In the first game of the day, the Duke Blue Devils hosted the Pittsburgh Panthers at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, where they emerged victorious with a score of 30-19. Duke's Grayson Loftis threw for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns, while LeQuint Allen rushed for 144 yards. Despite a valiant effort from Pittsburgh's Nate Yarnell, who threw for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns, the Panthers were unable to secure a win.
Also in the noon kickoff window, the Syracuse Orange triumphed over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons with a final score of 35-31 at JMA Wireless Dome. Syracuse's Garrett Shrader passed for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushed for 46 yards and 1 touchdown. Wake Forest's Taylor Morin had an impressive game with 140 receiving yards, 7 receptions, and 2 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Orange.
In the midafternoon, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane narrowly edged out the East Carolina Pirates in a thrilling match that ended 29-27. The game, held at Bagwell Field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, saw Tulsa's Anthony Watkins rush for 106 yards and Kirk Francis pass for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite a strong performance from East Carolina's Alex Flinn, who passed for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns, the Pirates fell short.
Finally, the South Florida Bulls trounced the Charlotte 49ers with a score of 48-14 at Raymond James Stadium. The Bulls' defense was the star of the show, holding the 49ers to just 14 points. Standout performances included South Florida's Byrum Brown, who threw for 253 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Kelley Joiner, who had 71 receiving yards, 4 receptions, 2 touchdowns, and 33 rushing yards.
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