A pair of Big Ten juggernauts with lofty expectations survived scares in Week 1 as the first full Saturday of college football provided ample drama. Both No. 3 Oregon and No. 9 Michigan faced adversity in the fourth quarter as heavy favorites but managed late scores to avoid early-season disasters.
The Ducks barely escaped a valiant effort from FCS Idaho, winning 24-14 as more than a 40-point favorite. Oregon needed an offsides penalty from the Vandals late in the fourth quarter to help avoid a potential turnover on downs. Without the flag, the Vandals may have gotten the football back down just three. Though quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 41 of 49 passes for 380 yards in his Oregon debut, the Ducks turned the football over on downs twice in the third quarter to leave the door open for Idaho.
Michigan led by just six points in the fourth quarter against Fresno State before punching in a pair of late scores to beat the Bulldogs 30-10. The Wolverines offense went eight straight possessions without a touchdown before finally marching 75 yards for a needed score late in the fourth quarter. From there, star cornerback Will Johnson put the game away with an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Both the Ducks and Wolverines will need to improve in a hurry ahead of challenging Week 2 games. Michigan hosts No. 4 Texas next week, while Oregon welcomes Mountain West power and playoff contender Boise State to town.
College football scores, schedule: Week 1
No. 8 Penn State 34, West Virginia 12 — Recap
No. 25 Iowa 40, Illinois State 0 — Recap
No. 1 Georgia 34, No. 14 Clemson 3 — Takeaways, recap
No. 15 Tennessee 69, Chattanooga 3– Recap
No. 17 Oklahoma State 44, South Dakota State 20 — Recap
No. 2 Ohio State 52, Akron 6 — CBS — Takeaways, recap
No. 19 Miami 41 Florida 17 — ABC — Takeaways, recap
No. 4 Texas 52, Colorado State 0 — Recap
No. 5 Alabama 63, Western Kentucky 0 — ESPN — Recap
No. 18 Kansas State 41, UT Martin 6 — Recap
No. 6 Ole Miss 76, Furman 0 — Recap
UCLA 16, Hawaii 13 — Takeaways, recap
No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 20 Texas A&M 13 — Takeaways, recap
No. 3 Oregon 24, Idaho 14 — Recap
No. 9 Michigan 30, Fresno State 10 — Recap
Check out the entire Week 1 scoreboard
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