BY THE NUMBERS

17
Consecutive victories for BYU in the Mountain West Conference.

62
Career touchdown passes by Texas QB Colt McCoy, who broke the school record of 60, held by Major Applewhite.

75.9
Completion percentage for Missouri QB Chase Daniel, who has thrown only 13 incompletions in his past three games.

1,018
Combined yardage in Fresno State’s 55-54 two-overtime victory at Toledo.


EYE ON THE ACC

Rewind: It would’ve been the biggest win in recent North Carolina football history. But the Tar Heels surrendered a two-touchdown lead and fell at home to Virginia Tech, 20-17. After an opening-week loss to East Carolina, the Hokies (3-1) have their act together. The other in-conference game was Wake Forest’s 12-3 victory against a turnover-plagued Florida State team that couldn’t get out of its own way. Meanwhile, Miami built momentum with a 41-23 nonconference win at Texas A&M. Hurricanes QB Robert Marve, below, was 16 of 22 for 212 yards and two touchdown passes.

Fast Forward: This week’s key ACC games (Maryland at Clemson, North Carolina at Miami) will tell a lot about the home teams. Can Clemson continue to make positive statements? How will young Miami handle its ACC opener with former Hurricanes coach Butch Davis returning to town?

ACC Championship Game Projection: Clemson vs. Miami on Dec. 6 at Raymond James Stadium. Miami’s schedule sets up nicely. It can build momentum in the league with consecutive home games against North Carolina and FSU (Oct. 4). Down the line, its most challenging ACC games - Wake Forest (Oct. 25) and Virginia Tech (Nov. 13) - also are at home.

THIS WEEK’S KEY GAMES

Maryland (3-1) at Clemson (3-1) - Tigers going for fourth straight after opening loss against Alabama.
North Carolina (2-1) at Miami (2-1) - Butch Davis returns to Miami for pivotal ACC Coastal game.
Colorado (3-0) vs. Florida State (2-1) - Jacksonville crowd welcomes Buffs (coming off OT win against West Virginia).
TCU (4-0) at Oklahoma (3-0) - Horned Frogs opened the 2005 season with an upset of No. 7-ranked Sooners.
Alabama (4-0) at Georgia (4-0) - Bulldogs have won three straight in series (including 26-23 in overtime last season).
Virginia Tech (3-1) at Nebraska (3-0) - Cornhuskers 9-2 at home against current ACC members (last loss: 1985).
Illinois (2-1) at Penn State (4-0) - Fighting Illini are 2-9 against Penn State since it joined Big Ten Conference.


WHO’S HOT

Michigan State RB Javon Ringer, who has consecutive 200-yard rushing games (282 against Florida Atlantic, 201 against Notre Dame). His 143 carries are the most through the first four games since Iowa State’s Troy Davis had 149 in 1996.


WHO’S NOT

High-profile Pac-10 teams not named USC. Injury-riddled Oregon fell to Boise State 37-32. Arizona State, losing its second straight game, was throttled by Georgia 27-10. UCLA continued to be unmasked, falling to Arizona, 31-10.

THREE THINGS WE LEARNED

It will take a minor miracle for Florida QB Tim Tebow to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner (Missouri’s Chase Daniel, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, BYU’s Max Hall and USC’s Mark Sanchez are ahead, and that doesn’t account for other positions). But the Gators - developing a running game, while relying on their defense and special teams - will be better for it.

The Big East took some more hits (West Virginia melting down in overtime at Colorado, winless Rutgers falling to Navy), but Pittsburgh got an important victory (21-20 against Iowa. For now, USF is carrying the league’s banner. But it really needs Pittsburgh’s return to glory (and respectability by Syracuse wouldn’t hurt, either).

People made a big deal out of QB Ryan Perrilloux’s dismissal from LSU in the offseason. The Tigers (4-0) are just fine with a caretaker at quarterback. Hey, maybe more than fine, following Saturday night’s spirited 26-21 victory at Auburn. Watch out on Oct. 11 when LSU rolls into Florida. It could be a preview of the SEC Championship Game.


THEY SAID IT

“Half the guys on our team need a trampoline to make that play.”
- Georgia QB Matthew Stafford on the 9-yard TD run by RB Knowshon Moreno in a 27-10 victory against Arizona State. Moreno catapulted into the end zone from the 4-yard line.

“I’ve been making plays my whole life.”
- Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, who tossed four touchdown passes in a 28-10 win against Troy. Pryor was the first true freshman QB to start for Ohio State since Art Schlichter in 1978.

“My leg’s OK. It’s just standing on it too long, it aches. I’m probably babying myself.”
- Penn State coach Joe Paterno, 81, who coached from the press box due to a sore leg in a 45-3 win against Temple. Paterno (376 wins) regained the Division I-A victory lead from Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (375).

“What we did up until this point was, really, nothing. We didn’t have a champion tag by our name.”
- East Carolina SS Van Eskridge, whose Pirates, the former BCS busters, saw their unbeaten season go down at N.C. State, 30-24 in overtime.