Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) throws on the run during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Virginia Military Institute Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore/Associated Press)

The Associated Press

WACO — Bryson Washington rushed for his first collegiate touchdown, Richard Reese ran for another and Baylor used a second-half surge to beat Air Force 31-3 on Saturday night.

Quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who started for the injured Dequan Finn, added 248 yards passing and a rushing TD as the Bears (2-1) ended a nine-game home losing streak against FBS opponents.

Robertson was 18 of 24 passing without an interception after Finn struggled in last week’s 23-12 loss to No. 12 Utah, losing a fumble and getting sacked three times.

Finn watched from the sideline in street clothes against the Falcons and had a sling on his right (throwing) arm. Coach Dave Aranda said he has a shoulder injury, and the team is hopeful that Finn will return “sooner rather than later.”

Baylor avenged its 30-15 loss to the Falcons (1-2) in the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl when it was 13 degrees and breezy at kickoff in Fort Worth, Texas.

Air Force, which had won five straight games against power conference foes, once again had trouble getting its vaunted rushing attack going. The Falcons still haven’t surpassed 200 yards on the ground in a game this season, finishing with 193 against the Bears.

After Isaiah Hankins broke a 3-3 tie with a 51-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, Robertson guided the Bears to 25 unanswered points after the break.

Washington, a redshirt freshman, had 106 yards on 12 carries for a balanced Baylor offense, which produced 230 yards on the ground.

Reese had 48 yards and his first rushing TD in nearly a year. He struggled last season after being named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2022.

That was for you, Pops

Washington hadn’t played in a game since Sept. 30, 2023, and started this season sidelined by an undisclosed injury. He couldn’t help but think of his late father, who died when Washington was 3.

HOUSTON 33, RICE 7: HOUSTON — Donovan Smith threw for 142 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and Stacy Sneed rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown as Houston earned its first win under coach Willie Fritz, beating crosstown rival Rice 33-7 on Saturday night.

Sneed rushed around right end for a 65-yard touchdown with 5 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter, and Mekhi Mews returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes later.

Sneed said Houston’s win in the Bayou Bucket game meant a lot. The Owls beat Houston 43-41 in double overtime last season.

After Houston’s Michael Batton recovered a muffed Rice punt, Smith, who finished 12 of 21, found Stephon Johnson for a 44-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter as Houston took a 20-0 lead into halftime.

Fritz, who described his first win at Houston as “special,” said he continued to see improvements each week.

Smith rushed for touchdowns covering 1 and 37 yards in the second half. Re’Shaun Sanford II rushed for 71 yards for Houston. The Cougars (1-2) outgained Rice 379-159 yards, including 237-75 yards rushing.

E.J. Warner finished 12-of-21 passing for 50 yards with an interception for Rice (1-2). Dean Connors rushed for 32 yards and had a 4-yard touchdown run.

TEXAS TECH 66, N. TEXAS 21: LUBBOCK — Behren Morton threw four touchdown passes and ran 10 yards for another score as Texas Tech tied a school record with 52 points in the first half of a 66-21 victory over North Texas on Saturday.

Bralyn Lux returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown and Coy Eakin had a 70-yard TD catch as the Red Raiders (2-1) scored seven touchdowns in a span of 13 minutes starting late in the first quarter.

The first-half blitz came after Texas Tech barely survived for an overtime victory in the opener at home against FCS member Abilene Christian and lost handily last week at Washington State.

After giving up 506 yards passing to ACU, the Red Raiders intercepted Chandler Morris three times in the second quarter, including the throw after Lux’s pick-6 when the ball went through receiver Kyle Koch’s hands.

The Mean Green (2-1) pulled within 10-7 when Wyatt Young took a screen pass 75 yards for a score. But Tahj Brooks, who had 109 yards rushing after missing Texas Tech’s loss to the Cougars with an injury, started the 42-0 surge with a 21-yard scoring run on fourth-and-1.

The Red Raiders went up 52-7 and tied their scoring record for any half on Jalin Conyers’ 10-yard catch 3:08 before halftime. Texas Tech scored 52 before the break in a 63-7 victory over Indiana State in 2005.

Morton didn’t play after halftime, finishing 15 of 19 for 273 yards without an interception after his two picks were among four Texas Tech turnovers in a 37-16 loss to the Cougars.

Morris, who also had three interceptions in last week’s 35-20 win over Stephen F. Austin, didn’t play the fourth quarter and finished 15 of 27 for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

Texas Tech won its 47th consecutive game against an unranked opponent from a non-power conference. The streak started after a loss to North Texas in 1999, two years before their most recent meeting.

MCNEESE 28, SFA 24: Clifton McDowell threw two touchdowns and ran for two in the fourth quarter to rally McNeese State to a 28-24 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Saturday in a Southland Conference opener.

McNeese (2-2, 1-0) entered the last quarter down 24-14 before McDowell ran for touchdowns of 6 and 11 yards with the second coming with 31 seconds left.

On the 12-play, 65-yard game-winning drive, McDowell threw for 49 yards and ran for 14. The 28-24 lead marked the Cowboys’ first lead of the game.

Sam Vidlak led Stephen F. Austin (1-2, 0-1) with 241 yards passing and three touchdowns. Vidlak threw a 33-yard score to Anthony Williams, 24 yards to Blaine Green and 61 yards to Isaiah Davis. His lone interception occurred with five seconds left when Thomas Miles intercepted it at the McNeese 9-yard line.

Vidlak started the drive with a 26-yard pass to Kylon Harris to reach midfield. He then ran for 12 yards the following play before the interception.

McNeese has won four straight against Stephen F. Austin.

LIBERTY 28, UTEP 10: LYNCHBURG, Va. — Billy Lucas scored three touchdowns and Liberty continued its successful run in Conference USA with a 28-10 victory over UTEP. Liberty is 10-0 in Conference USA games as a member and 19-1 all-time against teams that were Conference USA members when the game was played.

Liberty also extended its regular-season winning streak to 15 games. Lucas ran for two touchdowns in the first half and Liberty led 14-3 at the break.

His 2-yard run late in the third quarter answered a 60-yard pass from UTEP’s Skyler Locklear to Kenny Odom. Tyson Mobley’s 13-yard touchdown catch from Kaidon Salter in the fourth quarter capped the scoring for Liberty.

SAM HOUSTON 31, HAWAII 13: HUNTSVILLE — Hunter Watson threw three touchdown passes and Sam Houston beat Hawaii 31-13 on Saturday night. The Bearkats (2-1) pulled out to a 17-3 first-half lead on Hunter’s 7-yard touchdown throw to Qua’Vez Humphreys, Ife Adeyi’s 9-yard scoring run and a Christian Pavon field goal.

The Rainbow Warriors (1-2) got within seven with 10 minutes left in the third quarter on Brayden Schager’s 5-yard toss to Pofele Ashlock but no closer with Watson hitting John Gentry for a 3-yard score and then a 55-yarder to Humphreys.

GRAMBLING 35, A&M-COMMERCE 28: Myles Crawley threw two touchdowns and Tre Bradford ran for two scores and his 3-yard plunge in overtime carried Grambling to a 35-28 win over Texas A&M Commerce on Saturday.

Crawley threw a 27-yard scoring pass to Nicholas Howard to end a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive with 1:18 left in regulation to tie it at 28-28 to force overtime.

Grambling’s Patrick Marshall intercepted Ron Peace on the Lions’ first play of their half of overtime. It was Peace’s fourth interception of the game.

The game featured six lead changes. Grambiling (2-1) outgained the Lions (0-3) 419-247.

BK Jackson ran for 149 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns for Texas A&M Commerce.

H. CHRISTIAN 70, L. CHRISTIAN 7: HOUSTON — Semaj Brown returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for a score and Houston Christian routed NAIA-member Louisiana Christian 70-7 to give coach Jason Bachtel his first victory with the Huskies. Brown’s touchdown was the first of his career and it came on his first kick return. Darryle Evans had a pair of touchdown runs for Houston Christian (1-2). He capped the scoring with a 66-yard touchdown run late in the game. Evans finished with 122 yards on 12 carries.

LAMAR 17, W. STATE 16: BEAUMONT — Jakolby Longino threw a pair of touchdown passes and Lamar held off Weber State (1-2) for a 17-16 victory. Weber State’s Kyle Thompson missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt with 44 seconds left. Longino finished with 121 yards on 5-of-6 passing. Khalan Griffin added 91 yards on the ground on 21 carries for Lamar (2-1).

GEORGIA TECH 59, VMI 7: ATLANTA — Longview High School graduate Haynes King threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns while playing only the first half, backup quarterback Zach Pyron scored on a couple of 1-yard runs and Georgia Tech routed VMI 59-7.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 3-1 against a thoroughly overmatched FCS school on a dreary afternoon in Atlanta. Georgia Tech led 24-0 before winless VMI registered its initial first down about five minutes into the second quarter. King and most of the starters got the rest of the day off after the Yellow Jackets built a 38-0 halftime cushion.

The home team headed to the locker room with an outrageous 366-35 lead in total yards and a 19-1 advantage in first downs. The final two quarters were reduced to 10 minutes each.