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Top 25 roundup: Fresno State shocks No. 13 UCLA with late TD

Sep 18, 2021; Pasadena, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Erik Brooks (3) celebrate after making a catch for a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins in the fourth quarter Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2021; Pasadena, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Erik Brooks (3) celebrate after making a catch for a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins in the fourth quarter Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Haener threw his two touchdown passes in the final 2:55, including a 13-yard game-winner to Jalen Cropper with 14 seconds remaining, and Fresno State survived to upset No. 13 UCLA 40-37 on Saturday in Pasadena, Calif.

Haener finished with 455 yards passing. Running back Ronnie Rivers, who rushed for 136 yards, scored on touchdown runs of 1 yard and 36 yards in the first half, and Cropper scored on a goal-line carry as the Bulldogs exploited a 49-16 disparity in plays run over the first two periods.

Fresno State (3-1) built a 23-10 lead at halftime over a UCLA team playing its first game since a Sept. 4 upset of LSU, but the Bruins (2-1) came back, holding Fresno State out of the end zone for more than 33 minutes of game time after the second of Rivers’ touchdowns, and Philips had 113 yards receiving.

Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw three touchdown passes, including a pair to Kyle Philips, and Zach Charbonnet rushed for the second of two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give UCLA two different leads. Thompson-Robinson went 14-of-24 for 278 yards.

No. 1 Alabama 31, No. 11 Florida 29

The Crimson Tide got three touchdown passes from freshman Bryce Young and stopped a potential game-tying 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter to hold off the Gators in Gainesville, Fla.

The Gators (2-1, 0-1 SEC) pulled within two points with 3:10 left in the game on a 17-yard touchdown run by Dameon Pierce. But Malik Davis’ 2-point attempt to even the score failed. The Gators missed an extra-point try in the second quarter, setting up the two-point deficit.

Young completed 22 of 35 passes for 233 yards and no interceptions in his first true road start for Alabama (3-0, 1-0). Emory Jones completed 17 of 27 passes for 181 yards and an interception for the Gators, his fifth in three games. He also rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Davis added a game-high 96 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

No. 2 Georgia 40, South Carolina 13

JT Daniels threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to a victory over the visiting Gamecocks (2-1, 0-1 SEC) in the SEC opener for both teams in Athens, Ga.

Adonai Mitchell caught four passes for a team-high 77 yards. Kendall Milton (66 yards) James Cook (51 yards) and Zamir White (51 yards) powered a ground game that rushed for 184 yards on 31 carries — an average of 5.9 yards per attempt — as the Bulldogs amassed 491 yards of total offense.

Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) needed just six plays to take a 7-0 lead, as Cook capped a 75-yard drive with a 23-yard burst up the middle less than three minutes into the game.

No. 3 Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 16

Spencer Rattler threw for 214 yards and a touchdown as the Sooners (3-0) beat the visiting Cornhuskers (2-2). The Sooners’ 23 points were their fewest in more than five years.

Nebraska got the ball back with a chance to force overtime in the final minute, before a pair of Sooners sacks, and then a stop of Rahmir Johnson just short of the first-down marker ended the game.

Oklahoma managed just 408 total yards, with 194 on the ground. Eric Gray ran 15 times for 84 yards for the Sooners.

No. 4 Oregon 48, Stony Brook 7

Freshman quarterback Ty Thompson threw the first two touchdown passes of his college career after taking over for injured Anthony Brown in the third quarter, helping the Ducks pull away from the visiting Seawolves in a nonconference game.

In a game delayed 37 minutes by lightning, the Ducks nabbed three interceptions and a fumble to dispatch the Seawolves. One week after Oregon beat Ohio State in Columbus, the Ducks (3-0) led only 17-7 at halftime. Thompson went 6-for-9 for 82 yards, while Brown completed 14 of 18 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown in the first half.

Ty Son Lawton scored on a 5-yard run on the final play of the first quarter to keep the Seawolves (1-2) close. Stony Brook quarterback Tyquell Fields was 10-for-23 passing for 131 yards. Three of his completions went to Shawn Harris Jr., who accumulated a game-high 67 receiving yards.

No. 5 Iowa 30, Kent State 7

The Hawkeyes — helped by an incredible 20-play, 95-yard drive — defeated the visiting Golden Flashes (1-2) in nonconference play at Iowa City.

Tyler Goodson ran for 153 yards, a 7.0 average, and three touchdowns to lead the Hawkeyes (3-0), who have won nine straight games dating to last season.

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras completed 25 of 36 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

No. 6 Clemson 14, Georgia Tech 8

Will Shipley rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers survived the Yellow Jackets as well as an extended lightning delay en route to a victory at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.

Clemson (2-1) notched its 30th consecutive home victory, extending the school record as well as the nation’s longest active home winning streak. The Tigers have won seven consecutive games against the Yellow Jackets (1-2), but got more than they bargained for.

Georgia Tech outplayed Clemson for much of the game and outgained the Tigers 309-284, but Clemson’s defense came up big in crucial situations. Linebacker James Skalski thwarted a shovel pass from Georgia Tech quarterback Jordan Yates to Dylan Deveney on fourth-and-goal from the Clemson 2-yard line with 15 seconds remaining as the Tigers survived in the ACC opener for both teams.

No. 7 Texas A&M 34, New Mexico 0

Zach Calzada passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns as the Aggies rolled over the Lobos in College Station, Texas.

Calzada completed 19 of 33 passes with one interception in his first career start for the Aggies (3-0), who won their 11th consecutive game and posted their first shutout since September 2016 against Prairie View A&M.

The 11-game win streak is the program’s longest since 1992 and Texas A&M is off to its best start since opening 6-0 in 2016.

No. 8 Cincinnati 38, Indiana 24

Demond Ridder connected with Alec Pierce on a 19-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to fuel the Bearcats over the Hoosiers in Bloomington, Ind.

Ridder completed 20 of 36 passes for 210 yards and Jerome Ford added 66 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Bearcats (3-0), who have won 13 of their last 14 games.

Indiana (1-2) turned it over four times, including twice in the red zone, with a fumble by running back Tim Baldwin Jr. at Cincinnati’s 2-yard line negating a potential go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter.

No. 9 Ohio State 41, Tulsa 20

TreVeyon Henderson broke two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin’s Ohio State freshman single-game rushing record with 277 yards and added three touchdowns as the Buckeyes (2-1) pulled away late from the visiting Golden Hurricane.

Henderson’s 52-yard score to make it 27-13 on the last play of the third quarter gave him 243 yards, four more than Griffin had against North Carolina on Sept. 30, 1972. He ran for a 48-yard TD on Ohio State’s fifth snap of the third quarter for a 20-6 lead. He also had 5-yard TD among his 24 carries.

For Tulsa (0-3), quarterback Davis Brin had a 22-yard TD to Josh Johnson with 12:07 to play to make it 27-20. Davis threw for 428 yards against an embattled Ohio State defense.

No. 10 Penn State 28, No. 22 Auburn 20

Sean Clifford threw two touchdown passes to lead the Nittany Lions past the Tigers in an exciting nonconference matchup in University Park, Pa.

The Nittany Lions (3-0) led throughout the second half, but the Tigers (2-1) drove to the Penn State 2 in the waning minutes. On fourth down, Bo Nix’s pass fell incomplete to Kobe Hudson, who got tangled up with Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker, but no flags were thrown.

Clifford finished 28 of 32 for 280 yards, while Jahan Dotson hauled in 10 receptions for 78 yards and a score. Noah Cain and Tyler Warren rushed for touchdowns for the Nittany Lions. Nix was 21 of 37 for 185 yards without a touchdown or an interception. Tank Bigsby carried 23 times for the visitors, accumulating 102 yards and two scores.

No. 12 Notre Dame 27, Purdue 13

Jack Coan threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns as the Fighting Irish pulled away from the visiting Boilermakers (2-1) in South Bend, Ind.

Kyren Williams had a rushing and receiving touchdown for Notre Dame (3-0), which posted its biggest win of the season. Avery Davis led Fighting Irish receivers with five catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.

It was the 105th win at Notre Dame for head coach Brian Kelly. He tied Knute Rockne as the winningest coach in school history.

No. 14 Iowa State 48, UNLV 3

Brock Purdy passed for 288 yards to set the school record for career passing yards as the Cyclones rolled to victory over the Rebels (0-3) in a nonconference game in Las Vegas.

Purdy completed 21 of 24 passes for three touchdowns while increasing his yardage total to 9,607. He passed Bret Meyer, who had 9,499 from 2004-07.

Breece Hall rushed for 100 yards and two scores on 21 carries for the Cyclones (2-1). He scored at least one rushing touchdown for the 15th straight game to tie the Big 12 record held by Missouri’s Corby Jones (1997-98).

West Virginia 27, No. 15 Virginia Tech 21

Jarret Doege threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns and Leddie Brown ran for 161 yards and a score to power the Mountaineers to an upset of the Hokies in Morgantown, W.Va.

Doege completed 15 of 26 passes and Brown averaged 8.5 yards per carry, but it was the defense that secured the victory.

The Mountaineers (2-1) capped a day in which they recorded six sacks by forcing an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line in the final minute, preventing the Hokies (2-1) from completing their comeback from 20 points down late in the third quarter.

No. 16 Coastal Carolina 28, Buffalo 25

Grayson McCall threw for three touchdowns and the Chanticleers held off the host Bulls (1-2) in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Chanticleers (3-0), playing in their first road game of the season, broke a halftime tie on the way to picking up their ninth straight victory in a regular-season nonconference matchup.

McCall finished 13-for-19 passing for 232 yards with an interception. Teammate Shermari Jones ran for 149 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown.

No. 17 Ole Miss 61, Tulane 21

Matt Corral tied an Ole Miss record by producing seven touchdowns — four rushing, three passing — as the Rebels throttled the Green Wave in a weather-delayed contest in Oxford, Miss.

Corral — 23-of-31 for 335 yards and no interceptions — tossed a scoring pass for his 15th straight game and added 68 yards rushing on 13 carries. The Rebels (3-0) received two touchdowns from Dontario Drummond (rushing, receiving), and a scoring reception from Jonathan Mingo (six catches, career-high 136 yards) and Braylon Sanders. Jerrion Ealy rushed 15 times for a game-high 105 yards.

Cameron Carroll, Shae Wyatt and Tyrick James scored for the Green Wave (1-2). Michael Pratt played three quarters and finished 10-for-18 for 166 yards with two TDs and no picks.

No. 23 BYU 27, No. 19 Arizona State 17

Jaren Hall passed for 214 yards and rushed for 38 before a late injury to lead the Cougars past the Sun Devils in Provo, Utah.

Hall was hurt on a 13-yard run that took BYU (3-0) to the Arizona State 4 with 2:17 left. Backup quarterback Baylor Romney completed the game-securing touchdown pass to Isaac Rex with 1:19 left. Gunner Romney caught six passes for 95 yards and a score, and Tyler Allgeier ran for 69 yards and a touchdown for BYU (3-0).

The Sun Devils (2-1), playing their first road game with fans in the stands in two seasons, were beset by 16 penalties for 121 yards. Quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 21 of 29 pass attempts for 265 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns. Daniyel Ngata rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown.

No. 20 Arkansas 45, Georgia Southern 10

KJ Jefferson threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Razorbacks to a victory over the visiting Eagles (1-2) in a nonconference game in Fayetteville, Ark.

Dominique Johnson rushed for a team-high 72 yards and touchdown on five carries as Arkansas (3-0) ran for 269 yards on 48 carries — an average of 5.6 yards per attempt — and rolled up 633 yards of total offense.

Jefferson, who went 13-for-23 passing, highlighted his day by throwing a 91-yard touchdown pass to Treylon Burks in the third quarter. It ranked only behind Matt Jones’ 92-yard scoring strike to Richard Smith against Tennessee in 2002 in the school’s record book.

No. 21 North Carolina 59, Virginia 39

Sam Howell passed for 307 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 112 yards to lead the Tar Heels to a shootout victory over the Cavaliers in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Josh Downs caught eight passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns and Ty Chandler rushed for 198 yards and two scores for the Tar Heels (2-1, 1-1 ACC), who never punted and outgained Virginia 699-574.

Brennan Armstrong passed for a school-record 554 yards and four touchdowns for the Cavaliers (2-1, 0-1), who had won the last four meetings. Dontayvion Wicks had seven catches for 183 yards and a TD and Billy Kemp IV added eight grabs for 106 yards and two scores.

Michigan State 38, No. 24 Miami 17

Kenneth Walker III rushed for 172 yards, and Payton Thorne passed for 261 yards with four touchdowns, leading the visiting Spartans to an upset victory over the Hurricanes (1-2).

Michigan State (3-0) got two TD receptions from Jalen Nailor, with one each from Walker and Jayden Reed.

Thorne’s final TD pass was a 39-yarder to Nailor with 4:12 left in the game. It came one play after Thorne’s sneak picked up a fourth-and-1 first down by just a few inches, and the Spartans up by just seven points (24-17) at the time.

No. 25 Michigan 63, Northern Illinois 10

Blake Corum rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns as the Wolverines found the end zone on its first nine possessions in a romp over the Huskies at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Donovan Edwards gained 86 yards and scored twice, while Hassan Haskins added 56 rushing yards and two scores. The Wolverines (3-0) had 373 rushing yards on 48 carries.

Cade McNamara threw an 87-yard touchdown pass to Cornelius Johnson and also scored on a quarterback keeper.

–Field Level Media

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