Top-ranked Alabama overwhelms No. 10 LSU 38-17
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- AJ McCarron threw three touchdown passes, T.J. Yeldon ran for 133 yards and two scores and No. 1 Alabama overwhelmed No. 10 LSU 38-17 on Saturday night.
The Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) turned to power football to take control of a game that was tied early in the third quarter. Yeldon carried 18 times in the second half, 25 overall, after catching the game-winning touchdown pass in last season's meeting with the Tigers (7-3, 3-3).
Alabama scored the final 21 points to brush aside its first challenge since Game 2 against Texas A&M.
McCarron was a workmanlike 14 of 20 passing for 179 yards, letting Yeldon, Kenyan Drake and their blockers assert control.
Zach Mettenberger completed 16 of 23 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown but was also sacked four times.
It was the most points Alabama has scored against LSU since a 41-12 victory in 1947.
No. 6 Stanford hands No. 2 Oregon first loss
STANFORD, Calif. -- Tyler Gaffney ran for 157 yards and No. 6 Stanford hammered No. 2 Oregon for three quarters, then held off a furious rally by the Ducks to crush their national title hopes for a second consecutive season, this time with a 26-20 victory Thursday night.
Kevin Hogan ran for a touchdown and played a mistake-free game for Stanford (8-1, 6-1 Pac-12). The Cardinal put on a clinic in how to play keep away from a team that was averaging 55.6 points. Stanford ran for 274 yards and held the ball for 42 1/2 minutes.
Heisman Trophy contender Marcus Mariota was inaccurate and under pressure much of the night, but he threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, sandwiched around a blocked field goal return for a score by Rodney Hardrick, to pull the Ducks (8-1, 5-1) to 26-20 with 2:12 left.
Oregon couldn't recover a second onside kick and Stanford ran out the clock.
And the biggest winners of all? No. 3 Florida State. The unbeaten Seminoles don't have to worry about the Ducks nudging them out of second place in the BCS standings. Now, Florida State faces a manageable remaining schedule with a good chance to win its way to the BCS championship game at the Rose Bowl in January.
No. 3 Florida State ties school record with six picks, beats Wake Forest 59-3
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Jameis Winston threw two touchdown passes, and No. 3 Florida State tied a school record with six interceptions in a 59-3 rout of Wake Forest on Saturday that clinched an ACC championship game berth.
Nate Andrews took an interception 56 yards for a touchdown and Jalen Ramsey returned a fumble 23 yards for a score on consecutive plays.
The Seminoles (9-0, 7-0) claimed the inside track to a BCS title game berth with No. 2 Oregon's loss Thursday. They kept firm grasp of it by forcing seven turnovers and breaking the stadium record of 56 points they set in 1994.
Florida State outgained Wake Forest (4-6, 2-5) 296-166 and turned those turnovers into five TDs and a field goal.
Winston was 17 of 28 for 159 yards in two-plus quarters with an 18-yard TD to Kelvin Benjamin and a 2-yarder to Chad Abram that made it 42-0 at halftime.
No. 5 Baylor blows out No. 12 OU, runs win streak to 12
WACO, Texas -- Bryce Petty threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more, Shock Linwood ran for 182 yards and Baylor stayed undefeated by passing its first big test with a lopsided victory against Oklahoma on Thursday night.
Baylor (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) scored twice in the final minute before halftime and stretched its school-record winning streak to 12 games since a loss at Oklahoma last November. The Bears are 8-0 for the first time.
Even though Baylor came in leading the nation in scoring (64 points per game) and total offense (718 yards per game) — and was outscoring opponents by an average margin of 48 points — many questioned how good the Bears were after getting into November without playing a ranked opponent. They have now, and they responded with an impressive victory against a team that used to routinely overwhelm them.
Oklahoma (7-2, 4-2) has a 21-2 lead in the series, but both losses have come in its last two trips to Floyd Casey Stadium for prime-time games.
Tevin Reese, the Bears' top receiver, dislocated his right wrist. He spent the second half on the sideline with his arm in a sling, and coach Art Briles said afterward he hopes Reese could be back for a bowl game.
Marshall helps No. 7 Auburn run away from Tennessee in rout
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Nick Marshall gained 214 of Auburn's 444 yards rushing Saturday and the seventh-ranked Tigers scored on a punt return and kickoff return in a 55-23 victory against Tennessee.
Marshall ran for two touchdowns on just 14 carries and threw for a third score. Tre Mason rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns as Auburn (9-1, 5-1 SEC) earned its sixth consecutive victory and averaged 8.4 yards per carry.
Chris Davis put Auburn ahead for good and broke a 13-13 tie in the second quarter with an 85-yard punt return, Auburn's longest since 1970 and third-longest ever. Corey Grant returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for another Auburn touchdown.
Auburn won while attempting just seven passes all day. The Tigers had thrown just nine passes last week in a 35-17 victory against Arkansas.
Rajion Neal rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown for Tennessee (4-6, 1-5), which dropped its third game in a row.
Mauk leads No. 9 Missouri past Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Maty Mauk threw five touchdown passes, four to Dorial Green-Beckham, and No. 9 Missouri cruised past Kentucky 48-17 on Saturday.
Making his fourth consecutive start in place of the injured James Franklin, the Tigers' redshirt freshman completed 17 of 28 attempts for 203 yards and took full advantage of 6-foot-6 sophomore Green-Beckham, whose TD receptions set a school record.
Mauk added a 6-yard scoring pass to Henry Josey, who also rushed for two TDs, including an 86-yarder.
Missouri (9-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) allowed Kentucky (2-7, 0-5) two touchdowns in the third quarter but the Mauk-to-Green-Beckham connection answered both scores with TDs.
The victory helped the Tigers stay a half-game ahead of idle South Carolina (5-2) atop the East division heading into their second bye and gave coach Gary Pinkel his fourth nine-win season in 13 years with Missouri.
Manziel ties career-high with five TD passes as No. 11 Texas A&M wins
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Johnny Manziel threw for 446 yards and tied a career-high with five touchdown passes to lead No. 11 Texas A&M to a 51-41 win Saturday against Mississippi State in what could be the Heisman Trophy winners' last home game.
The crowd chanted "one more year" late in the game for Manziel, who is eligible for the draft after this season. Whether he comes back remains to be seen, but he went into the stands to celebrate with the student section when the game was over.
Mississippi State cut the lead to 10 points early in the fourth quarter, but Manziel threw his fifth touchdown pass to make it 44-27 for A&M (8-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference). The defense grabbed an interception and Ben Malena's 2-yard TD run extended the lead to 51-27.
Dax Prescott threw for 149 yards and two scores and ran for 154 yards for Mississippi State (4-5, 1-4).
Virginia Tech rolls past No. 14 Miami (Fla.) 42-24
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Trey Edmunds ran for four touchdowns, the first three of them set up by Miami special-teams miscues, and Virginia Tech knocked off the 14th-ranked Hurricanes 42-24 on Saturday night.
Edmunds had scoring runs of 10, 2, 4 and 1 yards for the Hokies (7-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Logan Thomas completed 25 of 31 passes for 366 yards, giving him consecutive games of 300 yards or more for the first time in his Virginia Tech career.
Stephen Morris completed 16 of 29 passes for 324 yards for Miami (7-2, 3-2), which lost its consecutive game. Morris had an 81-yard touchdown pass to Stacy Coley and an 84-yarder to Allen Hurns, but the Hurricanes were still outgained 549-352.
Virginia Tech held Miami to 28 rushing yards. The Hokies had 26 first downs to Miami's 12.
The win turns the ACC's Coastal Division into a muddled mess.
Chelf has big day as No. 15 Oklahoma State dominates Kansas
STILLWATER, Okla. -- Clint Chelf completed 19 of 37 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 15 Oklahoma State to a 42-6 victory against Kansas on Saturday.
Desmond Roland added 44 yards and a touchdown on 16 rushes for the Cowboys (8-1, 5-1 Big 12), who won their fifth consecutive game. Roland also had a 19-yard reception for a score early in the second quarter that gave OSU a 21-0 lead.
Montell Cozart threw for 58 yards while rushing for 55 on 18 carries for Kansas (2-7, 0-6), which lost its sixth in a row. Tony Pierson returned from a three-game absence due to a concussion and gained 87 yards on six rushes.
Oklahoma State jumped on top immediately when Justin Gilbert returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
Jack goes on offense, No. 16 UCLA edges Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Freshman linebacker Myles Jack played offense, too, rushing for 120 yards on six carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run to help No. 16 UCLA beat Arizona 31-26 on Saturday night.
On defense, Jack had eight tackles and recovered Ka'Deem Carey's fumble in the UCLA end zone.
Brett Hundley passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as UCLA (7-2, 4-2 Pac-10) stayed a game behind first-place Arizona State in the Pac-12 South. Carey rushed for 149 yards on 28 carries for the Wildcats (6-3, 3-3), running his school-record string of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 12.
Hundley threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Shaq Evans on UCLA's first offensive play. Evans also had a 4-yard scoring catch.
Arizona's B.J. Denker had a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Nate Phillips.
Carr leads No. 17 Fresno State past Wyoming 48-10
LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Derek Carr threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns, and Josh Quezada rushed for 105 yards and a score as No. 17 Fresno State defeated Wyoming 48-10 on Saturday night.
Fresno State (9-0, 6-0 Mountain West) is one of five top 25 teams that remain undefeated.
Wyoming (4-5, 2-3) is 0-15 against ranked teams under fifth-year coach Dave Christensen and hasn't beaten a top 25 team since 2002, when the Cowboys defeated No. 24 Air Force 34-26.
Carr completed 33 of 46 passes with no interceptions before being pulled for the night with 9:45 left and the game well in hand. He has gone 229 pass attempts without an interception.
Quezada had his second consecutive (and second career) 100-yard game on 16 carries.
Brett Smith led the Cowboys, completing 18 of 32 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. Running back Tedder Easton gained 90 yards.
No. 19 UCF hangs on for 19-14 win against Houston
ORLANDO, Fla. -- William Stanback scored two touchdowns and No. 19 UCF held off a late Houston threat to win 19-14 on Saturday night and keep first place in the American Athletic Conference all to itself.
Storm Johnson added 127 yards rushing for UCF (7-1, 4-0), which has the inside track to the league's automatic BCS bid, with victories against the Cougars and Louisville.
The Cougars drove to the UCF 10 in the final minute, but came up empty on back-to-back passes from John O'Korn into the end zone. The first went off star receiver Deontay Greenberry's finger tips and the second sailed high.
O'Korn had a touchdown pass and two interceptions for the Cougars (7-2, 4-1).
The Knights had three giveaways and lost receiver Breshad Perriman to a targeting hit early in the fourth quarter, but rallied to preserve the win.
No. 20 Louisville beats up winless UConn 31-10
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Teddy Bridgewater had a chance to pad his Heisman resume against winless Connecticut.
He didn't do that Friday night, though he did throw for 288 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 20 Louisville to a 31-10 victory, and keep the Cardinals in the hunt for a conference title.
The junior completed 21 of 37 passes. He has thrown 24 touchdown passes this season and has at least one scoring pass in 21 consecutive games.
The win kept the Cardinals (8-1, 4-1 American Athletic Conference) a game out of first place in the AAC, behind the winner of the game Saturday night between Houston and Central Florida.
Tim Boyle threw three interceptions and had only 113 yards passing for Connecticut (0-8, 0-4). The Huskies also had a fumble inside the Louisville 10 yard line and a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown.
The Huskies are 0-9 since upsetting the Cardinals in three overtimes last November in Louisville.
Louisville had 369 yards in offense and held the Huskies to 237. The Cardinals have allowed only 95 points this season.
White's three TDs lead No. 21 Wisconsin past BYU
MADISON, Wis. -- James White ran for two touchdowns and caught a pass for another score, and No. 21 Wisconsin stalled BYU's fast-paced offense in a 27-17 victory Saturday.
White finished with 147 yards rushing, while Chris Borland looked just fine coming back from a hamstring injury in flying around the field for 13 tackles and two sacks for the Badgers (7-2).
Kyle Van Noy went step-for-step with Borland in a matchup of star linebackers with eight tackles and an interception for BYU (6-3). Taysom Hill threw two touchdown passes to Cody Hoffman, but the dual-treat quarterback was held in check by Wisconsin pressure.
White locked up the win with his third score on a 14-yard run with 13:51 left in the fourth for a three-possession lead.
No. 23 Arizona State uses late rally to beat Utah 20-19
SALT LAKE CITY -- Taylor Kelly ran for a touchdown and threw for another in the fourth quarter and No. 23 Arizona State came from behind to beat Utah 20-19 on Saturday.
Sun Devils All-America defensive tackle Will Sutton sealed the victory with an interception at the 25.
Stifled by Utah's aggressive defense for the most of three quarters, Kelly helped keep the Sun Devils (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) in the driver's seat for the Pac-12 South title.
Kelly finished 19-for-31 passing for 144 yards and Marion Grice rushed 20 times for 136 yards. Grice busted through the Utah line and rumbled 38 yards to set up Kelly's 14-yard touchdown pass to Richard Smith with 2:37 to play to make it 20-19. Utah's Trevor Reilly sacked Kelly on the 2-point conversion attempt.
Travis Wilson was 6-for-21 for Utah (4-5, 1-5 Pac-12) and threw interceptions that ended the Utes' last two drives.
Pittsburgh rallies, upsets No. 24 Notre Dame 28-21
PITTSBURGH -- James Conner ran for two short touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 9:36 remaining as Pittsburgh upset No. 24 Notre Dame 28-21 on Saturday night.
Tom Savage passed for 243 yards and two scores to Devin Street as the Panthers (5-4) took advantage of some sloppy play by the Fighting Irish (7-3) to end Notre Dame's four-game winning streak.
The Irish turned it over three times, including a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by Tommy Rees. Rees completed 18 of 39 for 318 yards and two touchdowns but was picked off by Pitt's Ray Vinopal on consecutive passes in the final quarter.
TJ Jones caught six passes for 149 yards and a touchdown and ran for another but Notre Dame's hopes for a Bowl Championship Series bowl bid vanished in a sloppy final 15 minutes.
Kansas State hands No. 25 Texas Tech third consecutive loss
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Jake Waters and Daniel Sams each ran for two touchdowns and Waters passed for another score to lead Kansas State past No. 25 Texas Tech 49-26 on Saturday.
Sams' TDs came on a 1-yard rush and a 5-yarder, and Waters scored from 1 yard and 13 yards.
Waters threw a 20-yard touchdown to Tramaine Thompson. John Hubert, who scored on a 63-yard run early in the game, finished with 157 yards on 23 carries to lead the Wildcats.
Ty Zimmerman scored a 43-yard touchdown after intercepting a pass from Texas Tech backup quarterback Baker Mayfield early in the fourth quarter.
The win was the third in a row for the Wildcats (5-4, 3-3 Big 12), while the Red Raiders (7-3, 4-3) dropped their third consecutive game.
Mayfield, who came in for starter Davis Webb late in the second quarter, was 34 for 44 for 276 yards and two interceptions.
