Carr, ground game propel No. 3 Notre Dame over North Carolina
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Notre Dame abruptly found itself playing in a tight game at North Carolina with the pouring rain limiting coach Marcus Freeman's comfort throwing the ball.
So the third-ranked Fighting Irish made it simple: get a hard push from the offensive line, open lanes and pound the ball through those gaps again and again.
It added up to regaining control after halftime in Saturday's 37-26 road win, along with offering a promising leap for a rushing attack that looks very different from the one from last year that produced two first-round NFL draft picks.
"When they know you're going to try to run the ball -- and you're still able to run the ball -- because of the weather conditions, that's a reflection of your team, and the toughness and the physicality," Freeman said.
CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another for the Fighting Irish (5-0), who ran for a season-best 241 yards.
The Irish were on the verge of going up 28-7 before the Tar Heels (2-2) came up with a goal-line stand and turned it into a long touchdown drive right before halftime. Then UNC came out of the break with Jaden Jefferson sprinting through the rain for a 98-yard kickoff return that brought the Tar Heels to within 21-20.
That's when Carr and the Irish offense went to work with a series of methodical and physical drives, leaning on the run in wet conditions to carry the ball right into the heart of the defensive front and consistently move the chains.
"Super impressive with the way the offensive line kind of just drove the ball down the field," Carr said. "They couldn't really stop us. It felt like we were imposing our will on them whenever we wanted to."
Cyclones outlast WVU
AMES, Iowa -- Aiden Flora accounted for five touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:57 left, and Iowa State held off West Virginia 45-42 Saturday in a wild game in which the teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense.
Iowa State (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) came from behind twice in the final 7¢ minutes and sealed the victory when Beni Ngoyi forced and recovered a fumble with 59 seconds left.
Flora ran 22 times for 212 yards, both career highs, and three touchdowns. He also threw for two TDs on halfback passes. Not bad for a guy who was a walk-on his first two years in the program.
"The first thing we did here was put him on scholarship and secure he was coming back," Iowa State first-year coach Jimmy Rogers said. "When others looked to go elsewhere for a bigger opportunity, he stayed true. This place is special to him.
"You can see how he acts toward everybody in the building, how he treats his teammates, and the performance he has. He's a blessing to be around. An awesome, awesome player and an even better person. You can see how much he cares today -- getting hard yards, explosive yards and finesse plays in the passing game."
Iowa State finished with 577 yards of offense and West Virginia with 518. The 1,095 yards were fourth-most in a Bowl Subdivision game this season, and the combined 671 yards were second-most in a second half.
DC fired during game
Not long into what turned into a 56-26 loss to Oregon State, Colorado State defensive coordinator Tyson Summers was nowhere to be found.
When the game finally ended, Rams coach Jim Mora said Summers was no longer with the team. Mora, in his first year with the Rams, said he did, in fact, relieve his assistant of play-calling duties mid-game but never considered telling him to leave the field. But Summers left. And after the game, Mora made it clear he should not come back.
Elsewhere:
– No. 25 Missouri ended a nine-game skid against ranked opponents by blowing out No. 8 Florida 45-17. Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns and Jamal Roberts ran for 211 yards and three scores.
– Julian Sayin threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, two to Jeremiah Smith, and No. 5 Ohio State beat No. 14 Iowa 31-14 on Saturday. Sayin was 20-of-27 passing, and his favorite target was Smith, the nation's top receiver. Smith had 11 catches for 206 yards.
– The growth Alabama's Keelon Russell exhibited in a 56-23 victory at Mississippi State has his Crimson Tide teammates encouraged about how far the 19-year-old quarterback can take them. Russell completed six of his seven third-down passes for 146 yards. Russell finished with 285 yards.
– Saint Francis faced its first road test of the season, falling to Hiram College, 46-10, in the Red Wolves' second game as a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Hollidaysburg's Cole DeLattre caught four passes for 34 yards, including a 12-yard score, had a 17-yard run and punted five times for a 37.2-yard average for SFU. Altoona's Ian Palilla kicked a 19-yard field goal.