Alabama rolls Auburn as Saban watches
TUSCLAOOSA, Ala. — Mac Jones passed for 302 yards and five touchdowns, highlighted by two long ones to DeVonta Smith, and No. 1 Alabama rolled over rival No. 22 Auburn 42-13 on Saturday without coach Nick Saban.
The Crimson Tide (8-0, No. 1 playoff rankings) continued a dominating march through a schedule of all-Southeastern Conference games even minus its six-time national champion coach on the sideline.
Saban tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and watched the game feed from home, witnessing the usual array of big plays with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian running the show.
The result wasmuch of the same against the Tigers (5-3), who suffered the second-most lopsided loss of Gus Malzahn’s coaching tenure. The only biggermargin was Alabama’s 52-21win in the 2018 Iron Bowl.
Alabama started a string of three straight touchdowns with Jones’s 66-yard touchdown to Smith, who was streaking by himself downfield after Auburn defenders bit on a pump fake. He later added a 58-yard catch and run on a quick slant, sprinting away from the Tigers.
Smith had seven catches for 171 yards. Najee Smith ran for 96 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown, and John Metchie III caught a pair of scoring passes. BUFFALO RB SCORES EIGHT TDS
Jaret Patterson ran for eight touchdowns to tie an FBS record and became the fourth major college football player to have a 400-yard rushing game as host Buffalo beat Kent State.
Patterson was wearing the No. 41 jersey instead of his usual 26, an honor in the Buffalo program. The number was worn by Solomon Jackson, a defensive end for the Bulls who died of a heartrelated issue in March 2016 after collapsing during an offseason workout. In 2018, coach Lance Leipold started the tradition of rotating 41 through the team on a weekly basis, giving it to a player as a reward.
Patterson matched the singlegame rushing TD mark set by Illinois running back Howard Griffith on Sept. 22, 1990, against Southern Illinois. Patterson, a junior, finished with 409 yards rushing, the second-best game in FBS history and 18 yards shy of Samaje Perine’s single-game record of 427 yards for Oklahoma against Kansas on Nov. 22, 2014.
NO. 3 CLEMSON 52, PITTSBURGH17
Trevor Lawrence threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns in his first game in five weeks — and likely last one at Death Valley — and Clemson throttled Pittsburgh at home.
Lawrence led Clemson (8-1, 7-1 ACC) a step closer to the league championship game and a likely rematch with the unbeaten Fighting Irish.
The Panthers (5-5, 4-5) were the last teamto win at Clemson, 43-42 in 2016. Kenny Pickett threw four interceptions, three in the first eight minutes that all led to Clemson touchdowns.
NO. 6 FLORIDA 34, KENTUCKY10
Florida’s Kyle-to-Kyle connection returned in a big way after a two-week hiatus and put the host Gators on the verge of the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Kyle Trask found Kyle Pitts for three touchdowns, including a 56-yarder in which the star tight end ran away from a cornerback, and Florida overcame a sluggish start to beat Kentucky.
Trask has 34 TD passes this season, moving him past 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and into a tie for third on the school’s single-season list. Only DannyWuerffel (39 in 1996, 35 in 1995) is ahead of him. Rex Grossman also had 34 in 2001.
MICHIGAN ST. 29 NO. 8 NORTHWESTERN 20
Matt Coghlin broke a tie with a 48-yard field goal with 3:35 left and host Michigan State handed Northwestern its first loss.
TheWildcats (5-1 Big Ten, 5-1) were coming off a 17-7 victory over Wisconsin that put them in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff. That prospect likely was dashed with the loss to the Spartans, but they remain in control of the Big TenWest.
The Spartans (2-3, 2-3) lost a 17-0 lead, but went back ahead by forcing three turnovers in the fourth quarter and making the most of two big kicks by Coghlin.
NO. 9 GEORGIA45 SOUTH CAROLINA 16
James Cook ran for 104 yards on just six carries and three other Georgia backs had at least 77 yards to help the road Bulldogs overpower depleted South Carolina.
After throwing for 401 yards in his first start last week, Southern California transfer JT Daniels was 10 for 16 for 139 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Georgia (6-2), which rank for 332 yards.
Georgia led 21-0 after its first three possessions and before South Carolina (2-7) got a first down.
NO. 12 INDIANA 27, MARYLAND11
Stevie Scott III had three touchdown runs and No. 12 Indiana had three interceptions, three sacks and a game-changing safety at home.
Freshman Tim Baldwin Jr. ran for a season-high 106 yards for the Hoosiers (5-1).
Maryland (2-2) was coming off a 21-day break stemming from a COVID-19 outbreak that caused the cancellation of two games.