Georgia rips S. Carolina behind Fromm
Jake Fromm threw for 194 yards and a touchdown, each of Georgia’s latest running back trio scored touchdowns and the thirdranked Bulldogs turned an expected Southeastern Conference showdown into a blowout with a 41-17 victory over No. 24 South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Gamecocks came in ranked for the first time in four years, and some thought they had a chance of upsetting the defending SEC champions early in the season. Instead, the Bulldogs used dominating offense and suffocating defense to win their fourth straight over South Carolina.
Fromm was 15-for-18 passing, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman. D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien looked every bit as effective as NFL runners Nick Chubb and Sony Michel did a year ago in leading Georgia to the College Football Playoff.
Holyfield led the way with 76 yards and a five-yard score. Swift had a 17-yard touchdown run, and Herrien piled on with a 15yard scoring burst in the third quarter as Georgia went up by 31 points.
Oklahoma 49, UCLA 21
Kyler Murray threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores, and the No. 6 Sooners lost star running back Rodney Anderson to a leg injury during a victory over the visiting Bruins. Anderson ran for 10 yards on the final play of the first quarter, limped off on his own, and trainers tended to him before he headed to the locker room. He was back on the bench later, out of uniform.
Kentucky 27, Florida 16
The Wildcats snapped a 31-game losing streak to the No. 25 Gators, the fourth-longest in NCAA history in an uninterrupted series. The Wildcats beat the Gators for the first time since 1986. Kentucky hadn’t won in Gainesville since 1979. Terry Wilson accounted for three touchdowns, and Benny Snell ran for 175 yards.
Mississippi 76, Southern Illinois 41
Jordan Ta’amu threw for 448 yards and five touchdowns, Scottie Phillips ran for 107 yards and two more scores and the host Rebels survived an upset scare by beating the Salukis. Southern Illinois led 38-35 at halftime in a game that was much more competitive than originally anticipated.
Alabama 57, Arkansas State 7
Tua Tagovailoa passed for three firstquarter touchdowns, and Jalen Hurts added two more before halftime, leading the No. 1 Crimson Tide over the visiting Red Wolves. Alabama took a 40-0 halftime lead while rotating the quarterbacks who battled for the job throughout the offseason.