By PAUL DEWBERRY
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Kirby Smart took the customary drenching with an ear-to-ear smile. He bounced up and down on the sideline with as much exuberance as his players. And when the coach waved his visor to the red-and-black faithful, he knew better than anyone how much this meant after a long, long wait.
Rebounding emphatically from a blowout loss at Auburn just three weeks ago, the No. 6 Bulldogs doled out a whipping of their own on Saturday. And what a time for some revenge, with the Southeastern Conference championship and almost surely a trip to the College Football Playoff going to the winner.
Roquan Smith gobbled up two crucial turnovers, freshman Jake Fromm threw a pair of touchdown passes and Georgia cruised to a 28-7 victory over the No. 4 Tigers in an SEC title game that was a total reversal of the last meeting between the teams.
"It's great to bring it back to Georgia," said Smart, who played defensive back for the Bulldogs in the 1990s. "The Bulldog Nation is certainly starved."
Smart needed only two seasons to return his alma mater to national prominence, though he certainly learned a thing or two about what it took to get there in his previous job as Nick Saban's defensive coordinator at Alabama.
"It's hard to do," Smart said. "This one feels the same way."
Georgia (12-1) claimed its first SEC title since 2005.
Of course, there's a bigger prize for the taking.
The Bulldogs haven't won a national title since 1980, a drought that has only grown more and more irritating to Georgia fans as schools all around them — Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Clemson, Florida State — finished No. 1 in the years since.
"It's been an incredible journey," said Fromm, who took over as the starter when Jacob Eason was injured in the season opener and never relinquished the job. "I never thought it would shake out this way."
Auburn (10-3) didn't see it coming, either.
The Tigers rolled into Atlanta as the hottest team in the country after impressive wins over Georgia and then-No. 1 Alabama in its last three games. But the Tigers were stymied by their own mistakes, which also included a blocked field goal, and they had no answer for a Georgia team eager to make up for its embarrassing 40-17 defeat on the Plains .
"They flipped the script on us from the last game," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said.
Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and freshman D'Andre Swift provided a much more efficient running game, which opened up things for the young quarterback. Fromm completed 16 of 22 passes for 183 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown to Isaac Nauta in the second quarter and a 6-yarder to Terry Godwin with just over 13 minutes remaining that essentially sealed Georgia's victory.
The Bulldogs, who were No. 6 in the latest CFP standings, should move into the top four after their dominating performance. Auburn was ranked second in the CFP poll, only to have its hopes fade away with a lackluster offensive performance. The Tigers were up held to 259 yards after piling up 488 in their Nov. 11 romp.
Swift, another impressive Georgia freshman, finished it off with a 64-yard touchdown run through a huge hole. He dashed to the end zone without being touched, sending the Georgia fans into a raucous celebration that figured to go on well into the night.
Swift finished with 88 yards, Chubb had 77 and Michel added 45 before he left the game in the third quarter with what is believed to be a minor knee injury. In the last game against the Tigers, Chubb was held to 27 yards and Michel 21 — their lowest outputs of the season.
Auburn started out like it was headed for another big win. Jarrett Stidham capped the opening possession with s 6-yard scoring pass to Nate Craig-Myers, and the Tigers pushed into position to extend their lead early in the second quarter.
That's when the game suddenly turned.
Stidham dropped back to throw, couldn't find anyone open and didn't sense Davin Bellamy coming up behind him. The Georgia linebacker stripped the ball away and Smith fell on it for the Bulldogs at the 16.
Georgia drove the other way for the tying score and tacked on the first of two field goals by Rodrigo Blankenship for a 10-7 lead at the half.
Auburn wasted another scoring opportunity in the third quarter when Daniel Carlson's 31-yard field goal attempt was swatted away by DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle.
Then, trailing 13-7, another turnover on the first play of the fourth quarter finished off the Tigers.
Kerryon Johnson, who played despite an ailing right shoulder, was stripped of the ball and Smith scooped it up again at the Auburn 39 , retaining the spiked, Road Warrior-style vest that Georgia awards to players who take the ball away from the other team, the Dawgs' version of the turnover chain.
Smith picked up another prize after the game: the MVP award.
THE TAKEAWAY
Georgia: Smart did a masterful job of motivating the Bulldogs after they were thoroughly outmuscled in the first meeting. "They just physically whipped us up front," Malzahn said.
Auburn: After being knocked out of the playoff, the Tigers will turn their attention to Malzahn's future. He's been mentioned as a possible candidate at Arkansas. "I'm happy at Auburn," he insisted. "I think the best is yet to come."
OFFENSIVE WOES
Johnson, whose status wasn't known until game time, managed just 44 yards on 13 carries. Clearly, he was bothered by his ailing shoulder, but he wasn't the only one who struggled.
Stidham, who played brilliantly during a five-game winning streak, was held to 16 of 32 for 145 yards by a Georgia defense that brought heavy pressure all game. He was sacked three times.
UP NEXT
Georgia: Will likely head to either the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl to play in a semifinal playoff game.
Auburn: Could wind up returning to Atlanta on New Year's Day for the Peach Bowl against Central Florida.
Showing posts with label Auburn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auburn. Show all posts
Sunday, December 3, 2017
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.
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.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Hurts, No. 1 Alabama race past No. 16 Auburn 30-12
By John Zenor
Associated Press
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's defense still seems to have a wall erected at the goal line, and Jalen Hurts remains unflappable enough to shrug off mistakes.
The combination has been good enough every time so far.
Hurts rebounded from two early interceptions to pass for 286 yards and the top-ranked Crimson Tide's defense did the rest in a 30-12 victory Saturday over No. 16 Auburn to finish an undefeated regular season.
"We have bigger goals in mind," tight end O.J. Howard said.
The Tide (12-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 CFP) led just 13-9 at halftime, dominating the stat sheet but only taking over the scoreboard in the second half. The defense pushed its string of quarters without allowing a touchdown to 14-plus and shut down the league's top running game.
Auburn (8-4, 5-3, No. 15) failed to muster much offense for the second straight SEC game. This time the Tigers were playing without injured quarterback Sean White and unable to reach the end zone despite starting several drives in Alabama territory.
"We had some really, really challenging field position situations in this game, and our players responded really well to it," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
Hurts displayed the same poise in overcoming two first-half interceptions that has helped him lead the Tide into the SEC championship game. He completed 27-of-36 mostly short and mid-range passes and threw for two touchdowns. Alabama has won three straight Iron Bowls for the first time since 1990-92.
"At halftime, I guess everybody thought I was going to throw a fit, but I told them, 'Look guys, all we've got to do is go out there and play with some poise and confidence,'" Saban said.
Hurts also ran for 37 yards and a touchdown, leading two straight touchdown drives in the third quarter to all but put the game away after a mistake-filled first half.
He ran for a 4-yard score on a drive sparked by four Bo Scarbrough runs. On a fourth-and-4 play, he hit ArDarius Stewart, who spun away from a defender and made another move downfield en route to a 38-yard touchdown and a 27-9 lead.
Stewart gained 127 yards on 10 catches and completed a 12-yard pass. Scarbrough ran for 90 yards, including 83 after the half.
Auburn's Jeremy Johnson, who started the second straight game in White's place, completed 4 of 13 passes for 34 yards. John Franklin III connected on two downfield passes in the second half that totaled 85 yards. The Tide dominated in total yards, 501-182.
Daniel Carlson connected on four field goals for Auburn.
"Offensively, we just didn't get first downs, we just didn't get it done," Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said. "Two of 12 on third downs, I really think that caused the problem. Third downs, didn't hit explosive plays, defense was on the field too long was really the story of the day.
"Obviously we've got players in there that are hurting, coaches that are hurting, this is a tough one."
THE TAKEAWAY
Auburn didn't get a first down until nearly 25 minutes into the game and continues to have no passing game without a healthy White. Leading rusher Kamryn Pettway ran 12 times for just 17 yards after missing the past two games with a leg injury. The Tigers managed 66 rushing yards after coming in averaging a league best 298.
Alabama still has to get more offense in the downfield passing game but remains dominant on defense.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Alabama seems unlikely to drop from No. 1 in AP pollor playoff rankings, but No. 2 Ohio State could at least close ground after a double-overtime win over No. 3 Michigan. Auburn could fall from the top 20 after a second straight punchless offensive performance in SEC games.
TARGETING
Defensive back Tony Brown was ejected for targeting for a block thrown on a punt return. He'll be available against Florida.
FAREWELLS
Alabama's senior class finished its final home game with a 49-5 record so far.
UP NEXT
Auburn awaits its bowl destination.
Alabama faces No. 13 Florida in the SEC championship game for the second straight year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)