Behind an inspired effort from Max Duggan and a last-second field goal by Griffin Kell, No. 4 TCU kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive with a dramatic 29-28 comeback win Saturday against host Baylor in Waco, Texas.
Duggan passed for 327 yards and a touchdown and led the Horned Frogs (11-0, 8-0 Big 12) with 50 rushing yards and a score. Kendre Miller and Emari Demercado also ran for touchdowns for TCU. Taye Barber caught five passes for 108 yards.
Craig Williams rushed 19 times for 112 yards for Baylor (6-5, 4-4), which finished with 232 yards on the ground. Blake Shapen passed for 269 yards and a touchdown.
Monaray Baldwin had six receptions for 123 yards for the Bears. Kelsey Johnson added rushing and receiving TDs.
Baylor kicked off the scoring when tailback Qualan Jones found paydirt from 10 yards out on the game’s opening drive. The 11-play scoring march was aided by a fourth-and-1 run by Dillon Doyle.
No. 1 Georgia 16, Kentucky 6
More efficient than spectacular, the Bulldogs closed out a perfect run through their Southeastern Conference schedule with a win over the Wildcats in Lexington, Ky.
The Bulldogs (11-0, 8-0 SEC) never really pulled away from the Wildcats (6-5, 3-5), but they were never really threatened, either. Georgia scored on all three of its first-half possessions, although all were field goals, and finally tacked on a touchdown with a 9-yard run by Kenny McIntosh at the 6:22 mark of the third quarter.
Kentucky’s only points came when Will Levis threw an 8-yard scoring strike to Barion Brown with 9:52 left in the game. But the Wildcats weren’t able to convert on a two-point pass that could have brought them within a score. Levis completed 20 of 31 passes for 206 yards and an interception. Brown was his main target with 10 catches for 145 yards.
No. 2 Ohio State 43, Maryland 30
Dallan Hayden ran for three touchdowns as the Buckeyes held off the host Terrapins in College Park, Md.
Hayden, taking over when TreVeyon Henderson was reinjured, ran for 146 yards on 27 carries for Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten). Quarterback C.J. Stroud was 18-of-30 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown.
Tulia Tagovailoa was 26 of 36 for 293 yards and three touchdowns for Maryland (6-5, 3-5). Maryland has never beaten Ohio State in seven games since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Trailing by three in the third quarter, Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom blocked a punt for the second straight game, giving the Buckeyes the ball at the Maryland 14. Two plays later, Hayden rushed for an 8-yard TD to make it 17-13.
No. 3 Michigan 19, Illinois 17
Jake Moody kicked a game-winning 35-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining as the host Wolverines stayed unbeaten, knocking off the Fighting Illini in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Chase Brown’s 37-yard rushing touchdown with 1:37 left in the third quarter gave Illinois (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) a 17-10 lead, but Moody made field goals of 41 and 33 yards in the fourth to pull Michigan (11-0, 8-0) within one. Michigan’s defense prevented Illinois from manufacturing a first down on its second-to-last drive, and the Wolverines took over at their own 48. A defensive pass interference penalty put Michigan at the Illini 22, setting up Moody’s game-winner.
Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed 18 of 34 passes for 208 yards, and running back Blake Corum rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries despite being hampered by a second-quarter knee injury. Brown finished with 140 yards and a pair of scores on 29 carries, while Tommy DeVito threw for 178 yards on 21-for-30 passing.
South Carolina 63, No. 5 Tennessee 38
Spencer Rattler established career bests of 438 yards and six touchdowns as the Gamecocks delivered a likely fatal blow to the Volunteers’ College Football Playoff hopes with a thumping in Southeastern Conference play at Columbia, S.C.
Rattler also set a Gamecocks single-game record for touchdown passes while completing 30 of 37 throws.
Antwane Wells Jr. caught 11 passes for 177 yards and also rushed for a touchdown for South Carolina (7-4, 4-4 SEC).Heisman Trophy candidate Hendon Hooker was 25-of-42 passing for 247 yards and three touchdowns before leaving with a left knee injury for Tennessee (9-2, 5-2).
No. 6 LSU 41, UAB 10
Noah Cain ran for three touchdowns, and John Emery Jr. and Jayden Daniels ran for one each as the Tigers defeated the Blazers in a nonconference game in Baton Rouge, La.
Daniels ran for 111 yards and completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and a touchdown as the SEC West champion Tigers (9-2) won their fifth consecutive game. Malik Nabers caught seven of those passes for 129 yards.
Dylan Hopkins completed 14 of 29 passes for 158 yards for the Blazers (5-6), who remained winless in five road games this season. DeWayne McBride, who was averaging 141 rushing yards per game, finished with just 34 yards on 13 carries.
No. 7 Southern Cal 48, No. 16 UCLA 45
Korey Foreman’s interception of Dorian Thompson-Robinson with 1:25 remaining clinched the Trojans’ road win over the rival Bruins in Pasadena, Calif., preserving their College Football Playoff aspirations.
With the win, USC (10-1, 8-1 Pac-12) sewed up a berth in the Dec. 2 Pac-12 Championship Game.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams set a career-high with 470 yards on 32-of-43 passing. Jordan Addison caught 11 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. Thompson-Robinson completed 23-of-38 pass attempts for 309 yards with four touchdown passes for UCLA (8-3, 5-3).
No. 8 Alabama 34, Austin Peay 0
With their backfield short-handed, Jase McClellan ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide to a victory over the Governors in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Bryce Young completed 18 of 24 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for Alabama (9-2). Both of his scoring passes went to Jermaine Burton, who hauled in all seven of his targets for 128 yards.
Austin Peay (7-4) will wait to see if it can earn a spot in the upcoming Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Quarterback Mike DiLiello completed 20 of 32 passes for 147 yards but was intercepted twice — first by Kool-Aid McKinstry and later by Brian Branch.
No. 9 Clemson 40, Miami 10
DJ Uiagalelei passed for 227 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a game- and career-high 89 yards and a score as the host Tigers jumped on the Hurricanes early and cruised to a victory in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash.
The win gave the No. 9 Tigers (10-1, 8-0 ACC) their 12th consecutive season with at least 10 victories in addition to extending their home-field winning streak to an ACC-record 40 consecutive games. The Hurricanes (5-6, 3-4) now need to win their finale at home against Pittsburgh to reach bowl eligibility.
Clemson held Miami to 98 yards of total offense, with only 30 coming on the ground, both season lows. Freshman Jacurri Brown, who engineered Miami’s 35-14 win over Georgia Tech last week, struggled in his second start, going just 6-of-13 passing for 53 yards while rushing for just 22 more yards. Jake Garcia started the fourth quarter and threw a 1-yard pass to Kahlil Brantley for Miami’s only touchdown.
No. 12 Oregon 20, No. 10 Utah 17
Bo Nix, a game-time decision to play despite a sore right foot, passed for 287 yards to lead the host Ducks to a victory over the Utes at Eugene, Ore.
Nix, who sustained the injury in last week’s loss to Washington, completed 25 of 37 pass attempts, with a touchdown and interception for the Ducks (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12).
Utah’s (8-3, 6-2) last possession ended with another turnover on downs when Solomon Enis dropped Cameron Rising’s pass on a fourth-and-6 at midfield with 1:57 left. Rising completed 21 of 38 passes for 170 yards.
No. 11 Penn State 55, Rutgers 10
Kobe King and Ji’Ayir Brown scored touchdowns off fumble recoveries and the Nittany Lions scored 48 unanswered points and rolled to a victory over the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, N.J.
The Nittany Lions (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) recorded 15 tackles for loss and four sacks en route to their 16th consecutive win over the Scarlet Knights (4-7, 1-7). The special teams also made a difference as Nittany Lions returner Nicholas Singleton returned a kickoff for 100 yards for the team’s first score.
Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt was 10-of-29 for 122 yards, but they dropped their fourth consecutive game and can’t reach bowl eligibility.
Georgia Tech 21, No. 13 North Carolina 17
The Yellow Jackets put together a pair of second-half touchdown drives and held the Tar Heels scoreless after halftime to pull off an upset at Chapel Hill, N.C.
Hassan Hall scored the game-winning 6-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Yellow Jackets rallied from a 17-point deficit to claim the victory. Quarterback Zach Gibson completed 13 of 18 passes for 174 yards.
Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye threw for 202 yards and an interception on 16 of 30 passing. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season. Running back Elijah Green added 92 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Arkansas 42, No. 14 Ole Miss 27
Raheim Sanders set career highs with 232 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the host Razorbacks became bowl-eligible, downing the Rebels in Fayetteville, Ark.
Quarterback KJ Jefferson returned and went 17 of 22 passing for 168 yards and three scores. Matt Landers caught two touchdown passes, and Ketron Jackson Jr. had the other. Linebacker Drew Sanders had a fumble recovery and an interception for Arkansas (6-5, 3-4 Southeastern Conference).
For Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3), Jaxson Dart was 21-for-36 for 240 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Malik Heath had 140 yards and a score on nine receptions.
No. 15 Kansas State 48, West Virginia 31
Will Howard threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats matched their season high in points in defeating the Mountaineers in Morgantown, W.Va.
Kansas State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) will clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game with a win at home against Kansas next week or a Texas loss next Saturday against Baylor.
Garrett Greene threw three touchdowns to Sam James for West Virginia (4-7, 2-6), but he also tossed two costly interceptions.
No. 17 Washington 54, Colorado 7
Wayne Taulapapa rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns as the Huskies cruised to a win over the one-win Buffaloes.
Cameron Davis rushed for a pair of touchdowns for the Huskies, who won their fifth game in a row. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 19 of 31 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown.
The Buffaloes were outgained 575-202.
No. 18 Notre Dame 44, Boston College 0
The Fighting Irish scored on their first eight drives and cruised past the Eagles on a snowy day at South Bend, Ind.
Audric Estime rushed for two touchdowns and Logan Diggs had a team-high 122 yards and a score on 15 carries, leading the Fighting Irish (8-3) to their fifth straight triumph. Notre Dame finished with a 437-173 advantage in total yards. The count was 336-81, including 214-1 on the ground, in the first half.
Freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison intercepted three of Boston College’s passes. Isaiah Foskey became Notre Dame’s all-time sacks leader with 25. Zay Flowers had 46 receiving yards and Alex Broome rushed for 25 for the Eagles (3-8).
No. 19 Florida State 49, Louisiana 17
Jordan Travis and Treshaun Ward each rushed for two touchdowns as the Seminoles routed the Ragin’ Cajuns in a nonconference game in Tallahassee, Fla.
Florida State (8-3) took a 21-0 first-quarter lead and rolled to their fourth consecutive victory. They have outscored their last four opponents 173-39.
Chandler Fields threw a touchdown pass and ran for a touchdown for Louisiana (5-6), which needs to win at Texas State in its regular-season finale next Saturday to become bowl eligible.
Navy 17, No. 20 UCF 14
Daba Fofana ran 20 times for 114 rushing yards and John Marshall set a single-game program record with four sacks as the Midshipmen upset the host Knights in Orlando, Fla.
The Midshipmen (4-7, 3-4 AAC) defeated UCF for the second straight season. Fofana fronted a Navy rushing attack that wound up with 248 yards on 63 carries. Navy was a perfect 4-for-4 on fourth-down conversions, including one on its final drive that chewed up the final 5:54 of game clock to secure the win.
Starting quarterback John Rhys Plumlee was ineffective in the first half for UCF (8-3, 5-2), and he was replaced at halftime with Mikey Keene in an attempt to spark a comeback. Keene finished with 123 yards and a touchdown on 8-for-15 passing. Javon Baker caught six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Oklahoma 28, No. 22 Oklahoma St. 13
Dillon Gabriel threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns to lead the host Sooners to a win over the Cowboys in Norman, Okla.
The Sooners jumped out to a big lead early, with four first-quarter touchdowns, to reach bowl eligibility for the 24th consecutive season. Oklahoma’s active bowl streak is the second longest in college football, behind only Georgia.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Sooners (6-5, 3-5 Big 12). The Cowboys (7-4, 4-4) have dropped three of their last four games.
No. 23 Oregon State 31, Arizona State 7
Damien Martinez rushed for 138 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns to lead the Beavers to a victory over the host Sun Devils at Tempe, Ariz.
Oregon State (8-3, 5-3 Pac-12) has won five of its last six games, while Arizona State (3-8, 2-6) has lost four of its last five. Oregon State’s Ben Gulbranson completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 188 yards and a touchdown. The Beavers had touchdown drives on possessions to end the first half and open the second to take a 21-7 lead.
Trenton Bourguet started for Arizona State after suffering a lower-leg injury at Washington State last week that forced him to exit early. Bourguet completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 122 yards without a touchdown or interception. Xazavian Valladay rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for the Sun Devils.
Louisville 25, No. 24 NC State 10
Jawhar Jordan scored on a kickoff return and a short run from scrimmage as the host Cardinals overcame offensive shortcomings to defeat the Wolfpack in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Both teams had changes at quarterback because of injuries, and Louisville (7-4, 4-4 ACC) adjusted better to win for the fifth time in their last six games.
Jordan rushed for 105 yards on 16 carries. Brock Domann, making his second career start for Louisville, completed 12 of 25 passes for 153 yards. NC State (7-4, 3-4) has lost consecutive games for the first time since 2020.
No. 25 Cincinnati 23, Temple 3
Ben Bryant and Tre Tucker hooked up for an early 42-yard touchdown pass as the Bearcats rolled over the Owls in Philadelphia.
Ryan Montgomery added a touchdown run for the Bearcats (9-2, 6-1 American Athletic Conference), who are tied atop the AAC with Tulane with one week left in the regular season. Bryant went 9 of 18 for 130 yards without a turnover before leaving with a foot injury in the second quarter. Evan Prater came on and completed 12 of 17 passes for 127 yards while also playing turnover-free football.
The Owls (3-8, 1-6), meanwhile, committed four turnovers and were outgained 388-202 on the day. E.J. Warner went 21 of 36 for 167 yards with two interceptions, while Temple failed to gain more than 9 yards on any of its 19 rushing attempts.
-Field Level Media