James Scores Three Times as Miami Routs Pittsburgh

Edgerrin James scored on a 68-yard reception on Miami’s second play and ran for two other touchdowns Thursday night as the 22nd-ranked Hurricanes routed Pittsburgh, 38-10, at Miami.

James scored on runs of one and three yards, becoming the only player in Miami history to record two 1,000-yard seasons. He ran for 106 yards, running his season total to 1,002.

Miami, 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big East, won its fourth consecutive game and can claim the Big East’s berth in the Bowl Championship Series by beating No. 24 Syracuse on Nov. 28 at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse plays Saturday at Temple.

Scott Covington completed 17 of 23 passes for 284 yards and Jeff Popovich ran 25 yards for a touchdown on a fake field goal as the Hurricanes avenged last year’s 21-17 loss at Pittsburgh. Many Miami players called that loss the low point of last year’s 5-6 season, the school’s first losing campaign in 19 years.

R.J. English caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rob Lytle for Pittsburgh (2-8, 0-6), which has lost its last six games.

James has 15 touchdowns this season, breaking the school record of 14 set by Eddie Dunn in 1938 and matched by James last season. He has scored 11 touchdowns in the last four games.

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Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine knows there’s a lot more at stake on Saturday than a share of the Big Ten championship and a possible trip to the Rose Bowl.

Germaine admits that his reputation also might be on the line if seventh-ranked Ohio State, 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten, loses to No. 11 Michigan (8-2, 7-0).

“There’s so much emphasis on this game,” Germaine said. “A lot of people’s memories are going to be predicated on whether we’re successful against Michigan and how I play. That’s understandable.”

An average game for Germaine has been 17-for-27 passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns. But in two games against Michigan, Germaine is 17 for 48 for 232 yards and one touchdown.

Ohio State needs to defeat Michigan and have Penn State beat Wisconsin to reach the Rose Bowl.

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Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop enters his team’s final regular-season game as a Heisman Trophy contender, something that Missouri quarterback Corby Jones might have been in the running for if not for an injured toe.

Bishop and Jones, who both are seniors and wear No. 7, will be the featured players when No. 2 Kansas State, 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the Big 12, meets No. 19 Missouri (7-3, 5-2) on Saturday at Columbia, Mo.

“My last year didn’t go the way I wanted,” said Jones, who suffered a sprained left big toe in Missouri’s season-opening 35-14 victory over Northwestern (La.) State.

The injury hasn’t sidelined Jones, but he hadn’t been able to go full speed or effectively run the Tigers’ option attack until the last two games, in which he accounted for 192 of his 482 rushing yards this season.

Bishop, meanwhile, has run for 12 touchdowns and passed for 20, with only two interceptions. He has also passed for more than 200 yards in five consecutive games.

“He is the player you have to stop to have a chance to beat them,” Missouri Coach Larry Smith said. “He should win the Heisman.”

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An infectious joy and enthusiasm made Arthur Steinmetz a winner on and off the field, his pastor and former high school principal said in eulogizing the Kentucky player killed in a truck crash.

Steinmetz, 19, died Sunday when teammate Jason Watts’ truck went out of control and flipped on a rural highway.

Also killed in the crash was Christopher Scott Brock, 21, of Hyden, a student at Eastern Kentucky and a friend of Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch.