Bulls (1-1).

BIG TEN

MICHIGAN 16, MIAMI OF OHIO 6

After scoring 10 points on their first two possessions, the host Wolverines (1-1) struggled on offense until Brandon Minor's 15-yard touchdown run with 8:12 left to play to turn back the RedHawks (0-2).

PURDUE 42, NORTHERN COLORADO 10

Curtis Painter passed for 286 yards and two touchdowns, and Kory Sheets ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns as the host Boilermakers (1-0) routed the Bears (0-1) as coach Joe Tiller tied Jack Mollenkopf for the most wins in school history with 84.

IOWA 42, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 0

Ricky Stanzi threw three touchdown passes in his first start, Shonn Greene ran for 130 yards and the host Hawkeyes (2-0) racked up 512 yards and led 35-0 at halftime in routing the Golden Panthers (0-2).

MICHIGAN STATE 42, EASTERN MICHIGAN 10

Javon Ringer rushed for 135 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, and the host Spartans (1-1) raced to a 21-7 halftime lead in cruising past the Eagles (1-1).

IA INDEPENDENTS

NOTRE DAME 21, SAN DIEGO STATE 13

Jimmy Clausen threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate moments after the host Irish (1-0) forced the Aztecs to fumble in the end zone, and Clausen hit David Grimes with a 6-yard TD pass to cap a 14-point fourth quarter.

NEW HAMPSHIRE 28, ARMY 10

John Clements returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and Hugo Souza ran 22 yards with a fumble for a third-quarter TD to lead the visiting Wildcats (1-0) over the Black Knights (0-2).

MID-AMERICAN

CONNECTICUT 12, TEMPLE 9

Donald Brown rushed for a career-high 214 yards on a rain-soaked field and scored the winning touchdown in overtime on a 7-yard run to lift the Huskies (2-0) over the Owls (1-1).

MINNESOTA 42, BOWLING GREEN 17

Adam Weber was 21-of-25 passing for 233 yards and three touchdowns, and the host Gophers (2-0) turned two late turnovers by the Falcons (1-1) into two touchdowns to seal the victory.

MOUNTAIN WEST

COLORADO STATE 23, SACRAMENTO STATE 20

Mike Pagnotta recovered a late fumble and freshman kicker Ben DeLine, who connected on a 36-yard field goal to tie the game with 1:29 remaining, hit a 20-yarder with no time remaining, lifting the host Rams (1-1) over the Hornets (1-1).

TEXAS A&M 28, NEW MEXICO 22

Jerrod Johnson replaced the injured Stephen McGee and threw three touchdown passes as the visiting Aggies (1-1) gave coach Mike Sherman his first win with the team by beating the Lobos (0-2).

AIR FORCE 23, WYOMING 3

Kyle Halderman's 74-yard run set up quarterback Shea Smith's 1-yard touchdown run and Ryan Harrison kicked three field goals to lead the visiting Falcons (2-0) over the Cowboys (1-1).

PACIFIC-10

ARIZONA 41, TOLEDO 16

Nic Grigsby rushed for three first-half touchdowns and the Wildcats (2-0) rolled to a 24-6 halftime lead en route to beating the Rockets (0-1).

SEC

KENTUCKY 38, NORFOLK STATE 3

Freshman Randall Cobb threw for one touchdown and ran for two others in relief of an ineffective Mike Hartline, and the host Wildcats (2-0) dominated the Spartans (1-1) to win their home opener.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 34, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 10

Wesley Carroll threw two touchdowns and Anthony Dixon had two rushing scores to lead the host Bulldogs (1-1) over the Lions (1-1), who were held to 33 yards rushing.

SUN BELT

FLORIDA ATLANTIC 49, UAB 34

Rusty Smith threw three touchdown passes and Charles Pierre ran for two touchdowns as the host Owls (1-1) outslugged the Blazers (0-2).