King rallies Miami past Virginia Tech
BLACKSBURG, Va. — D’Eriq King threw for 255 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score in No. 9 Miami’s 25-24 comeback victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
The Hurricanes (7-1, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) overcame an 11-point, thirdquarter deficit to win their fourth consecutive game and stay alive for a spot in the ACC championship game.
Miami scored the final 12 points and held the Hokies (4-4, 4-3) scoreless on their last five possessions.
King guided the ’Canes on two long second-half scoring marches. A 13-play, 75yard drive ended with Cam’Ron Harris’ 6-yard touchdown run, and cut the lead to 24-19 with 1:27 left in the third quarter. Miami failed to convert a 2-point conversion.
Miami put together a 10-play, 82-yard drive that ended with King throwing a dart to Mark Pope for a 36-yarder and a 25-24 lead with 5:59 left in the fourth quarter.
NO. 10 INDIANA 24 MICHIGAN STATE 0
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michael Penix Jr. threw for 320 yards, hitting Ty Fryfogle with two scoring passes, and Indiana beat Michigan State to remain unbeaten.
The Hoosiers (4-0) set up a showdown next weekend at Ohio State, the only other unbeaten team in the Big Ten East.
Penix threw two interceptions in the first half, but that didn’t matter much. The Spartans (1-3, 1-3) were just as sloppy — to the point where quarterback Rocky Lombardi was pulled in the second quarter.
NO. 16 MARSHALL 42, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 14
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Redshirt freshman Grant Wells threw a season-high five touchdown passes and Marshall commemorated the 50th anniversary of the worst disaster in U.S. sports history during a victory over Middle Tennessee on Saturday.
Marshall (7-0, 4-0 Conference USA) got another standout performance from its defense and turned three turnovers into scores on a day when the university and surrounding community remembered 75 people killed in a Nov. 14, 1970, plane crash.
Marshall wore special black uniforms and the No. 75 on its helmets to honor those who were lost, which included most of the Thundering Herd football team. The crash occurred as the team’s plane was returning from a game at East Carolina. There were no survivors.
NO. 22 LIBERTY 58, WESTERN CAROLINA 14
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Malik Willis threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores, leading Liberty over Western Carolina.
Liberty (8-0) won its 10th straight game and remained second behind Notre Dame for the nation’s longest active winning streak.
Willis completed 14 of 19 passes with touchdown strikes of 44, 40 and 83 yards. He scored on runs of 11 and 43 yards and rushed for 97 yards on eight carries. Kevin Shaa caught two passes for a career-high 137 yards and a touchdown. CJ Daniels added 96 yards and two TDs on two catches.
Western Carolina was playing its first game of the season.
NO. 25 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 38, SOUTH ALABAMA 10
LAFAYETTE, La. — Levi Lewis passed for 252 yards and three touchdowns, Louisiana-Lafayette gained 254 yards on the ground and the Ragin’ Cajuns wrapped up a third straight Sun Belt Conference West Division title.
Lewis tossed TD passes of 5 yards to Jalen Williams and 3 yards to Errol Rogers. He also hit running back Trey Ragas for a 25-yard score on a fourth-down conversion, with Ragas narrowly staying inside the left sideline to put the game away in the fourth quarter.