East Roundup: Paterno Ties Record as Penn State Defeats Northwestern

Silas Redd ran for 164 yards and a touchdown, Matt McGloin threw for 192 yards and 2 scores, and Penn State clamped down in the second half to give Paterno another milestone victory.

Paterno will try to move ahead of Robinson, of Grambling, for the Division I record next weekend when the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) host Illinois. But he is still far behind John Gagliardi of St. John’s of Minnesota in Division III, who has 481 wins and counting.

Paterno, 84, is in his 46th season leading the Nittany Lions. In Evanston, Ill., on Saturday, he coached from the press box again. He is recovering from injuries to his right shoulder and pelvis sustained after a receiver ran into him in practice on Aug. 7.

Paterno had been feeling better and had been on the sideline for parts of some games, but on Oct. 8, during a 13-3 win over Iowa, two of his players pulled him back to avoid another collision.

That left him sore, he said, and he expressed concern that he might be a distraction to his players on the sideline.

Tying the record against Northwestern (2-5, 0-4) was fitting. When Paterno tied Bear Bryant with 323 wins, he did it against the Wildcats. No. 400 came at their expense, too, last season when Penn State rallied from 21 behind to win, 35-21.

This time, Penn State led, 27-24, at halftime, after Stephfon Green scored on a 1-yard run with six seconds left in the second quarter.

Redd made it a 10-point game early in the third when he ran it in from the 19 after Gerald Hodges returned an interception 63 yards.

VANDERBILT 44, ARMY 21 Zac Stacy set career highs with 198 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, and quarterback Jordan Rodgers made the most of his first career start, as Vanderbilt (4-3) defeated Army (2-5). Rodgers, younger brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, rushed for 96 yards and a score and passed for 186 yards and another touchdown.

BOWLING GREEN 13, TEMPLE 10 Matt Schilz threw a 24-yard pass to Shaun Joplin with 7 minutes 41 seconds left for Bowling Green (4-4, 2-2 Mid-American Conference). Both of the game’s touchdowns came in the final quarter, as Bernard Pierce’s 2-yard scoring run gave Temple its only lead, 10-6, with 11:02 to play. For Temple (5-3, 3-2), two players rushed for more than 100 yards: Matt Brown with 119 and Pierce with 107.

DARTMOUTH 37, COLUMBIA 0 Nick Schwieger, the leading career rusher for the Big Green, carried 29 times for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns as Dartmouth (3-4, 2-2 Ivy League) routed visiting Columbia (0-6, 0-3).

BROWN 35, CORNELL 24 Kyle Newhall-Caballero threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as Brown (5-1, 2-1 Ivy League) won in Ithaca, N.Y. Jeff Mathews threw for 402 yards and 2 touchdowns for Cornell (2-4, 0-3).

HARVARD 56, PRINCETON 39 Collier Winters passed for 403 yards and 5 touchdowns and rushed for a score to lead Harvard (5-1, 3-0 Ivy League) in Cambridge, Mass. Princeton (1-5, 1-2) amassed 556 total yards, 4 yards less than Harvard.

PENN 37, YALE 25 Billy Ragone threw for three touchdowns and ran for one and Pennsylvania (4-2, 3-0 Ivy League) outscored visiting Yale (3-3, 2-1) by 27-5 in the fourth quarter. Brandon Colavita rushed for 156 yards on 18 carries for Penn.

LAFAYETTE 45, FORDHAM 24 Lafayette (3-4, 1-1 Patriot League) overcame a 413-yard passing performance by Ryan Higgins for visiting Fordham (1-6, 0-3).

RHODE ISLAND 38, DELAWARE 34 Behind Robert Bentsen’s three touchdown passes, Rhode Island (2-5, 1-3 Colonial Athletic Association) beat visiting Delaware (4-4, 2-3) for the first time since 2002.

ALBANY 63, CENTRAL CONN. 35 Dan Di Lella threw a team-record five touchdown passes for Albany (5-2, 4-0 Northeast Conference) in a rout at Central Connecticut State (2-6, 1-4).

IN OTHER GAMES Dontra Peters rushed for two touchdowns in a 27-21 victory for New Hampshire (5-2, 3-1 Colonial Athletic Association) over Massachusetts (4-3, 0-1) in Foxborough, Mass. ... Larry McCoy ran for three touchdowns as Duquesne (6-2, 4-1 Northeast Conference) beat visiting Wagner (1-6, 1-3), 37-21. ... Kyle Essington threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as visiting Stony Brook (4-3, 2-0 Big South Conference) defeated Virginia Military Academy (1-6, 1-2), 42-14.

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Oklahoma State to 3rd in BCS Behind, LSU and Bama

The Cowboys moved up to third Sunday in the BCS standings, replacing rival Oklahoma as the team behind LSU and Alabama best positioned to reach the national title game. It's Oklahoma State's best showing in the BCS standings.

Two championship contenders lost for the first time Saturday, when Oklahoma and Wisconsin went down.

That cleared some of the traffic atop the standings and left Oklahoma State, fourth-place Boise State, fifth-place Clemson and sixth-place Stanford in a tight race.

First-place LSU and second-place Alabama will play on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa. The winner will have the inside track to reach the BCS championship game in New Orleans.

The Southeastern Conference has had at least one team first or second in 26 of the last 27 standings, dating to Dec. 2, 2007.

Oklahoma, which lost at home to 41-38 to Texas Tech, dropped to ninth and Wisconsin, which lost on the last play 37-31 at Michigan State, fell to 15th.

The BCS standings use the coaches' poll, the Harris poll and a compilation of six computer ratings to determine which teams play in the five marquee bowls, including the championship game.

Oklahoma State was ranked first in the computer rankings, third in the Harris poll and fourth in the coaches' poll for a BCS average of .9240.

Boise State was at .8302, Clemson was .8240 and Stanford .8124.

For now, they are chasing the Cowboys, hoping for them to slip up.

Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon and the high-scoring Cowboys have already won three conference road games, including a 45-24 victory at Missouri on Saturday.

"I just think our team plays with a lot of confidence," coach Mike Gundy said after the Missouri game. "We have a number of guys that have been in battle and had success, and we've been fortunate."

The Cowboys return home for the next two weeks to play Baylor and undefeated Kansas State, which is eighth in the BCS standings heading into its next game against Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State also has road games at Texas Tech and Iowa State before finishing the season at home against the Sooners.

It's a schedule that looks strong enough to keep Oklahoma State ahead of Stanford, Clemson and Boise State, though if all of those teams finish unbeaten the BCS won't have enough spots in the championship game for all the teams that can claim to be worthy of being picked.

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AP Sports Writer RB Fallstrom in Columbia, Mo., contributed to this report.

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Final: Penn State 34, Northwestern 24

Penn State was involved in a very un-Penn State like shootout in the first half. But in the second half, the Nittany Lions turned it into more of their kind of game, and it was good enough for them win 34-24 and to improve to 7-1.

After a wild first half ended with Penn State leading 27-24, there was only one score in the final 30 minutes, and it came early. Gerald Hodges, who had a monster game at linebacker, returned a tipped pass for an interception 60 yards on Northwestern's first drive after intermission, setting up a Silas Redd touchdown run on the next play. (And speaking of monster games, Redd continued his sensational stretch of performances with 164 yards on just 18 carries).

Penn State's defense responded after an uncharacteristic first half. The Lions finished with seven sacks and kept a high-powered Northwestern offense off bay. The Wildcats helped out with a couple of bad dropped passes. Quarterback Dan Persa went out midway through the fourth quarter with what was called a turf toe issue on his left foot, and a promising drive then stalled when Kain Colter was sacked on back-to-back plays.

For Northwestern, this was just a copy-and-paste repeat of the season. Once again, the Wildcats couldn't get nearly enough stops on defense. And once again, they imploded in the second half. If you would have told Pat Fitzgerald at halftime that Penn State would only score seven more points, he might have started celebrating. But then the offense misfired. The Wildcats are now 0-4 in the Big Ten and have lost five-straight games. At 2-5, they will need a huge finish to get back to a bowl game.

Penn State, meanwhile, just continues to win despite the doubters. Matt McGloin played the entire game at quarterback, and while he wasn't nearly as good in the second half as he was in the first, the mere decision of potentially settling on him could help this offense. The Lions have matched their win total from last season, and they have to be considered a threat in the Leaders Division.

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Iowa State Running Back Likely Done for Season

A new movie mounts a troubling campaign to debunk Shakespeare.

A long-lost father resurfaces. Or does he?

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Boise State has no Big East invite

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Boise State president Bob Kustra said Saturday his school has not received an inviation from the Big East, and has only had informational discussions with league officials.

Shortly before the Broncos played their first Mountain West game against Colorado State, Kustra addressed numerous reports that his school was a Big East target.

"They have to figure out what they're going to do and from what I read, they really haven't made those decisions yet so whenever that day comes, if in fact it would mean anything for our program, then would come the due diligence on our part," Kustra said. "But it's way premature since I have no indication of what they're up to and what their next steps are."

The Big East is down to six football playing members, and has said it would aggressively pursue new schools to add. Boise State, Air Force and Navy have been mentioned as football-only candidates, and UCF, Houston and SMU as all-sports candidates. But when asked whether the Big East had pressed Boise State for a decision, Kustra said, "I think they've talked to people. I wouldn’t say they have aggressively pursued Boise State in terms of asking us to respond to an invite because clearly the commissioner has not done that. I can vouch for that, and he can vouch for that."

Still, Kustra said he is keeping all his options open, especially if it means joining a conference that has an automatic qualifying spot.

"If the day ever comes that will certainly factor in," Kustra said. "We will take that very seriously. We will consider that up against where we are, up against any other opportunities there might be. All options must remain on the table for Boise State University. In the meantime, this is a great place for Boise State to be in the Mountain West Conference. We're going to enjoy every minute of it."

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No. 23 Michigan State 28, No. 11 Michigan 14: Michigan State Tops Michigan Again

"A clean sweep!" Worthy yelled.

In his four years with the Spartans, Worthy has never lost to Michigan. He and the rest of Michigan State's defensive line helped extend that run Saturday, shutting down Denard Robinson and the 11th-ranked Wolverines in a 28-14 victory.

The 23rd-ranked Spartans have won four straight against Michigan for the first time since 1959-62, equaling Michigan State's longest streak in the series.

"For the rest of our life, we can walk the streets of Michigan," quarterback Kirk Cousins said.

Cousins, a fifth-year senior, is the first Michigan State starting quarterback to win three straight over Michigan.

Keshawn Martin scored twice in the third quarter on similar lunges to the end zone, and Michigan State (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) held off Robinson and the Wolverines during a wild fourth quarter.

Michigan (6-1, 2-1) lost for the first time under coach Brady Hoke. The Wolverines had a chance to tie it, but Robinson was sacked on fourth-and-1 from the Michigan State 9-yard line with 6:16 to play.

Robinson later threw an interception, and Isaiah Lewis returned it 39 yards for a touchdown with 4:31 left to make it 28-14. Shortly after that, Robinson was shaken up by a hit and left the game.

Edwin Baker ran for 167 yards and a touchdown for the Spartans.

"It's a big win, a program win," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "To do that a fourth straight year says a lot about our players."

Michigan State took the field in special green-and-bronze Nike Pro Combat uniforms. In a surprise move, Michigan showed up in "legacy" uniforms by Adidas that included pants that were white instead of the usual maize.

The Wolverines haven't beaten the Spartans since 2007, when then-Michigan running back Mike Hart compared Michigan State to a "little brother" and Dantonio shot back by saying the Wolverines needed "to check themselves." Dantonio said after that game that "pride comes before the fall" — and now it's Michigan State enjoying the spoils of victory in this series, keeping the Paul Bunyan Trophy from its in-state foe.

Worthy, a standout defensive tackle, is a redshirt junior. He has a tattoo displaying a Spartan stomping on a Wolverine.

"We're always fighting for respect," Worthy said. "I feel even better about getting that tattoo now."

The Spartans, who tied for the Big Ten title last year, are now alone atop the Legends Division with a big home game against Wisconsin coming up next weekend.

This week, Michigan State was coming off an open date. Michigan has one next weekend.

"They need to feel this one," Hoke said. "We all need to feel this one for a while. But we'll turn the page."

Robinson ran for a first-quarter touchdown but was mostly ineffective through the air, going 9 for 24 for 123 yards and a touchdown on a windy day in East Lansing.

Down 21-7, Robinson found Roy Roundtree for a 34-yard touchdown with 9:49 left in the game. Martin then fumbled on an end around, giving Michigan the ball at the Michigan State 32.

After converting fourth-and-1 from the 23 with a short run, Robinson faced the same down and distance from the 9. Michigan called a slow-developing play-action attempt, and Johnny Adams sacked Robinson to end the drive.

After Michigan got the ball back, Robinson's pass was intercepted by Lewis, who took it back for a touchdown. Lewis risked a penalty by holding the ball out before crossing the goal line, but the touchdown stood.

The Spartans didn't always handle the emotionally charged game well, committing 13 penalties for 124 yards.

Robinson's day ended late in the fourth when he was thrown down by Marcus Rush, who was called for roughing the passer. The Michigan quarterback stood on the sideline, green grass stains all over his uniform, as the Spartans finished off another win over the Wolverines.

"I got a little beat up," Robinson said.

Hoke said he didn't know what the injury was. Robinson said it was not a concussion.

With the game tied at 7, Michigan State went on a 54-yard drive to start the third quarter. On third-and-goal from the 10, Cousins found Martin, who caught the ball at the 5 near the right sideline and managed to stay in bounds before extending the ball across the goal line while being knocked backward toward the end zone.

Martin caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Cousins in the final minute of the third, dodging a tackler and diving to that same front corner of the end zone.

Michigan State entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense, and its defensive line gave Robinson problems all day.

Each team scored on its first possession of the game. Robinson gave Michigan a 7-0 lead with a 15-yard run, and the Spartans answered with a 63-yard drive that ended with Baker's 1-yard scoring run.

Devin Gardner tried to rally Michigan after Robinson departed late in the fourth. He had a touchdown pass called back because he was well past the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball. On fourth-and-21 from the Michigan State 44, Gardner began running to the right sideline, then doubled back to the middle of the field, then circled back again to the same sideline before being stopped. Gardner had a receiver open deep down the field toward the end of the play but either couldn't see him or couldn't get rid of the ball.

NOTES: Andrew Johnson, a 19-year-old Michigan State sophomore, won a 2012 GMC Acadia valued at over $32,000 by kicking a 40-yard field goal as part of an in-game contest. The wind appeared to switch directions — in his favor — when he attempted the kick. ... Michigan State's previous four-game winning streak in the series was part of a 6-0-2 stretch against Michigan from 1956-63.

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Michigan State 28, Michigan 14: Michigan State Beats Michigan for Fourth Straight Time

The unbeaten Wolverines entered their game against Michigan State with the shine still on the new coach Brady Hoke, a revamped defense that showed signs of cohesion and a No. 11 ranking.

All that optimism might have been premature.

Faced with their most formidable test of the season on Saturday, Michigan fizzled. The Michigan State defense stifled the Wolverines and their elusive quarterback, Denard Robinson, for almost the entire game. Behind a running game that produced 213 yards, No. 23 Michigan State won, 28-14.

It was the fourth consecutive victory in the annual rivalry for Michigan State, the first time that has happened since a four-year run from 1959 to 1962.

For Michigan (6,1, 2-1 Big Ten), the loss marked another false start.

In 2009, the Wolverines started their season with a 4-0 record before losing at Michigan State, 26-20. In 2010, Michigan opened 5-0 before bowing at home to the Spartans, 34-17. Both losses kicked off precipitous declines for the Wolverines.

Through his first six games, Hoke had given the Wolverines’ hungry fan base every reason to believe this year’s 6-0 start was not another fluke. But after the Spartans (5-1, 2-0) bullied Michigan’s defensive line in the decisive third quarter, those concerns emerged anew.

“They were definitely more physical,” Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs said. “They pounded us.”

The Spartans emerged from halftime and methodically drove the field for two third-quarter touchdowns. Running back Edwin Baker did the bulk of the damage, finishing with 26 carries for 167 yards and a score.

For Michigan, the pounding was even worse on the other side of the football. Michigan State’s defense harassed Robinson all afternoon. He was often prevented from scrambling outside the pocket and rarely looked comfortable in it. The Spartans registered seven sacks.

When it was over, Robinson had completed 9 of 24 passes for 123 yards while rushing 18 times for 42 yards and the game’s first touchdown.

Michigan State reserved additional insults for Robinson until the end of the game.

Trailing by 7 points, the Wolverines took possession with 4 minutes 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter. On the first play of the possession, Michigan State flushed Robinson from the pocket. Safety Isaiah Lewis intercepted his pass and returned it 39 yards for the touchdown that secured the Spartans’ victory.

About 8 yards from the end zone, Lewis taunted the downtrodden quarterback with the ball on his way in for the score.

“I thought maybe I shouldn’t have did it,” Lewis said later. “I was hoping they didn’t throw a flag on it. I didn’t mean anything bad. I was just celebrating.”

Officials overlooked the taunt, but not much else. They flagged Michigan State 13 times for 124 yards. Six of those were for personal fouls, unnecessary roughness or roughing the quarterback. On Michigan’s final, frantic possession, Spartans defensive end Marcus Rush slung Robinson to the ground and drew the last of the flags.

Robinson struggled to rise from the field and did not return to the game. Asked if he thought the Spartans had played dirty, Robinson said: “They were playing football. It’s a dirty game.”

Earlier in the game, Michigan State’s William Gholston punched left tackle Taylor Lewan in the face mask.

Although the matchup is not on the same level as Michigan’s rivalry with Ohio State, the rough play reflected the harsher tone that has developed between the Spartans and the Wolverines.

After a Michigan win in 2007 (Michigan’s last win in the series), Wolverines running back Mike Hart said: “Sometimes, you get your little brother excited when you’re playing basketball, let them get the lead. And then you come back.” That comment still reverberates.

And even though they’ve won four straight games, the Spartans still seem to feel disrespected.

“They just think we’re always the lower team, like they’re going to dominate, this and that,” Lewis said. “No matter how many times we beat them, it’s probably going to be like that. Even though we have this fourth win, they’re probably still going to act like they’re better than us.”

He continued: “You see how they didn’t shake our hands after the game? They walked off the field on us. It’s a lack of respect.”

Right now, that is the least of the Spartans’ concerns. Michigan State has notched wins against Ohio State and Michigan already this year, with Wisconsin on deck next Saturday. In East Lansing, there is talk of a Big Ten title.

In Ann Arbor, the loss serves as a reality check. Michigan has a bye next weekend, so any critique of the team’s resilience must wait two weeks.

“It’s easy to say that this is the same Michigan team from the last two years,” Kovacs said, “but I have no doubt in my mind that we’re not. We’re going to improve, learn from this game, and win.”

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Halftime: Boise State 35, Colorado State 13

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Boise State leads Colorado State 35-13 at halftime. Let's take a quick look at how it happened:

Stat of the half: 21. First downs for the Broncos, as they scored touchdowns on their first five possessions and racked up 476 yards of total offense on 47 plays. There simply was not much the Rams could do to stop Boise State.

Best player in the half: None other than Kellen Moore, of course. The Heisman Trophy hopeful started the game with 18 straight completions and ended the half 24-of-26 for 273 yards and two touchdowns. Moore did what he always does,

Best call:Colorado State needed to get something going, after falling behind 35-0. So coach Steve Fairchild called a trick play, with Crockett Gillmore throwing a 27-yard touchdown pass to Joe Brown on a halfback option. It worked so well the first time, the Rams did it again when Charles Lovett threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Matt Yemm later in the quarter.

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Smith Runs Oklahoma State Over Texas 38-26

Smith went 30 and 74 yards for scores and Justin Gilbert returned the third quarter kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Gilbert tied the Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) school record for career kickoff TD returns with four.

Fozzy Whittaker had a 100-yard touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff for Texas, but the Longhorns (4-2, 1-2) never led and lost for the sixth time in their last 10 home games.

Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden passed for 218 yards with a touchdown to Justin Blackmon.

Texas freshman quarterback David Ash got his first career start and took every snap in the loss after rotating with sophomore Case McCoy the previous three weeks.

Ash was 22 of 39 passing for 139 yards with no touchdowns and two turnovers. The second came on a fumble with 4:34 to play that killed Texas' last chance to rally.

Malcolm Brown ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns for the Longhorns.

Smith's touchdowns were surprising for how easy they were.

The first came in the second quarter on fourth-and-inches when he ran off left tackle. There was no defender to meet him at the line of scrimmage and he coasted to the end zone.

The second came in the third quarter and put the Cowboys ahead 38-24. Smith ran straight up the middle and Texas linebackers Keenan Robinson and Jordan Hicks got washed out of the play, leaving no defender within 10 yards with a chance to tackle him.

Oklahoma State, which had lost 12 in a row to the Longhorns, now have consecutive wins in Austin. A scheduling quirk in the Big 12 put the Cowboys on the road against Texas two years in a row.

Weeden, the second-leading passer in the nation, struggled to find his rhythm for most of the game, but clicked with Blackmon in the second quarter.

Blackmon had a 16-yard catch on fourth down to keep a drive alive, then grabbed a 15-yard TD on the next play when he caught the ball at the 3 and carried Texas cornerback Carrington Byndom into the end zone.

Smith's first touchdown put OSU up 21-10 and the Cowboys seemed primed to put the game away at the start of the third.

Gilbert took the kickoff five yards deep in the end zone, zipped through a seam near the 30 and raced past the defense for a 28-10 lead. Gilbert tied the school record set by Perrish Cox for career kick return TDs.

The Cowboys had only a few seconds to get comfortable with the lead. Whittaker, who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown the previous week against Oklahoma, matched Gilbert's TD to keep Texas in the game at 28-17.

Texas was building momentum when Brown scored his second touchdown to cut the lead to 28-24.

Texas ran the so-called "Statue of Liberty" play where Ash took the snap and faked a throw to his right while tucking the ball low behind his back. Brown grabbed it, scampered to his left and tiptoed on the sideline for the touchdown. The play call by first-year offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin was similar to the one used by Boise State to beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Oklahoma State answered with a 22-yard field goal by Quinn Sharp before Smith ripped off his second long TD.

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Boise State Prez Says Goal Is AQ Status in BCS

The Big East is expected to invite Boise State's football program to join a reconfigured conference as soon as next week, but that might not be the best move for the Broncos at this time.

"I don't have any idea right now ... of who's going to be in, who's going to be out" in the Big East, Kustra told The Associated Press. "And so if anybody asked me today, if anybody invited me today, I wouldn't know what I was getting invited to."

Kustra spoke to the AP prior to the fifth-ranked Broncos' inaugural Mountain West Conference game at Colorado State on Saturday. The Broncos (5-0) bolted the Western Athletic Conference to join the MWC this year.

Joining the Big East in football would require Boise State to find a home for its other sports because MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said Friday night that Boise State was either all in or all out.

The Big East is in flux and a conference official told the AP that conference leaders are slated to vote Monday on doubling its exit fee to $10 million, which will clear the way to invite six new members.

Along with Boise State, the league also wants to invite Air Force and Navy as football-only members and Conference USA members Central Florida, SMU and Houston to join in all sports.

"It's really an unsettled time," Kustra said. "We have a number of options, one of which is staying right where we are, working through this Conference-USA merger of sorts and finding ways of getting better TV coverage and perhaps even working toward an AQ conference status. ... and while we love where we are, we'll keep all the options on the table. I think that's what my responsibility is as president."

Staying in the Mountain West, which is teaming with C-USA to form an association stretching from the East Coast to Hawaii, until the dust settles from all this conference realignment might be the best route for Boise State.

"I've been very vocal about my thoughts regarding the BCS and when they organize in 2013, I hope there's a way to deal with some of these inequities," Kustra said. "But in the meantime, it seems like our responsibility is to get as close as we can to AQ status as we can.

"And that's the reason why we're not just shutting down any interests from others who ask us questions about what are your future plans? Our future plans are to do whatever we can to work out a better TV arrangement, get on more TVs in more living rooms and at the same time work toward AQ status."

Kustra said another move would take time.

"We are not on any kind of urgent timetable," he said. "We really enjoy where we are and it's important for us to take advantage of the rest of this season. I mean, let's face it, if we take care of the rest of this season, we're going to a postseason bowl, a BCS bowl. And that's not exactly too shabby an existence in the year 2011."

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AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed. Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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Final: BYU 38, Oregon State 28

BYU rolled over Oregon State in the second half, ending the small momentum the Beavers gained from their first win of the season a week ago against Arizona.

Tied 14-14 at the break, the Cougars rolled to a 38-28 victory because the Beavers defense couldn't get a stop (BYU punted just once).

Telling stat: Oregon State was outrushed 282 yards to 59.

It also didn't help the Beavers had four turnovers -- two fumbles, two interceptions -- and missed both field goal attempts.

Quarterback Sean Mannion was 27-of-43 for 306 yards, but is still playing like a redshirt freshman with no help from a running game.

The Beavers fall to 1-5. They visit Washington State on Saturday, which figures to be a critical game for both team.

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Hillman Leads San Diego State Past Air Force

Hillman ran for 103 of his 172 yards in the fourth quarter, including touchdown runs of 22 and 57 yards, and San Diego State survived a series of trick plays figuring in two Air Force scores to pull away for a 41-27 victory Thursday night.

"The offensive line got better and better as the game went on," Hillman said. "I just think we got hats on hats and the holes were just there, and I just ran."

The sophomore running back shook off a late fumble to finish with his 11th 100-yard performance in 18 career games. He had a 191-yard effort last year in a 27-25 victory over Air Force in San Diego.

"I try to have a big game every game, so that's just a coincidence," Hillman said. "I'm just happy I helped my team win tonight. We've had two tough weeks so this was nice."

Ryan Lindley threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 28-yard score to Colin Lockett late in the third quarter to help San Diego State (4-2, 1-1 Mountain West) bounce back from consecutive losses. The Aztecs are off to their best start since 1977, when they began the season 5-1.

"I don't think any of us on the offensive side were playing our best football the past two weeks," Lindley said. "We knew we needed to step it up. Hats off to Air Force. They're a team that's going to grind with you for four quarters. We just continued to do our thing. We were running the ball well and kind of worked our play-action game in there, and everything worked out pretty good."

Tim Jefferson had touchdown passes of 18 and 26 yards to Jonathan Warzeka among his 22 completions in 36 attempts for 224 yards for Air Force (3-3, 0-2).

Air Force kept it close for much of the game. Mikel Hunter helped to break a tie with his second big run on a reverse, gaining 33 yards to the San Diego State 17.

The Falcons advanced to the 14 before Parker Herrington, who earlier kicked a 44-yard field goal, came on to add a 31-yarder for a 20-17 lead midway through the third quarter.

But San Diego State scored 10 points in a 14-second span following two Air Force turnovers.

"There were stretches where we did play well, but not nearly the way you have to for a full 60 minutes," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. "There's no doubt (the turnovers) were key plays. Fundamentally, there's some work that certainly has to be done."

Rene Siluano's interception of Jefferson's pass set up Abelardo Perez's second field goal, a 25-yarder that evened the score at 20 with 2:30 left in the third quarter. Then, on the first play of Air Force's next series, Mike DeWitt fumbled after a hit by Jerome Long, and Logan Ketchum covered the loose ball for San Diego State at Air Force's 28. From there, Lindley found Lockett open in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

Hillman added to San Diego State's lead with a 22-yard touchdown run, breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage and then dragging a defender the final 3 yards into the end zone.

He broke loose for his second score moments later, taking advantage of solid blocking at the point of attack.

Herrington kicked his first field goal, and Air Force pulled into a 17-17 tie in the finishing touch to a pulsating second quarter in which the teams combined for 24 points.

San Diego State went in front 10-7 on Lindley's 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alston Umuolo with 14:11 left in the second quarter.

Air Force answered with a scoring drive that featured two trick plays. On a third-and-9 play, Hunter broke free on a reverse for a 29-yard gain to the 11. Air Force managed to get to the 4, where they Falcons lined up for an apparent field goal try on fourth down. But Herrington lined up as the holder and punter David Baska, normally the holder, took his place as kicker. Herrington got the long snap and took off around the right side, pitching the ball back to the trailing Baska, who dove over a San Diego State defender and shoved the ball one-handed over the goal line for the touchdown.

The Aztecs wasted no time responding. Brandon Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and a 17-14 San Diego State lead. Davis bolted up the middle, stepped out of a tackle at about the 25 and quickly veered into the clear down the right sideline, going the rest of the way untouched.

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Final: Oklahoma State 30, Texas A&M 29

Down 20-3 at halftime, No. 7 Oklahoma State scored 27 consecutive points in the third and fourth quarters to beat No. 8 Texas A&M 30-29 in College Station, Texas, on Saturday.

Oklahoma state quarterback Brandon Weeden completed 47 of 60 passes for 437 yards and two touchdowns. The Aggies turned the ball over three times during the third quarter when the Cowboys outscored them 21-0. They also turned it over on their final drive of the game.

More to come later.

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Final: Ohio State 37, Colorado 17

Colorado's road losing streak is now at 20 games after getting dominated 37-17 at Ohio State.

Two fumbles (Colorado's first turnovers of the season) and poor special teams play -- including yielding a 90-yard kickoff return -- didn't help the Buffaloes' cause, but Ohio State dominated both lines of scrimamge and won with a true freshman Braxton Miller making his first start at QB.

Miller tossed two touchdown passes but only needed to complete 7 of 16 passes for 110 yards. The Buckeyes outrushed the Buffs 221-75.

Colorado, which falls to 1-3, will play host to Washington State on Saturday, in a game that is critical for both team's longshot bowl hopes.

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Final: UCLA 27, Oregon State 19

At least for a week, UCLA can smile. Oregon State? Not so much.

The Bruins triumphed 27-19 in the Desperation Bowl at Oregon State, as the Bruins evened their record at 2-2 and at least briefly boosted coach Rick Neuheisel's chances of surviving the 2011 season.

And the Beavers, who closed the gap to 21-19 to start the fourth after a 2-point conversion failed, fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1996.

UCLA QB Richard Brehaut threw for a touchdown and ran for another. The Bruins outrushed the Beavers 211 yards to 88.

Making his first career start at QB, Oregon State redshirt freshman Sean Mannion completed 24 of 40 for 287 yards with a TD, an interception and a fumble on the Beavers 4-yard line.

Receiver James Rodgers had a solid return, catching five passes for 76 yards.

UCLA faces a tough task on Saturday at Stanford. Oregon State visits Arizona State.

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Friday Q&A: Penn State LB Michael Mauti

Penn State's defense has done the heavy lifting so far this season, surrendering only five touchdowns and 726 yards through the first three games. While the offense searches for an identity -- and a quarterback -- frustrated Nittany Lions fans can smile about a defense that looks elite and the fact Linebacker U could be back.

The defense helped Penn State avoid a historic loss last week at Temple, and linebacker Michael Mauti led the charge with three tackles for loss and an interception that led to the Lions' game-winning touchdown drive. A fan favorite with a familiar last name -- Mauti's father, Rich, starred as a wide receiver for Penn State -- Mauti is off to a strong start, leading Penn State in total tackles, tackles for loss and passes defended through the first three games.

ESPN.com recently caught up with Mauti.

What has been the biggest difference so far with this year's defense as opposed to last year's?

[+] Enlarge Jeff Conner/Icon SMIPenn State forced three turnovers against Temple, including an interception from Michael Mauti.Michael Mauti: First of all, it's the experience. We tried to downplay that last year going into the season, but there's no replacement for experience. And where experience comes is guys having confidence, guys anticipating plays and then finally making things happen -- forcing turnovers and making big plays.

What examples have you seen of that experience playing out in games?

MM: Definitely this past weekend at Temple. We played well against Alabama in Week 2, but we didn't force any turnovers, which is something we had been stressing. And then this week at Temple, we forced three turnovers. That was definitely a big step in the right direction for us.

Does playmaking just come with time?

MM: When you're in there and you're thinking about only your responsibilities, you're not necessarily thinking of the big picture, which is getting the ball back. Experience has a lot to do with that, and obviously so does talent level and whenever you do get the opportunity, executing and making sure those things happen.

How surprised were you not to be playing middle linebacker when the season started after practicing there for a while?

MM: It was just unexpected. Yeah, I was a little bit surprised. But wherever I can play and contribute to the defense, that's fine with me. Where I'm at right now, this is the same spot I was at last season, so it's nothing new. In some aspects of our defense, the SAM is kind of like a half linebacker-half strong safety type, so there's a lot more space you're playing in. In the middle, your responsibilities are kind of condensed. It's just more close quarters, more in between the tackles, a little more muddied up in there.

As a unit, how do you feel the cohesion is going so far at linebacker?

MM: I feel it's coming along fine. Every week we're getting better and getting more experience. We're learning from every week and every day at practice. The more experience we get as a unit, the better off we're going to be. We've got to keep going out there, making plays and making things happen.

Do you talk much as linebackers about the tradition of the position at Penn State?

MM: We don't talk about it much. It's not like a patch we wear on our shoulders or something we hold our nose up to every morning. We have the responsibility to uphold that work ethic, and [linebackers] coach [Ron] Vanderlinden, he brings it up but only to demonstrate a point, to say, 'If you want to be as good as some of these guys, this is the level of work that it takes.' He uses that in a good way to show what kind of work it takes to get to that level.

How much attention do you pay to the offense and some of the ups and downs they're going through?

MM: The moment we start worrying about the offense, that's when we slack a little bit. All we can worry about is what the defense is doing, getting that ball back to the offense, getting three-and-outs and executing and making big plays.

How much pride do you take in a win like last Saturday's, where the defense really stepped up?

MM: For us, it's just a step in the right direction. It's still early in the year and we have a lot of football to play yet. We're just going to try and go out every week and do the same thing we did Saturday, and that's execute and fit in our gaps and make big plays.

How good does it feel personally to be healthy out there after last year?

MM: It feels great. You're just not worried about anything. All you worry about is go out and make the plays and help the team win. I spend a lot of time in the training room, just taking care of my body. You can't really do anything about injuries when they happen, but I'm just happy to be healthy right now and flying around.

How good can this defense be this season? And how good can the team be?

MM: For the defense, the sky's the limit. It's just a matter of how good we want to be and how hard we want to work. When we get the opportunities to execute and make big plays, we've just got to do it in big-time situations. And then for the team, we obviously still have some work to do. We've got some work to do on special teams, and we've got to eliminate some mistakes. But once we do that, definitely the sky's the limit for us.

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NC State D trying to overcome injuries

Last year was the healthiest NC State has been during Tom O’Brien’s tenure, and it showed in the final results, as the Wolfpack finished with nine wins and ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

This year? It seems like you could field an entire starting lineup with the players who are sidelined, but the defense has been hit the hardest. It could be a factor once again on Thursday night as the Pack prepares to travel to Cincinnati. The Bearcats have the No. 4 scoring offense in the country with 51.33 points per game, but many of the numbers have come against inferior opponents. Still, NC State’s depleted defense will be tested.

[+] Enlarge Jeremy Brevard/US PRESSWIRE"It's been a tough season to play defense," said NC State coach Tom O'Brien, who has seen several injuries on that side of the ball.NC State has opened the past two games without two starting defensive linemen and finished the South Alabama game with four starters on the bench. Senior captain J.R. Sweezy suffered a broken foot in preseason practice and is still in a walking boot. Redshirt freshman Thomas Teal took Sweezy’s place, but suffered the exact same injury in the first game and has joined the walking boot club.

Prior to facing Wake Forest, starting end Jeff Rieskamp was sidelined with a shoulder injury. The Cincinnati native has missed the last two games and his status is still unknown for Thursday night. Redshirt freshman Art Norman has been starting in his place, but he left the South Alabama game with an injury and did not return.

NC State’s defense took another big hit in Saturday’s game when weakside linebacker Terrell Manning injured his knee in the first half and did not return. He was operated on earlier this week.

“It’s been a tough season to play defense,” O’Brien said. “We lost a corner to start the year, we lost our captain and best defensive lineman, we lost the next-best defensive lineman, we lost the back-up middle linebacker, lost a corner, lost a linebacker.

“Dwayne Maddox has some experience, he’s been around and is going to have to step up and make some plays right now. Certainly we’re down seven guys off the top 15 that we had going in the first of August. There are 15 left from the top 22. It’s been a difficult year to play defense around here.”

O’Brien said the staff would try to get Rieskamp ready to face his hometown team, but even if he is cleared to play, he won’t have had much practice time.

“We’re trying to get him ready for Cincinnati, but if that doesn’t work then we’ll try for Georgia Tech,” O’Brien said. “It’s week-to-week trying to get guys back and get them healthy.”

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Ohio State Buckeyes iPad Sleeve

Bring your team pride into the 21st century when you slip your Apple iPad into techno-paradise with this team-spirited sleeve! Featuring a printed team logo and school name, this handy cover boasts a durable neoprene exterior that protects your device from the elements and a super-plush faux fur interior to prevent scratches and allow for easy access. Plus, its slim contour provides for an effortless fit inside any backpack or tote - making this sleeve a must-have accessory for the savvy Buckeyes fan on the go!

• Durable neoprene sleeve protects your iPad
• Measures approximately 8" x 10.75"
• Soft faux fur lining for easy access & scratch prevention
• Slim profile adds protection, not bulk
• Screen print graphics
• Materials imported; finished in the USA
• Officially licensed collegiate product

Price: $45.00

Click here to buy from Amazon

Oklahoma State hires running backs coach

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Video: State of Auburn football

Chris Low on what to expect from Auburn next season.

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