Campbell beats North Alabama for best start since 2008

Western Carolina falls from ranks of the unbeaten in football action among state FCS teams

Campbell's Justice Galloway-Velasquez beats his blocker during the Camels' win against North Alabama on Saturday (Bennett Scarborough/Campbell athletics photo)

  BUIES CREEK (AP) — Daniel Smith threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead Campbell to a 30-7 victory over North Alabama on Saturday night.

  Campbell (4-1) scored on three of its first four drives before a crowd of 6,352 at Barker-Lane Stadium and is off to its best start since 2008.

  The Camels build a 23-0 lead in the first quarter. Smith connected with Aaron Blockmon and Caleb Snead, and ran for a 22-yard touchdown. North Alabama quarterback Christian Lopez couldn’t secure the ball on an errant shotgun snap, and was tackled in the end zone for a safety.

  Smith threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Zach Roderick late in the third quarter. Smith finished 16-of-24 passing for 163 yards, and carried the ball 15 times for 115 yards.

  Damon Cox ran for 95 yards and a touchdown for North Alabama (3-2).

Furman 44, Western Carolina 38

  GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Harris Roberts completed 9 of 11 passes with a touchdown and Furman scored four times on the ground to get its first win of the season against previously undefeated Western Carolina, 44-38 Saturday.

  The Catamounts took their only lead of the game on their opening drive when Tyrie Adams threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Owen Cosenke. Dejaun Bell took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and Furman (1-3, 1-1 Big South) never trailed again.

  After Furman forced Western Carolina (3-1, 1-1) to punt, Kealand Dirks ran it in from a yard out to end a 10-play, 91-yard drive for 14-7 lead. On Furman’s next drive, Darius Morehead ran 46 yards to score for a two-touchdown lead. Following a Catamounts field goal, Roberts threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Bell, and a Grayson Atkins field goal with 5:48 before halftime made it 31-10.

  The Catamounts drew within 38-31 when Adams completed a 9-yard pass to Cosenke with 8:47 left, but Devin Wynn’s 50-yard touchdown run for the Paladins three minutes later extended the lead. Adams responded with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Connell Young to reduce the deficit to 44-38 with 1:41 left before Furman recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Florida A&M 55, NC Central 14

  DURHAM  (AP) — Ryan Stanley threw four touchdown passes in the first half as Florida A&M sprinted to an early lead and coasted to a 55-14 victory over North Carolina Central on Saturday.

  Stanley threw for 254 yards on 13-of-18 passing with no interceptions. Chad Hunter hauled in scoring passes of 28, 21 and 10 yards, and finished with seven catches for 135 yards, including a 38-yarder, for the Rattlers (3-2, 2-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). Deshawn Smith rushed for 152 yards on 20 carries and Bishop Bonnett added 68 yards on just two carries.

  NCCU (1-3, 0-1) scored on its opening drive when Naiil Ramadan hit Jordan Freeman on a 13-yard scoring strike. Stanley quickly responded as the Rattlers scored 41 unanswered points in the first half.

  Two NCCU quarterbacks completed passes to 12 different receivers. Ryan McDaniel had two catches for 57 yards and Daeshawn Stephens grabbed two for 34 yards.

Wofford 45, Gardner-Webb 14

  BOILING SPRINGS (AP) — Andre Stoddard ran for 200 yards and two touchdowns and Joe Newman passed for two scores to help Wofford beat Gardner-Webb 45-14 on Saturday night.

Wofford (4-1), ranked No. 6 in the STATS FCS poll, finished with 490 yards rushing on 57 attempts — both season highs.

  Newman was 4-of-7 passing for 103 yards and Lennox McAfee had 12 carries for 131 yards and a score for the Terriers. TJ Luther had three receptions for 86 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown.

  On the opening drive, Weston Rountree intercepted a pass from Gardner-Webb’s Jordan Smith and returned it 15 yards to the 21. McAfee had two 7-yard runs and then a 34-yarder before Stoddard scored from 3 yards out to cap an 11-play, 79-yard drive and, after the Bulldogs (1-4) went three-and-out on their next possession, Newman hit Blake Morgan for a 17-yard touchdown that made it 14-0 late in the first quarter.