Papa John’s Stadium opened in 1998 and recorded its lowest ever attendance at 21,497 for the Louisville/Arkansas St game. The Cardinals were without their top 2 QB’s Adam Froman and Justin Burke and were forced to start walk-on freshman Will Stein who hit 20-39 for 232 yds with 1 int in his first start. Stein is listed as 5’10” but HC Kragthorpe says he’s actually 5’8” which may make him the shortest starting QB for a BCS conference team this year. The Cards were also without leading rusher Victor Anderson and Bilal Powell had 93 yds.

ULM played Troy closer than the 42-21 final score would indicate. The game was just 21-14 at the half and 35-21 after 3Q’s. There were 5 punts to start the 4Q. ULM got the ball with 1:45 left at their own 11. After picking up a FD, they were intercepted and returned 30 yards for a TD making some Troy fans very happy with 1:20 left. ULM was intercepted at their own 46 on their last drive and ULM had a 22-21 FD edge and was only outgained 428-396.

SMU was without starting QB Bo Levi Mitchell but backup Kyle Padron hit 20 of 30 for 354 yards and SMU basically controlled the game at Tulsa with 17-13 FD and 429-322 yard edges. SMU fumbled at the Tulsa 49 and 9 yard lines on their first 2 drives and the expected shoot out actually featured 8 straight punts. It was 7-7 at the half but SMU had a 173-118 yard edge. SMU drove 98 yards in 8 plays for a TD, 4 yards in 7 plays and 67 yards in 6 plays for a pair of short FG’s and led 20-7 on the first play of the 4Q. Tulsa, trailing 20-13, went for it on 4th & 19 at the SMU44 and were SOD. SMU went 56 yards in 7 plays for a clinching TD with 1:57 left.

Oklahoma appeared on their way to a blowout scoring TD’s on their first 3 drives leading 21-0 after 1Q. It was 28-9 at the half but Kansas St opened the 3Q with an 80 yard,11 play and 75 yard, 6 play drives for TD’s to pull within 28-23. Oklahoma, after 2 holding calls and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty had a 1st & 45 back on its own 37 but on 3rd & 24 got a 25 yard pass and would continue on a 67 yard, 15 play drive for a TD, 35-23. Kansas St’s Banks got a 98 yard KR TD but OU answered with a 68 yard, 11 play drive for a TD with 6:27 left. Kansas St was SOD at their own 41 and intercepted at the OU2 on their last 2 drives.

Oregon St dominated the 1H versus UCLA scoring on their final 3 possessions of the half to lead 16-0 with a 238-86 yard edge. OSU led 19-3 after a 31 yard FG with 10:10 left. UCLA went 70/3pl and 94 yards in 10 plays for a pair of TD’s and 2 point conversions to tie it at 19 with 2:01 left. OSU went 70 yards in 7 plays for a TD with :44 left. The Bruins got 2 FD’s to the OSU27 but on the final play gained 12 yards to the 15 where they ran out of time.

Hawaii played their most competitive game in about 6 weeks versus Nevada. UH took their opening drive 78 yards in 8 plays for a TD then got a 71 yard TD pass to lead 14-0. Nevada battled back to make it 14-14 with 1:48 left in the half and Hawaii had the ball at the Nevada 49 where they were intercepted with just 1:35 left. Nevada went 56 yards in 3 plays and got a 38 yard TD run with :31 left in the half to lead 21-14. Nevada was SOD at the UH 19 and UH was intercepted in the endzone from the Nevada 13 in the 3Q. Nevada went 80 yards in 5 plays scoring on a 40 yard TD pass, 28-14. Hawaii missed a 42 yard FG then drove 80 yards in 12 plays for a TD to pull within 28-21. Nevada went 45 yards in 10 plays and a 27 yard FG clinched it at 31-21 with 1:18 left.

Penn St was playing in a flat spot as they were off their big road win over Michigan and had a huge game versus Ohio St at home on deck. Northwestern played well in the 1H and in fact, had a 231-146 yard edge and led 13-10. They did lose starting QB Kafka who hit 14-18 for 128 yards to injury in the 2Q and backup Persa hit 14 of 23 for 115 yards. Penn St went on an 11 play drive for a 23 yard FG to open the 3Q and 2 possessions later went 58 yards in 7 plays for a TD and a 20-13 lead. PSU’s next 2 possessions each lasted one play. Clark hit Moye with a 53 yard TD pass with 10:16 left and then a 69 yard TD run by Royster with 8:47 left. Northwestern was SOD on 4th & 3 at the Penn St 23 with 5:10 left and fumbled at the Penn St 11 with 2:05 left.

USC came in allowing just 79 ypg rushing but was shredded by Oregon for 391 yards on the ground as both RB LaMichael James and QB Jeremiah Masoli had over 100 yards rushing. UO fans were decked out in special black Fright Night T-shirts on Halloween night with a duck-and-crossbones motif. After the game the fans swarmed the field as the Ducks handed the Trojans their worst loss since 1997.

Wake Forest was healthy while Miami was banged up this past week and WF nearly pulled the upset. Wake finished with 33-19 FD and 555-356 yard edges but a couple of key plays kept Miami around. WF led 17-0 scoring 2 TD’s and a FG on their first 3 long possessions. Miami trailed 20-7 when they got a 3 yard TD run with :03 left in the half to make it 20-14. Wake Forest increased it to 27-14 after 3Q’s. WF missed a 45 yard FG with 12:37 left and fumbled a punt at their own 2 setting up a Miami TD, 27-21 (11:47). WF was intercepted at the Miami 41 then punted with 2:40 left. UM converted on 3rd & 10 and then on 4th & 16 got a 29 yard pass to the WF30. Two plays later Harris hit Benjamin with a 13 yard TD pass with 1:08 left for their first lead. WF missed a 60 yard FG on the final play which came up short.

Tennessee warmed up in their traditional orange home jerseys but came out in black jerseys for Halloween night. Turnovers were the key to this game as South Carolina fumbled on its 3rd and 5th offensive plays of the game and Tennessee drove 43 yards in 2 plays and 27 yards in 4 plays for TD’s to lead 14-0. SC fumbled at their own 22 and Tennessee went 22 yards in 6 plays for another TD to lead 21-0. It was 21-3 at the half yet Tennessee only had a 187-155 yard edge. SC got a 32 yard FG (6:40 3Q) then each team drove for a TD, 28-13 after 3Q’s. SC punted with 12:41 left and was intercepted at their own 47 and UT got a 39 yard FG with 4:23 left. SC was SOD at the Tennessee 48 with 1:43 left and the Vols ran out the clock.

Anthony Dixon broke Mississippi St’s single game rushing record with 247 yards vs Kentucky. It was Jerious Norwood’s record (2005) and he had just topped Norwood’s career rushing record 2 weeks prior. Trailing 7-3, Miss St did go on a 72 yard 7 play drive but was intercepted in the endzone on 4th & goal from the 2. Kentucky went 41 yards in 8 plays for a TD to lead 14-3 with 5:16 left in the half. Mississippi St got a 53 yard run to the 2 setting up a TD but Kentucky got a 46 yard PR to the MSU26 with :12 left in the half setting up a 38 yard FG and it was 17-10 at the half with MSU having a 247-144 yard edge. Kentucky fumbled to open the 3Q and the next 3 possessions were all TD’s with MSU getting a 67 yard TD pass to Wilder to tie it at 24 (6:56 3Q). MSU went 87 yards in 8 plays for a TD to lead 31-24 after 3Q’s. UK went on an 11 play drive and had a 1st & goal at the 4 but on 3rd down was intercepted in the endzone with 10:47 left. UK drove again and this time on 4th & 5 at the 15 were sacked for a 2 yard loss with 1:09 left.

The Boise St / San Jose St game was a lot closer than the 45-7 final. It was just 10-7 when SJS punted with 1:35 left in the 1H. Boise St got a 17 yard PR and 45 yard, 6 play TD drive (:44) after converting on 3rd & 10 during the drive. SJS fumbled on the next play and Boise went 22 yards in 4 plays for another TD with :03 left for 2 TD’s in the last :44 and a 24-7 lead. BSU got an IR TD mid-3Q to lead 38-7 but the next 7 possessions were punts. SJS punted with 2:36 left. Boise got a FD to the SJS45. On 2nd & 1 had they gotten the FD, the clock would have run out but Martin not only got the FD, he got a 36 yard TD run which made some Boise St fans very happy.

Georgia Tech/Vanderbilt was tied at 28 at the half but VU went on an 81 yard, 12 play drive to open the 3Q but settled for a 23 yard FG and led 31-28. GT fumbled and VU had the lead and the ball with 6:26 left in the 3Q before they fell apart. GT went 40 yards in 10 plays for a TD. VU fumbled their next play and GT went 19 yards for a TD. After a VU punt, GT got an 87 yard TD pass, 49-31. VU then fumbled the KO and GT went 38 yards in 5 plays for another TD to win comfortably, 56-31. GT did have a 28-15 FD edge.

Michigan St/Minnesota was a wild one but Minnesota appeared in control most of the game. On the first play the Gophers got a play-action 62 yard TD bomb. Michigan St fumbled the KO at their own 28 and on 3rd & 19 Minnesota got a 37 yard TD pass to lead 14-0 before MSU even touched the ball on offense. Minnesota led 14-3 when they were intercepted at the MSU39 and returned 20 yards. The Spartans got a 26 yard TD pass on 3rd & 10, 14-10. Minnesota went 49 yards in 7 plays for a TD to lead 21-10 at the half. Michigan St used 2 big plays to get back in it. They returned the 3Q opening KO 93 yards for a TD then after Minny drove for a TD, Martin got an 84 yard TD run on a reverse and they pulled within 28-24. Minnesota missed a 48 yard FG and fumbled at their own 24 which set up a Michigan St TD which gave the Spartans the lead, 31-28. Minnesota went 73 yards in 6 plays for a TD then held MSU to a 20 yard FG and still led 35-34. On 3rd & 17 Minnesota got unbelievable play as TE Tow-Arnett was diving to make the catch he never quite secured the ball which bounced up in the air and straight into the arms of RB Bennett who took it 59 yards for a TD, 42-34. Michigan St was SOD on 4th & 14 at the Minny 39 and roughing the punter gave Minnesota a FD and they ran out the final 3:18.

LSU got their first shutout of Tulane since 1969 in a game played on the 50th Anniversary of Billy Cannon’s Halloween night 89 yard punt return which propelled #1 LSU’s win over #2 Ole Miss. Tulane’s last win at LSU was back in 1982 which was also the last time the Green Wave beat a ranked team. This game was actually a little closer than the final. LSU did lead 14-0 with a 23 yard TD drive after blocked punt. In the 1H Tulane drove 57 yards in 11 plays but missed a 43 yard FG and drove 61 yards in 6 plays but from the 19 was intercepted at the 5 with 1:12 left in the half and they trailed 21-0 at the break. After a 50 yard PR, LSU drove 20 yards for a TD to lead 28-0 and they made it 35-0 after a 69 yard, 8 play TD drive with 9:55 left. Tulane got a 52 yard punt pinning LSU at the 2 and the Tigers would go 98 yards in 11 plays and got a 10 yard TD run with 1:12 left to make some of their backers happy.

It was a tough loss for Marshall against UCF. They led 17-7 at the half and 20-7 after 3Q’s. Marshall had a 43 yard pass called back for illegal use of the hands which set up UCF for a short 43 yard, 7 play TD drive. UCF converted on 4th down 4 times during the game including a 4th & 7, 21 yard pass on that drive to make it 20-14. UCF, on 4th & 9, fired incomplete from the MU18 with 2:40 left and The Herd apparently won the game. On 2nd & 1 MU’s Anderson got a 2 yard run but fumbled at their own 30 with 2:12 left. UCF had just one time-out left so the Herd would have been able to run out the clock. UCF converted on 4th & 1 and 3rd & 10 and got a TD with :23 left to take their first lead of the game. Marshall returned the KO to the 45 but after 2 incomplete passes Anderson was sacked for a 17 yard loss.