STILLWATER, Okla. — With a record home crowd looking on, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and his Cowboys lived up to the expectations that came with the best preseason ranking in school history.
Zac Robinson threw two touchdown passes to star receiver Dez Bryant and also scored on a quarterback sneak as No. 9 Oklahoma State beat 13th-ranked Georgia 24-10 on Saturday.
“It’s huge. It’s a great feeling. Starting off 1-0 against such a great team in Georgia, we knew it was a big game coming in and obviously it feels great to get this win,” Robinson said. “It kind of jump-starts the season.”
The Bulldogs’ first season opener outside the Southeast in 51 years was set up as a grand reopening of Oklahoma State’s stadium after a $286 million renovation.
With the Cowboys’ high-powered offense struggling, it was a surprising defense directed by first-year defensive coordinator Bill Young that led the way. Safety Lucien Antoine forced a fumble that allowed Oklahoma State to take its first lead just before halftime, and Shane Jarka jarred the ball loose from Georgia quarterback Joe Cox to help OSU put it away late.
Robinson finished with 135 yards on 11-for-22 passing.
Bryant finished off a 46-yard connection between the two with a dazzling, diving catch in the first half, then caught a 12-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter for the final score.
Cox, making his first start since 2006, was 15-of-30 for 162 yards with one interception and one touchdown. His late fumble led to Bryant’s second score.
The Georgia offense slowed to a halt after Cox’s 4-yard TD pass to Michael Moore on the game’s opening drive. After marching 80 yards on the opening drive, Georgia had just 177 yards the rest of the game.
No. 2 Texas 59, La.-Monroe 20
AUSTIN, Texas — Cody Johnson scored Texas’ first three touchdowns on short runs and freshman D.J. Monroe returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.
Texas’ new starting tailback, Vondrell McGee, fumbled twice — likely putting his position in jeopardy despite rushing for a game-high 70 yards and a late TD. Until his two drops, Texas had gone 17 games without a lost fumble by a running back.
No. 24 Nebraska 49, Fla. Atlantic 3
LINCOLN, Neb. — Roy Helu Jr. ran for 152 yards and three touchdowns and Zac Lee passed for 213 yards and two TDs in his first start as the Huskers won their 24th consecutive opener, the longest streak in the nation.
Nebraska’s defense made it a long night for FAU’s Rusty Smith, the Sun Belt Conference’s all-time leading passer and its preseason offensive player of the year. He couldn’t establish any rhythm, threw a couple interceptions and finished 15-of-27 for 164 yards. Missouri 37, Illinois 9
ST. LOUIS — Blaine Gabbert passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth in a stellar starting debut to lead rebuilding Missouri to its fifth win in a row in the neutral-site series.
Star quarterback Juice Williams was held in check and failed to convert a crucial fourth-down play for Illinois.
Texas A&M 41, New Mexico 6
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Jerrod Johnson threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a touchdown as the Aggies piled up 606 total yards, while the defense held New Mexico to 21 yards rushing and sacked Lobos QB Donovan Porterie five times.
Texas Tech 38, North Dakota 13
LUBBOCK, Texas — Taylor Potts threw for two touchdowns and ran for two other TDs as the Red Raiders scored three of their five touchdowns on the ground, unusual for a team known for its pass-happy offense.
Baylor 24, Wake Forest 21
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Robert Griffin completed his first eight passes, finishing with 136 yards passing and a touchdown, and the Bears snapped a nine-game road losing streak, which dated back to a 34-21 victory against Buffalo last season.
Kansas St. 21, Massachusetts 17
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Carson Coffman threw two touchdown passes to Attrail Snipes and Kansas State bumbled its way through coach Bill Snyder’s first game in three years, turning the ball over three times and allowing a blocked punt return for a touchdown to fritter away most of an 18-point halftime lead.
The Associated Press
