No team in seven years has opened a season scoring at the rate Caleb Williams and Southern California are so far.
The Trojans have scored at least 50 points in each of their first three games for the first time in program history.
Their 56-10 rout of Stanford on Saturday ran their three-game total to 178 — the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision since Louisville combined for 195 points against Charlotte, Syracuse and Florida State to open the 2016 season, according to Sportradar.
The 178 points are tied for second-most in any three-game stretch. The Trojans amassed 186 points in the first three games of the 1925 season and 178 in the first three games in 2005.
USC's 49 first-half points against Stanford were its most since it piled up the same number against Notre Dame in 1974.
Williams played only the first half against the Cardinal and threw for 312 yards and three TDs. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has a nation-leading 12 TD passes against no interceptions.
THE 200 CLUB
Omarion Hampton became the second player to rush for at least 200 yards this season, going for a career-high 234 and three touchdowns in North Carolina's 40-34 win over Appalachian State in two overtimes.
Hampton last year became the first Carolina true freshman since 1946 with 100 rushing yards in his first career game, and Saturday he turned in the Tar Heels' fifth-best rushing performance since 2000, according to Sportradar.
Troy's Kimani Vidal has the top rushing game of the season, having run for 248 yards against FCS Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 2.
HUSKER HANDOUTS
The story of Nebraska's 0-2 start under first-year coach Matt Rhule is turnovers. Of the Cornhuskers' 22 offensive series, eight have ended with interceptions or fumbles.
The Cornhuskers have had four turnovers in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004 (four vs. Kansas, seven vs. Texas Tech).
The Huskers' eight giveaways are most in the nation, two more than UTEP. Quarterback Jeff Sims has accounted for six of them, most of any player in the Power Five, on four interceptions and two fumbles.
SYRACUSE SCORING SPREE
A Syracuse team that's been seventh or lower in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring the past four years has 113 points through two games, the fourth-highest total in program history at this point.
The Orange won 65-0 over FCS Colgate in the opener and 48-7 over Western Michigan on Saturday. Their 45 first-half points against the Broncos were their most against an FBS opponent since at least 2000.
RUNNING UP RECEIVING NUMBERS
Gage Larvadain of Miami (Ohio) amassed the most receiving yards in a game in two seasons, catching eight balls for 273 yards and three TDs against Massachusetts.
Larvadain's total was the highest since Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 347 yards on 15 catches against Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl.
SALTY SCARLET KNIGHTS
A Rutgers' defense that ranked 95th nationally last season has turned in a couple confidence-building performances. The Scarlet Knights' 14 points allowed so far are their fewest through two games since the 2012 team gave up 12. They opened with wins of 24-7 over Northwestern and 36-7 over Temple.
FORDHAM FLINGING IT
CJ Montes has picked up where record-setting quarterback Tim DeMorat left off, throwing for five touchdowns for a second straight game in Fordham's 40-37 win over Buffalo.
The Rams' 69 TD passes since the start of last season are the most by a Football Championship Subdivision team. Montes has thrown 11 with no interceptions in the first three games. DeMorat threw 56 of the Rams' school-record 58 last season.
The win over Buffalo was Fordham's third against a Bowl Subdivision opponent. The Rams beat Army in 2015 and Temple in 2013.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
