news-record.com

GEORGIA TECH 13, NO. 13 CLEMSON 3: Mark Buchholz missed one kick after another, a couple sliding left of the upright, the other two going wide right. Not that he was the only offender on the Clemson special teams, which weren't very special at all.

While Buchholz was missing four field goals, Georgia Tech blocked a punt to set up its only touchdown and recovered a fumble on a kickoff return, leading to a field goal that finished off a 13-3 upset of the No. 13 Tigers on Saturday.

For good measure, Georgia Tech also shut down Thunder and Lightning. James "Thunder" Davis rushed for 60 yards, while C.J. "Lightning" Spiller was held to 2 on nine carries -- the dynamic duo coming up 270 yards short of their performance a year ago in a 31-7 rout of the Yellow Jackets.

But special teams, the often overlooked phase of the game, were the deciding factor.

"It just goes to show you how important the special teams really are," said freshman D.J. Donley, who blocked the punt and recovered the fumble on the kickoff. "We take so much pride in it."

They had reason to feel proud. Travis Bell chipped in with a couple of field goals from 48 and 41 yards to complete Georgia Tech's total domination in the kicking game.

Clemson 3 0 0 0 -- 3 Georgia Tech 7 0 3 3 -- 13

Clem--FG Buchholz 48

GaT--Choice 2 run (Bell kick)

GaT--FG Bell 48

GaT--FG Bell 41

A--54,635

Clemson Georgia Tech

First downs 5 14

Rushes-yards 32-34 46-189

Passing 194 67

Comp-Att-Int 17-39-1 7-16-1

Return Yards 51 32

Punts-Avg. 6-40.8 7-49.1

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1

Penalties-Yards 5-44 10-65

Time of Possession 27:28 32:32

Individual Statistics

RUSHING--Clemson, Davis 12-60, Ford 2-9, Spiller 9-2, Harper 9-(minus 37). Georgia Tech, Choice 32-145, Grant 6-29, Bennett 2-15, Dwyer 4-5, Team 1-(minus 1), Nesbitt 1-(minus 4).

PASSING--Clemson, Harper 17-39-1-194. Georgia Tech, Bennett 7-15-1-67, Nesbitt 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING--Clemson, Kelly 6-53, Ford 3-58, Grisham 3-38, Palmer 2-33, Harris 1-8, Spiller 1-3, Linthicum 1-1. Georgia Tech, J.Johnson 2-40, Peek 2-15, Cox 2-8, G.Smith 1-4.

FLORIDA STATE 21, NO. 22 ALABAMA 14: Xavier Lee came off the bench to throw a pair of touchdown passes to De'Cody Fagg, and Antone Smith scored on a 5-yard run.

Florida State gave Bobby Bowden his 369th coaching win in his first game against Alabama.

Lee hit Fagg with a 7-yard pass for the game's first touchdown on the first opening drive of the second half. The two then teamed up on a 70-yard touchdown pass with 4:46 left in the game to give the Seminoles a 21-7 lead.

It was Florida State's first victory in four tries against Alabama in the first meeting between the schools since 1974, when Alabama won 8-7 by scoring a safety and field goal in the final 1:27.

The 85,412 fans at Saturday's game was the most to see a game in Jacksonville, Fla., exceeding attendance at the 2004 Super Bowl game or any of the annual Georgia-Florida rivalry games.

Alabama 0 0 0 14 -- 14 Florida State 0 0 7 14 -- 21

FSU--Fagg 7 pass from Lee (Cismesia kick)

FSU--A.Smith 5 run (Cismesia kick)

Ala--D.Hall 7 pass from Wilson (Tiffin kick)

FSU--Fagg 70 pass from Lee (Cismesia kick)

Ala--Brown 17 pass from Wilson (Tiffin kick)

A--85,412

Alabama Florida State

First downs 19 15

Rushes-yards 27-89 35-82

Passing 240 266

Comp-Att-Int 28-53-0 19-30-1

Return Yards 10 9

Punts-Avg. 10-36.9 8-37.6

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0

Penalties-Yards 4-20 9-54

Time of Possession 28:58 31:02

Individual Statistics

RUSHING--Alabama, Grant 9-36, Coffee 5-31, Wilson 10-21, Upchurch 3-1. Florida St., Lee 11-59, A.Smith 12-15, Parker 2-9, Holloway 1-5, Carr 1-2, Edwards 4-2, Richardson 1-(minus 1), Team 2-(minus 3), Weatherford 1-(minus 6).

PASSING--Alabama, Wilson 28-53-0-240. Florida St., Lee 12-19-1-224, Weatherford 7-11-0-42.

RECEIVING--Alabama, D.Hall 7-83, Caddell 5-41, Grant 3-38, Brown 3-34, Coffee 3-21, McCoy 3-12, N.Walker 2-11, Upchurch 2-0. Florida St., Carr 5-107, Fagg 4-95, Parker 4-35, Goodman 2-10, A.Smith 2-10, Piurowski 1-8, Edwards 1-1.

MARYLAND 34, NO. 10 RUTGERS 24: In Piscataway, N.J., backup quarterback Chris Turner led three second-half scoring drives, Keon Lattimore rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown and Maryland's defense shut down Rutgers back Ray Rice.

It marked the second straight year that Rutgers was upset after getting into the top 10. Last year, Cincinnati surprised the Scarlet Knights a week after they reached No. 7 following an upset of then-No. 3 Louisville.

This year it was Maryland, which had dropped two straight games and was coming off a 31-24 overtime loss to Wake Forest, a game in which the Terps blew a 24-3 third quarter lead.

Maryland squandered a 14-3 lead late in the second quarter in this one, but rallied in the second half behind Turner, getting field goals of 26 and 37 yards from an erratic Obi Egekeze, a 2-yard TD run by Lattimore and a late 14-yard dash by Lance Ball, who rushed 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Maryland 0 14 6 14 -- 34 Rutgers 3 14 0 7 -- 24

Rut--FG Ito 29

Md--L.Ball 19 run (Egekeze kick)

Md--Heyward-Bey 15 pass from Steffy (Egekeze kick)

Rut--Brown 20 pass from Teel (Ito kick)

Rut--Underwood 7 pass from Teel (Ito kick)

Md--FG Egekeze 26

Md--FG Egekeze 37

Md--Lattimore 2 run (Egekeze kick)

Rut--Rice 1 run (Ito kick)

Md--L.Ball 14 run (Egekeze kick)

A--43,803

Maryland Rutgers

First downs 24 19

Rushes-yards 59-239 23-82

Passing 219 310

Comp-Att-Int 18-28-0 25-44-1

Return Yards 29 4

Punts-Avg. 3-36.3 6-35.3

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-2

Penalties-Yards 5-45 5-44

Time of Possession 36:57 23:03

Individual Statistics

RUSHING--Maryland, Lattimore 34-124, L.Ball 12-90, Scott 3-29, Turner 1-9, Heyward-Bey 1-6, L.Williams 1-0, Team 3-(minus 7), Steffy 4-(minus 12). Rutgers, Rice 21-97, Teel 2-(minus 15).

PASSING--Maryland, Turner 14-20-0-149, Steffy 4-8-0-70. Rutgers, Teel 25-44-1-310.

RECEIVING--Maryland, Heyward-Bey 5-61, Oquendo 4-34, L.Williams 2-66, I.Williams 2-38, Jackson 2-23, Gronkowski 2-7, L.Ball 1-(minus 10). Rutgers, Underwood 8-101, Brown 7-72, Britt 5-93, Rice 4-36, Graves 1-8.

NO. 12 BOSTON COLLEGE 24, MASSACHUSETTS 14: Andre Callender ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns and Matt Ryan threw for one touchdown to lead host Boston College past cross-state rival Massachusetts.

Boston College has not opened a season with five straight victories since 1954.

Massachusetts 0 0 14 0 -- 14 Boston College 10 7 7 0 -- 24

BC--FG Aponavicius 37

BC--Callender 1 run (Aponavicius kick)

BC--Jarvis 9 pass from Ryan (Aponavicius kick)

Mass--Rancher 41 pass from Coen (Koepplin kick)

Mass--Horne 35 pass from Coen (Koepplin kick)

BC--Callender 4 run (Aponavicius kick)

A--44,111

Massachusetts Boston College

First downs 14 26

Rushes-yards 30-69 37-119

Passing 208 204

Comp-Att-Int 17-32-0 24-42-0

Return Yards 9 19

Punts-Avg. 8-42.3 7-40.0

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-Yards 17-114 9-65

Time of Possession 27:03 32:57

Individual Statistics

RUSHING--Massachusetts, Lawrence 20-64, Nelson 3-12, Woodward 1-8, Coen 6-(minus 15). Boston College, Callender 32-115, Brooks 2-4, Ryan 3-0.

PASSING--Massachusetts, Coen 12-21-0-151, Woodward 5-11-0-57. Boston College, Ryan 24-42-0-204.

RECEIVING--Massachusetts, Moore 5-51, Rancher 4-84, Horne 3-49, Omar 2-18, Lawrence 2-1, Jorgensen 1-5. Boston College, Gunnell 6-97, R.Thompson 4-24, Callender 4-20, Robinson 3-23, Megwa 2-16, Jarvis 2-15, Purvis 2-8, Challenger 1-1.

VIRGINIA 44, PITTSBURGH 14: Jameel Sewell threw three first-quarter touchdown passes and Cedric Peerman ran for two scores as host Virginia extended its winning streak to four games.

Sewell was 7-of-7 as Virginia built a 27-0 first-quarter lead. His scoring passes covered 2 yards to Jonathan Stupar, 18 yards to Tom Santi and 5 yards to Rashawn Jackson.

Pittsburgh 0 7 0 7 -- 14 Virginia 27 3 0 14 -- 44

UVa--Stupar 2 pass from Sewell (kick blocked)

UVa--Santi 18 pass from Sewell (Gould kick)

UVa--R.Jackson 5 pass from Sewell (Gould kick)

UVa--Peerman 1 run (Gould kick)

UVa--FG Gould 23

Pitt--McCoy 1 run (Lee kick)

Pitt--Turner 2 pass from Bostick (Lee kick)

UVa--Peerman 13 run (Gould kick)

UVa--V.Hall 4 run (Gould kick)

A--60,888

Pittsburgh Virginia

First downs 14 23

Rushes-yards 34-107 42-173

Passing 181 169

Comp-Att-Int 18-31-1 16-31-0

Return Yards (-3) 89

Punts-Avg. 7-44.9 4-41.3

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties-Yards 11-139 5-44

Time of Possession 30:12 29:48

Individual Statistics

RUSHING--Pittsburgh, McCoy 19-86, Stephens-Howling 10-37, Porter 2-4, Bostick 3-(minus 20). Virginia, Peerman 24-87, Sewell 12-64, Pearman 2-10, V.Hall 1-4, R.Jackson 1-4, Payne 1-4, Zidenberg 1-0.

PASSING--Pittsburgh, Bostick 18-31-1-181. Virginia, Sewell 16-31-0-169.

RECEIVING--Pittsburgh, Porter 5-55, Turner 4-70, McCoy 3-4, Pestano 2-15, M.Williams 1-13, Stephens-Howling 1-10, Strong 1-9, McGee 1-5. Virginia, Peerman 4-44, Stupar 3-27, Santi 2-32, Phillips 2-23, Inman 2-18, Koch 1-15, R.Jackson 1-5, Jobe 1-5.