Suggs Keeps Virginia Tech Undefeated

Lee Suggs rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns, his 20th consecutive game with at least one score, as No. 3 Virginia Tech defeated Rutgers, 35-14, Saturday at Blacksburg, Va.

Despite numerous turnovers and penalties, the Hokies (7-0 overall, 2-0 in the Big East Conference) defeated the Scarlet Knights (1-6, 0-3) for the 10th consecutive time by relying on their tailback tandem of Suggs and Kevin Jones.

Suggs scored on runs of three and 42 yards. Jones had 132 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown run in which he reversed direction from the left sideline and charged right into the end zone. *

Avon Cobourne became the fifth Division I-A rusher with four 1,000-yard seasons as West Virginia (5-2, 2-0) rolled to a 34-7 victory over Syracuse (1-6, 0-3) at Morgantown, W.Va. Cobourne had 108 yards in 28 carries and has 1,002 yards this season.... Derrick Knight rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and Brian St. Pierre threw for three scores to give Boston College (4-2) a 46-21 victory over visiting Navy (1-6).... Tanardo Sharps rushed for a career-high 223 yards, and Dan Klecko set a school record with four sacks to lead Temple (3-4) to a 38-24 victory over Connecticut at Storrs, Conn.

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ATLANTIC COAST

Philip Rivers threw for a season-high 364 yards and two touchdowns as No. 13 North Carolina State (8-0, 3-0) matched its best start in school history with a 24-22 victory over Duke (2-6, 0-4) at Raleigh, N.C. Rivers completed 26 of 37 passes, but the Wolfpack, third in the nation in scoring at 43.7, was held to a season-low point total in defeating Duke for the ninth straight time. N.C. State matched the 1967 team for the best start in the school’s 111 years of football.... Matt Schaub threw two second-half touchdown passes, and Virginia (6-2, 4-1) rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit for a 37-27 victory over North Carolina (2-5, 0-3) at Charlottesville, Va.... Bernard Rambert ran for two second-half touchdowns and Clemson’s defense created five turnovers as the Tigers (4-3, 2-2) rallied for a 31-23 victory over Wake Forest (4-4, 2-3) at Clemson, S.C.

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CONFERENCE USA

J.P. Losman threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Tulane (5-3, 3-2) scored on a punt return and an interception in a 35-14 victory over Alabama Birmingham (3-4, 2-1) at New Orleans.... Nick Eddy threw three touchdown passes and Chris Robertson ran for three scores as Houston (3-4, 1-3) ended a 14-game conference losing streak with a 56-42 victory over Army (0-7, 0-5) at Houston. Army has lost 19 straight on the road.... Etric Pruitt returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown and Joe Henley had a safety late to lead Southern Mississippi (5-2, 3-0) to a 23-14 victory over Cincinnati (2-5, 1-2) at Hattiesburg, Miss.... Tye Gunn threw three touchdown passes to lead Texas Christian (6-1, 3-1) to a 45-31 victory over Louisville (4-3, 2-1) at Louisville, Ky.... Marquel Blackwell passed for 321 yards and five touchdowns as South Florida (5-2) scored a 46-30 victory over East Carolina (2-4) at Greenville, N.C.

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MID-AMERICAN

Quarterback Josh Harris scored on a five-yard keeper in overtime to give No. 25 Bowling Green (6-0, 3-0) a 48-45 victory over Western Michigan (2-5, 1-2) at Bowling Green, Ohio. In its first game as a ranked team since 1985, Bowling Green trailed, 35-21, midway through the third quarter and didn’t take its first lead until the fourth quarter. Harris threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter, including an 18-yard score to Charles Sharon after Bowling Green had blocked a punt to take possession at the 18.... Michael Turner ran for three touchdowns and rushed for 165 yards in 31 carries to lead Northern Illinois (5-3, 4-0) to a 49-0 victory over Central Michigan (3-4, 1-2) at Dekalb, Ill.... Fred Ray and Stafford Owens each rushed for two touchdowns to lead Ohio (3-5, 3-1) to a 50-0 victory over Kent State (2-5, 0-4) at Kent, Ohio.... Byron Leftwich passed for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for another as Marshall (5-1) handed Troy State (2-6) its sixth consecutive road loss this season in a 24-7 victory at Huntington, W.Va.... After a scoreless first half, Brian Jones threw for two touchdowns to lead Toledo (5-2, 3-0) to a 27-24 victory over Central Florida (2-4, 1-2) at Orlando, Fla.

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MOUNTAIN WEST

Bradlee Van Pelt ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Colorado State (6-2, 2-0) held on for a 28-20 victory over Utah (2-5, 0-3) at Salt Lake City.... Kirk Morrison returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown with 11:39 left to lead San Diego State (2-5, 2-0) to a 24-20 victory over Wyoming (1-6, 0-2) at Laramie, Wyo.... James Samuel ran eight yards for a touchdown in overtime, and Utah State (2-5) held on for a 45-44 victory over New Mexico (3-5) when Kenny Byrd missed the extra-point attempt after the Lobos’ OT touchdown at Logan, Utah.... Defensive back Jamaal Brimmer had two fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown, as Nevada Las Vegas (3-4, 1-1) scored a 24-3 victory over Brigham Young (3-4, 0-2) at Provo, Utah.

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WESTERN ATHLETIC

Matt Milton, a former La Canada St. Francis High standout, ran for 224 yards in 19 carries and two touchdowns to lead Nevada (3-4, 2-1) to a 52-24 victory over San Jose State (4-4, 2-1) at Reno, Nev.... Richard Bartel threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns, and Keylon Kincade ran for 158 yards and two scores as Southern Methodist (1-7, 1-3) held on for a 37-34 victory over Louisiana Tech (2-5, 1-2) at Dallas.... Keith Robinson kicked a 59-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to lead Texas El Paso (2-6, 1-2) to a 38-35 victory over visiting Rice (2-5, 1-3)

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SOUTHLAND

Eric Rasmussen passed for 225 yards and two touchdowns and Phillip Thrash rushed for 94 yards to lead San Diego (3-3) to a 35-26 victory over Butler (2-5) at Indianapolis.... Weston Borba returned two interceptions for touchdowns as St. Mary’s (4-4) ended a six-game losing streak to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1-6) with a 35-17 victory at Moraga.... Devin Martin ran for two touchdowns and Alex Espinoza kicked four field goals to lead Cal Lutheran (2-3) to a 40-28 victory over visiting Chapman (2-4).... Spencer Schomer rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns to lead Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (5-0, 2-0) to a 35-14 SCIAC victory over visiting Whittier (0-5, 0-2).