Utah routs Oregon, ending Ducks’ CFP hopes
SALT LAKE CITY >> Britain Covey returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half, giving Utah 14 points in 27 seconds and a 28-0 lead, and the No. 24 Utes ended No. 4 Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes with a 38-7 victory Saturday night.
Tavion Thomas ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns to help the Utes (8-3, 7-1 Pac-12) wrap up a share of the Pac-12 South title and a spot in the conference championship game. Utah has won four in a row.
Cameron Rising threw for 178 yards. His top target, Brant Kuithe, piled up 118 yards on five catches for just the second 100-yard game of his career. Covey had 191 all-purpose yards.
Anthony Brown threw for 231 yards and a touchdown for Oregon (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12, No. 3 CFP). Oregon rushed for 63 yards and had 294 yards of offense.
NO. 5 OHIO STATE 56, NO. 7 MICHIGAN STATE 7 >> C.J. Stroud threw for six touchdowns and nearly 400 yards in the first half and Ohio State made it look easy in a blowout of Michigan State.
Stroud finished 32 for 35 against the Spartans’ sketchy pass defense, which had allowed more yards through the air than any in major college football.
NO. 1 GEORGIA 56, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 7 >> Standout defensive tackle Jordan Davis scored his first career touchdown and Georgia’s defense was again dominant against Charleston
Southern.
NO. 2 ALABAMA 42, NO. 21 ARKANSAS 35 >> Bryce Young passed for a school-record 559 yards and five touchdowns
and Alabama beat Arkansas to clinch a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game. NO. 3 CINCINNATI 48, SMU 14 >> Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score and even caught a TD pass to help Cincinnati roll past SMU.
NO. 6 NOTRE DAME 55, GEORGIA TECH 0 >> Jack Coan threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns in a little more than a half and Notre Dame had two defensive touchdowns in winning its sixth straight game.
NO. 8 MICHIGAN 59, MARYLAND 18 >> Mike Sainristil made a one-handed catch in the end zone for a secondquarter touchdown, Hassan Haskins scored two TDs of his own, and Michigan did its part to raise the stakes of next weekend’s showdown with Ohio State.
NO. 9 OKLAHOMA STATE 23, TEXAS TECH 0 >> Oklahoma State is going to play for a championship because of its dominating defense.
NO. 10 MISSISSIPPI 31, VANDERBILT 17 >> Matt Corral threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns in his home finale and Mississippi beat Vanderbilt.
NO. 18 IOWA 33, ILLINOIS 23 >> Charlie Jones had a 100yard kickoff return for Iowa’s first touchdown and the Hawkeyes went on to beat Illinois.
Iowa (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) was trailing Illinois (4-7, 3-5) 10-0 in the first quarter when Jones took the kick near the right corner of the end zone and ran through a hole on the left side for the score.
Iowa wide receiver Arland Bruce IV had a 2-yard run for a touchdown and Caleb Shudak kicked four field goals, including a 51-yarder in the second quarter.