No. 3 ALABAMA 20 LSU 14
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Bryce Young passed for 302 yards and No. 3 Alabama’s defense came up with enough big plays for a 20-14 victory over heavy underdog LSU on Saturday night.
The Crimson Tide (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 2 CFP) preserved their national championship hopes in a game that was as tight as some meetings when both were nursing such ambitions. The injury-depleted Tigers (4-5, 2-4) and lame-duck coach Ed Orgeron didn’t act like 29.5-point underdogs.
It wasn’t over until the final play, a Hail Mary that fell incomplete in the end zone. The Tigers came up empty in three fourth-quarter trips into Alabama territory, including that quick venture to the 30 in the final minute.
Young, the Heisman Trophy front-runner, completed 24 of 37 passes with a couple of touchdowns, including a 58-yarder to Jameson Williams. Williams caught 10 passes for 160 yards. LSU harried Young all night and held Brian Robinson Jr. to 18 yards on 13 carries.
But Alabama returned the favor with Will Anderson Jr. racking up 12 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and four tackles for loss.
Max Johnson completed 16 of 32 passes for 160 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for LSU. Tyrion Davis-Price ran for 104 yards.
NO. 2 CINCINNATI 28, TULSA 20
CINCINNATI (AP) — Tulsa’s Steven Anderson fumbled as he was reaching for the goal line on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Jabari Taylor recovered for a touchback and Cincinnati held off Tulsa.
Desmond Ridder threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns, and Alec Peirce had five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown to help the Bearcats (9-0, 5-0 American Athletic) extend the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 25 games.
Shamari Brooks ran for 132 yards for Tulsa (3-6, 2-3), and Anthony Watkins added 105.
When Tulsa was stopped short on fourth down at the 4, it appeared the Bearcats would just run out the clock. But Ridder fumbled on a sneak, giving the Golden Hurricane life.
Anderson gave it back on the fourth-and-goal play from the 1.
NORTH CAROLINA 58, NO. 10 WAKE FOREST 55
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) – Ty Chandler ran for career highs of 213 yards and four touchdowns and North Carolina overcame an 18-point deficit to beat Wake Forest, handing the Demon Deacons their first loss in a nonconference matchup of instate Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
Chandler’s big day included a 50-yard breakaway run with 1:12 left. That was the final blow for the Tar Heels (5-4) as they rallied from a huge third-quarter deficit to beat the Demon Deacons (8-1, No. 9 CFP) for the second straight year, following a 21-point comeback last year by erasing a 45-27 deficit with 7:38 left in the third.
The loss doesn’t impact the Demon Deacons’ pursuit of their first ACC title since 2006 since it was part of a home-and-home nonconference series announced in 2015 with the schools not playing each other as often amid the expanded ACC’s scheduling model. But it likely ends their hopes of climbing deeper into the College Football Playoff race, even if they win out in league play and win the ACC championship game.
Sam Hartman threw for 398 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 78 yards and two more scores for Wake Forest. A.T. Perry and Jaquarii Roberson each hauled in a pair of touchdown grabs to lead a 615-yard effort from the offense.
North Carolina’s Sam Howell threw for 216 yards and a touchdown and ran for 104 and two more scores in a matchup of high-profile quarterbacks. He helped the Tar Heels post 546 yards and set up a tiebreaking 25-yard field goal by Grayson Atkins with 2:12 left.
NO. 1 GEORGIA 43, MISSOURI 6
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to former starter JT Daniels, leading Georgia past Missouri.
The game opened new questions for Georgia at quarterback while affirming the Bulldogs’ season-long defensive dominance. Missouri was held to 273 yards of total offense in Georgia’s seventh game of the season allowing no more than 10 points.
Georgia (9-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) scored 40 straight points after Missouri (4-5, 1-4) took a 3-0 lead.
Missouri’s Tyler Badie, the SEC’s leading rusher, was held to 41 yards on the ground.
PURDUE 40, NO. 5 MICHIGAN STATE 29
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Aidan O’Connell threw for a career-best 536 yards, matched his career high with three touchdown passes and led Purdue past Michigan State, leaving the Big Ten without any unbeaten teams.
Purdue’s second major upset in four weeks could keep the conference out of the College Football Playoff for the third time in five years. The Boilermakers (6-3, 4-2), who won at then-No. 2 Iowa last month, are bowl-eligible for the first time in three years. They tied for the West Division lead and extended their FBS record for wins over top-five teams when unranked to 17.
The Spartans (8-1, 5-1) lost to Purdue for the first time since 2006 and trail Ohio State in the East by one game.
O’Connell went 40 of 54, including a 39-yard TD to Jackson Anthrop on a beautifully executed trick play that put Purdue ahead 21-7 in the second quarter.
NO. 6 OHIO STATE 26, NEBRASKA 17
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — C.J. Stroud threw for 405 yards and two touchdowns and Ohio State’s defense came up with a pair of stops after Nebraska pulled within six points.
The Buckeyes’ nation-leading offense managed only two field goals in the second half, allowing the Cornhuskers to make it a one-score game until Noah Ruggles kicked a 46-yard field goal with 1:29 left.
Ohio State (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten) won its 24th straight game against a conference opponent.
The Huskers (3-7, 1-6) dropped their fourth straight game and are assured of a fourth consecutive losing season under Scott Frost and a fifth in a row overall.
NO. 7 OREGON 26, WASHINGTON 16
SEATTLE (AP) — Travis Dye rushed for a career-high 211 yards and a touchdown, Anthony Brown ran for a score and passed for another and Oregon overcame a sluggish start to beat Washington.
A year after the border rivals didn’t play due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Huskies program, the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) fell behind early before running off 21 consecutive points and beat Washington for the seventh time in the past eight games played in Seattle.
Brown threw a 31-yard TD pass to Devon Williams late in the first half to take a 10-9 lead at the break and scored on a 2-yard run early in the third quarter. Dye appeared to provide the capper when he rumbled 19 yards for a score on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Ducks a 24-9 lead.
Washington (4-5, 3-3) got the ball back with 2:14 left and 90 yards to go but had two dropped passes, an incompletion and when coach Jimmy Lake opted to punt, the snap went over Race Porter’s head for a safety.
NO. 8 NOTRE DAME 34, NAVY 6
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jack Coan threw for 269 yards and a touchdown, Kyren Williams ran for two scores and Notre Dame shut down Navy’s triple-option attack.
Coan, a grad transfer from Wisconsin, completed 23 of 29 passes, with a 70-yard scoring pass to Kevin Austin late in the first half for the Irish (801, No. 10 CFP).
Williams, who had a career-high 199 yards last week in a 44-34 shootout victory over North Carolina, scored on runs of 1 and 20 yards, but managed just 95 yards on 17 carries. The Irish offense totaled 430 yards.
Grad nose tackle Kurt Hinish had a career-high 10 tackles after making just 14 in six games coming in. Notre Dame dominated the Midshipmen (2-7) with its size and physical play. Navy controlled the clock, with 34:33 of possession — but completed just one pass for 18 yards and rushed for 166 yards — 73 on 22 carries by fullback Isaac Ruoss.
NO. 9 MICHIGAN 29, INDIANA 7
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Hassan Haskins ran for a career-high 168 yards and a touchdown, helping Michigan bounce back from its first defeat.
The Wolverines (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) were coming off a deflating defeat, blowing a 16-point, third-quarter lead in a 37-33 loss to rival Michigan State last week.
The Hoosiers (2-7, 0-6) have lost five straight games, collapsing in a season that started with them hoping to contend for at least a division title.
Haskins had 27 carries with a heavier burden in the backfield because Blake Corum left the field with an undisclosed injury early in the game. Corum, who has been among the nation’s leading rushers all season, ran once for 4 yards and dropped a perfect pass in the flat for the second straight week before leaving the game.
NO. 11 OKLAHOMA STATE 24, WEST VIRGINIA 3
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Spencer Sanders threw two touchdown passes and Oklahoma State had eight sacks against West Virginia.
Oklahoma State (8-1, 5-1 Big 12, No. 11 CFP) has won seven straight over the Mountaineers (4-5, 2-4).
The Cowboys pushed around West Virginia’s offensive line all game. Devin Harper and Brock Martin had two sacks apiece for the Cowboys.
West Virginia, which compiled 492 total yards in a win over Iowa State last week, was limited to 133 total yards Saturday, including 17 yards on the ground against the Big 12′s top rushing defense.
Both of Sanders’ TD passes went to Tay Martin in the right corner of the end zone in single coverage. Sanders finished 21 of 31 for 182 yards. He threw one interception.
NO. 13 TEXAS A&M 20, NO. 12 AUBURN 3
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Micheal Clemons scored the game’s only touchdown on a 24-yard fumble return early in the fourth quarter, and Texas A&M beat Auburn.
Clemons’ scoop-and-score came after defensive tackle Jayden Peevy poked the ball away from scrambling Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. Clemons, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end, picked up the ball and sprinted to the end zone, diving to the ground after he crossed the goal line.
Zach Calzada finished 15 of 29 for 192 yards for Texas A&M (7-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference), shaking off an apparent injury to his non-throwing shoulder in the third quarter. His performance was was good enough for the Aggies to survive a defensive battle between the two highest-ranked two-loss teams in the country.
Auburn (6-3, 3-2) had its four-game winning streak in College Station snapped.
TCU 30, NO. 14 BAYLOR 28
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Chandler Morris threw for 461 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for TCU and the Horned Frogs beat Baylor in their first game without Gary Patterson on the sideline since 1997.
The Horned Frogs (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) snapped a three-game losing streak six days after the school and Patterson mutually agreed to immediately part ways before completing his 21st season as head coach. They had lost five of their previous six games and were 21-22 since the start of 2018. Jerry Kill, the former Minnesota coach who was the best man in Patterson’s wedding and in an off-field role on his staff, took over as interim head coach.
Baylor (7-2, 4-2) was driving and past midfield after the Frogs missed a field goal attempt when linebacker Shadrach Banks intercepted a pass thrown by Gerry Bohanon with 1:03 left.
Bohanon finished 14 of 20 for 214 yards with three TDs and two interceptions, and Abram Smith ran for 125 yards for Baylor, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Tyquan Thornton had five catches for 121 yards and two TDs.
Morris, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Oklahoma and is the son of former Arkansas and SMU head coach Chad Morris, completed 29 of 41 passes. He also led the Frogs with 70 yards rushing and a TD on 11 carries.
NO. 15 MISSISSIPPI 27, LIBERTY 14
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Matt Corral threw for 324 yards and a touchdown to lead Mississippi past Liberty and former Rebels coach Hugh Freeze.
Corral completed 20 of 27 passes, including six completions of 20-plus yards.
The Rebels (7-2) raced to a 24-0 halftime lead, highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown run by Jerrion Ealy on the game’s second play.
Freeze coached the Rebels from 2012-2016 to considerable success, including two victories over Alabama, before being forced to resign amid scandal.
Liberty dropped to 7-3.
NO. 17 BYU 59, IDAHO STATE 14
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Jaren Hall threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half, and BYU demolished Idaho State.
Baylor Romney took over in the second half for Hall, who finished 2 yards shy of his fourth 300-yard performance in the last five games.
Puka Nacua had six catches for 120 yards and a touchdown for the Cougars, who debuted at No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday.
BYU (8-2) finished with 560 yards of offense, averaging 7.4 yards per play, in its third straight victory. Idaho State is 1-8.
TENNESSEE 45, NO. 18 KENTUCKY 42
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Hendon Hooker threw a career-high four touchdown passes, including a 6-yard insurance score to Cedric Tillman early in the fourth quarter, and Tennessee held off Kentucky.
The Volunteers (5-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) struck quickly in a back-and-forth game between border rivals that totaled 1,073 yards combined. They needed just three plays and 37 seconds to score their first two TDs, drove 35 yards in 16 seconds for a go-ahead field goal before halftime, and ticked off only 37 seconds on the way to another go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
Hooker’s final TD to Tillman with 11:40 remaining proved to be the biggest as Kentucky (6-3, 4-3) got within a field goal on Will Levis’ 24-yard touchdown toss to Izayah Cummings. The Wildcats got one last chance after Chase McGrath’s missed field goal but couldn’t take advantage, turning the ball over on downs with 29 seconds left.
NO. 19 IOWA 17, NORTHWESTERN 12
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Alex Padilla took over for the struggling Spencer Petras and led three scoring drives, Tyler Goodson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and Iowa beat Northwestern to stop a two-game losing streak.
The Hawkeyes (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) got the bounce-back win they were seeking coming off lopsided losses to Purdue and Wisconsin that sent them tumbling 17 spots in the AP poll, though it wasn’t exactly a breeze.
Northwestern (3-6, 1-5) pulled to 17-12 with 2:21 remaining on Andrew Marty’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Evan Hull and quickly got the ball back after Iowa went three and out. But Dane Belton immediately sealed it with his second interception, sending the Wildcats to their third straight loss.
NO. 20 HOUSTON 54, SOUTH FLORIDA 42
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Clayton Tune was 21 of 26 for 385 yards and three touchdowns, Ta’Zhawn Henry had a 97-yard TD run and Houston held off South Florida.
The Cougars (8-1, 6-0 American Athletic Conference) have won eight in a row for the first time since 2016.
Henry had 130 yards on 10 carries, and Alton McCaskill picked up 125 yards on 22 attempts. Nathaniel Dell made eight catches for 164 yards and a score. McCaskill got his third rushing TD from 8 yards out to make it 54-42 with 2:27 to play.
Brian Battie had two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns and a 29-yard TD run to help South Florida (2-7, 1-4) take a 28-26 halftime lead.
NO. 21 COASTAL CAROLINA 28, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 8
STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Backup Bryce Carpenter threw for 85 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to help Coastal Carolina beat Georgia Southern in the rain.
The Chanticleers (8-1, 4-1 Sun Belt Conference) are tied with Appalachian State (7-2, 4-1) atop the East Division standings, but the Mountaineers are in the driver’s seat after a 30-27 series victory last month.
Coastal Carolina announced an hour before the game that starting quarterback Grayson McCall would not play. The school said McCall is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. McCall is a redshirt sophomore who has thrown for 2,063 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He leads the nation in passing efficiency and is third in completion percentage.
Georgia Southern dropped to 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the Sun Belt.
NO. 22 PENN STATE 31, MARYLAND 14
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Jahan Dotson caught 11 passes for a school-record 242 yards and three touchdowns, helping Penn State snap a three-game losing streak.
Sean Clifford threw for 363 yards for the Nittany Lions, including an 86-yard TD strike to Dotson that gave Penn State the lead with 13:55 to play. Dotson also caught scoring passes of 38 and 21 yards.
The Terrapins tied it at 14 early in the fourth quarter. A sack knocked Penn State (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) back 8 yards on the first play of the next drive, but then Clifford found his star receiver over the middle and Dotson outran everyone to the end zone.
The Terrapins (5-4, 2-4) were trying to secure bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016. Taulia Tagovailoa passed for 342 yards and a TD, but he took an intentional grounding penalty that knocked Maryland out of field goal range early and fumbled a shotgun snap for a key turnover in the third quarter.
MEMPHIS 28, NO. 23 SMU 25
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Seth Henigan returned to throw for 392 yards and two touchdowns in Memphis’ victory over SMU.
After sitting out last week in a loss to UCF with a right shoulder injury, Henigan completed 34 of 53 passes, including touchdown strikes of 2 yards to Eddie Lewis and 27 yards to Javon Ivory for the Tigers (5-4, 2-3 American Athletic Conference).
SMU (7-2, 3-2) trailed 28-10 after a 40-yard pass from Memphis running back Rodrigues Clark to tight end Sean Dykes with 11:04 remaining.
BOISE STATE 40, NO. 25 FRESNO STATE 14
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Hank Bachmeier passed for 283 yards and a touchdown and Boise State had five sacks and forced three turnovers to mute high-scoring Fresno State.
George Holani rushed for 117 yards on 21 carries for Boise State (5-4, 3-2 Mountain West).
Jake Haener passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns for Fresno State (7-3, 4-2), but threw three interceptions — one in the end zone.
