Marcel Reed threw three touchdown passes in the third quarter as No. 3 Texas A&M overcame a 27-point halftime deficit to beat South Carolina 31-30 on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference game in College Station, Texas.
Reed completed 22 of 39 passes for 439 yards and three TDs as the Aggies (10-0, 7-0 SEC) completed the improbable comeback over the stunned Gamecocks (3-7, 1-7). After the disaster of a first half, in which Reed had three costly turnovers, Reed threw scoring passes to Izaiah Williams (27 yards), Ashton Bethel-Roman (39 yards) and Nate Boerkircher (14 yards).
In the fourth quarter, Reed drove the Aggies 98 yards in 10 plays, with EJ Smith rushing 4 yards to give the Aggies their first lead at 31-30 and what proved to be the game-winner. South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers finished with 246 yards on 15-of-30 passing with two TDs and one interception.
Since 2004, SEC schools were 0-286 when trailing by 27 or more points. The comeback is the largest in Texas A&M history.
No. 1 Ohio State 48, UCLA 10
Bo Jackson ran for 112 yards and a touchdown and James Peoples rushed for two scores as the Buckeyes defeated the overwhelmed and undermanned Bruins in Columbus, Ohio.
Julian Sayin completed his first 11 passes for 100 yards and guided the Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) on scoring drives of 8, 11 and 12 plays for a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter. It only got worse for the Bruins, who trailed 27-0 at the half en route to their third consecutive defeat.
Sayin completed 23 of 31 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown in three quarters. UCLA (3-7, 3-4) quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Bruins’ leading rusher, did not play due to a concussion, the school announced. Redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan made his first career start and was 16 of 23 for 154 yards and a TD.
No. 2 Indiana 31, Wisconsin 7
Fernando Mendoza passed for 299 yards and four touchdowns, Charlie Becker had five catches for 108 yards with a score as the Hoosiers rolled to a win over the Badgers in Bloomington, Ind.
Indiana (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) navigated multiple injuries to remain unbeaten and move to 11-0 for the first time in school history. WR Elijah Sarratt (hamstring) missed his second straight game while DE Mikail Kamara left in the first quarter with an apparent shoulder injury. Mendoza now has 30 TD passes, the most in a single season in program history. Roman Hemby led Indiana with 58 rushing yards on 14 carries.
The Badgers (3-7, 1-6) collected five sacks, including 2.5 from Darryl Peterson. Carter Smith was 9-of-15 for 98 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Wisconsin’s leading rusher Gideon Ituka gained 32 yards on nine carries before being taken off the field on a cart midway through the third quarter wearing a brace around his head and neck. Wisconsin has lost 11 of its past 12 conference games.
No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21
The Sooners forced three turnovers and their defense came up with a big stop late in a win over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The win keeps the Sooners (8-2, 4-2 SEC) in contention for a College Football Playoff berth while keeping the Crimson Tide from clinching a spot in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama (8-2, 6-1) outgained Oklahoma 406-212, but the turnovers and timely stops from the Sooners defense helped them pull off the victory.
Ty Simpson threw for 326 yards and a touchdown but was sacked four times and threw a critical interception, plus the fumble in Alabama’s first home loss under head coach Kalen DeBoer. Daniel Hill had two rushing scores for the hosts. John Mateer was 15-of-23 passing for 138 yards and a rushing score for the Sooners, who also got a pick-six from Eli Bowen.
No. 5 Georgia 35, No. 10 Texas 10
Gunner Stockton completed 24 of 29 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns and added a rushing score as the Bulldogs posted a commanding victory over the Longhorns in a pivotal Southeastern Conference showdown in Athens, Ga.
Noah Thomas caught two touchdowns, London Humphreys hauled in a touchdown and Nate Frazier ran for 72 yards for Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC), which won its sixth straight game while wrapping up its conference slate. The Bulldogs outgained Texas 357-274, outscoring the visitors 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
Arch Manning threw for 251 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Longhorns (7-3, 4-2), which saw their College Football Playoff hopes take a massive hit. Ryan Wingo had nine catches for 62 yards and one TD for Texas, which committed nine penalties to Georgia’s one.
No. 6 Texas Tech 48, UCF 9
Reggie Virgil accounted for three touchdowns and Cameron Dickey rushed for two scores to help the Red Raiders roll to a big victory over the Knights in Big 12 play at Lubbock, Texas.
The Red Raiders held a 499-230 edge in total offense, a 27-13 advantage in first downs and limited UCF to 52 rushing yards. Star linebacker Jacob Rodriguez rushed for a touchdown on offense and had nine tackles and an interception on defense for the Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1 Big 12). Behren Morton completed 14 of 20 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, while backup Mitch Griffis was 13-of-17 passing for 145 yards.
Tayven Jackson completed 27 of 33 passes for 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception for the Knights (4-6, 1-6). Dylan Wade caught a scoring pass for UCF, which has dropped six of its past seven games.
No. 7 Ole Miss 34, Florida 24
Kewan Lacy rushed for a career-high 224 yards on 31 carries and set an Ole Miss touchdown record, and the No. 7 Rebels took another step toward the postseason by rallying to a win over the Gators in Oxford, Miss.
The Rebels (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) rallied from a 24-20 fourth-quarter deficit in avenging a 24-17 loss to the visitors a year ago in Florida that knocked the Lane Kiffin-led squad out of the College Football Playoff. Lacy scored three times, giving him 19 to set a Rebels single-season rushing TD record. He increased his team-high rushing total to 1,136 yards with his first career 200-yard game.
The Gators (3-7, 2-5), rumored to be courting Kiffin as their next head coach, saw DJ Lagway go 16 of 31 for 218 yards with a TD and a pick after being benched a week ago in a 38-7 loss at the Kentucky Wildcats.
No. 9 Notre Dame 37, No. 22 Pitt 15
Jeremiyah Love had 23 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown, and the Fighting Irish sprinted to a win over the Panthers in Pittsburgh.
CJ Carr completed 21 of 32 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Notre Dame (8-2), which won its eighth game in a row. Malachi Fields caught seven passes for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Mason Heintschel completed 16 of 33 passes for 126 yards and an interception for Pitt (7-3), whose five-game winning streak ended. Backup quarterback Eli Holstein took over late in the game and completed 3 of 6 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown.
No. 12 BYU 44, TCU 13
Bear Bachmeier passed for 296 yards and one touchdown and added a score on the ground to help the Cougars cruise to a victory over the Horned Frogs in Big 12 play at Provo, Utah.
LJ Martin rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and Parker Kingston added a scoring run for the Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Big 12), who impressively rebounded from last week’s 29-7 loss to then-No. 8 Texas Tech. Carsen Ryan caught a touchdown pass and Tanner Wall returned an interception for a score for BYU.
Josh Hoover completed 10 of 23 passes for 183 yards and two interceptions for the Horned Frogs (6-4, 3-4), who lost their second straight game. Jon Denman rushed for a touchdown and Eric McAlister had four receptions for 107 yards.
No. 13 Utah 55, Baylor 28
The Utes rushed for touchdowns of 64, 67 and 74 yards and Elijah Davis scored on a pick-six as they routed the host Bears in Waco, Texas.
Byrd Ficklin ran for the first of the long touchdown carries for Utah (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) on a 67-yard dash early in the first quarter, extending its 14-7 lead to a multiple-score advantage the Utes held most of the rest of the way. Wayshawn Parker carried for a 64-yard touchdown in the second quarter, then Ficklin broke off another of 74 yards in the third quarter. The potent rushing attack totaled 380 yards, led by Ficklin’s 166 and Parker’s 129.
Sawyer Robertson went 29-of-58 passing for Baylor (5-5, 3-4), totaling 430 yards with three touchdowns, two to Josh Cameron.
No. 15 Miami 41, NC State 7
Jakobe Thomas intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown to lead a stellar defensive effort as the Hurricanes routed the Wolfpack in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The Hurricanes (8-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their second straight in their regular season home finale to keep both their hopes of reaching the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff alive.
Miami limited NC State (5-5, 2-4) to just 149 total yards, with 75 of those coming on the Wolfpack’s final drive, which resulted in their only points of the game on a CJ Bailey 10-yard touchdown run. Carson Beck completed 21 of 27 passes for 291 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the Hurricanes.
No. 16 Georgia Tech 36, Boston College 34
Aidan Birr’s 23-yard field goal with 14 seconds left lifted the Yellow Jackets past the Eagles at Chestnut Hill, Mass.
After Turbo Richard’s 43-yard touchdown run flipped the score back Boston College’s way with 4:09 left, Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) put together a 13-play, 69-yard drive in the next 3:58 to win the game. Haynes King was 26-of-34 for 371 yards and a touchdown while leading the Yellow Jackets, who had a 628-537 advantage in total yardage.
Dylan Lonergan threw for 362 yards for the Eagles (1-10, 0-7), including 142 to Reed Harris. Richard rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
No. 17 Southern California 26, No. 21 Iowa 21
Bryan Jackson ran for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter as the Trojans rallied for a victory over the Hawkeyes in Los Angeles.
Jayden Maiava passed for 254 yards and one touchdown. Makai Lemon caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a TD, and the Trojans (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) stayed alive in the chase for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
King Miller had 83 rushing yards on 19 carries, and Jackson scored his two TDs on four carries as USC overcame an early 14-0 deficit. Mark Gronowski passed for 132 yards and a touchdown with an interception, while also catching a TD pass for the Hawkeyes (6-4, 4-3), who lost their second consecutive game.
No. 18 Michigan 24, Northwestern 22
Dominic Zvada hit a 31-yard field goal on the final play to give the Wolverines a victory over the Wildcats at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Michigan (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) overcame five turnovers to win its fourth consecutive game to remain in the College Football Playoff picture. Jordan Marshall rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries and Andrew Marsh had 12 receptions for 189 yards for the Wolverines.
Northwestern (5-5, 3-4) has lost three consecutive games after a four-game winning streak. Preston Stone completed 13 of 27 passes for 184 yards and also rushed for a score.
No. 19 Virginia 34, Duke 17
Chandler Morris threw two touchdown passes a week after exiting with an injury and the Cavaliers did most of their best work on defense to beat the Blue Devils in a game with significant Atlantic Coast Conference championship implications in Durham, N.C.
J’Mari Taylor rushed for 133 yards and two scores in a huge bounce-back performance for Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC) after its home loss to Wake Forest, keeping the Cavaliers in the thick of the conference race. Duke (5-5, 4-2) lost its second straight game, likely dropping out of the race for a spot in the ACC title game.
Morris was unable to finish last Saturday’s game and was placed into concussion protocol, with his status for the Duke game uncertain until game day. He finished 23-for-35 for 316 yards, the two scores and two interceptions. Duke’s Darian Mensah, who was averaging 310.4 passing yards per game entering the week, completed 18 of 35 passes for 213 yards with a touchdown.
No. 23 Tennessee 42, New Mexico State 9
Joey Aguilar threw for 204 yards and Desean Bishop rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown to lead the Volunteers to a nonconference win over the Aggies in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Volunteers (7-3) led 21-3 and halftime and outscored the Aggies (3-7) 21-0 in the third quarter to cruise to the win, outgaining the visitors 413-310. Quarterback Logan Fife completed 23 of 34 passes for 166 yards for the Conference USA school.
Aguilar, Peyton Lewis and Star Thomas each had a rushing score for Tennessee, while Braylon Staley had a team-leading 58 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Navy 41, No. 24 South Florida 38
Backup quarterback Braxton Woodson ran for 103 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Alex Tecza added 126 rushing yards with two TDs and the Midshipmen upset the Bulls in Annapolis, Md.
The Midshipmen (8-2, 6-1 American) tightened their grip on the conference lead, drawing closer to a berth in the championship game. Slotback Eli Heidenreich finished with five catches for 146 yards and broke Navy’s career receiving yards record. Tecza broke free for a 76-yard TD run to put the Midshipmen on the board on their first possession and the hosts never trailed.
Byrum Brown powered South Florida (7-3, 4-2) with 327 yards and two touchdowns through the air plus 136 rushing yards and two more scores. Jeremiah Koger caught nine passes for 112 yards and one touchdown for the Bulls.
Arizona 30, No. 25 Cincinnati 24
Noah Fifita threw for 294 yards and a touchdown to help the visiting Wildcats defeat the Bearcats in Big 12 play.
Kedrick Reescano rushed for 94 yards and a score and Kris Hutson hauled in eight catches for 123 yards for the Wildcats (7-3, 4-3), who won their third straight game and first this season over a ranked team.
Brendan Sorsby completed 15 of 28 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions, for Cincinnati (7-3, 5-2), which dropped its second straight game after a seven-game winning streak. Tawee Walker ran for 119 yards in the loss.
–Field Level Media
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