No stopping Tua, Alabama
Tua Tagovailoa passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 1 Alabama to a 45-23 rout of No. 22 Texas A&M yesterday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0 SEC) easily passed the first test against a ranked team. Kellen Mond and the Aggies (2-2, 0-1) couldn’t put up nearly the fight they had in a 28-26 loss to No. 3 Clemson. Tagovailoa completed 22-of-30 passes before leaving after Henry Ruggs III took a shuttle pass 57 yards for a score late in the third. His first attempt went for a 30-yard touchdown to a diving DeVonta Smith, and he hit tight end Hale Hentges for two more scores.
Damien Harris didn’t get many touches but had a 35-yard run and a 52-yard catch.
“We were fortunate that we made a lot of big plays on offense,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “We really threw the ball effectively and scored a lot of points, but we really didn’t control the game. We didn’t control the line of scrimmage.”
Georgia 43, Missouri 29 — Jake Fromm threw three touchdown passes and the No. 2 Bulldogs (40, 2-0 SEC) had a defensive touchdown and returned a blocked punt for a score in a win against the Tigers (3-1, 0-1) in Columbia, Mo.
Georgia blanketed Missouri’s wide receivers, harassed star quarterback Drew Lock, and forced three turnovers in the first half against the seventh-best offense in the country entering the game. Lock completed 23-of-48 passes for 221 yards for the Tigers.
Clemson 49, Georgia Tech 21 — In Atlanta, freshman Trevor Lawrence took a leading role in the quarterback rotation for the No. 3 Tigers (4-0, 1-0 ACC), coming off the bench to throw four touchdown passes in a win against the Yellow Jackets (1-3, 0-2).
Ohio State 42, Tulane 6 — In Columbus, Ohio, Dwayne Haskins Jr. threw for 304 yards and five touchdowns in the first half and the No. 4 Buckeyes (4-0) routed the Green Wave (1-3) in coach Urban Meyer’s return to the sideline following a three-game suspension.
Oklahoma 28, Army 21 — Kyler Murray threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb in overtime, and Parnell Motley intercepted Kelvin Hopkins’ fourth-down pass to help the No.5 Sooners (4-0) escape the Black Knights (2-2) in Norman, Okla.
LSU 38, Louisiana Tech 21 — Nick Brossette scored three touchdowns, Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for a career-high 136 yards and the No.6 Tigers (4-0) beat the Bulldogs (2-1) in Baton Rouge, La.
Notre Dame 56, Wake Forest 27 — Quarterback Ian Book rushed for three touchdowns and threw for two more as the No. 8 Fighting Irish (4-0) blew past the Demon Deacons (2-2) in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Book replaced Brandon Wimbush in the starting lineup and was 25-of-34 for 325 yards.
West Virginia 35, Kansas State 6— Will Grier threw five touchdown passes for the fifth time in his career and the No. 12 Mountaineers (3-0) shook off a sloppy start in the Big 12 opener to beat the Wildcats (2-2) in Morgantown, W.Va.
Kentucky 28, Mississippi State 7 — Benny Snell Jr. rushed for four TDs to break the school’s career record and the Wildcats (4-0, 2-0 SEC) held the No. 14 Bulldogs (3-1, 0-1) to 56 yards rushing in Lexington, Ky.
Texas Tech 41, Oklahoma State 17 — Alan Bowman threw for 397 yards and two touchdowns and the Red Raiders (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) ended a nine-game losing streak in the series by upsetting the No. 15 Cowboys (3-1, 0-1) in Stillwater, Okla.
Texas 31, TCU 16 — Sam Ehlinger passed for two touchdowns and ran for a score, all in the second half, and the Longhorns (3-1) ended a four-game losing streak to the No. 17 Horned Frogs (2-2) in the Big 12 opener for both teams in Austin, Texas.
Michigan 56, Nebraska 10 — Karan Higdon ran for 136 yards and a touchdown in the first half for the No. 19 Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), and the Cornhuskers (03, 0-1) stumbled to their worst start since 1945 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Miami 31, Florida International 17 — In Miami Gardens, Fla, N’Kosi Perry came off the bench to throw three touchdown passes and the No. 21 Hurricanes (3-1) beat the Panthers (2-2).
BYU 30, McNeese State 3 — Freshmen Lopini Katoa ran for two touchdowns, Skyler Southam kicked three field goals and the No. 25 Cougars (3-1) crushed the Cowboys (3-1) in Provo, Utah.