Sunshine Snap Judgments: Florida's "back," and Florida State will set Miami back

Florida's No. 2 ranking in the BCS standings is another indication that the Gators are back. Even if Florida State throttles Miami like it should, the Seminoles won't be.

North Carolina vs. Miami 2012: Poor defense and missed chances doom Hurricanes

A porous first half defense, late-game injury to quarterback Stephen Morris and missed opportunities doomed the Miami Hurricanes to an 18-14 loss Saturday to a similarly mistake-prone North Carolina Tar Heels squad, writes Jerry Steinberg over at the newly-renamed State of the U blog.

The Tar Heels committed 15 penalties totaling 140 yards, but the Canes were unable to capitalize thanks largely to a defense which allowed 486 total yards, more than 300 in the first half alone. Sophomore running back Giovani Bernard racked up 177 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries, helping North Carolina finish with 272 rushing yards on the day.

Miami's defense stiffened up in the second half and put its offense in position to win the game. Morris then injured his ankle midway through the 4th quarter, and backup quarterback Ryan Williams failed to direct a scoring drive in the game's waning minutes, capping off a frustrating contest for the Canes. Steinberg notes:

Ryan Williams gave it his best, but no doubt Miami fans would love to have seen what Morris might have done with the game on the line.

Boston College vs. Florida State 2012: Seminoles fans mixed on Saturday performance

Florida State may have come away with a win Saturday against Boston College, but some fans seem to think all the Seminoles did was get out of their own way. Despite a 51-7 route, this game said more about how bad Boston College is than how good FSU is.

Bud Elliot of Tomahawk Nation said the Seminoles seemed disinterested in defending the run and possibly a bit too anxious to defend the pass, which helped Boston College have some success on the ground in the early going.

Eventually, things came together for FSU, but it just seemed to take too long for them to jump out on a team with far less talent.

Here are some quick thoughts from Elliot:

The talent disparity on the field, however, was enormous. It didn't appear that BC had more than a couple of players who could theoretically start for the Seminoles. And that showed throughout the game.

Southern Miss vs. UCF 2012 final score: Knights hold off Golden Eagles for 38-31 2OT win

The Southern Miss. Golden Eagles have had a pretty miserable season, but they gave the UCF Knights all they could handle. The Knights held on for a 24-21 win, but it was much closer than many thought it would be. Blake Bortles threw for 239 yards and ran for two touchdowns to pace the Knights offense, and the defense held Southern Miss to under 300 total yards.

UCF jumped out to a 10-0 lead but were never able to create much distance between them and Southern Miss. Jalen Richard had two second-half touchdowns to keep the Eagles in the game, but it seemed like their defense wasn't able to get the stops they needed late in the game. However, the UCF offense wasn't able to put the game away, and Southern Miss was able to tie the game with 18 seconds left to send it to overtime.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime. UCF scored a touchdown to lead off the second overtime, but Kemal Ishmael picked off Anthony Alford to end the game at 38-31.

Box Score Hero: There weren't a ton of offensive bright spots, but Bortles gets the nod here based on his two rushing touchdowns for the Knights. He went 27-40 for 272 yards in the air.

Rankings Ramifications: Neither team was ranked entering the game, and neither one will be after.

But did they cover? UCF was favored by 16 points, so they failed to cover the spread.

What's next?

UCF: 10/20, at Memphis

Southern Miss: 10/20, vs. Marshall

Florida vs. Vanderbilt 2012 results: Gators win 31-17 over Commodores

The Florida Gators had to work for it, but they were able to leave Nashville on Saturday night with a 31-17 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores. Quarterback Jeff Driskel didn't throw the ball particularly well for the Gators, but he ran for 177 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground to pace the Florida offense, including a 77-yard killshot with 2:35 left to ice the game. Driskel now holds the school record for rushing yards in a game by a QB, eclipsing Tim Tebow's 166 yards vs. Ole Miss in 2007.

Both offenses struggled to find consistency in this game, and neither team was very efficient on third down, including an awful 2-of-11 effort from Florida. However, the Gator defense was able to keep Vanderbilt under wraps for most of the game. Jordan Rodgers put up over 200 yards passing, but many of those yards came at the end of the game with Vanderbilt desperate to score. Zac Stacy had 87 yards and a touchdown, and Wesley Tate contributed 66 yards as well. Jordan Matthews hauled in 131 receiving yards and a touchdown, but there weren't many other contributors in the Vanderbilt passing game.

Box Score Hero: Jeff Driskel was only 11-20 for 77 yards through the air, but he reeled off a school-record 177 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Rankings Ramifications: The Gators should rise to No. 4 with West Virginia losing, and could jump all the way to No. 3 if South Carolina loses to LSU.

Bud did they cover? Florida came into the game as a 9.5-point favorite, so they were able to cover the spread.

What's next?

Florida: 10/20, vs. South Carolina

Vanderbilt: 10/20, vs. Auburn

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Boston College vs. Florida State 2012 final score: Seminoles cruise 51-7

The Florida State Seminoles bounced back nicely from their loss to NC State last week, crushing the Boston College Eagles 51-7. The Noles opened the game with 28 straight points, and the game was effectively over by halftime. The Florida State defense made life miserable for the BC offense all night, despite registering only one sack. BC only managed 227 total yards 15 first downs, capping off an anemic effort.

E.J. Manuel and the FSU offense had a really nice night, ripping off 633 yards of total offense. Manuel threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns, and three different receivers caught touchdown passes. Kenny Shaw and Rodney Smith both had over 100 receiving yards, and James Wilder Jr. caught two touchdown passes. Lonnie Pryor had two touchdowns on the ground despite only having three carries. Chris Thompson was held to only 67 rushing yards, but in the end it didn't really matters since Manuel was so productive in the air.

Box Score Hero: Manuel went 27-34 for 424 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Not a bad day at the office.

Rankings Ramifications: With several teams ahead of them in the standings losing, Florida State will probably rise a few spots back into the top ten.

Bud did they cover? Florida State came into the game as a 29 point favorite, and they managed to cover

What's next?

Florida State: 10/20, at Miami

Boston College: 10/20, at Georgia Tech

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Florida vs. Vanderbilt 2012 score update: Gators open lead to 18-7 over Commodores

It's been a tense and close game, but the Florida Gators have expanded their lead over the Vanderbilt Commodores to 18-7 after three quarters. The only score of the third quarter came on a 13 yard run by Florida QB Jeff Driskel.

The Florida defense is Vandy's life tough so far. Jordan Rodgers has less than 100 yards passing, and Zac Stacy has only 57 rushing yards so far. Overall, the Commodore offense is under 200 total yards, and is having a lot of difficulty building rhythm. It looked like Vanderbilt had taken the lead on a 40+ yard run by Stacy, but a holding call brought the play back and the Commodores failed to do anything with the drive.

Driskel is not having the greatest passing day of his life (11-19 for 77 yards and no touchdowns), but he has over 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns with his legs. The Gators have over 220 rushing yards as a team, and that number will rise as they attempt to grind out a win on the road.

Boston College vs. Florida State 2012 score update: Seminoles build lead to 41-7

The game was already out of reach for the Boston College Eagles at halftime, but the Florida St. Seminoles didn't take their foot off the gas, building their lead to an insurmountable 41-7 at the end of three quarters.

The Seminoles began the second half with the ball, and marched 75 yards down the field in 8 plays before Lonnie Pryor punched in his second touchdown of the game from three yards out. On the Noles' next drive, E.J. Manuel threw his second interception of the game. It didn't end up hurting FSU, as they got the ball back and cashed in with a 26 yard Dustin Hopkins field goal.

The Florida State defense forced two straight BC three and outs to start the second half. The Boston College offense has struggled all game. Andre Williams has 96 yards rushing, but that's about it for bright spots for the Eagles' offense.

Florida vs. Vanderbilt 2012 score update: Gators lead Commodores, 11-7

The Florida Gators lead the Vanderbilt Commodores by four at halftime in Nashville.

At the end of the first quarter, Vanderbilt had established a 7-0 lead on a Jordan Rogers touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews. Early in the second, though, Florida would answer as Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel rushed for a 37 yard touchdown score, capped off by a successful two point conversion attempt.

With 10 seconds left to go in the half, Caleb Sturgis would extend the Florida lead with a 23 yard field goal.

The Gators largely controlled the first half statistically, outgaining Vanderbilt with 221 total yards of offense to the Commodores' 91. This is largely due to a strong rushing attack led by Driskel and halfback Mike Gillislee, who have combined for 137 yards rushing thus far.

Vanderbilt will be receiving the ball to begin the second half of play.

Boston College vs. Florida State 2012 score update: Seminoles lead Eagles 31-7

After one half, the No. 12 Florida State Seminoles lead the Boston College Eagles by a score of 31-7 in Tallahassee.

Still reeling from last week's upset loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack, the Seminoles are looking to improve on their ACC record against the Eagles, and have certainly aided themselves in that effort with a dominating offensive performance out of quarterback EJ Manuel.

Through two quarters, Manuel is 15-of-20 with 296 yards and three touchdown passes. His targets of choice have been Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin, who have combined for five receptions, 184 yards, and two touchdowns.

Florida State established a 28-0 lead after scoring two touchdowns in each of the first two quarters. Late in the second quarter, Boston College's Chase Rettig complete an 18 yard touchdown pass to Bobby Swigert to give the Eagles their only score on the game thus far.

Florida State's Dustin Tompkins would then close out the half by making a 51 yard field goal to extend the Seminole lead.

Florida State will receive the ball to start the second half.

Florida vs. Vanderbilt 2012 score update: Commodores lead Gators, 7-0

The Florida Gators trail the Vanderbilt Commodores by a touchdown after one quarter of play in Nashville.

Vanderbilt scored the only points of the game so far at just under seven minutes to go in the quarter, with Commodores quarterback Jordan Rodgers completing a 10 yard pass to Jordan Matthews for a touchdown. That touchdown capped a six play, 66 yard drive, highlighted by a 37 yard reception by wideout Chris Boyd.

The Gators offense has struggled to move the ball against the Vanderbilt defense thus far, amassing just 66 yards on 15 total plays through the quarter. Penalties have also contributed to Florida's early struggles, as they have already been penalized three times for 25 yards.

To begin the second quarter, Florida will have the ball at 2nd-and-8 on the Florida 24 yard line.

North Carolina vs. Miami final score: Hurricanes fall,18-14, after QB Morris injures ankle

The North Carolina Tar Heels handed the Miami Hurricanes their first conference loss of the season Saturday, winning 18-14 in Miami's Sun Life Stadium.

The game was cut to a one-point deficit after Miami's Stephen Morris capped off a 94-yard drive with a five-yard quarterback keeper in the middle of the third. But the Tar Heels responded with 48-yard field goal by Casey Barth on the following possession to give North Carolina a little more breathing room.

The Hurricanes lost any real hope of coming back when Morris' left ankle buckled under his weight in the fourth quarter. He was assisted off the field and did not return, replaced by sophomore Ryan Williams.

Williams helped lead Miami on drives of 48 yards and 59 yards on their final possessions, but both ended on downs with the Hurricanes needed more than just a field goal.

Box Score Hero: North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard once again put the team on his back with 177 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. He also chipped in four receptions for 36 yards.

Rankings Ramifications: Neither of these teams received any votes in any of the major polls last week so North Carolina is unlikely to springboard into the top 25 come Sunday.

But Did They Cover? North Carolina was unable to hold up its end of the deal as 7.5-point favorites.

Next Week's Schedule: North Carolina will be carrying a four-game winning streak into its rivalry game on the road against Duke on Saturday. On the other end, the Hurricanes are staying at home with No. 12 Florida State coming into town for a huge ACC matchup.

Follow @SBNationCFB

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Stephen Morris injury: Hurricanes QB leaves game after hurting ankle

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris left Saturday's game against North Carolina after rolling his left ankle in the middle of the fourth quarter.

The injury occurred after Morris extended a third-down play with a throw on the run. His ankle buckled after the release and Morris instantly fell to the ground. He was unable to put any weight on his ankle while being helped off the field and is now sporting a heavy ice wrap.

Morris was replaced by sophomore Ryan Williams, and the backup converted fourth-and-1 with a handoff to Mike James on his first snap.

Morris wasn't having his best game before being pulled, passing only 12-for-26 for 155 yards and two interceptions. Then again, Morris' improvisational skills are key to this Miami offense so it's possible this injury could prevent the Hurricanes from pulling off the comeback.

The Hurricanes are losing 18-14 to the Tar Heels with a little more than five minutes remaining in the fourth.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

North Carolina vs. Miami 2012 score update: Hurricanes cut lead to 18-14 with long drive

The Miami Hurricanes have made things interesting coming out of the locker room, cutting North Carolina's eight-point halftime lead to an 18-14 score.

The Hurricanes got back in the game on their second drive of the quarter as Stephen Morris capped off a 12-play, 94-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown on a quarterback keeper. Miami did attempt to go for two, setting up a trick play instantly after their score but the offense was flagged for a snapping the ball to quickly. After the uncommon delay of game penalty, the Hurricanes settled for a normal PAT instead.

North Carolina responded on their next drive, moving the ball 45 yards with relative ease before a drop from TE Eric Ebron killed the drive on third-and-seven. The Tar Heels settled for a field goal instead, with Casey Barth draining it from 48 yards away to make up for an earlier miss.

The Hurricanes had a scare in the final seconds of the quarter with Morris throwing an interception to S Tre Boston but the turnover was called back due to a pass interference call. A 14-yard Mike James scamper then put Miami on UNC's 35 for the final 15 minutes of action.

JU Vs. Davidson 2012 results: Dolphins over Wildcats, 34-24

The Jacksonville University Dolphins improved to a 6-1 record on the season with a 34 to 24 win over the Davidson University Wildcats in Davidson, N.C.

The Dolphins built up a 14-point first half lead on a big second quarter which saw them outscore Davidson 17-3. In that quarter, Kade Bell connected for two touchdown passes, one for 62 yards to D'Andre Randle and the other for 12 yards to Dorian Guy.

JU totalled 509 yards of total offense with a fairly balanced attack split between 313 passing yards and 196 rushing.

Davidson was successful in the air against the Dolphins, with Wildcats quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff passing for 404 yards and three scores on the day. Their running game, though, was altogether ineffective, netting just 7 yards against JU. The Wildcats attempted a late rally, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to bring the contest within two scores, but could not overcome a double-digit Jacksonville lead.

On the loss, Davidson remains winless on the season at 0-6.

Box Score Hero: Jacksonville's quarterback Kade Bell led the way for the Dolphins on offense, completing 23-of-36 for 313 yards and three scores. He also had 21 yards rushing on nine attempts.

Next Week's Schedule: Next week, JU will host San Diego at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and Davidson will travel to play Campbell University at 6:00 p.m.

Follow @SBNationCFB

North Carolina vs. Miami 2012 score update: Tar Heels lead Canes 15-7 at the half

The Miami Hurricanes were able to pull even with the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second quarter, but a touchdown by Giovani Bernard with less than three minutes left in the half has given the Heels a 15-7 lead at halftime. Mike James scored from one yard out with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter to give Miami their only score on the day. Both teams have been able to move the ball easily, but have had problems capitalizing on their drives. Both Bryn Renner and Stephen Morris have red zone interceptions. Aside from that pick, though, Renner is thoroughly outplaying Morris, who is only 5-14 for 72 yards and two picks.

Mike James leads the Canes with 64 yards rushing. Duke Johnson, who is slowed down by an injury, has 21 yards on six carries. Davon Johnson leads the team with 31 receiving yards.

Giovani Bernard has 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Tar Heels. Erik Highsmith is leading the team with 50 receiving yards.

North Carolina vs. Miami 2012 score update: Tar Heels lead 7-0 after one quarter

The North Carolina Tar Heels lead the Miami Hurricanes 7-0 after one quarter. UNC running back Giovani Bernard scored from 10 yards out on the Tar Heels' first drive, and so far that's the difference. Both teams have over 100 yards of offense, but mistakes are preventing them from turning those yards into points.

Mike James is seeing the majority of the action running the ball for the Canes, as Duke Johnson is battling through injury. James has 47 yards on nine carries, and Johnson has two rushes for two yards so far. Stephen Morris is only 3-9 for 43 yards and an interception. Miami ended the quarter deep in North Carolina territory, but failed to convert on a fourth and three from the UNC 28 yard line.

Shakeel Rashad picked off Morris as the Canes were starting to enter scoring territory, but not to be outdone, Bryn Renner threw a red zone interception to Eddie Johnson on the ensuing drive.

Southern Miss vs. UCF 2012: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

UCF looks to extend Southern Miss' winless streak Saturday night.

Florida vs. Vanderbilt 2012: Gators plan to pound Commodores on ground

Florida's running game meets Vandy's soft run 'D' Saturday night.

JU Vs. Davidson 2012: TV Schedule, Game Time, Spread And More

The Davidson Wildcats and Jacksonville University Dolphins will match up in a Pioneer League showdown on Saturday.

Savannah State vs. Florida A&M 2012: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

The Savannah State Tigers will take on the Florida A&M Rattlers Saturday night in Bragg Memorial Stadium.

FAU vs. Louisiana-Monroe 2012: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

Florida Atlantic hopes to pick up its first Sun Belt win of 2012 against Louisiana-Monroe.

Middle Tennesse State vs. FIU 2012: TV schedule, game time, spread and more

The Florida International Golden Panthers will host the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on Saturday afternoon in FIU Stadium.

North Carolina vs. Miami 2012: TV schedule, game time, spread and more

Miami aims to recover from a drubbing against Notre Dame when the Hurricanes take on North Carolina.

Boston College vs. Florida State 2012: TV schedule, game time, spread and more

Florida State looks to get back on track against Boston College on Saturday.

Florida vs. Vanderbilt 2012: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

The Florida Gators have won 21 straight games over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Sunshine Stakes: Florida, Florida State on upset alert, Miami taking ACC aim in Week 7

Florida and Florida State need to do little more than avoid upsets in Week 7. But Miami is playing for pole position in the ACC Coastal Division.