Michigan states case
All Michigan needed was an exclamation point — a final flourish that would add a little extra satisfaction to this big victory on a rival’s home field.
When Michigan State fumbled while attempting a puzzling two-point conversion with 1 second left, Jabrill Peppers scooped up the loose ball and ran all the way to the end zone. Then the celebration really began.
“It was just icing on the cake,” Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight said. “I think we all had figured that we won at that point. Going for two, I’m sure there was a reason for that, but for Jabrill to pick that up and take it to the house, that felt good.”
The defensive conversion by Peppers capped a 3223 victory for the secondranked Wolverines, who beat the skidding Spartans for only the second time in the last nine meetings. Peppers also scored a touchdown in the first quarter, and when the game’s last second finally ticked off, he did a triumphant backflip for good measure.
Amara Darboh caught eight passes for a careerhigh 165 yards, and De’Veon Smith ran for two touchdowns for Michigan.
The Wolverines (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) scored every time they had the ball in the first half, sending the Spartans (2-6, 0-5) to their sixth straight loss. Michigan avenged last year’s loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans scored the winning touchdown on the final play when the Wolverines botched a punt .
Michigan State went on to a Big Ten title and a national semifinal appearance after that dramatic victory, but this season it’s Michigan that’s in the national title hunt. The Wolverines were heavy favorites to win in East Lansing, and they trailed only briefly in the first quarter.
Michigan led 30-10 in the fourth before the Spartans scored two touchdowns, the last of which came with only 1 second on the clock. Down 30-23, Michigan State attempted a 2-point conversion and fumbled, and Pep-
pers went the other way for two points.
Speight threw for 244 yards for Michigan. Michigan State, meanwhile, did not complete a pass in the second or third quarter. Clemson 37, Florida St.
34 — In Tallahassee, Fla., Deshaun Watson had 430 yards of total offense — 27of-43 passes for 378 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions; 52 yards rushing on 17 carries — and the No. 3 Tigers (80, 5-0 ACC) also saw Jordan Leggett make five catches for 122 yards and the goahead score to narrowly escape with the win against the No. 12 Seminoles (5-3, 2-3), whose Dalvin Cook scored four TDs and ran for 136 of his 169 yards in the second half. Washington 31, Utah 24 — In Salt Lake City, Dante Pettis returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown with 3:25 left and the No. 4 Huskies (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12) were able to hang on for the win against the No. 17 Utes (72, 4-2) to remain unbeaten, with Jake Browning contributing two TD passes and a key pooch punt to the win and Myles Gaskin running for 151 and a score. Louisville 32, Virginia 25 — In Charlottesville, Va., Lamar Jackson floated a
29-yard touchdown pass, his fourth scoring strike, to Jaylen Smith with 13 seconds remaining and the No. 5 Cardinals (7-1, 5-1 ACC) survived a frenetic finish to beat the Cavaliers (2-6, 1-3), who had scored with 1:57 left and used a two-point conversion to take the lead. Ohio St. 24, Northwestern 20 — In Columbus, Ohio, Curtis Samuel ran for a 3-yard score with 9:43 left to give the No. 6 Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) the lead and quarterback J.T. Barrett converted a pair of third downs on a game-sealing drive in a win over the Wildcats (4-4, 3-2). Wisconsin 23, Nebraska
17 — In Madison, Wis., Dare Ogunbowale scored on an 11-yard run in overtime before the PAT was missed, and the No. 11 Badgers (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) held on to beat the No. 7 Cornhuskers (7-1, 4-1), who tied the game on a field goal late in the fourth quarter. Texas 35, Baylor 34 — In Austin, Texas, Trent Domingue kicked a 39-yard field goal with 46 seconds remaining and the Longhorns (4-4, 2-4 Big 12) delivered loss No. 1 to the No. 8 Bears (6-1, 3-1), with D’Onta Foreman running for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Texas A&M 52, N.M. State 10 — In College Station, Texas, Christian Kirk returned two punts for touchdowns and added a third score on a reception, powering No. 9 Texas A&M (7-1) in a lopsided nonconference win against New Mexico State (2-6) in the Battle of the Aggies. Oklahoma St. 37, W. Virginia 20 — In Stillwater, Okla., Mason Rudolph threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, Chris Lacy caught two TD passes and Jalen McCleskey had 11 receptions as the Cowboys (6-2, 4-1 Big 12)
upended the No. 10 Mountaineers (6-1, 3-1). Wyoming 30, Boise St. 28
— In Laramie, Wyo., Chase Appleby sacked Brett Rypien and forced a fumble for a safety with 1:25 left to give the Cowboys (6-2, 4-0 Mountain West), whose Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns, the upset victory against the No. 13 Broncos (7-1, 3-1). Florida 24, Georgia 10 — In Jacksonville, Fla., Jordan Scarlett scored a touchdown for the sixth consecutive
game and the No. 14 Gators (6-1, 4-1 SEC) used a dominant defensive effort that held Nick Chubb to 20 rushing yards on nine caries to beat the Bulldogs (44, 2-4). Auburn 40, Mississippi
29 — In Oxford, Miss., Kamryn Pettway ran for 236 yards and a touchdown, Sean White had a TD pass and the No. 15 Tigers (6-2, 4-1 SEC) downed the Rebels (3-5, 1-4), whose Chad Kelly threw for 465 yards and three touchdowns. Oklahoma 56, Kansas 3 — In Norman, Okla., Baker Mayfield passed for four touchdowns and the No. 16 Sooners (6-2, 5-0 Big 12) routed the Jayhawks (1-7, 0-5), with Dede Westbrook scoring on a 71-yard punt return and a 41-yard reception. South Carolina 24, Tennessee 21 — In Columbia, S.C., Jake Bentley threw for two touchdowns, Rico Dowdle ran for 127 yards and another score and the Gamecocks (4-4, 2-4 SEC) handed the No. 18 Volunteers (5-3, 2-3) a third straight loss. Penn St. 62, Purdue 24 — In West Lafayette, Ind., Saquon Barkley ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns, Trace McSorley threw three TD passes, and the No. 24 Nittany Lions (62, 4-1 Big Ten) blasted the Boilermakers (3-5, 1-4).