Nico Iamaleava threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns — all in the first half — in his first regular-season start to lead the 15th-ranked Volunteers to a 69-3 victory over Chattanooga on Saturday.
Iamaleava backed up his strong showing in last season’s Citrus Bowl with another impressive effort. With him hitting on all cylinders, the Tennessee offense is a weapon. The Vols’ front seven was as good as advertised and could be among the nation’s best.
Dylan Sampson rushed for 124 yards and three scores in the first half as the Volunteers had an easy opener against an in-state FCS foe. Chattanooga, ranked eighth in the FCS preseason poll, didn’t cross into Tennessee territory until its first drive of the second half.
Tennessee dominated both sides of the ball in the first half and built a 45-0 lead. The Vols put up 490 yards of total offense and the Mocs didn’t get past their own 47.
NCAA blocks Oklahoma State from wearing QR codes on helmets: The NCAA blocked Oklahoma State from placing QR codes on its players’ helmets, a move that would have allowed fans to link to a team fund and donate to the program’s name, image and likeness money pool, the school announced before Saturday’s game against South Dakota State.
“Oklahoma State interprets the QR code stickers as institutional decals permitted under NCAA bylaws,” the university said in a news release. “The NCAA interprets the QR code stickers as advertising and/or commercial marks, which are not permitted.”
The QR codes are 1.5-inch decals that feature each player’s name and number. They were not expected to be visible from the stands, but they were expected to be noticeable on close shots during broadcasts and postgame photos posted to social media.
The QR codes will not appear on the Cowboys’ helmets, but they will be placed in larger and more prominent locations throughout Boone Pickens Stadium, including the 6,160-square foot video board, according to the news release.
“We disagree with the interpretation of the rule, but will abide by it and work with the appropriate groups to lead on the needed change,” Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said in a statement.
Arnold throws 4 TD passes to help Oklahoma rout Temple: Jackson Arnold threw four touchdown passes — three to newcomer Deion Burks — and No. 16 Oklahoma routed Temple 51-3 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Oklahoma forced six turnovers and held Temple to 197 yards in its first game as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Sooners joined the league this summer after a long run in the Big 12.
Arnold, a sophomore, completed 17 of 25 passes for 141 yards in his first career victory as a starting quarterback for the Sooners. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables noted that four of the eight incomplete passes were drops.
“We thought Jackson played really efficiently,” Venables said.
MSU barely beats Florida Atlantic in Smith’s debut with sloppy Spartans: Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams had a 63-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and Michigan State barely beat Florida Atlantic 16-10 Friday night.
The Spartans (1-0) were sloppy in coach Jonathan Smith’s debut.
Aidan Chiles threw an interception on the game’s opening snap, recovered his fumble to end the second drive and Montorie Foster Jr. lost the football on Michigan State’s third drive.
It didn’t go much smoother in the second half.
Chiles had a chance to put the Spartans ahead by more than two touchdowns late in the third quarter, but Ed Woods stepped in front of a pass in the flat at the Florida Atlantic 2 and returned it 58 yards.
“I’m happy with the win,” Chiles said. “I’m not happy with how I performed.”
Boilermakers blank Indiana State: Hudson Card connected on 24 of 25 passes, including his final 17 in a row, for 273 yards and four touchdowns in leading Purdue to a 49-0 romp over Indiana State in Saturday’s season opener for both teams.
Card threw for 168 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Boilermakers to a 21-0 halftime lead. Card threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Max Klare in the first quarter and a pair of 8-yard TD passes to Jaron Tibbs and De’Nylon Morrissette in the second quarter.
Purdue expanded the lead with a pair of TDs in the third quarter, a 6-yard run by Reggie Love III and a 31-yard pass from Card to Leland Smith.
The Boilermakers expanded the lead to 42-0 on Elijah Jackson’s 69-yard touchdown run in the first five minutes of the fourth. A blocked punt led to Purdue’s final score, a 4-yard TD run by Jaheim Merriweather.
Devin Mockobee was the Boilermakers’ leading rusher with 89 yards on 11 carries.