Clemson routs ND, winsACC
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Trevor Lawrence had 412 yards of offense and three touchdowns, Travis Etienne ran for 124 yards and a score and No. 3 Clemson dominated No. 2 Notre Dame 34-10 on Saturday to win its sixth straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship.
Lawrence threw long scoring passes to Amari Rodgers and E. J Williams in the first half to help the Tigers (10-1) avenge a 47-40 double-overtime loss at Norte Dame — with Lawrence sidelined because of the coronavirus — to lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff for the sixth straight season.
Lawrence, the game MVP and presumptive No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, overcame an early interception on a tipped ball to complete 25 of 36 passes for 322 yards. He ran14 times for 90 yards, with a 34-yard touchdown scamper.
Rodgers had eight catches for 121 yards, and Williams added four for 80 yards.
Clemson allowed Notre Dame to pile up 518 yards in the previous meeting, but limited the Fighting Irish (10-1) to 263 yards Saturday and sacked quarterback Ian Book six times.
Clemson’s secondary put the clamps on Notre Dame’s wide receivers, and running back Tyren Williams was limited to 49 yards rushing after finishing with 140 yards on the ground and three TDs in the first game. Book was held to 219 yards passing and no touchdowns.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 52 NO. 7 FLORIDA 46
Najee Harris scored five touchdowns and No. 1 Alabama advanced to the College Football Playoff with a perfect record, holding off No. 7 Florida in a shootout for the Southeastern Conference championship.
The Crimson Tide (11-0, No. 1 CFP) got its toughest test in a season of blowouts, but Harris’ recordsetting performance will send coach Nick Saban to the playoff in search of his seventh national title.
NO. 9 CINCINNATI 27 NO. 23 TULSA 24
Cole Smith made a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 6 Cincinnati a 27-24 victory over No. 20 Tulsa on Saturday night in the rainy American Conference Championship game.
Alec Pierce had a career-high 146 yards receiving on five catches, Desmond Ridder passed for 269 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score, and Jerome Ford added a 42-yard scoring run for the Bearcats (9-0, No. 9 CFP).
NO. 4 OHIO ST. 22
NO. 14 NORTHWESTERN10
Trey Sermon ran for a school-record 331 yards and two second-half touchdowns, helping No. 5 Ohio State rally for a win over Northwestern for the Buckeyes’ fourth consecutive Big Ten championship.
The Buckeyes (6-0) will find out Sunday if they’ve done enough to receive one of four spots in the College Football Playoff. It’s the first time Ohio
State has won four consecutive outright conference crowns.
NO. 24 SAN JOSE ST. 34 BOISE ST. 20
Nick Starkel completed 32 of 52 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 24 San Jose State to its first Mountain West Conference championship over Boise State.
The Spartans (7-0) had lost all 14 previous meetings with the Broncos (5-2).
NO. 10 OKLAHOMA 27 NO. 6 IOWAST. 21
Spencer Rattler threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims and ran for a score and Oklahoma won its sixth consecutive Big 12 title, holding on to beat Iowa State in the conference championship game.
LSU 53, MISSISSIPPI 48
Freshman receiver Kayshon Boutte caught 14 passes for an LSU-record 308 yards receiving, and his third touchdown of the game on a 45-yard catchand-run with 1:30 remaining lifted the Tigers to a home victory over Mississippi.
ILLINOIS HIRES BIELEMA
Bret Bielema, who led Wisconsin to three conference championships before a disappointing run at Arkansas, is returning to the Big Ten and his home state to coach Illinois.