Alabama overwhelms Georgia
Mac Jones passed for 417 yards and four touchdowns and No. 2 Alabama’s aerial assault picked apart No. 3 Georgia’s heralded defense in the second half of a 41-24 homefield victory Saturday night.
The Crimson Tide (4-0), with coach Nick Saban stalking the sideline after a COVID-19 scare, rallied with three touchdowns in a 10-minute span starting late in the third quarter in a battle of the Southeastern Conference’s last remaining unbeatens.
The nation’s top scoring offense ultimately got the decisive upper hand against the Bulldogs (3-1) and one of the nation’s best defenses.
Georgia had no answer for Jones and star receivers Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, especially with Alabama’s own beleaguered defense grabbing two second-half interceptions and three overall.
Smith caught 11 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter that effectively put it out of reach.
Waddle caught a 90-yard touchdown pass and gained 161 yards on six catches.
Then there was some old-school ground and pound, too. Harris gained 152 yards on 31 carries with a touchdown, and he did it against the nation’s top run defense, which came in allowing 38 rushing yards per game.
South Carolina 30, Auburn 22
Kevin Harris had two touchdown runs and the host Gamecocks (2-2 SEC) turned three interceptions into points to beat the No. 15 Tigers (2-2) for the first time in 87 years.
Auburn had won eight in a row in the series and jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes. But Bo Nix threw three interceptions, and the Gamecocks cashed in each time to win consecutive games for the first time in more than a year.
Shi Smith had eight catches, including a 10-yard touchdown grab midway through the third quarter that put South Carolina ahead for good at 20-19.
Auburn was driving on its next series when Nix threw his third interception — and second to cornerback Jaycee Horn, who brought the ball down the left sideline to the Tigers’ 8. Harris was in the end zone a play later for a 27-19 lead, and Auburn could not recover.
Kentucky 34, Tennessee 7
Kelvin Joseph and Jami Davis returned interceptions for touchdowns in the first half, and the visiting Wildcats (2-2 SEC) shut out the No. 18 Volunteers (2-2) in the second half.
It was Kentucky’s first victory in Neyland Stadium since 1984, the Wildcats’ largest margin of victory in Knoxville since 56-0 in 1893 and their most lopsided victory in the series since 1935.
Joseph’s 41-yard touchdown and Davis’ 85yard return — both off interceptions thrown by Jarrett Guarantano — helped put Kentucky up 17-0 in the second quarter.
With about five minutes left in the third quarter and trailing by 20, Tennessee went three-and-out for a second consecutive possession and was showered with boos from the sparse crowd of 22,519.
Clemson 73, Georgia Tech 7
Trevor Lawrence brushed off his first interception of the season to pass for a career-high 404 yards and five touchdowns — all five coming in the first half — as the No. 1 Tigers (5-0, 4-0 ACC) romped over the host Yellow Jackets (2-3, 2-2). Lawrence completed 24 of 32 passes. All of his touchdowns came in the first half.