Week 2 of college football kicked off on Thursday night with a pair of contests—one on each coast. Or close, anyway; Arizona doesn't really have a coast.
In early action, East Carolina dispatched visiting FAU, 31-13. Junior quarterback Shane Carden led the way with 191 yards and two scores on 17-for-25 passing, and tailback Vintavious Cooper led the Pirates in rushing (95 yards, one touchdown) and receiving (five catches, 49 yards).
FAU looked wretched for large stretches of the game and was down by double digits for the last 39:13 of game time, but East Carolina didn't exactly blow the roof off the place (if its stadium had a roof) (it does not). ECU was helped by three bad turnovers, all deep in FAU territory, and the Owls also missed two relatively short field goals. If FAU takes care of the ball and makes its field goals, this could have been a different game. Then again, there are a lot of teams in college football that could stand to improve their ball control and special teams play.
Meanwhile, Tempe saw a laugher for the Arizona State Sun Devils as they wrecked Sacramento State, 55-0. ASU opened up a 42-0 lead at the break thanks to five first-half touchdown passes by QB Taylor Kelly , who was surgical in is dismantling of the Hornets' defense.
The Sun Devils' win wasn't exactly a surprise; Sac State is an FCS program, and not a particularly good one, either. The Hornets haven't gone to the playoffs since 1988, when they were still a D-II program, and they usually finish about .500 or so. However, Sac State had beaten the last two Pac-12 foes it faced with a 29-28 win over Oregon State in 2011 and a 30-27 victory over Colorado last season. Seems odd that a middling FCS team would have a bona fide winning streak over the Pac-12, but here we are. Or were, anyway.
Friday's action will include Boston College and Wake Forest squaring off in ACC action and FIU facing UCF.
More from SB Nation:
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• Week 2 betting guide | And TV schedule guide
• SB Nation’s all-access with Mississippi State coaches vs. Oklahoma State
• The behind-the-scenes story of Johnny Manziel’s Time cover photo shoot
•The most important stats from Week 1: South Carolina, Washington impress
• Spencer Hall recaps Week 1: The process never stops
• Today’s college football news headlines
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