Sunday, November 12, 2017

Top 25 roundup: No. 10 Auburn buries No. 1 Georgia

TSX / STATS

AUBURN, Ala. -- There will be a new No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings after No. 10 Auburn rolled past top-ranked Georgia 40-17 on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The Bulldogs' loss was certainly Auburn's gain. Despite two losses, the Tigers (8-2, 6-1 SEC) remain alive for a playoff spot of their own, assuming of course Auburn can win its final two regular-season games, including Alabama in the Iron Bowl, and beat Georgia (9-1, 6-1) again in the SEC championship.

The Bulldogs are by no means out, but must beat Kentucky, Georgia Tech and win the SEC title game at Mercedes Benz-Stadium to do so.

Quarterback Jarrett Stidham and running back Kerryon Johnson accounted for most of the damage for the Tigers. Stidham (16 of 23, 214 yards) passed for three scores and rushed for another while Johnson kept the chains moving by rushing 32 times for 167 yards and converting a 55-yard screen pass into a touchdown for Auburn's final points.

NO. 2 ALABAMA 31, NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI STATE 24

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- With a 30-game regular-season winning streak in danger of being snapped, No. 2 Alabama scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat No. 16 Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs ate up 38:16 of the clock but the Crimson Tide (10-0, 7-0 SEC) needed just 44 seconds to win the game as Jalen Hurts found DeVonta Smith on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in the game for the win. With top-ranked Georgia losing to Auburn earlier in the day, Alabama is poised to move back to No. 1.

Mississippi State (7-3, 3-3) rushed for 172 yards in the game, the most by a Dan Mullen team vs. Alabama. Aeris Williams had 22 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Hurts was 10 of 19 for 242 yards and a touchdown while Calvin Ridley had five catches for 171 yards.

NO. 7 MIAMI 41, NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 8

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Running back Travis Homer rushed for 146 yards, quarterback Malik Rosier passed for one touchdown and rushed for another, and the defense came up with three interceptions and a fumble recovery as No. 7 Miami stunned No. 3 Notre Dame.

After shutting out the Fighting Irish in the first half, the Hurricanes (9-0), who scored 24 points off the four Irish turnovers, opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 90-yard scoring drive capped by running back DeeJay Dallas' 4-yard touchdown run to go up 34-0.

The Irish (8-2) finally broke into the scoring column on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon Wimbush to tight end Alize Mack with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

NO. 4 CLEMSON 31, FLORIDA STATE 14

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Freshman running back Travis Etienne rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns as No. 4 Clemson clinched a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game by beating Florida State.

Etienne scored on a 28-yard run in the second quarter, but it was his 1-yard plunge with 3:05 remaining that preserved Clemson's third consecutive victory over the Seminoles.

The victory delivered a third consecutive Atlantic Division title and third straight ticket to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C., where the Tigers (9-1, 7-1 ACC) will play ACC Coastal Division champion Miami on Dec. 2 at Bank of America Stadium.

NO. 5 OKLAHOMA 38, NO. 6 TCU 20

NORMAN, Okla. -- Baker Mayfield continued making his Heisman Trophy case, Rodney Anderson kept up his string of big games and No. 5 Oklahoma kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive with an easy win over No. 6 TCU.

Mayfield threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Anderson ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns and had five catches for 139 yards and two more scores for Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12).

The Horned Frogs (8-2, 5-2) entered the game allowing less than 70 yards rushing per game but the Sooners ran for 200 yards. No team had rushed for more than 142 yards against TCU this season coming into the game.

NO. 8 WISCONSIN 38, NO. 20 IOWA 14

MADISON, Wis. -- Freshman wide receiver Kendric Pryor scored two touchdowns to lead No. 8 Wisconsin over No. 20 Iowa.

Pryor posted the first receiving and rushing scores of his college career for Wisconsin (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten), which entered Saturday as one of only five unbeaten teams in the nation. Badgers outside linebacker Leon Jacobs had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and another recovery that led to a score.

Wisconsin's defense held the Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-4) to 66 total yards. Iowa was 0-for-13 on third downs. Hawkeyes quarterback Nate Stanley, fresh off a five-touchdown performance in an overtime win last week against Ohio State, completed 8-of-24 passes for 41 yards and one interception.

NO. 11 USC 38, COLORADO 24

BOULDER, Colo. -- No. 11 USC used a four-touchdown burst in the second and third quarters to beat Colorado and secure a spot in the Pac-12 Conference Championship Game.

The Trojans (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12) got two passing touchdowns and a 24-yard rushing score from quarterback Sam Darnold in their mid-game deluge. Coupled with an Ajene Harris interception return for a touchdown just before halftime, USC built a 27-0 lead, shaking off a sluggish offensive start.

Darnold settled in to finish 21 of 34 for 329 yards. His scores went 10 yards to Michael Pittman Jr., and 18 yards to Deontay Burnett. USC won the Pac-12 South a season after Colorado (5-6, 2-6) was the surprise winner. The Trojans' last conference title came back in 2008.

NO. 13 OHIO STATE 48, NO. 12 MICHIGAN STATE 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 13 Ohio State rebounded in emphatic fashion from a stunning loss a week earlier, rolling over No. 12 Michigan State.

The Buckeyes (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) raced to a 35-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Mike Weber broke long runs of 47 yards and 82 yards for touchdowns, and J.T. Barrett ran for a touchdown and threw for one in a dominant opening half that ended with the Buckeyes up 35-3. Michigan State (7-3, 5-2) had nothing to offer Ohio from the outset.

NO. 15 OKLAHOMA STATE 49, NO. 21 IOWA STATE 42

AMES, Iowa -- Senior quarterback Mason Rudolph passed for three touchdowns and sophomore running back Justice Hill ran for three as the Cowboys rallied.

Rudolph passed for 376 yards and Hill rushed for 134 and the Cowboys (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) scored 15 consecutive fourth-quarter points to overcome an eight-point deficit. Redshirt freshman receiver Dillon Stoner caught the go-ahead touchdown, senior wideout Marcell Ateman had two scoring receptions and junior receiver Jalen McCleskey had five receptions for 109 yards.

Sophomore running back David Montgomery rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns for the Cyclones (6-4, 4-3).

NO. 14 PENN STATE 35, RUTGERS 6

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Trace McSorley passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Nittany Lions drubbed the Scarlet Knights.

With the Scarlet Knights focusing their defensive attention on running back Saquon Barkley, McSorley hit 16 of 21 passes for 214 yards, and ran 13 times for 44 yards, as Penn State (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) snapped a two-game losing streak.

Andrew Harte kicked two field goals for Rutgers (4-6, 3-4).

GEORGIA TECH 28, NO. 17 VIRGINIA TECH

ATLANTA -- Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall completed only two passes, but both went for touchdowns, and the Yellow Jackets upset Virginia Tech.

The winning score came with 6:30 remaining when Marshall connected with Ricky Jeune for 80 yards. Georgia Tech (5-4, 4-3 ACC) was led offensively by KirVonte Benson with 86 yards on 22 carries. Marshall completed 2 of 8 for 140 yards and was intercepted once. Marshall rushed 22 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns.

Virginia Tech (7-3, 3-3) got 153 yards passing from Josh Jackson.

NO. 18 CENTRAL FLORIDA 49, CONNECTICUT 24

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Otis Anderson's 65-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter ended a long scoreless stretch for the Golden Knights.

Connecticut (3-7, 2-5 AAC) held high-powered UCF (9-0, 6-0) scoreless for more than 23 minutes in the middle of the game until Anderson broke loose for his second touchdown of the game. The Knights added two late touchdowns.

UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton completed 24 of 36 for 311 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another touchdown.

NO. 19 WASHINGTON STATE 33, UTAH 25

SALT LAKE CITY -- Luke Falk threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns in his home state to lead No 19 Washington State over Utah.

Falk's three touchdown passes pushed him past Matt Barkley as the Pac-12 leader in career touchdown passes. The senior has thrown 118 TD passes. Barkley totaled 116 at USC. Washington State (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) earned its third straight win in the series with the Utes (5-5, 2-5).

Tyler Huntley threw for 293 yards and a touchdown and added 51 yards on the ground to lead the Utes. Huntley also threw four interceptions, part of seven Utah turnovers overall. The Cougars scored 23 points off those turnovers.

NO. 23 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 17, COSTON COLLEGE 14

BOSTON -- Nyheim Hines, playing with a sore ankle, ran 50 yards for a touchdown with 8:22 left and the Wolfpack ended their two-game losing streak.

The Eagles (5-5, 3-4 ACC) had their three-game winning streak snapped.

The Wolfpack (7-3, 5-1) moved to midfield on a 25-yard run by Jaylen Samuels and then, two plays later, Hines broke the winner down the right sideline.

NO. 24 LSU 33, ARKANSAS 10

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Senior quarterback Danny Etling threw touchdown passes of 45 and 68 yards to wide receiver D.J. Chark to power the Tigers.

Running back Derrius Guice added 147 yards rushing yards and three second-half scores for the Tigers. LSU (7-3, 4-2 SEC) scored touchdowns on its first three possessions of the second half to break open a 7-7 game to take a 26-10 lead.

Arkansas (4-6, 1-5) scored on its first series of the second half with Connor Limpert's 38-yard field goal.

NO. 25 NORTHWESTERN 23, PURDUE 13

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Clayton Thorson completed 26 of 46 passes for 296 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, helping No. 25 Northwestern defeat Purdue.

Elijah Sindelar was 37 of 60 for 376 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as Purdue outgained Northwestern, amassing 438 yards to the Wildcats' 390. Both teams were stagnant out of the gate, combining for five first downs and 91 total yards in scoreless first quarter.

Bennett Skowronek finished with a team-best seven catches for 117 yards and a TD for Northwestern (7-3, 5-2 Big Ten), which won its fifth straight.

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