’Bama ‘D’ too good
Josh Jacobs ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass and No. 1 Alabama had its second straight shutout in a 24-0 victory against No. 18 Mississippi State yesterday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa still battling a gimpy right knee, the Crimson Tide (10-0, 7-0 SEC) turned to defense for another vintage performance. The offense raced to a fast start but mostly stalled from there against the Bulldogs (6-4, 2-4) and the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense.
Tagovailoa started the fourth quarter on a stationary bike after getting his right knee checked out in the medical tent following a hard hit. He didn’t return and wasn’t needed, mainly because of a defense that was overshadowed much of the season.
Michigan 42, Rutgers 7 — Shea Patterson threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, Karan Higdon ran for a pair of 1-yard scores and the No. 4 Wolverines (9-1, 7-0 Big Ten) kept their national championship hopes intact with a rout of the Scarlet Knights (1-9, 0-7) in Piscataway, N.J. Georgia 27, Auburn 10 — In Athens, Ga., the No. 5 Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) struck for a pair of touchdowns late in the first half to take control and D’Andre Swift finished off the Tigers (6-4, 3-4) with a 77-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma 48, Oklahoma State 47 — Kyler Murray passed for 349 yards and ran for 66 and the No. 6 Sooners (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) survived a late two-point conversion attempt to beat the Cowboys (5-5, 2-5) in Norman, Okla. Taylor Cornelius connected with Tylan Wallace on a 24-yard TD pass to cut Oklahoma’s lead to one with 1:03 to play. Oklahoma State went for two, but Cornelius threw short. West Virginia 47, TCU 10 — In Morgantown, W. Va., Will Grier threw three touchdown passes and the No. 7 Mountaineers (8-1, 6-1 Big 12) rolled past the Horned Frogs (4-6, 2-5), who were held to a season-low 222 yards of offense. Ohio State 26, Michigan State 6 — Drue Chrisman dominated the field position battle back with a sensational second half of punting, and the No. 8 Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1) eventually pulled away from the No. 24 Spartans (6-4, 4-3) in East Lansing, Mich. In a tight defensive struggle, Ohio State’s Chrisman forced Michigan State to start its first five drives after halftime from its own 5, 6, 3, 1 and 2-yard line. Washington State 31, Colorado 7 — Gardner Minshew II (35-of-58, 335 yards, two TDs) overcame a slow start and three fourth-down failures to lead the No. 10 Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Pac-12) past the nose-diving Buffaloes (5-5, 2-5) in Boulder, Colo. Central Florida 35, Navy 24 — McKenzie Milton threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third, helping the No. 11 Knights (9-0, 6-0 American) extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 22 games by beating the Midshipmen (2-8, 1-5) in Orlando, Fla. Tennessee 24, Kentucky 7 — In Knoxville, Tenn., Jarrett Guarantano threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Callaway on the final play of the first half, and Darrell Taylor recorded four sacks as the Volunteers (5-5, 2-4 SEC) trounced the No. 12 Wildcats (7-3, 5-3), their 17th straight home win in the series. Utah State 62, San Jose State 24 — Jordan Love threw for a career-high 491 yards and five touchdowns on 32-of-42 passing in just three quarters as the Aggies (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) crushed the Spartans (1-9, 1-5) in Logan, Utah. Florida 35, South Carolina 31 — Feleipe Franks silenced the home crowd twice after TD runs, sending a message after getting benched last week and booed earlier in the game, and the No. 19 Gators (7-3, 5-3 SEC) rallied past the Gamecocks (5-4, 4-4) in Gainesville, Fla.
Penn State 22, Wisconsin 10 — Miles Sanders ran for 159 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, Trace McSorley matched Todd Blackledge’s program record with his 29th win at quarterback and the No. 21 Nittany Lions (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) shut down the Badgers (6-4, 4-3) in State College, Pa. Iowa State 28, Baylor 14 — In Ames, Iowa, Brock Purdy threw for a touchdown and ran for another score, and the No. 23 Cyclones (6-3, 5-2 Big 12) topped the Bears (5-5, 3-4) after a skirmish in the third quarter. Iowa State star David Montgomery and Baylor linebacker Greg Roberts were ejected after throwing punches in the third quarter. Cincinnati 35, South Florida 23 — Michael Warren II ran for three TDs and caught a pass for another score, leading the No. 25 Bearcats (9-1, 5-1) past the Bulls (7-4, 3-3) and keeping them in chase for the American title.